Friday 26 June 2020
Music Video: index
1) Music Video - introduction and factsheet questions
2) Music Video theory and This Is America analysis
3) Common - Letter to the Free context and analysis
4) The Specials - Ghost Town context and analysis
War of the Worlds: Blog tasks
Media Factsheet
Read Media Factsheet #176: CSP Radio - War of the Worlds. You'll need your Greenford Google login to download it. Then answer the following questions:
1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?
The world was on the brink of war with the rise of fascism in Nazi Germany. Allied Nations were prepared to report on war at any moment. The radio play covers an alien invasion of New Jersey.
2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?
It was first broadcasted in 1938, just a year before WW2 broke out. The popular myth was that residents of New Jersey thought that the gas over the city was real and that martians had actually invaded NJ.
3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?
4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the the broadcast and its reaction?
engage with media content, spreading and reinterpreting it to suit their own world views.
5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?
he borrowed conventions of radio and his gripping idea to create a hybrid genre that definitely evokes a frightening reaction from the listeners. The use of pastiche by reworking a Victorian narrative is inspirational.
6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?
Far right powers in Germany were gaining popularity and they were annexing parts of countries. This made Europe and the US on edge as they prepared for the eventuality of an attack. The show made the audience scared because they were always waiting on a radio report that Germany had invaded the US.
7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?
CBS Radio
8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?
To get more sales therefore making the radioshow as well as newspapers more profitable
9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?
The listeners did not actively consume the media they were exposing themselves to. They blindly accepted the content of the radioshow for what itis and didn;t ask themselves if it was a hoax or just pretend.
10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?
Radio in the early 20th Century became a staple of family and daily life. They centralised their entertainment intake on the radio content. The consumption skews peoples perception of reality and it clearly shows through the reaction from the show.
11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?
Preferred: to be entertained and intrigued
Oppositional: people to cause mass panic
12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?
I think not as everyone has matured in the sense that they can sense when something is fake as there are so much fake news stories online nowadays.
Analysis and opinion
1) Why do you think the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds has become such a significant moment in media history?
It fooled such a big population and gained fame due to its simple yet effective impact on audiences.
2) War of the Worlds feels like a 1938 version of 'fake news'. But which is the greater example of fake news - Orson Welles's use of radio conventions to create realism or the newspapers exaggerating the audience reaction to discredit radio?
The Orson Welles radio show was more fake news-like because it made a lot of people overreact whereas the newspapers just intensifies the existing panic
3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?
I agree with it to an extent taking IQ, upbringing and the time period into account.
4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?
5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on audience's views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.
Yes because 'Mean World Syndrome' is something that occurs as a result of increased media consumption. The bobo doll experiment also shows that increased hours in front of TV or the radio could have an effect on the way you see the world and its surroundings.
6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?
I think the less media you consume, the less likely you are to be brainwashed by the media. There are less avenues of cultivation if you consume less forms of media. Nowadays we have so many forms of media that we see examples of cultivation everywhere.
Friday 19 June 2020
BBC Radio 1 - Life Hacks: Blog tasks
Analysis
Read the notes and listen to the extracts from Life Hacks above before answering the following questions:
1) Go to the Life Hacks iPlayer page and analyse the content. What does this suggest regarding the Life Hacks audience and what the BBC is hoping to achieve with the programme?
In my view the content that Life Hacks talks about are meant for young adults. Age range would be from 16-25. This suggests that the audience is interested in contemporary and hard-hitting topics which directly affect their futures. The BBC wants to attract in the younger generation by offering them exclusive content using industry-leading tech.
2) Go to the Life Hacks podcast episodes page. Listen to a few episodes of the podcast and explain how the topics may a) appeal to a youth audience and b) help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.
2) Go to the Life Hacks podcast episodes page. Listen to a few episodes of the podcast and explain how the topics may a) appeal to a youth audience and b) help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.
