BBC article relating to the financial pressure that has forced Wikileaks to suspend the publication of files. Any students interested in this issue should navigate through the links offered at the bottom of the article:
Monday, 24 October 2011
WIKILEAKS FORCED TO STOP PUBLISHING FILES.
BBC article relating to the financial pressure that has forced Wikileaks to suspend the publication of files. Any students interested in this issue should navigate through the links offered at the bottom of the article:
Thursday, 20 October 2011
YEAR13 LESSON SEVEN [21st Oct 11]: Homework.
Students were offered a series of advertisements that could be considered to be an example of the 'male gaze' and reference was made to Laura Mulvey and the idea that women have learned to see themselves as being 'looked at'. Students were offered a series of ridiculous advertisements from America published in the 1970s and then a series of contemporary images that can be considered equally ridiculous and offensive. This country has a serious problem with domestic violence and violence against women and perhaps objectified images and overt sexualised representations of women are somehow connected to this issue.
The heart of the lesson was an exploration of the question: WHY SHOULD MEDIA REGULATION BE OF INTEREST TO A MEDIA STUDENT?
Students were provided with a very tight essay structure that will help in the construction of an appropriate and detailed response. The lesson was a discussion of the issues that should be explored within this written response.
HOMEWORK: I expect the media regulation essay to be handed to me when next we find ourselves in E5. This is a very important slice of work as students need to apply media theory to issues relating to regulation and this is crucial if students are to successfully access the requirements of MEST3 Section A. This is the first essay this year within which students are expected to apply media theory so it should be an interesting challenge. Issues such as desensitisation, sensitisation, Reception Theory, The Uses and Gratification Theory, and hegemony should all be explored and applied within this response. The key to this response is using appropriate media texts to illustrate your argument. Independent research is also a fundamental element of this task. I would like to see evidence of independent study and critical autonomy. I have offered a lot of resources that relate to this task. Below are links to a few of the texts relevant to this task:
Articles relating to the demonising of Christopher Jefferies:
INTCMP=SRCH
BBC articles:
Reebok Easytone material:
Barnardos 'Breaking the Cycle' advert:
Women's Aid 'Cut' avert:
Below is a link to the 'DOVE REAL BEAUTY' debate. This is a very interesting resource that discusses image manipulation and how the advertising industry represents beauty. WATCH THIS!:
Below is a link to lesson five. There are some useful resources here:
Below are a series of fishymedia resources that may be useful for this task or relate to issues raised in today's lesson:
I look forward to your own textual references. Use the handout created by your comrades.It is an extremely relevant resource for this task.
You lot have been magnificent this term. KEEP IT UP.
Good luck with the essay. Any problems, fire me an e-mail.
MPs CALL FOR INTERNET REGULATION: BBC article.
Students need to be aware of media regulation and this BBC article is relevant for A2 students currently exploring issues relating to regulation. This article links to several BBC articles relating to regulation and students need to peruse these articles to develop their understanding of this topic. Below is a link to the main article and one of the linked articles.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
YEAR 12 LESSON SIX [18th Oct 11]: Homework.
This lesson was a BIG lesson as it involved students receiving their first written grades. The recent written work lacked specific textual reference and lacked appropriate use of media language so the aim of this session was to improve these key areas of the written work.
Class discussion generated a series of notes in response to the question: HOW ARE MEDIA FORMS USED IN THE OPENING CREDITS OF DEXTER TO REPRESENT THE SINISTER NATURE OF THE CENTRAL CHARACTER?
The class produced a twenty minute timed response with the focus being:
- Support all opinion with specific textual reference.
- Use the language of media analysis in an appropriate manner.
- HOW ARE MEDIA FORMS USED TO SUGGEST THE GENRE AND CONTENT OF THIS MEDIA TEXT? Students will need to refer to the genre notes I provided at the beginning of the course. I expect some reference to the repertoire of elements and the iconography offered here that is typical of the police drama genre. I would also smile like a simpleton if students attempted to refer to the use of binary opposites evident within this narrative. Click on link to access text:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1ABR4UpDSU
- HOW IS THE 4OD SERVICE REPRESENTED IN THIS CHANNEL FOUR ADVERTISEMENT? Click on link to access media text:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhve5MnSuYI
- IN THIS POSTER ADVERTISING AN ART GALLERY IN MEXICO CITY, WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT THE AIM OF THE INSTITUTION AND THE POTENTIAL TARGET AUDIENCE. The poster is the image that introduces this blog entry.
THIS IS A BIG HOMEWORK.
Any problems, drop me an e-mail, communicate via blog, or visit me in the dept.
Good luck.
Monday, 17 October 2011
FACEBOOK BIGOT, RIOT BOYS AND NAIVE TEACHERS: Media Regulation and Facebook.
A religious bigot who posted sectarian comments on a Facebook page has been jailed for 8 months. This was defined as a HATE CRIME and is evidence that the law is attempting to regulate how people use the internet. Click on link to access BBC article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15333744
Furthermore, The Hull Daily Mail published an article about teachers verbally abusing their students via Facebook. The internet is not a private space. Perhaps the most effective regulation is self-regulation:
Facebook and the riots. More custodial sentences:
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Non-Mainstream media:THE LOVE POLICE AND CVEITCH.
