Best Music Videos of 2016

Updated as they come in:

• NPR Best Music Videos of 2016: http://www.npr.org/series/502554465/best-music-videos-of-2016
• Stereogum Best Music Videos of 2016: http://www.stereogum.com/1913887/the-50-best-music-videos-of-2016/franchises/2016-in-review/
• Pitchfork Best Music Videos 2016: http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9979-the-best-music-videos-of-2016/ 

IMPORTANT: Backing up your blogs

Hi Guys, 

We need you to add a personal email address to your blogs as a way of backing them up, and making sure you can always have access to them.

Follow the instructions here to do this!

- Mr Lane 

TIPS FOR THE EXAM TOMORROW

Click on the link below to help you for the exam tomorrow:


QUESTION 1A AND 1B HELP FROM THE EXAM BOARD


Good luck


Mrs H

We The Media & Citizen Journalism

How are these videos connected?

 

They are all examples of 'citizen journalism' and so called 'We Media' as defined by Dan Gillmor in 2004 in his book 'We The Media'. 

• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/16/fergusons-citizen-journalists-video 
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-nigro/post_11089_b_9319686.htm
• https://mediactive.com 

How does this connect to press regulation? 

Because, through bypassing the traditional media 'Gatekeepers' of the major press organisations and media institutions, citizen journalists are not under the auspices of press regulators such as IPSO: link to the organisations regulated by the IPSO

Does this mean the press regulator is an increasingly irrelevance? 

On the other hand, is it a good thing that we have unregulated 'citizens' doing the role of professionals? (Imagine if we had 'Citizen Heart Surgeons' for example)

Press Regulation Essay Plan

Prepare an essay plan for the following question;

Assess the arguments for the regulation of the press in 2016.

You should have examples and arguments that support and argue against increased press regulation, n, for and against statutory and self regulation.

There are *lots* of examples on google classroom, and on this blog below, to help you prepare for the question.

Leveson and beyond

Phone hacking, the PCC, Leveson and beyond.

Nick Davies, Phone Hacking, and Rupert Murdoch. 

---

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LEVESON

• Leveson Report: At a glance: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20543133
• Leveson Inquiry: The Key Findings https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/nov/29/leveson-report-key-points
• Press Regulation Q&A: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21797513

1. What was the Leveson Inquiry?
2. Why did it take place?
3. When did it take place?
4. What did it recommend?

--

Regulation in 2016:

Read these current press regulation stories: https://www.theguardian.com/media/press-regulation

5 - Summarise a story about press regulation today. What are the issues today around regulating the press? 

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Classwork and homework for 10th October - Mrs Hafenrichter

G325 - BBFC Mini Essay

You need to complete a mini essay on this question:

"Discuss the arguments for the regulation of film in 2016"

---

Your essay should focus primarily on the BBFC, but you may address other organisations (such as the MPAA, OFCOM, GRA, and PEGI) if you wish.

Your essay should include at least three specific examples of films.

Your essay should include at least three specific examples of media theory and/or theorists.

Your essay should reference the regulation of film
- in the past ( > 5 years ago)
- today
- in the future

---

Here is a link to a google doc of an essay plan that should help you.

We Get The Media We Deserve

The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media from WW Norton on Vimeo.

G325 Regulation Questions

Click here to see a list of past exam questions for G325 - Media Regulation.

David Gauntlett's Arguments against the effects tradition.

  David Gauntlett - University of Westminster

To assert that, say, 'media violence' will bring negative consequences is not only to presume that depictions of violence in the media will always be promoting antisocial behaviour, and that such a category exists and makes sense, as noted above, but also assumes that the medium holds a singular message which will be carried unproblematically to the audience. The effects model therefore performs the double deception of presuming (a) that the media presents a singular and clear-cut 'message', and (b) that the proponents of the effects model are in a position to identify what that message is.

http://www.theory.org.uk/david/effects.htm

Summarise David Gauntlett's 10 criticisms of the effects tradition. One or two sentences for each point, max!

The Hypodermic Needle Theory

Read this resource explaining the hypodermic needle theory:

Make notes and find at least five interesting points about the theory.

This audience effects model of media was a popular way of thinking about the media's effects on audiences in the 1930s and 1940s, until the late 1950s when Lazarsfeld and Katz developed their Two Step Flow theory of audience effects. (As opposed to the single step suggested by the hypodermic needle theory.) 

