A2 Research Investigation

Your first task is to decide on an area of study that interests you and to develop a title.  This can be a hypothesis which is usually a statement which you wish to explore or challenge in your investigation.

Examples given in the specification are;

‘The representation of teenagers in two British films’

‘The generic similarities between Dr Who and Stargate’

‘ The narrative structures of The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.’

Your investigation can be based on one or, more usually two texts

The example I will be using in this module is used below;

‘An investigation into the representation of women  in music videos focusing on the artists, Lady Ga-Ga,  and Pixie Lott’

Or create a hypothesis which is a question that you answer at the end of your investigation;

‘Do Lady Ga-Ga and Pixie Lott skilfully use the medium of the music videos to create positive representations of women ? ‘

There are so many possible avenues for investigation that you could explore. You may be interested in the effects of screen violence.  This is a wide area which is very popular amongst media academics so there are a wealth of research sources to investigate.  You could look at the effects of screen violence on children and look at regulation and censorship.  Classic but dated texts include the films ‘Child’s Play’ and ‘Natural Born Killers’.  These have been blamed for acts of extreme violence such as the killing of a child, Jamie Bulger, in Liverpool and high school massacres such as at Columbine High School in America. Alternatively you could explore a more contemporary medium such as violence in computer games.  

The important point is that you choose something that interests you and a medium that you know well.  If you love sport then you could focus on advertising in the London Olympics and how institutions use the media to influence consumers.  Perhaps you feel strongly that fast food conglomerates are the main sponsors of an event which hopes to have a legacy of improving the health and lifestyle of your nation.

Another important point is that you need to focus your research. You will be quickly overwhelmed by the amount of secondary sources and information unless you define your research.  Your teacher should have an instrumental role in negotiating the title for your assignment and will remind you that there must be clear potential for the development of the investigation into a production piece.

Opinion

As a group we concluded that the lyrics are not always listened to closely as the visual images are most striking. Once the lyrics are understood the message becomes clearer. Some found the posturing in rap/ hip-hop/ grime videos cliched and ridiculous. Some felt they were threatening and anti-social and encouraged similar behaviour. Ben Drew talks about growing up and a desire to fit in and use the some language as his peers and music becomes his focus as a creative outlet and a way of expressing himself and his views and angst. We discussed the riots and how decent young people acted as a mob and did things that they would never do individually and how they must now be horrified by their actions. This led to a discussion of the collective unconscious and Carl Jung's theories. Books like the 'Ox Bow Incident' set in America where a mob lynch a man and 'The Crucible' where peer group pressure leads to disaster. We discussed adolescent 'pack' behaviour where a desire to be part of something and to gain self worth in a twisted form as the tough guy or girl leads to unspeakable acts. The issue of 'girl gangs' was raised and the young woman in the video filming the beating seemed particularly resonant.

The message seemed to be that if services and places that are currently being cut by politicians are provide then anti-social behaviour can be curbed. A sense of alienation and a lack of self-worth will only foster resentment and an explosion of anger directed in no particular form as there is no framework. Ignorance can become endemic and the desire to destroy takes over if there is no outlet to be creative and have a voice. New media technologie and music are providing this outlet and Ben Drew was seen as a role modle for success and aspiration. We talked about how poverty can be cyclical and generational. On the whole we felt that the 'underclass' represented in this video and other texts like 'Shameless' still retains humanity and avoid cliche and stereotyping. The tragedy of the riots was the waste of energy and the message is that if this can be directed to provide a clear voice and a proper debate about the underlying issues then we can address them as a society. We came back to Margaret Thatcher's quote about there being.' no such thing as society'. However, we felt that there was a need for positive role models and as the trust in teachers and politicians fails then Ben Drew seemed to be someone who could speak to a generation of disaffected youth.

Ill Manors

Ben Drew alias Plan B is making headlines and stimulating debate on the blogosphere with his new video. The track, the video and the way it has been received by audiences makes for a fantastic case study in a number of ways, not least for representation of issues. The issue being representation of an underclass in the British Media. You could compare this to 'Shameless' and look at how newspapers represent young people from urban areas. Compare the films 'Harry Brown' and 'Ill Manors', both of which involve Ben Drew.

Watch the video for 'Ill Manors' first to make up your own mind. Create your own review before exploring how others read the text.

Try to decode the video using your toolkit for analysis

How does the video play with stereotypes ?

What do you think the message is ?

'Oi ! I said Oi ! what are you looking at you looking at you likkle rich boy !'

This is going to be a refrain of the summer to come. How is it a powerful cry and what is the intention of the artist ? Who are the targets of this ire ?

Is this the artist Ben Drew talking and does this reflect his views or is this a persona or an alter ego that will be developed in the forthcoming film ? Is the challenging content an advert for selling records and promoting the film. A cynic would suggest that this is a Warner Brothers production and therefore just another commodity which ironically will make the artist the likkle rich boy.