As I said, the BBC wants to make the average viewer much younger than it is today. The BBC is an old and established PSB who are typically wired to cater towards the elderly part of the demographic. "inform, educate and entertain' - I think Life Hacks does well to deliver on that. It provides entertainment with fun topics such as creativity, one can be educated via the many life stories that are told and you can be informed via the podcast reviewing and relating to current affairs.
Media Factsheet
Read Media Factsheet #196 Close Study Product: Radio - Life Hacks. You'll need your Greenford google login to download it. Answer the following questions:
1) Read the first page of the factsheet. What content does Life Hacks offer to listeners?
It explores advice for certain adolescent issues and situations.
2) Which of the five central purposes in the BBC's remit does Life Hacks cover?
This shows that LH is a new and interactive platform where young people can share and listen to other stories. It;s distinctive because of the unique structure of the podcasts. They centralise around one topic. This may interest different people therefore having a wider appeal.
3) Read the history of Radio 1 on page 2. Why was the launch of Radio 1 both significant and controversial?
- Radio 1 allowed young people in the 60s to get news, weather, music and entertainment in one place. This battled with the pirate radio stations at the time, to which the young people were more accustomed to. Many questioned the BBC's decision to promote pop music was wrong as it didn't fit in with their PSB remits.
4) Do you consider Life Hacks to be a 'distinctive offering' that helps the BBC to fulfil its public service broadcasting remit? Why?
Yes because it ticks all the boxes. Offers specific advice on adolescent topics. It brings in young people by the masses and in return makes the BBC seem more 'down with the kids'. It educates them on what things can pop up when growing up, it can inform them on how to cope with them and also divert their minds by entertaining them with music/talks with guests or hosts.
5) Look at the figures on page 3 of the factsheet. How much does the BBC spend on Radio 1?
£1.6 million
6) How has new technology impacted on radio?
New tech has given the opportunities for most radio companies to expand their brand and increase their average listeners. It's a simple fact of numbers. If you are on a platform that has a a lot more reach, chances are that you will thrive, and with the unique approach Life Hacks have taken, it's ringing true.
7) What has Radio 1 done in response to the changes new technology have had on radio?
They have had to make their Live Lounge service more interactive and social than ever before.
8) What are the audiences targeted by Radio 1 and Radio 1 Xtra? What is their actual audience?
Radio 1: They have a median age of 30 so they're not really that old. They have more female and ABC1 listeners. 90% are white.
1Extra: teens, younger people. Ethnic minorities. More male than female. ABC1-C2DE. High reach to BAME listeners.
9) Applying Gerbner's Cultivation theory, how might Life Hacks influence its listeners (or 'cultivate' certain views)?
When the advice about adolescent scenarios are given out, chances are that the more impressionable minds are more likely to act upon them and take their advice. They may have not known anything about most topics but the listeners are given a new standard of living.
10) Applying Hall's Reception theory, how might different audiences 'read' Life Hacks? What pleasures or reactions might different audiences have to the programme?
The preferred reading is that the listener takes their advice as constructive and uses that to improve their lives or to prepare/be educated on certain topics. The negotiated reading could be that the advice is somewhat useful but doesn't apply to the listeners current situation. The oppositional reading could be that the advice given could be the complete opposite of what actually works for a listener, rendering their advice useless.
Audience contexts: additional reading
1) Read this short Guardian review of Life Hacks. What points does the reviewer make about Life Hacks and the particular podcast episode they listened to?
He found out interesting concepts set up by popular rapper Stormzy. It also featured an author. They talk about how Stormzy's campaign helps BME students to get into Cambridge/Oxford.
He found out interesting concepts set up by popular rapper Stormzy. It also featured an author. They talk about how Stormzy's campaign helps BME students to get into Cambridge/Oxford.
2) Read this NME feature on Radio 1 listener figures. What are the key statistics to take from this article regarding the decline in Radio 1 audience ratings?
The 9.2 million listeners that Radio 1 now pulls in each week is officially the second-lowest ever recorded ratings for the BBC station, and is close to equalling the lowest weekly rating of 9.1 million, which was posted in May 2017.
There was better news for Radio 1 in terms of its digital audience, with the station now posting a record 16 million YouTube views a week. The station is also still the top choice for listeners aged 15 to 24 in the UK.
