Essay 1(b) Media Language

Analyse one of your media productions in relation to media language.

I have decided to apply this question to my music production as my video incorporates all of the key aspects of media language (camera skills, editing, sound and mise en scene). The theorists I feel that are the most appropiate for my production is Goodwin, Vernallis, Hall, and Fiske and Hartley.

Goodwin believes that a typical music video has 5 key elements. My video applies to a lot of these elements including, thought beats. These are seen throughout my video and can also be seen when changing the performance to a narrative part of the video. Goodwin also supports my work as I have put meat shots in my video and given the genre of my production this is appropriate as these type of shots are stereotypically suited for a rock indie genre. My video also has a lead singer which portrays the star image. He is seen through the performance as well as the narrative and he is mainly the focus of the camera shots. Dyer also believes that a music video should have a star image as this helps make the video visually interesting. I feel that if I didn't conclude any of the things that Goodwin had said was in a typical music video, my production would be bland and would show no substance.

Carole Vernallis also thinks that there is five things a typical music video has. These involve narrative, editing, camera movement, framing and diegesis. In my music video I used a track so that the camera was constantly moving throughout the full production, making my work not only visually interesting, but showing fluidity throughout my work. I have also used close up shots of the instruments when they are being heard. This was to give the effect that they were playing the instruments as well as giving a stereotypical convention of the rock/indie genre, making it appear professional. I even revealed the diegesis slowly as the clapper board at the very beginning of the production reveals the rest of the video. I feel that Vernallis' five things a video has is more to do with technique and I think that if I didn't have any of the techniques then my music video could come across as boring and disjointed. 

Whilst looking at semiotics, Pierce stated that 'we think in signs'. My music video has evident of this technique as in my narrative, I revealed a shot of a pan with boiling water. This has represented a sign that  the boiling point is in sight. This is also shown in the film burns and the match part of the narrative as the film burns represent the flame getting bigger and when the flame is finally shown on the match, it has given the sign that the pressures have built up. sometimes when people have a lot of pressure and can be left frustrated they can be known as having a 'hot head' or have reached 'boiling point'. This is what I think my signs reveal in my production.

Hall mentions that the audience can get different types of meanings from the same video, maybe not even what you intended. This supports my music video as the audience for my production understand and get the preferred meaning more so than anything else. This can be seen through the lead singer's last breath as it appears as if he is releasing all of his pressure out throughout the song and once the song ends, it almost appears as if a sigh of relief. The double speed in which I used to make the lead singer look fidgety in the narrative, also helps the audience reflect the preferred meaning of being in pressure and the effects this emotion can have. I have even created the jump shots from the performance to the narrative fast as this will help show the audience my preferred meaning of how frustrated and irritated people can become whilst under large amounts of pressure.
My music production also supports Fiske and Hartley's theory that denotation and connotations become ideologies. For example, the colours used in the music video shown on costumes, I.e black and red, give the connotation of anger, frustration and pressure. If you link this with the type of instruments used for this genre, I.e guitar and drums, show aggression and violence. When these are put together with the band members age, youths, it can reflect that youths can be or are aggressive and violent.
In conclusion, I feel that my music production shows various ways in which media language has been used appropriately to convey professionalism throughout my work.

Essay Question 1(b) Representation

Analyse one of your media productions in relation to representation.

I feel that the representation of my music A2 brief is very important as if it is not created to what I believe is accurate for my target audience then the full meaning of my production could be seen in a different way as to what I orignally wanted it to be. My A2 brief was to create a music promotion and on this particular subject area, I have decided to show links to theorists such as Hall, Baker and Perkins, as well as showing postmodernism through my music video. This was a small area to the brief and I feel that these theorists can easily relate to my work in this way.

Hall believes that media shows us things about society and that representations should be meaningful. My music production supports this in many ways as the theme is about pressures within society. This can be seen by the type of class in which the costumes withold (smart, formal wear). The lyrics of the song represent pressure in which the audience can relate to, giving the audience a sense of belonging. This reflects Hall's belief that representation should be meaningful as here it is towards the audience. Also the colour choice helps the audience feel that the band understands of how they are feeling as the main colours (red and black) show connotations of the emotion( i.e fustration, anger and pressure) portrayed by the band and the audience.

Baker believes that mediation is represented in 3 ways, selection, organisation and focusing. This echoes my work, as I represented mediation through the selection of shots in which I created jump shots in Fianl Cut Pro,through organisation by creating calenders on the computer for my blog and applying shots in the correct order, i.e the narrative pan shots were displayed gradually boiling and then splashes, rather than the other way round. I also finally represented mediation through focusing as I collected data from my audience research by creating questionnaires and adding there input to my work.

My work also supports Bakers belief of the 3 different views towards music videos. The 3 views in which he researched were, the reflective, intentional and constructionist's view. My production shows the reflective view as in the narrative in which the matchstick was present, when it gets set a light, it represents the pressures building up of someone, almost as if to irrupt. This view is also seen by the film burns I added through the use of Final Cut Pro. This was to share the same type of pressures, only this was the pressures gradually building up. I also showed an intentional view through my effect using Final Cut Pro. I made the lead singer sing at half speed and perform normally so when I sped him up, the lead singer looked fidgety. Here, the lead singer is representing pressures and how it can effect some people. This could be seen slightly as reflective also as the action in what is occuring represents a meaning of what it's like to be under pressure.

Some people think that it is easier to look at stereotypes when putting a music video together however, Perkins believes that ' some of the many ways that stereotypes are assumed to operate aren't true'.  My music production challenges as well as supports this theory as the having the band perform their song in their production falls against a stereotypical indie rock band. The meat shots also challenge Perkins theory that stereotypes aren't true as these shots are known to be involved in an indie rock music video. However the costumes in which the band members are wearing, supports Perkins theory as they are wearing formal and smart wear, i.e ties, shorts etc, which isn't known to be a stereotypical costume for this type of band to wear.

I have finally chose to look at postmodernism as the distinction between reality becomes blurred and invisible. For example, whilst filming, the band and I were in a studio which had no windows in. Therefore we were in no specific location for the audience to locate. This also showed no sign of the weather either, leaving no signs if it was summer, autumn, spring or winter. The only lighting I used was artificial light. This is also a good example of postmodernism as the audience is unsure wether it was filmed at night or during the day. Throughout the video there also wasn't any watches or clocks in the distance, showing no significance of the time in which it was shot.

I conclude that the representation is very important when it comes to music productions as if the audience in which you are trying to target doesn't understand, then you are sending a message to people that you are unaware of and by doing this, I personally feel that the director would therefore seem to have lost control of their own work and the representations that comes with it.

Essay Question1(b) Audience

'Analyse one of your media productions in relation to audience'.

I think that McQuail's theory that an audience can be described as a 'temporary collective', is very important when creating media texts. I will give examples of this, through my A2 brief of creating a music video. I will analyse other theorists such as Hebdige, Clark et al and Hall.

