The Colony

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/emma-watson-film-the-colony-makes-47-at-uk-box-office-a7122201.html

 

Emma Watson latest film 'The Colony' took just £47 at the box office in the UK in its opening week. Quite a staggeringly low amount considering she is such a high profile actress. However, the film was only distributed to three cinemas. Is this reflective of the film industry at present? Do you have to be a big budget film with the financial support of a large film studio behind you in order to receive a fair UK or worldwide release?

 

The film was simultaneously released on 'Video on Demand' and in the cinema (read more about this and other films who have used this simultaneous distribution method in the article above).

 

What does this suggest about audiences relationship with new and digital media? 

Is this the future of film distribution and what impact will this have on cinemas?



Fergie's new music video

 

 

Have you seen Fergie's new music video for the song 'M.I.L.F'?

It certainly is an interesting one for debate when you consider the representation of gender (both male and female) in the video and the construction of identity.

Watch the video link and consider:

• Are they constructing positive or negative representations within the video and HOW have they achieved this?

• Are they reinforcing stereotypes or challenging them?

• How has Fergie created different identities within the narrative of the video? (Consider the mise en scene choices and her inspiration for each 'version' of Fergie that she portrays)

• How have audiences responded to this video?

• Does it reinforce any dominant ideologies about gender roles?

Summer homework

Please complete the Lee Rigby case study and ensure that you have researched the media theory terms listed on the case study sheet (below)


Keep an eye out for new and interesting stories relating to the media over the summer.
For example,
- do you notice any new developments in media technology over the summer and the way in which audiences use them?
- look at how different news organisations report on the same story. How does their language, choice of images and audience differ?
- is there any music videos, tv dramas, films, apps etc that provoke a strong (positive or negative) reaction from audiences or institutions? Why is this?
- is there any changes in media ownership,their funding or structure in key media institutions like the BBC, Channel 4, Google, Twitter, Universal, Sony etc

Finally, do keep an eye out on the blog as I will continue to add resources, articles and links to areas of interest that will broaden your knowledge for the exam. But a word of warning: DO NOT SOLELY RELY ON THIS. The exam needs to demonstrate your own independent thought and research, and as a result, you need to start exploring these contemporary media issues yourself. Feel free to 'comment' on my blog posts by adding links and a brief explanation of anything that you find that is of interest in your own research.

Have a fantastic summer!

Mrs Jones

Lee rigby case study from CHSGmedia

live stream shooting

You may have read or watched the news about the appalling chain of events in America in the last couple of weeks.

Philando Castille, a black man from Minnesota, was pulled over in his car with his girlfriend. He was consequently shot and killed by the police officer. What makes this tragic event particularly significant for us to explore is the fact that his girlfriend live streamed the incident on Facebook as it happened. Do read the details of the tragic incident in the BBC news link below.


WARNING: the video is attached in the link. It does not show the man being shot and he is not clearly shown after the shooting. However, this is a sensitive and emotional subject so I advise that you consider this before viewing the video.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36732908

Things to consider:

• What are the positive and negative implications for the producers and audience of live stream content such as facebook live stream and Periscope?
• Is this an example of citizen journalism? What impact is this having on traditional news formats and the institutions responsible for their production?
• Regulation - do your own research by monitoring the response from facebook and other social media platforms. Will they change the way this service is produced or accessed?

Spice Girls pastiche - identity and female representation

Remember the Spice Girls? The United Nations have commissioned a video promoting equality and equal pay for women in a pastiche of the Spice Girls iconic 'Wannabe' video.

A really interesting idea that would be useful when looking at female identity, representation, new and digital technology, audience, post modernism and intertextuality.

Try exploring the audience response to this campaign - what do the target audience feel about this video? Have they used new and digital technology and social media to engage with this? Has there been a negative response from any societal group? If so, who and how is this demonstrated?

You can read more about the video here:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/05/spice-girls-wannabe-video-gets-remake-for-female-equality-push



WELCOME!

Welcome to CHSG's media A2 media studies blog!


Here you will find:

• class powerpoints and resources
• revision tips and materials
• links to resources for case studies and media texts
• theory resources

Each post is 'tagged' so that you can search via a specific topic or media term.


Use this blog regularly; check for updates, read the material and post comments and responses when relevant. Please feel free to add media texts and links in your responses that may be useful to the class in their preparation for the course and the exam.


Mrs Jones