TASK:
What examples can you find that indicate the BBFC used the hypodermic needle theory as a basis for their regulation of the film industry. Explain how the theory could explain or impact on the BBFC's decisions.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/bbfc-history/1950s

RESEARCH TASK:

The hypodermic needle theory and it's suggestion that audiences are affected by media products directly maybe seen now as too simplistic, but we can see it's origins in Gerbner's cultivation theory. And in McCombs and Shaw's agenda setting theory. These theories are part of the effects tradition, because they suggest media has direct effects on its audiences. Find out more about these two theories, and how you think they impact on media regulation 
a) today
b) in the past
c) in the future

Professor Martin Barker Media Mag Questions

In class we watched the MediaMag videos of professor Martin Barker here; https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/media-magazine/mmag-clips/professor-martin-barker

You will need to login to watch these clips: Use the school's Media Mag login;
Username: opmedia
Password: ops2016

We then answered the questions on this google doc;

Could you ensure you have answers to the questions and extension questions, along with a definition of cultivation theory on your exam blog by next week.

- Mr Lane

Tick sheet for Coursework Research and Planning A2

1. Analyse AT LEAST 5 videos in your chosen music genre and embed the YouTube videos onto your blog to gain maximum marks.
2. Upload images and analysis of location, costume, props etc
3. Make sure you have a photo storyboard/drawn storyboard/animatic plus analysis INCLUDING changes made and why
4. Include an audience questionnaire about audience expectations of videos in your chosen genre - embed the Survey Monkey link
5. Lyrics analysis with initial ideas (include shot types and possible edits you intend to use).
6. Research of music video directors - eg. David Fincher - with conventions they use in their work
7. Research into websites and digipacks - put the analysis of the Kanye West Rolling Stone cover in with this - Link to artist research examples here 
8. Images and analysis of 2 music magazine adverts for a forthcoming tour of an artist like yours
9. Theory posts - Andrew Goodwin, Tori Kelly, Facial expressions, Laura Mulvey
10. Your final pitch: Make sure you have a narrative analysis of your planned pitch
11. Embed rough cuts of your work with feedback from public and changes made

The BBFC

THIS IS NOW HOMEWORK TOO

I need you to summarise and create a post on all our work on the BBFC.

USE THIS WEBSITE FIRST: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources 

1) A brief history of the BBFC - how it was founded, how it's role has changed.
2) What case studies (key films or events) have caused these changes at the BBFC?
3) What the key pieces of legislation are that govern how the BBFC works as a regulator.
4) How the BBFC is different today than it was at other times in it's history.
5) How does the BBFC classify and rate films today? (What are the certificates and what is allowed in each)
6) What challenges the BBFC has going forwards, how it's role has changed?

----

Further reading: 

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies <- BBFC's most controversial or interesting decisions. 

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/legislation

- What allows the BBFC to licence films for the public?

- What legislation does the BBFC use when classifying films?

- What does the Obscene Publications Act say?

- What does the Video Recording Act say?

- Why was the Video Recording Act changed via the criminal justice and public order act? 

? When was it changed and how was it changed?

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THE VIDEO NASTIES

What were the Video Nasties? Why were they an issue for The BBFC?

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/591919/

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/film-censorship-how-moral-panic-led-to-a-mass-ban-of-video-nasties-9600998.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_nasty

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/education-news/video-nasties

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/15968/the-era-of-the-video-nasty

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/445733/index.html

Here is a link to some of the BBFC's most interesting or controversial decisions:

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies 

HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER

Following today's lesson on the lovely Ms Swift, please make sure you write up your analysis of her star persona as featured in the music video for You Belong With

Me.

This must be uploaded onto your COURSEWORK BLOG using your class notes.

You must also compare this star image with another artist targeting a different audience from Taylor so that you evidence original research into the marketing of music artists.

HOMEWORK DUE NEXT MONDAY.


Here is the link to the video we watched:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw


Here are the questions we discussed today that you should be answering in your analysis:

• Is the music video based in real life, or does this take place in a fantasy world?
• Is the way the artist is portrayed in the video really how that person dresses and acts in real life?
• Consider how the musician is dressed - is that how regular people dress?
• Consider the actions taken by the artist in the video - would they really do these things in real life?
• What is the benefit for the musician to portray him or herself this way?
• Does the video portray people in stereotypical ways? Are these reflections of real people or are they just one-sided characters?
• Consider the editing - how does the frequency of cuts from shot to shot affect how you feel about the video?
• Consider the setting - why did the director choose this location or setting?