Firstly however, my reasonings for agreeing with McQuail that audience can be described as a 'temporary collective', is due to the fact that, my target audience for my video could be described as this. For example, since the theme of the video is the pressures in how people may feel, this could target a wide audience as they may only want to listen to the song, whilst they feel what the song is representing. I have also acknowledged that once the target audience of male teenagers like the music,it is also not set in stone, that they will like this band for the rest of their life. This therefore may only target temporary male teenagers.

Hebdige mentions that the music video must relate back to sub culture. I have done this through the band performing with their instruments as this fits the sub genre of indie rock. By doing this, it is easier for the audience to identify with the music and what type of band they are and what they are representing. To make sure that the music video was still fresh, I added a slight narrative to the video which would challenge typical conventions however, give the audience a slight change, to grasp their interest of the music video.

I completely agree with Clark et al's belief as it is ' important to carry out audience research'. I have shown examples of this as I created questionnaires for people to complete about what they expect from this sub genre. Once I had filmed my production, I got feedback from some rough cuts in which was shown to the class. I also uploaded my video onto Youtube and got comments and feedback that way too. This shows that not only having a few people for audience feedback is good but the more the better as the stereotypical band and performance will be more accurate. As I have taken the audience's feedback into consideration whilst creating my video, I think that by doing this, it has helped me gain the correct audience for my sub genre (male teenagers specifically but can vary).

McQuail also describes uses and gratifications for the audience.I have analysed my video and have acknowledged that my music production  involves escapism for my audience, as it helps the audience, channel their energy into the thought beats used throughout and forget the pressures they are facing for a while. My video also involves personal identity as the audience understand the representations of the music video. For example the pan boiling, as the pressures are building up. The lyrics are also a big part of personal identity as the audience could feel that their pressures are building up, like the pan boiling, and also may feel that they have a connection with the band members as they are singing about something that is happening to them. This gives the audience the sense that someone knows how they are feeling

I feel that the type of audience in which my music video could target could either be a mass audience although, only temporary as this type of audience would be based on the emotion behind the lyrics, or an alternative audience, due to the accent of where they are from and the sub genre of their style of music. Hall, mentions that audiences can read music videos differently towards what the true meaning may inflect or can read the preferred meaning. After analysing my music production, I think that my video, has a more dominant reading from the audience, as by the use of colours shown throughout the video, (red and black) they can be connotated  for stress, frustration and pressure. As well as this, the reading can be seen correctly by the use of the double speed in the narrative, making the lead singer look fidgety and on edge. This shows what pressure can sometimes do to people and therefore gives the audience a further understanding of the video.

In conclusion I feel that the audience for any media text is the most important part of the planning as without an audience, they would be no consumers of what you are wanting to sell or make known. I am pleased in how well I have asked for audiences feedback as I feel that I have worked with the audience to put my music video correctly and precisely.

Essay Question 1 (b)

' Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to narrative.'

According to O'Sullivan, 'all media texts tell some sort of story'. I agree with this as the narrative helps portray people's perceptions on particular conventions. I have decided to analyse my A2 brief, which was to create a music video. I will then see how my video supports or challenges any theorists. The theorists in which I will look at, include, O'Sullivan, Todorov, Bartes, Levi-Strauss, Propp,Goodwin and Carlsson.

O'Sullivan believes that all media texts tell some sort of story, including music videos. I have reason to support this as in my video this is present. I edited the shots together in Final Cut Pro to create fast jump shots. These are shown in the music video, gradually becoming faster as the beats become more intense. This resembles the pressure building up in someone's mind. Although this is only subtle in the video, it is still some form of narrative.

Whilst looking at Todorov's theory, I acknowledged that he found that there was five stages to a narrative. I can relate some of these stages to my own video as the beginning of my video tends to begin at stage 3, distruption.  For example, in the narrative the lead singer looks fidgety and on edge. I created this effect by telling the lead singer to perform at half speed when singing but to behave normally. Therefore when I sped this up on Final Cut Pro, it gave the impression that the singer was frustrated and under pressure. Also at the end of the video, it is clear that it is similar to stage 5, new state of equilibrium, as the lead singer lets out a deep breath, almost to show that he has gotten everything said that he needed to say to the audience, therefore making him less pressured and relieved.

My work also reflects Bartes' beliefs that they are narrative codes shown in music videos, enigma and action.My work reflects the action codes as the boiling of the pan signifies how the emotion, pressure, is boiling up inside of the singer and also possibly the audience. The film burns used throughout the video also symbolise the narrative of the pressure building up as eventually a match catches fire, almost like as if  the emotion has irrupted inside. This also resembles the action narrative code as this is reflecting emotions shown through the band members and possibly the audience.

When looking at Levi-Strauss' theory about binary opposites I acknowledged that my music video had challenged this as my narrative only has one person present, yet still reveals a subtle storyline throughout. At the end of my video, the singer is back with the rest of the band however, to complete the narrative, I showed a close up shot of his face, therefore making the narrative, only on the lead singer.

Therefore, my music video also challenges Propp's theory as they believe that stock characters, i.e 'villian e.t.c' are present. My music video challenges this in many ways as in my music video the band members play the role of themselves, therefore having no characters in my production.Also, the only type of narrative shown in my video, represents the lead singer only.

I agree with Goodwin's theory that 'narrative relations are complex', as he further mentions about reusing tradition. I have done this with my music video as this sub genre, indie rock, is known for having the band members performing. I have reused this tradition by telling the band to play the instruments while singing, as if rehearsing. However, to keep my video fresh and interesting for the audience I added a subtle narrative to the video, which would help portray the lyrics of pressure slightly. Since the lyrics are about emotions in particular, this shows an intertextual reference as the lyrics are stereotypical for this genre. Jumps shots are also shown in my narrative and throughout my video, which also shows a reference to indie music as the jump shots can sometimes be used as thought beats when a guitar is strummed or a drum is hit.

I have acknowledged Carlsson's belief that narrative can fall into two groups, performance and conceptual. After looking at my music production and analysing it to my best ability, I can clearly say that my media text, is a performance clip as there is an instrumental performance which is shown throughout the majority of my video. This theory helps me recognise that although I did not intend on creating my video to have a complete narrative, even in parts which I had tried to just show the band performing, there is still a slight narrative. For example, the film burns used through the performance, gives the audience the intention that the match is coming close to being on fire, and the jump cuts between the actual narrative and performance represent the pressures building up.

In conclusion, I feel that any media text in which you create, in this circumstance a music video, will have some sort of narrative, since planning and your ideas are always put into them. Even if the narrative is subtle like mine, it is still there.

Essay Question

Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to Genre.

I think that genre is very apparent in my A2 coursework as this was vital to equip my audience with my music video. I am hoping to analyse my video to show how genre has been shown and created throughout my blog. I will discuss this whilst including theorists such as Grant, Mittell,Altman, McQuail and Goodwin. The song in which my coursework is about is from a song by Maximo Park called 'Apply Some Pressure'.

