Television: Final index

1) Television: Introduction to TV drama

2) Doctor Who: Language and Representation

3) Doctor Who: Audience and Industries

4) His Dark Materials: Language and Representation

5) His Dark Materials: Audience and Industries

6) Industry contexts: the BBC and public service broadcasting

TV industry contexts

1) What is the BBC's mission statement?

act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain

2) How is the BBC funded?

It is funded by the british government as it is a national tv channel

3) What must the BBC do to meet its public service broadcasting responsibilities? (Look at the five bullet points in the notes above).

provide high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains a wide range of audiences, while also reflecting the diversity of the UK

4) Who is the regulator for TV and Radio in the UK? You can find details on this in the notes above.

ofcom is the regulator for both TV and radio

5) How is TV and Radio regulated by Ofcom? 

Ofcom is responsible for overseeing broadcasting standards and ensuring compliance with regulations. They also handle complaints related to content on TV and radio. 

His Dark Materials: Audience and Industries

 Audience

1) What audience do you think His Dark Materials is aimed at and why? Think about demographic and psychographic groups. You can revise Pyschographics here.

His Dark Materials is aimed at family audience as it is marketed at younger audience. Despite this it fails to meet that psychographic group as there are many things in the HDM series that are not suitable for younger or a family audience to watch.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity:The exploration of complex themes and the development of relatable characters.

Personal Relationships: We as an audience grow closer to characters like Lyra and Will as the more we watch the more we want to find out what will happen next to the characters.

Diversion (Escapism): HDM offers audiences pleasure throughescapism into an imagined fantasy world

3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials? Refer to specific scenes or moments in the episode to explain your answer. 

VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions. 

VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters (e.g. time/space travel). 

VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching something you wouldn't normally get a chance to see

4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materials and watch the fan reaction video above.

'If you are a newcomer looking for lockdown solace in an autumn drama, give this one a miss'

'Perhaps it will pick up in future episodes. It is a fine children's drama, albeit one in a prime-time Sunday night slot and with scenes too frightening for younger kids. But what was once event TV is now a middling fantasy.'

5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it? 

Industries

1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?

Bad Wolf and New Line Cinema

2) What were the UK viewing figures for A City of Magpies? How did this compare to season 1 of His Dark Materials?

The first episode of season 2 of His Dark Materials had a lower viewership than the first season's debut episode. 

3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important? Look at the notes above for more on this.

it allowed the BBC, the primary producer, to access HBO's resources and reach a wider international audience.

4) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show.

Dafne Keen as Lyra Belacqua, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, and Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Coulter. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Lee Scoresby.

5) Who are Bad Wolf and what do they produce?

A high-end television drama production company based in Cardiff, Wales.

HDM: Language and Representation

 1) Write an analysis of the episode - using your notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed reference to moments in the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots and movement, editing, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

You can currently watch His Dark Materials on BBC iPlayer here.

Camerawork, editing and sound: Camerawork and fast-paced editing for the chase scene - high angle drone shots, camera movement and fast cuts.  

Mise-en-scene: Costume: Mrs Coulter red costume and lipstick - connotation of danger. ‘Femme fatale’ - dangerous female.

Narrative and genre: Lyra and Will character development - agree to work together in this scene. Creates audience pleasure - a team to support. 

You can access our notes from the close-textual analysis in a previous class here - you'll need your Greenford Google login to open this.

2) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?

His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre through it showing a multi-world reality, creatures like daemons and its narrative focused on a young protagonist facing challenges.

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into? 

1) Lyra fits into the hero/heroine character role

2) Will fits into The helper character role

3) Witches fits into the Villain/antagonist character role

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

In His Dark Materials action and enigma codes are used to build suspense when the characters get in a chase scene with dialogues being said in an aggressive manner (Diegetic sounds) with fast paced bird's eye point of view camera shot. 

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. 

His Dark Materials shows clear contrasts between opposing forces like childhood innocence and adult corruption. This shows how the younger characters have taken over and now are in control.

Representations

1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here.

