Analyse how mise-en-scene is used in the extract to create meaning. Refer to at least two examples from the extract in your answer.

One example of mise-en-scene being used in this extract to create meaning, is when the officers go inside Benson's house, and we see how they are all dressed. Most of them are wearing tracksuits which can be seen as scruffy and informal. This can be used to create meaning because many criminals are stereotyped to being wearing clothes such as tracksuits and that connotes that they are who the police are after.

Another example of mise-en-scene in this extract, are the props inside of Benson's house. The main prop inside the house are bottles scattered around the place. This connotes that the criminals have all had something to drink and this is shown by the way they act towards the police officers. For example, the police have to fight with the criminals by punching some of them and also just before they go inside the house, there are three criminals outside the house who throw an empty bottle against a wall next to the officers which shows how violent they are and this could be because of their drinks.

MUSIC & NEWS OBSERVER Q9

The tweet on the front page of the Observer uses Blumler and Katz theory and they gratify their needs for their social and cultural values. On the front page of the Observer, there is a picture of Nadiya Hussain who was the winner of the British Bake Off a few years ago. This connotes that the diversity that the Observer are trying to show us and it shows that it is not stereotypical with very famous British stars. There is also a picture of a female athlete running in the yellow box at the top. This could connote how the Observer is showing us some diversity as when the woman is running, one of her feet is below the yellow box going into the white box which could show that she is almost different from the rest and that she is running outside the box which shows the difference in her character.

At the bottom of the page, we see a picture of Mo Farah on a running track and he is on the floor on his knees looking up to the sky and it looks as if he is upset, but he could be upset or he could be very happy as he may have just won a race. This could connote with ethnicity and how the Observer don't just use white people for their covers and use other people as well, who are just as popular as them.

An example of political values is the Brexit post on David Miliband and Brexit is a serious issue that is shown to us and it reflects the context of the dominance of Brexit.

CLASH

There is a variety of different types of media language used in the music magazine cover clash. In majority of the covers, we seem to be looking up towards the artists. This could connote seriousness and that they are important people who some people look up to. In a couple of the covers, the artists face can be hidden, half-shown or very blurry. This connotes that these people can be seen to be very serious. There are high representations of these musicians by their facial expressions and where they're looking as some of them give us direct eye contact and some don't.

The layout can be seen as very different to other music magazines. One of the main differences is that the magazine covers are very neat and clean as there's not much on them. The cover lines on the covers are placed on top of the main splash and is not against the margin, which it usually is in most other covers. The font used for the masthead is sans serif and all the letters are large lock capitals to spread across the whole page in some cases. This connotes seriousness and formality. The font used for the cover lines is sans serif as well and there's only a small amount of text, for example, in some cases it's just a pull quote from the magazine. The colours are very desaturated. There's only a couple of different colours used on the whole cover for some covers. This connotes that the musicians can be seen to be very serious. Other covers like the Travis Scott cover do have some vibrant, vivid but also dark colours.

LEGO MOVIE AD BREAK

Analyse the representations found in the UK television ad break for The Lego Movie. [10]

1. Identify the range of different representations.
2. Decide whether these are trusted brands.
3. Identify the target age group for these brands.
4. What aspects of 'real life' are represented?
5. How is humour used in the representations?
6. How is Emmet himself represented: in a traditional way as a masculine stereotype? Not entirely?
7. Is the representation of Wyldstyle a challenge to stereotypical representations of women?

1.  The most common representation shown in the ad breaks, are the different type of people used and where they are set. 
2. The brands shown in the ad breaks are very reliable as they all very well known and quality. BHF is a very common charity. BT is a well known broadband and internet provider. Confused.com is a company that offer car insurances and is reliable. Premier inn is a smaller hotel around the UK, which can mainly be used for some short stays and they often get many people staying in one of their rooms, which shows that they’re also reliable. 
3. These brands target an older generation because some of the younger generation don’t understand how certain things like insurance works, some people won’t be able to stay in hotels until they are of a specific age. 
4. There are some aspects of real life represented because some people in the adverts are living in houses with insurance and that itself links to the confused.com advert and how that’s all about insurance as well. 
5. The advert represents some humour, as they all use some well known actors to represent their brands.
6. Emmet is reprensented to the audience as a common shy and quiet boy that no one realises and in the end he turns into a hero which connotes the masculine stereotype.
7. Wyldstyle is shown to be a very courageous woman and most people wouldn’t expect a female character to be shown in this way due to the sterotypes, but it can target more of a female audience as well as males and we get to see a heroic character from a male perspective and a female perspective. 