The overall genre I think that went with my music video was rock however if I was to go into more depth, I would say that it is more likely to be fitted into indie/rock. My reasonings for this is because I do not think the music is as aggressive as stereotypical rock, ie 'Sweet Child Of Mine'. I do however think that this song is more agressive than your average pop song, especially as the band are shown playing their instruments through the majority of the music video. This reflects Grant's belief that within genres there can be some 'recognisable characteristics'. With the band playing the instruments, the audience could think of this as being in the rock genre, however within the music video, there is a narrative perspective which is not vacant in the rock genre. This therefore helps support the sub genre of Indie. The jump shots in my music video are also fast and make a bold jump back and forth from the narrative to the performance episode of the video. This also supports Grant's theory as this is another recognisable characteristics throughout rock/indie music videos. I noticed this at the beginning of my research and knew from the beginning that this was something I definitely had to incorporate into the video.

An editing technique in which I added (double speed) of the lead singer, really helped to give a message to the audience. By using this technique, it made the lead singer look 'jumpy' or 'on edge' so to speak. This went with the lyrics of the song in which the audience may be able to relate to, due to the pressures.  This could also appeal to the audience as how they wish to react to the pressures (erupt etc.). By listening to this song, they may be deflating their chances in wanting to behave in this certain way. Also by using the double speed technique to make the lead singer look on edge, this can also how be people respond to pressure, become fidgety and so forth. This once again mirrors Mittell's beliefs that industries use genre to sell products. By the song being labelled as rock/indie, it is made clear that the emotion that has been used in this video, is the type of emotion the genre will be associated with. When creating the music video, I had this type of genre and emotion in mind and therefore decided to use connotations of pressures and emotion to use with the red coloured ties and the black shirts.

The audience's reaction towards my music video is the most important as this will be a big imapact towards the band, and the genre in which I was trying to portray.McQuail's gratifications are a big impact in the video as this is how the audience would respond or could relate to the music video. I think that the entertainment gratification is important to the music video as I feel that this video would give the audience the feeling of escapism. My reasonings for this is because by the emotion that is shown through my production (stress, pressure,furstration etc.), the audience may feel quite relieved as this relates to the intergration and social interaction gratification. The audience will therefore not feel the need to take their fustration out on anyone as the song itself gives the audience a sense of belonging since the band may appear to know how the audience feels. McQuail's information gratification, may also be seen in the video as the original band may have created this song in the first place to vent the pressures in another way than being agressive. This is why I have tried to interpretate some pressures in my video, ie, the match being set on fire.

Furthermore, my music video also reflects Goodwin's belief of how post modern texts should look.I decided to have a live band performing while I created the production as I feel that this fits the genre well. I have added thought beats into my work by creating short and consistent jump cuts when the beat of the drum occurs. To make sure that my video supports the indie genre, I have also added meat shots of the band members, specifically, the lead singer as this is to support the typical conventions of the genre.

As my production gradually come to the end Bordwell's belief that 'any theme may appear in any genre' is made clear as the theme for my music video is noticed as representing pressure. The fast edited shots I have used throughout, helps give the feeling that something is boiling and will eventually irrupt. With the jump shots  being fast, it can make it hard for the audience to focus on one thing. The colours shown throughout the music video (red and black), help show the audience the anger and frustration behind the song. The film burns used helps show pressure that is gradually building up and when the match is shown it is similar to the pressure of the pan as it is building up and eventually irrupts towards the end of the performance.

I will also write about, Bordwell as he says 'any theme may appear in genre'. I will then write about the pressure, fustration and possibly anger shown through fast edited shots, the colours shown in the video and costumes, as well as the pan boiling.

Research and Planning

Describe how your understanding of the importance of good research and planning skills developed throughout the pre-production of your AS and A2 coursework.

I think that research and planning are the most important as this will affect the production and the post production. At AS, I had to create an opening to a horror sequence and in A2, I had to create a music promotion pack, including a digi pak, advert and music video. In this essay, I will show how I used research and planning to create my opening sequence and music video and explain how my skills have developed.

At AS, I decided to research my given brief as this would give me a better knowledge and understanding on the subject. For example, what typical conventions may include in this genre, i.e villain, damsel in distress e.t.c. I researched classical horror films such as Dracula and Nightmare On Elm Street. I also researched horror specific directors such as Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg. As In the AS brief I had to create a production, I even researched horror productions such as Dark Castle Entertainment. One key part of my research was, to think about who will be the audience for my opening horror sequence. This was very important as I knew that without this then I would find it difficult to target my preferred audience. I researched particular horror films, i.e 'The Orphan', and thought about what type of audience this would be for. After analysing the film, I decided on young adults or female teenagers. After choosing my audience, I understood that I had to further research the BBFC as I didn't want my opening sequence of a horror film to be an issue. I learnt how this company gives certificates for films, 'i.e swearing throughout may make a PG go to a 12, or scenes of an unpleasant nature.

When It came to planning my AS brief, I created a story board so that my ideas and concepts of camera angles and movement was clear , making people understand what type of horror sequence I would be creating. I then took a photo of this and then attached it to my blog incase I needed this for a reference. I also created a timeline on a sheet of A4 paper of a horror opening sequence in which I had watched. This helped me understand how long I needed to show the first title e.t.c. I feel that this was really helpful as without creating a timeline sequence, my opening of my own horror sequence would not be as accurate. I also created call sheets to show what equipment I needed, which actors I requested and what location I would be in for that day. This helped my be organised and helped the overall flow of my production as it was less chaotic as it could have been. Finally, I decided to write a pitch to give me a better understanding of my characters and what I wanted to happen at the end as if it was to be filmed. Although this would help me understand the characters more, by writing a limited summary I could focus on what really needed to happen within the opening sequence.

At A2, although my brief was different, the research and planning skills I required in AS, helped me plan my music production, digi pak and advert. To begin with, I decided on what genre I wanted my music video to be, indie rock. I then did a music analysis section on my blog which gives examples of the types of shots, mise en scene and effects which are found in this genre. I have developed this research skill from my AS as I have looked into more detail about my chosen brief so that I will have a better understanding of what is required. I also developed my audience research from AS as in my A2 brief, I decided to create an audience questionnaire. I found this a much more interactive approach to my work, as well as a more interesting approach as people could reply anonymously given what people think a stereotypical indie rock band should look like and how the music videos are portrayed. Not only was the questions varied, but so was the age range as I felt it would show more precision if I asked all age groups to answer the questionnaire, making it much more accurate. I also added a post on my blog in which I found inspirational videos that I felt would help me with my production. This was shown in my AS brief with the analysis of Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street, whereas in A2 I looked at various videos and found certain techniques in which I like. I developed this skill in A2 as I thought more about using the techniques in which I found inspirational. As well as researching my given brief like I did in AS, I also did a lyric breakdown in A2 to show further detail about my given brief and what type of music they sing to, i.e sing about emotions e.t.c. I decided to research theorists also as I knew that because of creating my AS brief, I was much more confident on media jargon and equipment, therefore I understood the media theorists, i.e. Goodwin, more easily and found it less difficult to convey my production in the way that I wanted.