Ben Drew feels passionate about the issues he has raised suggesting that he is 'for real'. In an interview on Radio 1 Extra he explains where he is coming from and why he wrote the song. He explains that the riots made him sick and disgusted as they just reinforced prejudices of middle England as shown by the use of the emotive term, 'Chav.' He explains the need for the 'visceral' energy and imagery as he wants to raise the issue and then if anyone wants to talk about how to change it then the debate may help. He genuinely believes that his work has the power to change attitudes and hopes that something positive can come out of the album and the film he is bringing out.

During the riots he wrote in The Sun

'The kind of places these kids are attacking, they're like retail shops. Lidl? They broke into Lidl because they want to get some frozen food, some frozen pizza for free?

What did you break into Lidl for? And you are going to do time for it? It's stupid.

And you've got people like me who are trying to change the way middle England look at the underclass, have a bit more compassion for them — how can I stand up for that any more?

No one is going to have sympathy for these guys no more.'

This suggest that he writes about social alienation and wants to raise the level of debate. Rather than glorifying the behaviour of an underclass he is as frustrated by the mindless looting of consumer goods as the Sun's commentator Trevor Kavanagh. Targeting Gregg's the baker and nicking trainers is hardly a political statement. It just shows how tawdry the values of our society have become. Naked consumerism and greed which only harmed the communities the rioters came from, endangering lives and livelihoods.

This link shows Ben Drew explaining his views and intentions in an impassioned speech last week.

Dorian Lynskey called this 'the greatest British protest song in years.' This blog post is fascinating as the comment it creates is divided. Whatever you think of the video the thread after this post shows that the issues raised create strong feelings and allow for an interesting debate about British youth culture and the influence of popular music.

How does the video play with stereotypes ?

What do you think the message is ?

Different readings of the text are everywhere on the blogosphere. Josh Hall argues that the video has caught the imagination but the representations in Drew's work are problematic and Plan B is not your saviour.

The track is post-modern as it draws directly from existing texts. It is almost identical to 'Alles Neu' by the German artist Peter Fox who nicked the violins from a famous piece of classical music by Shostakovich. It has the energy of the Prodigy who have re-mixed the track. Does this detract from the originality of the work or is it a clever way of making contemporary music ?

Can pop music change the world ? The song has been compared to the Specials 'Ghost Town' which was written about the concrete jungle of Coventry and music by bands like the Clash. Is there a lack of social comment in mainstream music today and are songs like this an important platform for protest ?

This is you being represented. As Vincent Vega says in Pulp Fiction, ' you gotta have an opinion.'

Development

You can find out more about University courses and explore Degree level audio/visual work. Here are some of the bets places to study film and media.

Students who have been to Leeds Met speak very highly of their courses. High production values and working with budgets make this almost an industry experience

http://www.northernfilmschool.co.uk/

Bournemouth University has long been regarded as running the best Media courses in the country

http://media.bournemouth.ac.uk/studentshowcase/studentwork.html

Warwick is very prestigious and high grades are needed. Their courses are academic rather than practical and they are re-knowned for the study of film

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/depta2z/film/

Coventry University has a Media centre based in a converted cinema. The show-reel of student work is interesting

http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/course/ug2012/pages/Media_Production_BA_Hons_degree.aspx

My advice is to think about the place you wish to study aswell as the course.

The Film Education web-site produced by the BFI has a lot of resources for you to explore

www.filmeducation.org.uk

The Media Magazine is an absolute must for students o Media courses. It is written by students, teachers and creative practitioners. It is full of case studies and hints and tips about coursework and media production. Your school will subscribe to the online and print editions so hat you can access this in your library

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/

Sight and Sound is the magazine produced by the BFI and has articles about film which you may find challenging but are appropriate for Advanced level where you are developing your knowledge of film and subject specific terminology

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/

The Guardian newspaper has excellent online content and the print editions run a media section on Monday and a Film and Music section on a Friday

www.guardian.co.uk

These are some text-books that you can use to further your understanding of media studies:

The Media Student’s Book (Gill Branston with Roy Stafford) Chapter 14

AS Media Studies for WJEC (Anthony Bateman)

Exploring the Media (Barbara Connell)

Evaluation

For 40 marks out of 100 you need to write an evaluative report to accompany your pre-production and production.

This report must be completed individually and must be a maximum of 1600 words. The skill is to revise and re-draft your written response so that you are clear and concise.

You must;

Discuss the most significant research findings which informed the pre-production

Provide a brief justification of the target audience for the production

Evaluate of the production highlighting its strengths and weaknesses through, for example, a comparison with existing media products.

You must;

Discuss the most significant research findings which informed the pre-production

Provide a brief justification of the target audience for the production

Evaluate the production highlighting its strengths and weaknesses through, for example, a comparison with existing media products.

You should break the task down into the following parts.

Part One - Textual Analysis

Use Task two to write a semiotic analysis of two comparable media products (300 words)

You could begin, ‘ I decided to create two film posters in the ‘horror’ genre for my pre-production. I de-constructed …

Part Two – Research Findings

Use Task One to discuss your secondary research explaining how this helped you to create ideas for your film. (200 words)

You could begin, ‘I explored local myths and legends to gain ideas for my film. I came across a local legend of a headless horseman ..’