The Love Police and CVEITCH are an example of how digital media has created an alternative to the values of the mainstream media. They often film incidents such as the student demonstrations in London last year and demonstrations by organisations such as the EDL and provide a very different representation to the representations offered by mainstream media. Charlie Veitch recently posted on his blog that THE LOVE POLICE as a project has now ended. However, I imagine CVEITCH will continue to post his provocative material.
Why am I posting this material? This is an example of how the audience can become the producer and challenge the dominant value system of mainstream media. Broadcast quality HD video cameras can now be purchased relatively cheaply, editing software is now cheap and accessible, and platforms such as YOU TUBE offer the potential for global distribution.
Click on links below to access a selection of material that has been posted by CVEITCH:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdYxXyUJkQ
Feel free to navigate this site. Is CVEITCH a lunatic? The voice of reason? Slightly misguided? Or a clown with a video camera? You decide! What are the media issues and debates that we can explore through non-mainstream media such as this site?
Feel free to navigate this site. Is CVEITCH a lunatic? The voice of reason? Slightly misguided? Or a clown with a video camera? You decide! What are the media issues and debates that we can explore through non-mainstream media such as this site?
Thursday, 13 October 2011
YEAR 13 LESSON SIX [14th Oct 11]: Homework.
Students were introduced to the issues relating to the Blackberry service. If the institution essay had been offered at the end of this session, students would have been expected to refer to this situation. The Blackberry brand has been compromised and serves as an example of how digital institutions can be 'threatened' by the pressure of the digital world. Will Blackberry suffer the same lack of credibility that is killing MySpace? Students need to keep their media eye on this media situation. Click on link to access an ITN news report and BBC online articles:
The lesson moved on to discuss issues relating to REGULATION. The class produced a research homework that explored issues relating to MORAL PANICS and REGULATION and this research provided the platform for a brief class feedback.
The students were introduced to the broadcast media produced by Reebok to market their product the 'Reebok Easytone Training Shoe.' The ASA banned this advertisement for its false scientific claims. Clearly there are issues relating to objectification and representation that are more disturbing than the fact that the company is offering false claims and misrepresenting the real value of their product. Click on link below:
There were two other advertisements linked to this marketing campaign. Click on link below to access both advertisements:
We shall be discussing these advertisements next week and applying media theory to the content being offered to us throughout this marketing campaign.
The class discussed issues relating to the Audience/Producer debate and were made aware that they will be expected to provide a written response to the following question in the very near future:
'DIGITAL MEDIA HAVE IN MANY WAYS, CHANGED HOW WE CONSUME MEDIA PRODUCTS.' WHO DO YOU THINK BENEFITS MOST- AUDIENCES OR PRODUCERS?
The final section of the lesson involved a class analysis of how media forms are used to shape meaning in the Dexter/Sherlock Holmes broadcast media. Students then produced a twenty minute written response appropriate for the first section of MEST3 Section A.
HOMEWORK: Read the fantastic resource that was created by last week's homework. Furthermore, read all the material that you have that relates to media theory. For example, Dyer, Berger, Mulvey, Chomsky and Marxist Theory, Liberal Pluralism,issues relating to Sensitisation and Desensitisation, The Uses and Gratification Theory etc. Next week we shall be considering REGULATION and MEDIA THEORY and the media issues and debates generated by media regulation. Do we really need protecting?
You lot were fantastic today. I am very impressed with the quality of class discussion and the detail of the written work. KEEP IT UP....although three people need to e-mail me some work!
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
YEAR 12 LESSON FIVE [11th Oct 11]: Homework.
Students attempted to provide a critical analysis of the opening credits to the American TV series 'DEXTER.' The aim of offering this analysis was to develop the ability of students to use media language when exploring how media forms shape meaning. The recent written work produced by students has lacked appropriate use of media language and this is an area that clearly needs to improve if students are to achieve grades that will make their parents smile. The next written homework will involve producing a critical analysis of this text so students might want to watch this clip a few times and make notes in preparation for the next written response. Click on link below to access the Dexter intro:
The rest of the session involved students editing material that was captured last week. The aim of this section of the lesson was to smash the myth that the technology is difficult to comprehend.IT IS NOT. Some of the editing was genuinely impressive. The difficult feature of creating broadcast media is thinking of original and creative ideas that will help shape an engaging narrative. Film-making is a thoughtful and imaginative process. Decent technology cannot make a dull idea seem interesting. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE IDEAS FOLKS.
HOMEWORK: Watch the Dexter clip. The next written homework will be a response to the question: HOW ARE MEDIA FORMS USED IN THE OPENING CREDITS OF DEXTER TO REPRESENT THE SINISTER NATURE OF THE CENTRAL CHARACTER?