When I compare my AS planning to my A2, it is clear to say that I was much more confident in my A2 planning since I created a calendar as to what I should be doing on certain days. This helped me keep focused on what needed doing and gave me goals throughout my lessons. I found this extremely useful and would have found this technique a great help in AS. Although I created a storyboard in AS, I developed this skill greatly in A2 as I created a much more in depth story board of 65 shots, whereas my storyboard at AS consists of 28 shots. This also shows how much more confident I am using the equipment. In A2, I also added recee shots to help give me an idea of what my storyboard would look like more realistically. I did this in AS however I found this easier at A2 as my story board was more detailed. My awareness of what I was doing has also been noticed as in A2 I created a risk assessment of my work. This shows that my understanding of the dangers of the equipment and the actors are faced with, will be thought out, whereas in AS I didn't consider this.

I feel that by looking at my AS work and my A2 work, it is apparant that my skills of research and planning have progressed and help make the productions I make an easier way to process.

Digital Technology

Describe how you developed your skills in use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills  contribute to your creative decision making, refer to a variety of examples to show how this differs over time.

I think that throughout the two years of this course it is vacant that my skills in the use of digital technology have developed greatly and show creativity throughout my chosen briefs. My brief I decided to do in AS was to create an opening sequence for a horror film and in A2, my brief was to create a music promotion. This involved creating an advert, a digi pak and most importantly, a music video. I will complete this essay by giving examples of how I made my decisions creative and how digital technology helped me make the decisions that helped me complete my work.

During pre production at AS, I decided it would be best to research the given brief of the horror genre as this would help me understand whether I wanted to convey conventions or challenge them. I looked at a few classic horror films such as Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street, as well as looking at more contemporary horror films such as The Orphan. I decided to this as this would give me a lot of variety. Whilst researching the sub genre, I thought it would be a good idea to look at horror specific directors such as Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg, as I could then find out what made these directors so memorable to the horror genre.

I also realised that it was better to collect audience research during pre production as then my opening sequence would come across more suited to the chosen genre. This also helped me in choosing what type of audience I wanted the horror film to suit, i.e teenager, young adults e.t.c. 

I decided to look at the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) ratings towards horror films as I knew that this may limit my creativity for my chosen target audience. However if this film was to have been created, I needed the certificate for it to be correct as the audience would then know what to expect.

During production of my AS brief, digital technology was used in ways to convey my creative streak. I used a variety of different camera shots and angles inclucing a handicam shot, as I wanted to create a realistic feel and add panic towards the audience. I also made sure that the mise en scene was stereotypical for the genre. Since I knew I wanted the scene to look innocent at first I decided to create the opening sequence in a park and then during the flash back, to begin inside, somewhere dark if possible. Whilst in the middle of the production I reminded myself of what type of sounds to put in, synchronous, asynchronous and even children's voices due to the location in the beginning. This shows that not only was I taking the audio part of the opening sequence into consideration but I was also showing my creative skills as I was wondering when to use them on what e.t.c.

When my production was complete, I decided to edit it in Final Cut Pro as this would not put a bigger limit on my creativity skills. In Final cut I changed the majority of the video from colour to black and white. This was to notify the audience on the flashback as such and also to signify that this was a dark time in her past. This showed my creative skills through digital technology as I had made this decision on my own, making the effect a unique take on my original production. I also add the sounds in which I thought were appropriate to my opening sequence, i.e a crows call and panting whilst the female lead is running. When I had finished my production, I uploaded it onto internet sites such as Blogger. This was to record the progression of the production as well as my research and planning. I made my blog interesting when adding all of my work on as I wanted to enjoy looking through my work. This shows that I have also used my creative skills throught my presentation of my blog.

At A2 however, I think that my skills developed more creatively. For example, during pre production I thought it would be best to do audience research again as I found this useful in AS. However, in A2 I went into more detail. I created questionnaires and got people to respond to it. This was a much more active approach and a much more interesting approach too as the results were shown in pie and bar charts and were even colour coded. This made it easier for me to understand my results as well as showing that I had developed my research skills in a way that was more creative and easier to understand.

I also researched my brief more than I did in AS as I had to chose a song in any genre. I therefore decided to research a more varied choice of music videos as this would help me understand  the sub genre in more detail as well as give me any ideas that would help in my music video creatively.

I decided that before starting my production it would also be best to collect a few music videos and label them as inspirational videos. As well as keeping me motivated, it also kept ideas at bay as the main reasoning for my selected music videos was the effects in them. I would watch the effects and think how I would apply them to my own work but with a slight twist. For example, Enrique Iglesias' music video 'I Like How It Feels' uses film burns throughout. This was a technique I really liked and wanted to add into my own work, even if it wasn't the sub genre in which I had hoped for.

During the production of my music video, I developed my use of equipment as I was more confident with how to set equipment up and how to use it correctly and effectively. I used the crane to show variations in my angles of the video and I used the track as I knew that this would make my music video look fluent. This has also developed in creativity as because I had more advanced equipment to use, It was more professional and I therefore wasn't as limited to what I could do. I added a lot of meat shots in my production as these are a stereotypical shot for my sub genre and I wanted to convey some of the original conventions of indie rock. I also decided to use colours in the props and costumes that I thought could be relevant to the song, i.e black and red gives the connotation of anger, frustration and pressure.

This concept was also used at post production as I used these colours in my digi pak and my advert to show continuity throughout my products. This also shows my creativity skills developing as although I wanted to use the colours in adverts and the digi pak, I still had to do a photo shoot with the band in the same colours.  This shows that all of the work that was put into all of my A2 brief was original fresh and unique. I also added a lot of different techniques, such as making the lead singer perform at half speed and then speeding the clip up in Final Cut Pro to make it look as if the lead singer is nervous or on edge. I even added thought beats to my music production through Final Cut Pro as this technique is a convention towards indie rock. I found this technique very effective as the fastness of the jump shot thought beats, helped also build up the tension of what the band was singing about. This therefore shows how creative I have been through the use of digital technology.

Section 1(a) - Post Production

Describe how you developed your post production skills for media production and evaluate how these skills informed your creative media practice. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

I think that my development from AS to A2, is clearly visible as I have became more confident with the equipment used and now I know how to use certain programmes (such as Final Cut Pro) correctly, it was easier to create interesting and unique techniques within my work. At AS, my brief was to create an opening sequence to a horror film and my brief in A2, was to create a music promotion, involving a music video, a digi pak and an advert in a media of your choice (poster, trailer etc.). I will present my answer chronologically and will mention a range of key points in AS and A2 in how I was creative in post production and the evaluation.

To begin with, in AS I created a logo for a film production (mine being, 'Dark Forest Studios') in Adobe Photoshop CS4. This didn't appear difficult to me as I am a photography student and have already had some experience with this programme. I added a few techniques, such as changing the contrast of the image I wanted to use and cropping it. The only thing I think may have been difficult about this programme is that it is hard to erase anything accurately. I still find this hard and can say that this does take time to get used to.