An Intro to the BBFC - Part 1

The BBFC is a 'co-regulatory' body, that is responsible for the classification and regulation of film (and video/dvd) in the UK.

A co-regulator was defined in the Leveson inquiry as:

Co-regulatory models typically provide more industry involvement than statutory regulation and can be particularly effective when there is widespread industry support for the objectives of regulation. They require periodic monitoring by a backstop body to ensure effectiveness and can require the backstop body to carry out enforcement activity.

This means that there is still an Independent Regulator (The BBFC) but that has a 'backstop' - another organisation that can enforce regulation or issue controls.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/bbfc-history/1912-1949 

BBFC timeline

1.       What year was the BBFC founded? 

2.       What was the original name of the BBFC? 

3.       Who actually had power to license and screen films, regardless of the BBFC’s advice? (This power was given by the 1909 cinematograph act) 

4.       What were the first two age certificates given? 

5.       How many reasons did T.P O’Connor list upon which a film could be ‘deleted’?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ppqutUB23A&list=PLlh6Y6IR5v9cDFZj2L1EbmkA3gQTjeHEt&index=1 – Dear Censor – BBFC documentary.

1.       Who was the chief censor in the 1940s and 1950s? 

2.       What Marlon Brando film causes big problems between the BBFC and it’s distributor? 

3.       Who was the next chief censor? 

4.       What certificate was ‘Garden of Eden’ eventually reclassified as? 

5.       What is the name of the controversial film featuring the first full example of male nudity/

-----

Further reading: 

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/legislation

- What allows the BBFC to licence films for the public?

- What legislation does the BBFC use when classifying films?

- What does the Obscene Publications Act say?

- What does the Video Recording Act say?

- Why was the Video Recording Act changed via the criminal justice and public order act? 

? When was it changed and how was it changed?

-----

What were the Video Nasties? Why were they an issue for The BBFC? 

Here is a link to some of the BBFC's most interesting or controversial decisions:

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies 

G325 - Critical Perspectives Examination

G325 is your FINAL A2 MEDIA EXAM.



For my section you will answer ONE QUESTION for 50 marks. (It will take an hour)


The contemporary media issue we will be studying is MEDIA REGULATION.


Regulation means:


"To control (something, especially a business activity) by means of rules and regulations."
"To control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc.: "


We also discussed the difference between statutory regulation, and self regulation. You find out more here:


This is from the specification in case you missed last lesson:

KEY TOPICS AND QUESTIONS

Contemporary Media Regulation 

1. • What is the nature of contemporary media regulation compared with previous practices? 
2. • What are the arguments for and against specific forms of contemporary media regulation?
3. • How effective are regulatory practices?
4. • What are the wider social issues relating to media regulation?

Candidates might explore combinations of:

Film censorship, the regulation of advertising, the Press and regulation / control, computer / video game classification, the regulation of online media, social networking and virtual worlds, contemporary broadcasting and political control, the effects debate and alternative theories of audience, children and television, violence and the media or a range of other study contexts relating to the regulation of contemporary media. Regulation might be researched in regard to media content, access, ownership and control and / or in relation to politics, public interest and democracy.

June 2015 Example Questions

"Assess the arguments for media regulation in 2015"


"Some areas of contemporary media require stricter regulation than others. Discuss"






We then discussed press regulation, and film regulation. Including the arguments for and against regulation.















Some interesting videos on the subject are below.




- Mr Lane

Regulatory Bodies Research Homework

For your homework you need to find out who the following REGULATORY BODIES are, what industries they relegate, and how they regulate them. Put the information on your blog by Tuesday (13Z & 13V)

 

1. BBFC  
2. OFCOM  
3. IPSO
4. IMPRESS
5. ASA
6. VSC
7. BBC TRUST

Genre Research

This is your homework - to be completed by Monday 18th/Tuesday 19th July

WHAT MAKES A ______ VIDEO? 