HOW DOES THE AVENGERS CHALLENGE TRADITIONAL REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER TO REACH A 1960's AUDIENCE?

In the Avengers, there are many ways in which it challenges representations of gender. Emma Peel plays a huge act in this. She is presented as an independent and strong women who is capable to make her own decisions. In Avengers, Steed makes many decisions for her. For example, when Steed asks Peel if she wants a drink, she refuses but Steed buys her a drink anyways, which shows that Steed is making decisions for her and that isn't showing us her independence.

Another example that challenges representation of gender, is when Steed asks how much Peel weighs. This could connote that women should be weary of their weight and their appearance. Peel also tends to wear some tight clothing, which could also connote to women being weary of their appearance. Peel was wearing a tight outfit at the start of the episode, when her and Steed were fencing. Steed then slaps Peel's bottom, which now-a-days would be seen as sexual harassment, but back then in the 1960s, it wouldn't have been a big deal at all.

Overall, I think that the Avengers did challenge traditional representations of gender to reach a 1960s audience because things that happened back then in the past which wouldn't have seemed like an issue, could potentially be a big issue today.

Q8 & Q9

Question 8: Analyse the use of media language to create meaning in the online Observer home page.                     Give two examples. [5 marks]

Media language is used to create meaning in the online Observer home page, as it's all set out in a formal and highly structured way. It's all set out in rows and columns in a very linear way which connotes its seriousness.

Another way in which media language is used to create meaning, are the colours used in the extract. The colours of the royal blue and dark red accent colours on the top of each headline represent another sense of seriousness  and it shows us how mature it is. This can be backed up by one of the headlines, which is 'May begs the public: unite behind me on Brexit deal.' This is a serious headline as it's about Brexit and having to leave the EU, this all links back to the choice of colours to make the Observer seem like a news company that people can trust.


Question 9: 'The representations featured in the online Observer reflect its values and beliefs.'
                    Discuss how far you agree with this statement. In your answer, you must:

•           Analyse the representations featured in the extract with reference to the Observer's                      values and beliefs
•           Make judgements and draw conclusions about how far you agree with the statement.                  [15 marks]

The extract of the Observer shows that it reflects its values and beliefs, as it includes a variety of different headlines based on completely different topics.

One of the main topics they talk about is hard news. There are 9 different headlines that say the word "Brexit" or "Politics" in it, which makes people want to read the extract, as it's quite serious. This also shows that they are presenting up-to-date news and it is hard news in Britain at this current time and having this as the main headline shows how important it is and how the Observer is a serious political newspaper.

There is also hard news on international affairs in this extract, as there's a headline on "US Immigration" and "Saudi dissidents." This connotes internationalism, as the Observer are interested in sharing news that's not just from Britain, but they enjoy sharing news from other countries around the world, which shows what else is important around the world.

Music and News - Q4

In this extract, the main splash image of Bob Marley, has been shot in a way in which we can tell he is a very friendly and happy person, and we can tell this by the way he is standing, which is very relaxed. This could connote that reggae musicians are very friendly people. The colours of this magazine are solid white, red, green and yellow. These colours are bright and bold and symbolises Jamaica as a whole. This shows us that Bob Marley comes from Jamaica as his surname is in those colours.

Majority of the bottom half of the magazine cover, is covered with the 'Jamaican Explosion.' The colours to the word explosion, are also in red, yellow and green, which symbolises Jamaica again. The image shows someone in an older time showing us the instruments used in reggae, which we can see look old and much different to instruments people would use now. This could show us the history and how far reggae music has come as a whole.