To finish the logo, I created the producer's name 'Dark Forest Studios' in Live Type. This was my first time using this programme and I found it quite easy to use. I found an appropriate title that would work well with the opening sequence and changed the colour to give a distressed looking font. This type of programme was also created for the type of software I wanted to edit my sequence on, which really helped. I also made the title of the film on here since i knew that this would show a good consistency throughout the horror sequence.

I created a flashback in my opening sequence through using IMovie. Although I wanted to use Final Cut Pro as much as possible, they did not have the type of technique I wanted to possess. Whilst on IMovie I found it incredibly easy to add effects and so forth however I began to have trouble when converting it back to Final Cut Pro. Eventually I got my opening sequence back onto Final Cut and although it looked effective, I think I would try to find an alternative if I had to re-do this as one effect took up a lot of post production time. I had seen flashbacks occasionally in horror films and therefore decided to challenge this theory by adding something new to the genre.

After I had created the flashback, I wanted to make this clear to the audience. To do this I therefore made the rest of the sequence in black and white. This shows some signs of creativity as the black and white part of the sequence creates an eerie and curious mood.

Whilst in Final Cut Pro, I also made a lot of the shots jumpy and jerky looking as I had some footage from a hand held position. This mainly came into action when I had found some music to add to the shots, as I knew that this could possibly shock the audience or make their heart beat faster than usual. I added close ups to angled shots to give a distorted image. This would hopefully make the audience realise how much attention they must pay to the video.

When the majority of this video was complete, I decided to download some sound effects from the internet and uploaded them to ITunes. This was a really organised way to keep all of my tracks together and I found it easier to know which soundtracks I had already used.

I then used final cut for a third time and added the sound in. The asynchronous sounds added, help create tension throughout the opening sequence. For example, at the beginning of the sequence a crow sound is added as the main character is outside. I added this bird in particular as this bird is known for death and given that this sequence is for a horror film, I found it appropriate. By adding sounds in so much detail, this reflects how creative I have been to come up with these sounds. Although I think that I was creative in AS, I feel that I was more creative in my A2 brief.
Since I already knew how to create logos in Adobe Photoshop CS5, I found it easier than last year as the software had improved and I have also gained more confidence in the programme. I decided to call the record label, 'Time Records', in which the logo would appear at the end of the music video. As I have gained more confidence in this programme, my development is clear that I have used this creatively as I have a better understanding since I have made this logo from scratch.
I also created the digi pak and advert in Photoshop. I wanted to keep all of the colours the same as well as the fonts to show the same font throughout. This shows fluidity through the promotional pieces. As this was all my own work, Images included, this shows my creative flair and how consistency doesn't have to appear boring and bland. This shows that my creative decisions have been more thought out and have been developed from my AS work.
I think that out of all of my work from AS, my editing skills in Final Cut Pro, are the most improved. At A2, I had to lip sync the video to make sure that the male singer sang at the same pace. This did prove to be difficult at first, however, after hours of editing , it was finally achieved. This has been done creatively as the voice in which was lip synced to the male performer, wasn't his own voice. Before doing this, I had to make sure that this voice would match his original voice so it looked believable( not a female with a man's voice).
I also used programmes such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Twixtor to create one of my effects. These two programmes helped me create effects, in which slowed something down. For example, the boiling of the water or the flame on the match. I captured these small clips and then used the programmes on them to make the fast actions appear more slowly. This shows my creativity as I equipped myself with the programmes and created something that was unique and that worked well as they were connotations of how stress may be seen( water boiling- people say that there blood's boiling, a flame-someone has sparked a fuse etc.).
Throughout the production, I decided also to add some film burns in which I found off the internet. I decided to add these as I thought it may come across as slightly spontaneous and given that a flame on a match was apparent in the video, it could also link back to that. This represents another area of my creativity in this brief as I was inspired from a music video I had researched and thought that this type of effect wasn't seen as much as I would have wanted it to be in music videos in general.
OnceI had footage of the singer singing in half speed, I decided to speed it up to make it sound like the original in Final Cut Pro. After doing this I took the sound out and I had therefore created the effect that the singer was on edge and was fidgeting in this area of the video. This went with the tempo of the song, as well as the chorus. This also shows development in Final Cut Pro as this technique is not something that you can find in the effects column, but you have to create within Final Cut Pro. This represents creativity in the fact that I have sped the video up and also slowed the video down. My final thing I did in Final Cut Pro was putting the logo that I had created in as it was important to have that in. I put this at the end of the video as I didn't want it to attract a lot of attention. I have developed in my creative decision when looking back at this as I now know when the logo is appropriate, however my research from AS did suggest that the logo used there was better at the beginning.
When I look back at my evaluation from AS, I realised that I had used Prezi to present a lot of my work. I found this way of presenting my work a much more interactional method, therefore, I understood everything in which I was creating more. This also showed my creativity in AS as I had to create the Prezi from scratch, choosing which images and what texts where appropriate for my work. I also presented the remaining parts of my work on Blogger. I liked this method as I could improve this at home or anywhere, that had a computer with internet access. This shows my creativity as I adjusted settings to suit my genre and gave the overall blog, a more personal feel.
Looking back at the evaluation of both briefs, I can certainly say that it is clear in how much I have improved in A2. At A2, I used Slideshare to add calendars onto my blog to remind me what I should do on certain days. This helped me to prioritise my lessons on what needed the most attention of my work. I didn't do this in AS, however I think that if I did then this would have kept me more organised. Slideshare helped show my creativity as it was work in which I had created in my own time, using all primary sources. My blog was also much more organised in A2. I think the main reason for this is because I was more aware of the software I was using, and knew how creative you can actually be on Blogger.
I also added extra videos to all of our evaluation questions as this showed that I was confident with the equipment I was using. I uploaded these videos on YouTube and then put them onto my blog. This shows how much my creativity has developed as I have thought what should happen in these videos, as well as writing scripts beforehand. I decided to create one of these videos with Screenr also as this was another technique in what could make the video much more interesting to watch. This also helped show my creativity as I made an original video, but put a twist within it, to make the viewing more interesting.
I conclude that over the past two years, it is apparent as to what I have learnt and that I am now confident in using particular programmes as well as equipment.

Section 1(a) Creativity mind map

June 2010 Q1A

Describe the ways in which your production work was informed by research into real media texts and how your ability to use such research for production developed over time.

I think that the real media texts in which I have used over both years of this course were chosen carefully as I chose what I thought would influence my productions and what would inspire me to create my coursework production in this certain way. In AS, I had to create a 2 minute opening sequence of a horror or film noir. When I began my A2 brief, I had to create a music promotion package that involved a music video, a digipak and an advert or poster. I will begin describing how my production work was informed by my research through real media texts in AS and then A2.