(Eg. What makes a pop video)

•Choose a particular genre

•Find 5 artists from that genre

•Look at their music videos and try to find links and conventions that videos from that genre have. (Such as Pop Videos featuring a certain number of costume changes / Rock videos often focusing on the performance of the individual band members.)

•Also note whether they are a solo artist or a band (and how they show this in their videos)

•Look for technical codes such as;

–Whip Pans, Crash Zooms, Jump Cuts, Close Ups, Slow Motion, Cross Cutting, Props, Costumes

•And look for narrative & genre codes such as

–Theme, Storyline, Characters, Use of artist as character, Goodwin’s theories, Atmosphere, Tone, Concept, Relationship between lyric and visuals.

Narrative Theory - to help with your exam response

Click on the link below and summarise the points made on your blog by answering these 4 questions.

What is the difference between story and narrative?

What does Aristotle say about the relationship between "action" and "character"?

What do you understand by Christian Metz's point that in narratives we should consider "the time of the thing told and the time of the telling"?

Give some examples of devices to manipulate time used by filmmakers.

NARRATIVE THEORY

Narrative Theory

Make sure you have four separate posts summarising the key narrative theorists below:

Vladimir Propp - Russian theorist of folk tales
Tsvetan Todorov- Bulgarian structuralist
Roland Barthes - French semiotician
Claude Levi Strauss - French anthropologist

Now apply all 4 to a mainstream movie of your choice.

eg.

G324 - Advanced Portfolio Task Brief

Your task is to create:

"1. A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options: 

1. • a website homepage for the band;
2. • a digipak for the album’s release;
3. • a magazine advertisement for the digipak."

Your artist, album, and video will need to be original and created by you. You can choose a song from the following playlist (TBC) for your promo video (but remember you are planning the release and promotion of an entire album.)






A digipak is a certain type of cardboard packaging for a physical release of a CD. They look like this:



They can have four, six, or even eight panels. Here are some templates for them: http://www.oasiscd.com/graphics/templates-digipak.asp


GETTING STARTED:

The first thing you need to do is research existing artists and see how they present a coherent identity across their videos, websites, digipaks, and start researching these specific items. See this post for more info.





Vladimir Propp - Narrative Theory

Using the powerpoint attached apply Propp's theory to a film, television show or video game of your choice.

Vladimir Propp's Theory

YOUR TASK:

See how many of the 8 character types and how many of Propp's NARRATEMES (there are 31 in total) you can identify in the media product you chose.

Propp's 31 Narratemes

Andrew Goodwin

Find examples from music videos to illustrate all of Andrew Goodwin's theories.

Post these on your Coursework Blog G324.

Powerpoint on Goodwin's Theories

Music Video Prelim Task

THE RULES: 

Groups: Up to 4

Costumes: At least three costume changes.

Locations: At least three location changes.

Editing: At least fifteen cuts.

Length: 30secs

SONG CHOICES:

1) ZARA LARSSON - LUSH LIFE 1:47 - 2:17


2)  JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - CAN'T STOP THE FEELING 0:25 - 0:55
  

MP3 DOWNLOADS OF THE CLIPS (FOR EDITING)

Zara Larsson

Justin Timberlake

Types of music videos: - Homework

Your homework task is to; 

Using your class notes, write up a detailed explanation of what the following types of music videos are, on your coursework blog.

1) Performance
2) Narrative 
3) Conceptual 

For each type you need to find 2 examples (we haven't seen in class) that fit, or partially fit, this definition. 

Due Monday (12V) / Tuesday (12Z)

Here are some for reference; 

PERFORMANCE: 

 

NARRATIVE







CONCEPTUAL

Hello new Year 13!

Please can you comment on the post below with the addresses/links  to both your new blogs

Here is a picture of a kitten.

Past Papers

Past Paper Links (You need the G325 Paper!)

http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-media-studies-h140-h540/#

The prompt questions for the specification, are below (they will not come up worded as easily as this)

Revision guides for Collective Identity

1) Dave Harrison's Collective Identity Revision and Resources

http://collectiveidentity.posthaven.com/

2)


3) 

A2 media revision section b from jphibbert

4)

G325 example Response: Media and Collective Identity from M Taylor

5) Web 2.0 and Participation Culture by David Gauntlett 

Media, Collective Identity & Participation Culture - The Future

Here are my notes and examples for your conclusion, where you (should) argue that the rise of web2.0 and what Gauntlett & Jenkins call 'Participation Culture' will help lessen mediated hegemonic identities of young people (that often conform to stereotype) and allow greater empowered and connectivity with the world, other people, and therefore greater control over identity, and hopefully change the collective identity of the young person and teenager as a whole, as well as allowing new collective identities and youth subcultures to thrive.