Music Videos - Q2

This video is documentary style mostly hand-held camerawork, de-saturated colour and fast-paced editing. SB
This video has saturated colour, more controlled camerawork, slower-paced editing. TD
This video consists of mostly montage shots. SB
This video has more developed editing with cause and effect.TD
In this video, the singer values rebellion, which is seen in the narrative.SB
In this video, the singer values 'fitting in', conformity, albeit to an oppressive system, which is seen in the narrative. TD
This video is set in LA, a big city, with its connotations of street credibility. SB
The mise-en-scene of this video is American suburbia with its connotations of conformity. TD
This video is intertextual in its narrative (=it makes references to high school drama). TD
In this video, the singer performs to camera. SB
In this video, real locations and 'everyday' costume for the performers connote a sense of naturalism. SB
In this video, there is a sense of linear narrative (a story is told, in the order it unfolds). TD

Observer Messages and Values - Q9

1.  The major use of newspapers is to offer a sense of knowing
what is going on in the world.The Observer knows that its readers are serious and interested in international affairs. This is evident in hard news articles about..... the politics in the UK. One of the articles talks about Brexit and its headline is 'Taking back control? Brexit seems to offer exactly the opposite.'
2. The Observer meets its audience's need for a range of cultural, sporting and artistic news. It provides these with... talking about music. One of the headlines is 'Brit award nominations topped by Anne-Marie and Dua Lipa - again.'
3. The Observer does not shy away from 'difficult' issues that could make uncomfortable reading, such as... 'How the Albanian mafia seized control of the UK drugs trade.'
4.  The Observer has sections which are designed to appeal to
different types of readers.The Observer reflects the diversity of its readership in articles on... the 'Christianity in China' headline, where they talk about jailing pastors, closing churches and rewriting scripture books.
5.  Newspaper readership can still be used as a symbol of one’s

social identity. The term ‘Guardian reader’ connotes a certain

type of social attitude and The Observer  similarly reinforces

a set of social and political attitudes, and thus identity, in its

representations. For example, Observer  readers like to think

of themselves as open-minded and this is reflected in the

Observer’s practice of allowing both sides of an argument

equally to be put when the newspaper is clearly on one side

of this argument. There is an example of this in.... 'Sleep-deprived pupils need extra hour in bed.'

6.  The entertainment function of newspapers may take the

form of humour.  It may take the form of diversion into

a celebrity world of ‘glamour’. It may take the form of human

interest stories in which readers are invited to sympathise with

the subjects of the article. Newspapers further offer games,

puzzles, crosswords and the like. At the higher end, sections

such as the New Review in the Observer may offer the pleasure

of extremely well-written think pieces and literature reviews. An example of this is.... 'Brit award nominations topped by Anne-Marie and Dua Lipa - again.'

MOJO MAGAZINE Q4

On the magazine cover, one of the first things to catch our eyes is the main splash. The main splash is the large image in the center of the page. In this case, it's of Ray Davies. Ray Davies' head covers the masthead as well. The masthead is the big text at the top of the page which has the logo of the magazine on it. As MOJO is a well known music magazine company, they have edited Ray Davies head over it as people will be familiar with MOJO. This also creates an effect as it could also show that he stands out more as he is on top of the title.


The colours on the cover work quite well as they have chosen a black background with a black and white picture of Ray Davies. The main colours we can see on the page are black and white with a bit of yellow and red. This makes the yellow and red stand out more and it shows that they're giving exclusive and informative information that you wouldn't want to miss on as it's all on a black background.

Finally, the cover lines on the side give us lots of information as well. The cover lines go on the edges of magazines so we know what else is inside of the issue instead of the main splash because not everyone would be interested in just the main splash itself. Also, the title 'Ray Davies' blends in with the cover lines in the sense that it's in the same place as the other ones. The only difference is that it has a white outline of each letter so it stands out a bit more.

SOAP OPERA

This photo is the title sequence. This shows us where the show is set, as the show is called eastenders, they got an aerial shot of above the east end.

In this photo, the person on the left looks upset and disappointed as she is in hospital and the person on the right looks upset as well as it looks like he wants her to get better.

This photo shows us two people. The man on the right looks like he has maybe been punched in the stomach ans he is holding it and he looks like he is in pain.

In this photo, the man looks like he is scared as he has possibly been threatened by someone about something as he looks shocked.

CUFFS Q3

HOW FAR DOES THE EXTRACT TRY TO CREATE A SENSE THAT IT IS PORTRAYING 'REAL LIFE?'


In this extract, we can see that some scenes try to create a sense that portrays real life.
An example of this happening in the extract, is when the extras get involved and get scared. In the extract, we see that when the police officers catch the criminals' breaking into the shop, they tell the extras to get away from the site to avoid any danger put towards them. After this, they start screaming, getting low and running away. This shows us how frightened they really are which also shows a sense of realism and how real the scene is.