At AS during pre production, I decided to do an opening sequence to a horror film in which I researched before doing anything else. I looked at when horror had became a genre, from theatre (1896) to directors who specialise in this area, such as Jack Clayton and Steven Spielberg. Whilst looking at films for inspiration and further research, I looked at classical horrors such as Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street, as well as looking at more contemporary horror films such as 'The Orphan'. This film is what inspired me the most.

I planned my film by using mind maps to think of my storyline and then created a story board to help me visualise what would happen throughout. I then created a story time line as I would then know how long each shot would be and how long it would take.

At A2 during pre production however, I knew I had to create a music video and thought it would be best if I enjoyed the song in which I chose as I thought it would make the task more enjoyable to do. Since I had already created a storyboard and mind maps in AS, I felt much more confident in using these techniques to plan my work at A2. I researched a range of music videos, from Adele to Foster The People as, I wanted to show that I had looked at other genres before ultimately deciding which genre I would prefer to use in my coursework. I think that the main thing I developed from AS to A2 was planning my music video further in a story board fashion, making a new image for each shot. This helped me understand more clearly, what my original idea was and how I wanted to shoot the production. I also think I looked at more varied videos when it came to my research as I feel that the videos watched was doubled. This therefore gave me a better understanding of the task.

At Production at AS I used the standard equipment, including a tripod and a Sony camera. I did try and use the crane, however given the location and my experience with this type of equipment, I could not put it together correctly. We added shots such as over the shoulder shots, to make the audience feel present, close ups, to amplify the emotions shown and hand held shots to name a few. We mainly added these type of shots as we wanted to make the audience feel as if they were experiencing the horror with the main character and to show fluidity through the sequence. Whilst looking back to my research I found that these type of shots appeared to be the most popular in this genre.I feel that the mise-en-scene that i used during production worked well as we used props appropriately,(rope etc.) as well as using make up to show bruises.

When I was given the brief to create a music video, I thought back to the equipment I had used before and acknowledged that this was very limited. For this brief I decided to use a Canon 550D, a tripod and a crane. The Canon camera is known more frequently in the photography world, so knowing that this camera also had a video recorder within the camera, helped give my music video a more professional feel to it. When It came to effect with the camera, I used the crane to move the camera around the media studio. By going at a certain pace, this made the camera footage look fluent, making it much easier to edit with. For the narrative part of the video, I decided to ask the singer if he could sing half speed, so that when I sped it up to double speed his actions would look jerky and fit the image I was wanting to portray. The original video to Maximo Park, also had a slight edge to the video, so I worked from that to create my own original piece. The main thing I think that I developed, was setting up the crane correctly as I now know how much of a difference that would have made to my AS work. I also think that I was more creative with the camera effects, whereas in AS I seemed to just stick to the basics.

During post production in AS I learnt how to edit correctly as well as learnt how to add effects in Final Cut Pro, such as changing the colour of the video, IMovie, creating flashbacks in my opening sequence, and creating the text in Live Type. All of these areas I had just recently learnt and I think given this into consideration, the techniques where appropriate for this opening sequence of a horror film. The techniques really helped give the feel for what I was wanting to create and I therefore think that my opening sequence, fit the genre in which I had chosen. Whilst editing the sequence in Final Cut Pro, I added genetic conventions  from modern day horror films, involving sounds such as, a child sounding eerily innocent. Other conventions I had added, included pleas, cries, deep panting and disturbing laughs. Overall I think that my AS opening sequence supported the brief although it could have been to a better standard given the quality etc.

At A2 I think that given the camera quality, the camera effects, as well as the edited effects, It was to a much greater standard and in my opinion looked very professional. The other parts of the brief, digi pak and advert, related to the music video by the mise-en-scene shown as they were in the same clothes throughout. The color of the clothes used also is shown throughout. I made the band band wear red and black as in my opinion these gave me connotations of stress, frustration and slight anger, which conveyed the lyrics within the  song I had chose.I edited my video on Final Cut Pro and added effects such as film burns. I made the production as fluent as I could, involving the performance part of the video with the narrative. In this video it was very important to make sure that the person was in sync with the song that you asked them to perform as this would tear away from the professional look. As a whole, I think that my techniques have developed on Final Cut Pro and my editing skills have became more precise as I have gained confidence from my first year and now I know the basics, it easier to expand my knowledge of the subject. I have also shown clear indication that my research skills have improved as I research into more depth to make sure I have a good understanding in what I am asked to do. My planning I think has also developed greatly as now it is not only me that will be able to understand my thoughts and ideas on the videos I produced.

Sket Analysis

When I first look at the image, it is clear that the pink used in this image is used to represent females. The poster appears violent as the emotion shown through the their faces whilst holding these weapons looks very aggressive.

The image suggests that the women are aggressive, violent and want people to show they're scared of them. Their identity looks the same and possible that they're all together as a group.

By the weapons shown, the film is clearly from an urban background. By the look of their 'costumes' they also appear to come from a working class background.

The women on the poster seem to look aggressive, almost as if they are trying to prove something in the society in which they live. By the slogan saying 'Man's world.Sisters' hood.' It is clear now that here they are fighting men as they must want to look and come across stronger than men.

The poster suggests by the look on their faces the violence that is to be seen within the film. It is clearly an aggressive film and is centred around female youth gang culture.

The poster image fits well with the women in the film as this is what is shown throughout the film, (fights, beatings,killings etc) e.g on the bus. Towards the end of the film, the pink that symbolises feminity is shown when they are all getting ready to kill Trev. Danielle (Dayz) has her hair down and looks like a stereotypical female.

Future Representation

I think that the representation of youth hasn't changed from past to present as the media still demonise youths and creates deviance amplification towards them. I think that youths now have more say in the media however it is still limited. I feel that even if young adults who understand youths more take control of the media, within time I think the attitude towards youths will still remain. The only way I think this could change would be to change the person who is in charge after so long.

Younger writers/directors will help the youths to be seen in a more positive way and will challenge the hegemony that is seen today. However young writers and directors must be constant as youths will change gradually and will need young people in this industry to maintain to positive attitude society will have towards them.

I personally do not think that these representations will change. With the society we live in today it is extremely difficult. Unless young writers and directors are taken more seriously, Plan B's actions are put into place and everyone focuses on this issue (as well as the youths showing a positive attitude towards this) then it may be possible. I feel that it may work to some extent but after a while the drive to do all of this work will vanish and youths will eventually feel the same as they do to this day.

I think that the representation of youths on the internet is shown positively as youths create blogs for their passions and can truly express how they feel, in a good way. Some youths lives have changed through the internet and it could also help change youths of today also. Although youtube and Facebook could be used against it's nature, the youths that do this is a very small minority in my opinion.