Women are represented as more dominant than male characters as this is shown when Lyra is seen as more powerful, fearless and dominant meanwhile Will is seen as the quite opposite as he's presented with a more feminine like stereotypes thus subverting the stereotypes for both genders in these series.

2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.

Will is seen as the more inferior character as he's presented with a more feminine like stereotypes thus subverting the stereotypes for men and masculinity.

3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults.

Age is represented in an opposite way as usually adults wold be more dominant and in control but HDM challenges these stereotypes by showing more freedom and in control for children

4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?

In His Dark Materials, race and ethnicity are represented through the Gyptians, who are analogous to Romani people, and the Tartars, who are based on a real-world ethnic group from Eastern Europe and Asia.

5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.

In His Dark Materials, the world is represented through a multiverse of parallel universes, each with unique characteristics and different things.

Magazines and Music Video assessment learner response

 1) Type up your WWW/EBI feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). 

WWW: Abdul. some knowledge of media terminology in this assessment. E.g. magazine conventions.

EBI: very vague and limited responses for CSPS + limited media terminology - complete all blog work to develop knowledge/understanding

LR: see blog.
2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question: 

Q1: 2
Q2: 3
Q3: 2

Q4: 3

Q5: 2

3) Look specifically at question 2. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme for question 2 to write three connotations of the design and layout of Tatler.

• the cover star Emma Weymouth wearing a ballgown in the gardens of a stately home

connotes the wealth and luxury that Tatler readers aspire to. The mise-en-scene (costume,

make-up, pose, expression) all emphasise these aspects

• the fact cover star Emma Weymouth is mixed race suggests that Tatler is moving with the

times and responding to cultural changes in Britain around gender

• the stylised serifed font of the masthead contrasts with the sans-serif fonts used elsewhere

signifying a well-produced, easy-to-read product that has been designed to be a pleasure for

the audience to read

Layout:

4) Now look at question 3 - Heat magazine. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to write three ways celebrities are represented in Heat magazine.

• Celebrities are presented as important and desirable – this is the latest gossip that readers

have to know about.

• Celebrities on cover tend to be reality TV or pop stars – celebrities generally from more

working class backgrounds so again creating a point of contact with a working or middle

class audience.

• Female celebrities feature more prominently than male – perhaps reinforces gender

stereotypes regarding women expecting to take part in gossip about relationships.

5) Look at question 5 - Arctic Monkeys and audience identity. This is a real AQA past question with lots of potential answers given in the mark scheme. Choose three answers that specifically refer to the Arctic Monkeys CSP and write them here. 

• the audience might watch music videos to reinforce values and behaviour. The lead singer seems to not care about the filming of the music video, rarely making eye contact with the camera and stating at the beginning ‘don’t believe the hype’. The audience gain a sense of identity as they can relate to the lead singer’s both nonchalant and rock and roll representation.

• the audience can gain a sense of identity as they recognise something of themselves or relate in some way to the group. The band are dressed in standard teenage rock band garb of plain t-shirts, jeans and trainers, a look that can be easily replicated by fans or is already worn by them. They are not really offering a performance, it is more of a jam session with them showing their musical prowess to their friends which is something the audience might

also do

• music videos might represent artists as role models that fans can aspire to be like thus allowing the audience to gain a sense of identity. The band are represented as ‘everyday lads’ with typical clothes, costumes, acne. They make eye contact with each other and look to be having a laugh. The audience might feel they are achievable role models

6) BLACKPINK - How You Like That didn't come up in this assessment. If this CSP comes up in your end of Year 1 exam, what three things about BLACKPINK and How You Like That could you try to include in your answer? 

• Blackpink was formed in 2016 by Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment and by 2020 was one of the most successful K-Pop bands in the world. As of 2021, the band was the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group, female act, and Asian act on YouTube.

• BLACKPINK fans are known as ‘Blinks’ and are largely teenage girls and young women. Their fans are worldwide but they are particularly big in the Philippines and Indonesia as well as western countries such as the UK and USA.

• This 2020 video promoted the lead single from Blackpink’s first Korean-language studio album, The Album. The video, released on 26th June 2020, was premiered on Blackpink's YouTube channel at the same time as the single was released.