Another example that shows how realistic the scene is, is the clothing the police and criminals' are wearing. This is an example of mise-en-scene as clothing is to do with the set. The police wear their uniforms and the criminals' wear dark black clothing with balaclava which is the stereotypical clothing for them. This shows a sense of realism as this is what we imagine them in and what we think of if they get mentioned, and that is what they show on the screen to us.

We also hear the sirens when they the police officers are in their cars on their way to the crime scene. This is one of the sounds that we hear that show some realism as when police officers need to get to the crime scene as soon as possible, they would put their sirens on so people can hear them and so the police can get through any traffic. This happens in the show as well because we can hear the sirens in one of the scenes when they are in their cars so this shows that they are trying to make the show as realistic as possible by using most features police officers would use.

A final example that shows the realism of the show is the timing that it would be on TV. The watershed time is 9pm which means that any shows aired on TV from 9pm and onwards would not be suitable for children. The show 'Cuffs' was aired on TV every week at 9pm. This tells us that this show is not suitable for young children to be watching on their own. In the extract, there is a scene where we see a group of 2-3 armed robbers, breaking into a shop and stealing different items. Parents wouldn't want their children to be seeing this, so that they don't do it themselves when they are older because they saw someone else do it. This shows a sense of realism because in real life, if there was a crime scene during the day, then police would tell everyone to clear the area as they don't wasn't anyone to get hurt and sometimes children are told to get away as well. The violence and swearing shows that the show is on at the correct time of night.

In conclusion, I feel that the extract does try really hard to create a sense that is portraying real life and I think that it does very well as nearly everything we see on screen about police officers, police scene etc, is done in real life the same way.

CUFFS QUESTION 2

Analyse how far the extract depicts the police's point of view rather than the criminals' point of view.

In this extract we can clearly tell that the police's view is depicted more than the criminal's view as it is mainly focused on the police. There are more close up shots of the police officers than the criminals an example of this would be at the beginning of the extract in the restaurant and there were longer shots of the criminals. When they broke into the shop, the camera angles and shots were far shots are wide angles as one of them was on the CCTV camera which shows that they won't shown close up. Therefore, this is an example of the police's view being depicted more than the police.

The costumes that the criminals are wearing suggest stereotypical costumes as they are wearing balaclavas to cover their faces with cut out holes for their eyes and mouths as we can see by one of the very few close up shots of them. Another example is when a few shots wouldn't been seen by the police's point of view for example the CCTV footage which we know got recorded because we as the audience saw it as one of the shots of them breaking in and the police didn't see them.

A final example of when the police's point of view is depicted more than the criminal's is the editing in the scene. It allows the police to predominate for example, shots of the criminal get followed by shots of the police reacting to them. There is one point in the scene when we can see the criminals through the window and then next shot is cut to the police officers receiving the message through their radios that a robbery is happening at that time, then they rush into their cars and get straight on with their job and the action.

CUFFS QUESTION 1

28:41

Analyse how sound is used in the extract to create meaning. Refer to at least two examples from the extract in your answer.

Notes

Glass breaking into building loud and exaggerated.

Sirens showing that their on a mission - diegetic.

The noises of the police car show that they're going fast as we can hear them drift and its also very exaggerated.

At the start of the robbery, we can tell that the people controlling the digger aren't caring about the speed as we can hear the drifting sound effect of them turning into the building.

The music starts when they get into the car and it builds up and gets slightly louder very slowly and it makes it more intense and build up the pace of the scene.

The women speaking through the radio makes it sound likes she's really scared as she is breathing heavily and quickly.

In the extract, we can see many different examples of sound coming through. One example is the music in the background. When all the police officers get into their cars, the music starts and build up and slowly but surely get louder and louder making the scene be more intense and it also builds up the pace of the scene.

Another example is when the women speaking through the radio. We as the audience can tell that she is scared as she is breathing really heavily and quickly showing lots of tension.

HORROR FILM

In our film, we worked on making a film that would have two school children being late for their next class at school and we they would come across a wooden man and a wooden box while going up the stairs. We went for a few different types of shots, we did a few close up shots,  we did some far shots which would eventually be zoomed into our faces. We planned the film out before we shot the 60 second clip. Now, we are editing it and are looking forward with the outcome.