Plan B- Making a stand about representation of young people

let’s all go on an urban safari

we might see some illegal migrants

oi look there’s a chav,

that means council housed and violent

he’s got a hoodie on give him a hug,

on second thoughts don’t you don’t wanna get mugged

oh shit too late that was kinda dumb

whose idea was that…stupid…

he’s got some front, ain’t we all,

be the joker, play the fool

what’s politics, ain’t it all

smoke and mirrors, april fools

all year round, all in all

just another brick in the wall

get away with murder in the schools

use four letter swear words coz we’re cool

we’re all drinkers, drug takers

every single one of us buns the herb

keep on believing what you read in the papers

council estate kids, scum of the earth

think you know how life on a council estate is,

from everything you’ve ever read about it or heard,

well it’s all true, so stay where you’re safest

there’s no need to step foot out the burbs

truth is here, we’re all disturbed

we cheat and lie its so absurd

feed the fear that’s what we’ve learned

fuel the fire,

let it burn.

chorus

oi! i said oi!

what you looking at you little rich boy!

we’re poor round here, run home and lock your door

don’t come round here no more, you could get robbed for

real (yeah) because my manors ill

my manors ill

for real

yeah you know my manors ill, my manors ill!

verse 2

you could get lost in this concrete jungle

new builds keep springing up outta nowhere

take the wrong turn down a one way junction

find yourself in the hood nobody goes there

we got an eco friendly government,

they preserve our natural habitat

built an entire olympic village

around where we live without pulling down any flats

give us free money and we don’t pay any tax

nhs healthcare, yes please many thanks

people get stabbed round here there’s many shanks

nice knowing someone’s got our backs when we get attacked

don’t bloody give me that

i’ll lose my temper

who closed down the community centre?

i kill time there used to be a member,

what will i do now until september?

schools out, rules out, get your bloody tools out

london’s burning, i predict a riot

fall in fall out

who knows what it’s all about

what did that chief say? something bout the kaisers

kids on the street no they never miss a beat, never miss a cheap

thrill when it comes their way

lets go looting

no not luton,

the high street’s closer cover your face

and if we see any rich kids on the way we’ll make ‘em wish they stayed inside

here’s a charge for congestion, everybody’s gotta pay

do what boris does… rob them blind

chrous x2

oi! i said oi!

what you looking at you little rich boy?

we’re poor round here, run home and lock your door!

don’t come round here no more, you could get robbed for

real (yeah) because my manors ill

my manors ill

for real

yeah you know my manors ill , my manors ill!

I think that the music video that Plan B has created for 'Ill Manors' gives a negative representation of youths as they are shown 'happy slapping' and being violent. I can tell by listening to the interview with Plan B that he is wanting to do good, however when watching the music video I completely get the wrong idea. Almost as if he is encouraging the violence.

Youths are represented in the video as violent, and aggressive. This is seen as they fight and show a variety of arson attacks. They are however seen as the victims when the police show violence towards them. By doing this, I think that Plan B has tried to show that there is always more to the story than meets the eye as the police could have attacked the youths first.

The video shows the fight between them (police) and us (yobs) and how they have more power over youths. In this music video, the youths are seen abusing their authority of the social media as they are using it to start up riots however, this is the only way that the yobs are shown as to communicate however they want, without being traced back to.

Plan B was trying to challenge the stereotypes of youths of being violent, however in my opinion I feel that the music video only makes things worse. When listening to the interview however, he seems to voice a different opinion and I do not see his music video helping at all as I think that this maximises the problem. On the other hand, this may have been what he was trying to do, to show how important this matter actually is and how bad it has gotten. If so then he seems to have gotten his views across.

Through these video's it is clear that Plan B wants to make a stand about youths and decides to create an organisation called, 'time for Plan B', which will help youths out of the negative press and to stop the media from using moral panic towards them.

Social Media Summary

The media did not seem to give the rioters a lot of space or voice on the local television but on places like youtube, which is what youths normally go on via the internet, they were plenty of youths opinions. This could reflect Foucalt's theory that the rioters were looking for power in which they are rioting to get their message across to the police and public.

Overal whilst looking at youths in the media, there is a negative tone towards youths, as they will be more likely to contact through social media than on television. The attitude towards youths makes it difficult for young people to shift as they do not get much credit for achieving things and doing well, but to award the criminals with press. When the riots where taking place, the youth interviews were all masked and had poor vocabulary. This gives the impression that youths are uneducated as well as they should be,aggressive and are abusive towards the law.

Social media that was used during the riots, was portrayed in the media in a negative way. Rioters organised the riots through Facebook groups, twitter and Blackberry messenger. They decided to use this type of media as this was all untraceable to the person who started all of the riots. According to recent study, 37% of youths up to the age of 24 , have a Blackberry. This shows that the rioters where always close to contacting each other through Blackberry Messaging (BBM). The mass media have created a moral panic to the public, however they only mentioned the cleaning up of Britain ever so lightly. The 'Clean Up Britain' event was organised through Facebook and twitter, revealing social media in a more positive light. This supports Foucalt's belief's that it is possible for youths to resist power. This is what has been shown as they work with elders and show them respect, even though they have authority over the youths.

london riots write up summary

According to the video clips I have encountered, I have acknowledged that the context of the riots was because Mark Duggan was killed by the police.

Whilst looking at the video clips chosen, I found out that the reason for the riots to begin according to the youths was because of their dislike to the police and not being involved more. In the BBC clip of a debate, a youth says that he thinks that's it's 'reasons upon reasons' whereas, the adult beside him, merely says that it's 'no punishment at home, no punishment at school'.

Whilst looking at all of the images i have chosen, it shows that the media hasn't completely given youths a point to argue, only youths seen seem to appear on youtube, not making the more immediate news. However, in one of my clips it shows a variety of people including youths cleaning up Britain and says how that is just a 'small minority' who have caused these riots.

How can the coverage of the london riots be understood by the ideas of Stan cohen.

The London riots can easily be seen through Cohen's theory as they are devil folks in London causing this. The media is therefore providing the world with deviant amplification about the riots, in which case causes a moral panic through Britain.

The quote in which David Gauntlett stated, is shown through the mass media as they have formed a group and called them 'rioters', while the violence was in London. Youths of today have been seen in hoodies in these clips and have therefore been associated with this type of clothing and to be bad, i.e. hoodie= yob. On the other hand, people as well as youths have also came together to clean up the mess made by the rioters. This shows the quote in a good light as it is more positive and peaceful towards, youths and adults.

London Riots News Stories

In this clip the reporters interview Darcus Howe, who is a writer and broadcaster, who is a witness to the riots. Throughout the clip the background shows a frie brigade van next to a burnt down building in Croydon. This gives the audience the image that the rioters (folk devils) are extremely violent as they appear to have no respect for the public as they arson buildings that people may still be in. This shows that they do not care for the public since the rioters have put them all in danger.

I don't feel that this broadcast is biased because although the interview takes place with two adults, Darcus Howe, gives the youths a voice in saying that the police blew Mark Duggan's head off. He also puts his own point across as he was not surprised at the riot and how he feels that this incident was the main cause for the riots.

Youths in this interview are given a fair voice as an adult has understood why this has happened however, he disagreees with all of the violence. He stands up for youths and mentions that his grandson has been hit by the police when he has done nothing wrong while also insinuating his race.

