INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA FORMS.Some useful media texts to stimulate a consideration of how and why a text is constructed.

We return to work next week so it's time to consider how to introduce Year 12 to the key concepts and how to reintroduce Year 13 to media brain food. Below are some resources that i intend to use in the first couple of lessons to stimulate discussion, introduce media terminology, and serve as material that will be the focus of an analytical essay. I intend to use e-media and print media to support these examples of broadcast media.

Click on link below to access the opening credits to HBO's the Sopranos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLxSUKA--Dg

The opening credits to Showtime's Dexter are superb. You want connotation? Here is connotation. Click on link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8-Rqo-VT4

Click on link below to access a blog that examines the opening credits of Dexter. It is not an academic media analysis but it is still very interesting.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2007/10/dexter_putting_it_together.html

Click on link to access another blog that examines the opening to Dexter. Note the reader comments:

http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/2009/11/01/fragments-dexter-credit-sequence-character-study

Click on link below to access opening credits to Season Four of HBO's The Wire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNOTE7W5qts

Click on link below to access opening credits to THAMES TV's The Sweeney [very popular UK cop drama from the 1970s]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D99O6oTJVHo&feature=related

Click on link below to access the stunning opening credits to HBO's drama Six Feet Under. The opening sequence of Six Feet Under was created by Digital Kitchen's Eric S. Anderson. Anderson's company are also responsible for the opening credits to Dexter, True Blood and Nip/Tuck :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6WATB9PFdE

Click on link below to access opening credits to HBO's True Blood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxINMuOgAu8

Digital Kitchen's chief creative officer,Paul Matthaeus, explains some of the ideas being explored in the opening credits to True Blood. Click on link below to access article:

http://truebloodnet.com/true-blood-filming-opening-sequence-designer-moves/

Click on link below to access analysis of True Blood's opening credits. This analysis is courtesy of Flow TV:

http://flowtv.org/2009/12/vampire-politicslisa-nakamura-laurie-beth-clark-michael-peterson/

Opening credits, along with moving image advertisements and film/Television trailers are a vast and relevant source of material. Any work I attempt using broadcast media will consider the media forms used to construct e-media and print media. Students must be aware of how one text uses media forms across at least three media platforms.