THE USE OF MEDIA LANGUAGE TO CREATE MEANING IN THE ONLINE OBSERVER HOME PAGE

The Observer home page shows different types of media language. People that read the Observer think that they are open minded. We know this because they show both sides of arguments equally. However, if the reader of the article doesn't agree, they will still agree with the Observer's and their own values. In the Observer, the entertainment articles take the form of humour, they would have cartoons, punning headlines. Another thing they include under entertainment are puzzles, crosswords and some short and fun games. They also include some biased ratings and reviews talking about how good their articles are and how good their newspapers are as a whole.

Another example is of the imagery used on the front page. On the front page, they pick the main headlines and the pictures they use would have colour in them so they stand out. These images with a variety of different and bright colours will catch peoples eye in wanting to read it. We also get to know what they article is about as it would show a little sneak peak of what to expect in it.

All of these examples show a variety of different types of media language that create meaning i=on the Observer home page.

PHOTOSHOP

EXPLAIN TWO REASONS WHY A FILM COMPANY WOULD RELEASE A VIDEO GAME LINKED TO A FILM

The Lego Movie released a video game about their film with the story line of their film for a few reasons.

One of them would be that teenagers usually play video games so if they would buy it, and like the story line they would probably want to watch the film themselves as it would be based on roughly the same story line after playing the game on it.

Another reason would be because they would like to promote their film on many different platforms and a video game would be a good idea because after promoting it, they would receive more money as people would buy the game and play it and maybe go and watch the film after to get the double the amount of money.

So it would be a good idea to do this because they want to get more money by releasing their film on different platforms like, social media, merchandise but in this case they have made a video game which is a great way to promote their film.

GENRE CODES

In the Lego Movie poster the title of the movie is very important so people will know what the film is called and it also stands out as it is made out of separate lego pieces. The title is the main splash and it is in the biggest size font out of all them. I think that it was a very good and clever idea with making the the title all out of lego pieces because the movie is about lego as it's called The Lego Movie.

The main image stands out a lot as well as it is multicoloured and it has the main 3 characters at the front and we have a rough idea of the story line as we see the main characters at the front running away and screaming and the bad guy at the back very tall, and he is looking over everyone and doing an evil laugh so we can instantly tell who the good characters are and who the bad characters are.

They also have the strap line which is "The story of a nobody who saved everybody." Again just from reading this, we have a rough idea of the story line as it says that there was some ordinary man who went from nothing to something. It is also quite catchy as it rhymes so you wouldn't forget it for a while.

They have also included a billing board which shows all cast and crew that helped to make this film. As they have included one, people can see who is starring in the film and their favourite actor could be in the film, so they decide to come and watch it because they want to see their character.

Additional Content

We can tell by the main poster that the film is an action movie as we can see explosions, flying cars and more. We can also see that the main characters at the front are running from the explosions and that also shows an element of action as it looks like they are trying to save themselves.

On each character's poster we have an extreme close up of them and the actors/actresses names. They are there to appeal to the audience that are fans of the actors as they will see their name and want to see the film.

Lord Business's poster is an extreme close up because as well as seeing the face of the character, the we can also see the detail in his face. We can see that it looks like he is panning something evil because of his smile. This also gives us a sense of what his character is like and his qualities. We also get told that Will Ferrell is doing the voiceover, and he is a popular actor as he is in many movies e.g. elf, anchor man etc.

Wyldstyle's poster is a close up as well. We can very clearly see her jacket, lipstick and hair. This shows a sense of different colours as her hair has pink and blue highlights in them and her lipstick is red and it will appeal to the audience more as there are a variety of different colours involved with her character. It shows us, by her smile, that she is a bit more of a heroic character by the smile on her face which also shows us that she is a confident person.

TWO USES AND GRATIFICATIONS OF VIDEO GAMES

Video games show a few different uses and gratifications. In the Lego Movie, we can see the characters in the game as well as the movie, so we can get to know the character better and bond with them, so you are able to see them twice.

People that play the game will identify with the values like the celebrations in the film and the excitement when defeating the enemy in the Lego video game. It gives people the opportunity to enjoy more of the benefits of the film.

Another way is diversion and entertainment. The game will offer suspense, action and humour. People that play the game will feel that they have escaped into the land of the lego movie and it gives them a new experience that they will enjoy, especially when thy move up levels.

A final reason is the relationships. Players will be able to get to know the character better and it can also help create a friendship as they can talk about it with their friends and it can help people get a better relationship.