The main feature of this text that students need to be aware of is the extensive connotations attached to Dexter's 'morning routine'. How significant are the point of view shots? Frame composition? Diegetic and non-diegetic sound? Use of close-up and extreme close-up? Significance of the colour red? Non-verbal communication?
Good work today folks.Well done.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
YEAR 13 LESSON FIVE [7th Oct 11]: Homework.
Students were introduced to Reception Theory and the philosophy of Jean Baudrillard with specific reference to his view that the media has created a HYPERREALITY.
Students were introduced to the idea of Moral Panics and media regulation.Below is a link to the Mark Kermode clip that I presented to the class. Kermode is a wonderfully engaging film critic and I would advise all students to visit his blog:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2009/06/moralpanic_150609.html
The class discussed the definition of Moral Panic and the discussion moved into a consideration or regulation and why media needs regulating. This discussion involved the class being shown the following clip from the film 'The Life of Brian' and a consideration of why this film was banned by some UK local councils when it was released in 1979. Ireland and Norway refused permission to broadcast this film. WHY?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1loyjm4SOa0
The class were shown two adverts that have been banned by the ASA.Click on link to access the OPIUM and DFS adverts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvBVUit3kjY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at1y7iHmjXQ
Here are some articles that explain why these advertisements were banned:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12336061
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7762337.stm
Reference was made to Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat MP, and her opinions relating to digital image manipulation. She has challenged the morality of digital image manipulation and is a very interesting media voice. Click on link below to develop an understanding of Swinson's views:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKMy-9w17a8
This is a speech she gave to Parliament titled: The effect of media images on the body of women and girls. ALL STUDENTS SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS SPEECH.
Below is an example of image manipulation that was banned by the ASA. This OLAY advert was considered to be 'too airbrushed.':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/14308714
The class discussion considered why these advertisements could be considered controversial and were introduced to the Women's Aid advertisement CUT that was released in 2009. The CLEARCAST regulatory organisation considered this film unsuitable for television unless the final scenes received a massive re-edit. Women's Aid refused to re-edit their film and decided to broadcast the film online and in cinemas accompanied by a print campaign. There was a 50% rise in contributions to the charity after this film and print campaign. Was the CLEARCAST decision the correct decision? Students were asked to consider the following questions:
- Who has the power to regulate media?
- Why do we need protection from media?
- Who are the institutions with the power to regulate media?
- How does regulation relate to media theory?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4RjsqPYaS0
Students were offered the first five minutes of Stan Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' and asked to consider why Kubrick made the decision to censor his own film.
Finally the class were shown the BBC advertisement for Sherlock Holmes and asked to provide a media analysis to this text appropriate for MEST3 Section A.
HOMEWORK: Students should produce an A4 revision sheet for their fellow media comrades. All students were provided with a research topic and I expect to receive this A4 sheet next week. The three students who missed this session need to see me to receive their topic task. Topics offered to the students included:
- OFCOM
- THE HAYS CODE
- THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS AUTHORITY
- THE BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION
- ISSUES RELATING TO MANHUNT 2
- MEDIA ISSUES LINKED TO JO SWINSON AND HER CAMPAIGN AGAINST IMAGE MANIPULATION
- THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ACT
- MEDIA ISSUES LINKED TO THE JUDAS PRIEST TRIAL IN 1990.
- MEDIA ISSUES LINKED TO THE FILM 'A CLOCKWORK ORANGE'
Students also need to familiarise themselves with the following texts as students will be providing an MEST 3 Section A response to these texts in next week's session:
Dexter introduction:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhKRhk49iqQ
Sherlock Holmes advertisement:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQq_bC5kIw
The questions you will be asked to consider next week are:
- How are media forms used to represent the central character?
- Why do we watch media that deals with such disturbing material?
Phew. Lots to do.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
YEAR 12 LESSON FOUR [4th Oct 11]: Homework.
Students were offered the chance to film footage that will be used to construct a film advertising the sixth form that is aimed at engaging a Year 11 audience. The editing of this material will take place next week.
I perused the footage and a lot of the material is weak but we should be able to construct a two minute film next week. The whole point of this task was to get you to use the equipment and develop an understanding of how difficult it is to capture decent visual material. We will feedback next week, discuss the process of filming, share experiences, watch some of the footage and discuss how we can improve filming technique.
The photographs above were taken by students as part of last week's homework. The task was to capture an image that represents the town of Beverley.
The photographs above were taken by students as part of last week's homework. The task was to capture an image that represents the town of Beverley.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
REPRESENTATIONS OF THE CITY.
These two texts are representations of the city experience. We will be examining these texts at AS and A2 in the near future. Both are excellent examples of how media forms can be used to create interesting work. The film is technically superb and Maciej Dakowicz is clearly a fine photographer.
Click on link below to access Dakowicz's 'Cardiff After Dark':
http://cargocollective.com/maciejdakowicz#1423665/Cardiff-After-Dark
Click on link below to access Alex Lee's 'Tokyo Slo-Mode':
http://vimeo.com/29186408
Students should be thinking about coursework and these two texts should provide some artistic inspiration.
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