The reporters interview a rapper, a youth, and two adults to get a debate about the riots. In the background of where this interview takes place, the images shown are violent and could be seen as horrific to anyone who is watching this. The broadcast is therefore using moral panic to make the interview look more debatable and aggressive. In each image, there is a police officer. This could indicate that the actions taken have been actions of criminals or it may also be seen as the police are trying there hardest to keep the youths in order. This is also seen as a binary opposite as the rioters are youths and the police are adults.

I do not feel that this broadcast is biased because they have interviewed 2 adults as well as a black and white youth to get everyone's opinions. The age range in this interview is varied as this helps the debate since anyone could tune in to the channel and find something interesting about the debate.

Youths are given a fair voice in my opinion on this clip because two of them are youths and can seem to relate to what is going on in the riots.

The reporter interviews the public, including youths as well as adults in how they feel about their community and the riots which have occurred so far. The images used are of abandoned shops in the background, however there is crowds and crowds of volunteers (including youths) with broomsticks in the air and helping clean up the mess from the rioters. This suggests that not all of the youths are in a deviant group. One person actually mentions that the rioters are 'only a small minority' of youths. This therefore represents the majority of youths in a good light.

I do not think that the broadcast is biased as this clip shows adults as well as youths. This also helps show that these different age generations can get along peacefully, calmly and show each other respect. Youths here are given a fair voice as they are speaking calmly and rationally into the camera and they are interviewed fairly. I find this clip interesting as the 2 video clips above show youths behaving terribly, whereas in the clip above the youths have reminded everyone that the rioters are only a small majority of youths as most young people would find this type of behaviour appalling.

Tabloid analysis

"London Riots: Dazed Malaysian student was battered,bleeding... then mugged"

Sensationalism is used in the article i have found (link here) such as 'Rioters'. Emotive language was also used as they described the attack as 'despicable'. According to Stanley Cohen, these could be seen devil folks as they are a deviant group.

The image that accompanied the article was what seems to be taken from a CCTV camera. This image is of the incident and shows footage of clearly what is happening. This image has caused a huge impact on the public as the blood is even visible from the floor. This image and even video footage has been shown to the public by the press to create a moral panic.

The image suggests that youth culture in Britain is violent,aggressive and shows youths in a negative light. On the other hand, it shows that the victim (a youth himself) was going to reassure a friend about the riots and is therefore trying to do good. Although by looking at this image it is apparent that the majority of youths tend to give a reason for people to show negative feelings about them and not to treat them with respect.

This article was released on Tuesday 28th February at midnight. Although the riots where towards the end of last year this may have been updated as the rioters are now being prosecuted.

________________________________________________________

"Facebook hacker is jailed for 8 months"

(Daily Mail, Saturday, February 18,2012)

This article about Glen Mangham, 26 who nearly brought down the social networking site Facebook from his bedroom. The reported described the 26 year old as a 'Misfit with no social life'and they emphasised the point he did the crime from his computer at his parent's home, and they aim show deviance amplification by describing the simple but terrible crime. "He stole the secret code 'that gives Facebook its value'", this statement was used to make a powerful impact which makes the crime sound very bad.
The image that goes along with the article shows Glen Mangham after a court hearing in suit, I do not think it has got a lot of meaning and imagery is not that important with this story. Although the images that show a young man who would not be stereotyped to have criminal look, suggesting that some of today's criminals can be normal people who would not have be accused of a same crime only a few years ago, although the crime agains social networking in today's society has got a lot of impact.

Historical case study

Stanley Cohen's theory is based on conflict in the 1960's teenage tribes. This can be linked to any sub culture, which can be labelled as dangerous by the media. The media therefore causes moral panic. The mass media provide and maintain 'policing' the available frameworks and definitions of deviance. Deviant groups were labelled as folk devils.

Clockwork Orange is a film that was made in 1971 about a youth called Alex and his droogs. The film is set in the future of what britain would be like. They have revealed Britain as a hopeless place for teenagers and have made Britain seem like an unpleasant place to live. Alex is jailed and volunteers to take part in an experiment to solve society's crime.

The press seemed to show moral panic when mentioning this film. They used sensationalist language which mentioned copycat crimes from the films. It was reported to be extremely violent and could possibly cause more crimes in society. Youths who watched this at the time however, did not see the film as encouraging violence. They did however identify with the representation of a life in which they already lived.

Stanley Cohen's theory can be related to this film as the media/press in this instance has created moral panic whilst using 'Clockwork Orange' as a euphemism for teenage crime (to the present day it would similar to 'hoodies'). Alex and the Droogs in this circumstance would be seen as the folk devils since they are the deviants.

Jimmy is represented in Quadrophenia as a mod. His possessions help this image come across, i.e The Who poster on his wall, smartly dressed all the time and his scooter. Jimmy is disillusioned by his parents and his job, i.e not a good relationship with parents and doesn't like job, however at the end if the film, he loses his job and family and his friends aren't loyal anymore. It is only then, that he realises that there is more to life than being a mod and causing havoc. Binary opposites are shown at home and at work also as his dad calls him a 'freak' and when he is at work, he is sick in front of his boss. When he is ignored it shows clearly that the elders have no respect for Jimmy.

Kevin is a rocker and is represented through his leather clothes and motorcycle. When Jimmy acknowledges Kevin for who he is, they are both shocked as the groups mods and rockers normally hate each other. Kevin used to be in the army but didn't like being bossed around so he decided to move back to London. This shows that he is a tough man and has a mind of his own.

Steph is first represented as coming from a higher class than others. She doesn't seem to be in a group in particular but eventually becomes a mod. Steph is always found at house partys and some alleyways. This gives the audience an idea in where youth seem to hangout. Given the year, Steph is also sexually active in this film as the Pill had just been released. This shows that she has no loyalty to a certain person. With her long hair and dresses shown she is clearly more feminine than the androgynous female mods.

The alleyways and house parties show the locations of where youths may hangout. The clothes in which they are wearing also identifies the youths in a group which is still seen today (chavs, emo etc). The props used such as drugs also help reinforce the idea of youth culture as at this age, people are curious and want to have a 'good time'.

In this film, youth culture has been portrayed in a negative way as Jimmy is shown being sick in the toilets at work, they are violent like when they are shown in Brighton and that by taking drugs, the youths seem to have lost hope for a happy life, therefore turning to this type of behaviour. This shows that they live for the here and now. This film also shows binary opposites such as the adults and the youths since they seem to have no respect for one another in this film.

Stanley Cohen's theory can be linked into Quadrophenia as they are two big deviant groups, therefore showing the youth culture as folk devils. To support this theory they start a huge fight at Brighton towards the end of the film.

Presentation of self

I feel that being quater italian plays a big part in my identity as I love italian food, love the sun. When I was little i was known for my fiery temper. My mum used to say that this was because of me being part italian. I feel proud to be italian but...