Part Three – Target Audience

You need to conduct a focus group for this part. You can do this by creating questions for a group of people who constitute your target audience. If you are making a horror film then your class-mates fit the demographic aged 16-24. You need to explain why this group are the target audience for most films of this genre. Consider their lifestyle as well as obvious things like gender and age. What is it that this group do with their time ?

Create a questionnaire with open (qualitative) and closed (quantitative) questions.

For example;

Would you watch this film I am promoting through this poster and trailer ? (Yes/No)

How would you improve the trailer so that people of your age will want to watch the film ?

Show the focus group your film posters and watch the trailer as a group.

Record the discussion using an audio or video device and reflect on the comments using quotations and figures gained in your primary research.

Write about the target audience using the results of your focus group (200 words)

Part Four

Evaluate the production evaluation highlighting its strengths and weaknesses whilst comparing it with existing media products.

Be honest about what you think the strengths and weaknesses are and ask other people for their opinions. Your focus group should help you with this. (300 words)

Compare your production to existing film trailers and explain how they inspired you to make creative decisions. Use task five to help you structure your response. (300 words)

You could refer to;

Pace and style of editing

Voiceover

Music

Titles and credits

Transitions

You can present this task in three ways;

an illustrated report

an essay

a suitably edited blog

Production

All media texts are made with an audience mind. Producers want their production to be a success and this is measured by how many people ‘consume’ their text. You must now use your knowledge and understanding gained in the previous tasks to create your own media text.

You will create a film trailer in a genre of your choice. It will be approximately two minutes in length

• Storyboard a film trailer


• Film the footage using a variety of shot types and camera angles


• Edit the footage using a variety of transitions between shots and adding appropriate effects


• Script a voice-over for the film


• Record your own music or add an appropriate soundtrack or sound effects


• Edit the audio track so that it adds meaning to the trailer


• Create titles that further enhance meaning for the audience

Planning is an essential part of creating a successful project so ensure that you spend time thinking about how you are going to complete the task.

Storyboarding

Scripting

Filming and recording footage of good quality is essential

Hold the camera steady by using a tripod

Use a range of shot types and camera angles

Frame and compose your shots carefully

Light your subject using key lights if you have them or be creative and use spotlights

Rehearse scenes with your actors

Film three takes ensuring you film for three seconds before and after the shot

Consider mise-en-scene as everything placed in the scene should create meaning

Audio should be recorded clearly using an external microphone if possible

Editing video and audio takes time and patience

Organise your workflow

Log and capture footage a scene at a time ensuring each scene is titled

Use effects appropriately and with restraint

Consider which transitions between shots are most effective

Explore the templates for titles and credits

Show your work to your peers to gain feedback as you edit

You will burn your final edit onto DVD and present this with your name and the title of your production on the menu page

A number of schools and colleges now showcase student work. Explore the following links to see what you are up against !

http://www.longroadmedia.com/

http://www.hurtwoodhouse.com/life/hurtwoodtv

http://www.ukstudentfilms.co.uk/

Textual Analysis for the Production

You are going to research film trailers to gain an understanding of the codes and conventions so that you can create your own. The Boat that Rocked is a film written by Richard Curtis who also wrote the ‘Blackadder’ series and hugely successful romantic comedies such as ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. There are a series of tasks on the Film Education web-site based around this film which can help you develop knowledge and understanding of film trailers.

Explore the resources on http://www.filmeducation.org/teachingtrailers/

Your teacher will use these in class to ensure that you understand the codes and conventions of film trailers

You should watch the trailers in the theory section. Your teacher will use these in the classroom for whole group analysis.

Complete the tasks in the analysis section.

Complete the close reading section to gain an understanding of the difference between a teaser trailer, A trailer for television and a full theatrical trailer.

There is an online editing activity which is also useful in preparation for making your own film trailer

Explore the resources on http://www.filmeducation.org/theboatthatrocked/activity3.html

Your teacher will use these in class to ensure you understand the codes and conventions of film trailers

Complete the tasks about the teaser trailer and the main trailer in preparation for your own analysis

Write an analysis of two film trailers of your choice using the following pointers to help you.

You must discuss the following;

Credits and intertitles: these are words on screen that give information to the audience

Dialogue: any conversations between characters

Genre: a type or category of film, e.g. horror, romantic comedy etc.

Music: the choice of music can have a huge impact on the ‘mood’ of a film

Narrative: the ‘story’ or plot structure of a film or trailer

Pace: how quickly or slowly the shots within the trailer play

Shot types/camera angles: for example, close-up, medium shot or long shot

Special effects: includes computer-generated graphics, stunts and explosions

Target audience: the group of people a film or other product is aimed at

Unique selling point: what makes a particular film unique and ‘sellable’

Voiceover: a voice recorded over the top of the trailer to give information to the audience

Use this as your checklist.

You must choose two contemporary film trailers and your analysis should be about 4oo words long

Write a 400 word analysis in any of the following formats;

an illustrated report

an essay

a suitably edited blog