Media & Collective Identity in the future 

LINKS:

Alexis' Petridis Article on the death of traditional youth subculture with the rise of online subculture.

Vice article on the death of subculture due to NekNomination (a moral panic)

Daily Mail article about Zoella representing the change in young people from rebellious and counter-cultural to boring, safe, dull and 'square' 

Chris Poole on Anonymity 

Guardian on Identity, authenticity and anonymity 

The Guardian on challenges facing Generation K

Henry Jenkins on participatory and convergence Culture

Why would anyone watch Twitch?

PewDiePie: How the YouTube King Clocked up 40m fans 

Maker Studios

Sociality Barbie

Essena O'Neil 

Exam questions 1a and !b - Examplars and Mark Schemes

Click on the link below for exemplars for a variety of questions.

Good luck!

Mrs H

EXEMPLAR ANSWERS AND LEVELS

How to write a Representation Essay - Q1b

Apply the concept of representation to one of your coursework productions

·      Identify characters, events or issues within the production to discuss

·      What representational concepts are highlighted?  Eg, race, gender, class, age etc

·      What representations have been generated?

·      Discuss the specific elements of character representation – ie. Mode of address, facial expression, clothing, behaviour etc

·      Have any stereotypical representations been generated?

·      Does the production conform to or subvert any dominant ideologies?

Some useful quotations:

“Identities are not ‘given’ but are constructed and negotiated – David Gauntlett

“Identity is complicated.  Everybody thinks they’ve got one.  Artists play with the idea of identity in modern society.” – David Gauntlett

“Men act and women appear.”  “Men look at women.  Women watch themselves being looked at.” – John Berger

“Women are aware of being seen by a male spectator.” – John Berger

“In a media saturated world, the distinction between reality and media representations becomes blurred or invisible to us” – Julian McDougall

“In advertising, males gaze and females are gazed at” – Jib Fowles

“Female models addressed to women appear to imply a male point of view” – Paul Messaris

Depending on who the main characters were in your AS and A32 productions, choose 1 or more of the following categorisations of people, and discuss how your video represents them.

INTRO – Explain which product (AS or A2) you will be analysing and which social groups you will be analysing the representations of..

MAIN BODY – AGE – How does your film/music video construct representations of different ages?  Consider costumes, props, location, body language, facial expression, sound, edits etc

Repeat for GENDER/CLASS/ETHNICITY/GOOD VERSUS EVIL

Have you included stereotypes and why?  Have you challenged them and why?

CONCLUSION: Why did you create these representations and what was the intended effect upon the audience.

Theorists you could include:

Levi Strauss and binary opposites – which media techniques did you use to create these oppositions and to what purpose?

Laura Mulvey and the male gaze (women seen as sex objects – only two roles for women “virgin” or “whore” in the media)

Vladimir Propp – his theory of narrative suggests that texts often represent characters as particular types in order to make them easily identifiable to the audience – eg. Hero, villain, donor, dispatcher etc

How did you signify this to the audience and why does it engage them?

Angela McRobbie (http://www.angelamcrobbie.com/)

She says that men and women are often represented through stereotypes in the media and are often shown in traditional gender roles.  For example women are often shown as weaker, victims, mothers, carers etc  Men are often shown as aggressive, strong, leaders etc.  Can you apply this to your work?

Stanley Cohen – he believes certain groups in society are ‘demonised’ and ‘marginalised’ through negative representations which cause moral panic when the majority of society fears that social group.  Did you do this?  Why?  What was the effect?

Any audience theory can be applied in the conclusion – eg. Two step flow; Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory (preferred reading) etc.

Question 1A Help

Click on the link below for the powerpoint I showed in class today:


Question 1A Revision Help

Good luck

Mrs H

REVISION GUIDE FOR Q1A AND Q1B

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS IN THIS POWERPOINT: JUST CLICK BELOW AND COMPLETE THE TASKS

REVISION FOR QUESTIONS 1A AND 1B

Good Luck.

Mrs H