There was better news for Radio 1 in terms of its digital audience, with the station now posting a record 16 million YouTube views a week. The station is also still the top choice for listeners aged 15 to 24 in the UK.
Industry contexts: final tasks
1) How does Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain?
It educates them on what things can pop up when growing up, it can inform them on how to cope with them and also divert their minds by entertaining them with music/talks with guests or hosts.
It educates them on what things can pop up when growing up, it can inform them on how to cope with them and also divert their minds by entertaining them with music/talks with guests or hosts.
2) Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. Pick out three key points in the summary section.
"the public has exceptionally high expectations of the BBC"
"leaving creative decisions in the hands of programme-makers, but stretching and challenging the BBC to deliver for all its audiences."
"In most areas, they place tougher requirements on the broadcaster than existed before, as well as safeguarding key areas of delivery. They set a baseline for future performance."
"the public has exceptionally high expectations of the BBC"
"leaving creative decisions in the hands of programme-makers, but stretching and challenging the BBC to deliver for all its audiences."
"In most areas, they place tougher requirements on the broadcaster than existed before, as well as safeguarding key areas of delivery. They set a baseline for future performance."
3) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and Life Hacks?
"support social action campaigns on radio"
"require the BBC to reflect the full diversity of the UK"
"secure a more distinctive BBC"
"support social action campaigns on radio"
"require the BBC to reflect the full diversity of the UK"
"secure a more distinctive BBC"
4) What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?
The three I listed on the top. To support social campaigns on radio is huge because not only is it for a good cause, it provides more listeners/supporters. The BBC, in the current climate, must do better to encompass the UK as a multicultural part of the world. It's expected from all media companies at this point. The BBC has lost some support but through making smart and progressive choices, they could win the favour of the public again and be an industry leader simpy down to the content they produce and the people they attract.
The three I listed on the top. To support social campaigns on radio is huge because not only is it for a good cause, it provides more listeners/supporters. The BBC, in the current climate, must do better to encompass the UK as a multicultural part of the world. It's expected from all media companies at this point. The BBC has lost some support but through making smart and progressive choices, they could win the favour of the public again and be an industry leader simpy down to the content they produce and the people they attract.
5) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience?
They want people from every culture to be presented in a way that's fair and not offensive. People from other cultures will see themselves reflected in the BBC in a positive light and then will be more inclined to support the growth of the BBC. This is a god idea since there is a growing immigrant population in the UK.
They want people from every culture to be presented in a way that's fair and not offensive. People from other cultures will see themselves reflected in the BBC in a positive light and then will be more inclined to support the growth of the BBC. This is a god idea since there is a growing immigrant population in the UK.
6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?
“My focus is to bring new audiences and new ways to the BBC,”
He wants to make Radio 1 a multi-platform business than can keep tabs with other modern companies.
7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?
The 46-year-old is armed with some statistics of his own to illustrate his point. Using figures based on those aged 10 and up, he reckons the most common age of a Radio 1 listener is 18. And for its YouTube channel it is 12- to 17-year-old females. “There is no holy grail of one single digital footprint figure in the industry unfortunately,” he says.
8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?
It offers more entertainment than commercial radio. Radio isn't a PSB. The BBC has a remit to abide by and it's that which gives Radio 1 the edge in terms of content and appeal.
9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?
YouTube is where most of their key audiences spend all their time, more views and listens are possible. 12-17 year old females are the most likely to listen to R1 on YT. YouTube, for many, has proved a great place t get views based on content that;s already been created.
10) In your opinion, should the BBC’s remit include targeting young audiences via Radio 1 or should this content be left to commercial broadcasters? Explain your answer.
I think the BBC should carry on with their current direction. The more they target the younger audience bracket eventually they will give in and accept that the BBC is actually evolving and proves to be a threat to other radio services in the future. We might even see a resurgence in Radio 1 listeners in the next decade. I think that the longer they keep sticking with young people and including ethnic minorities, there's light at the end of the tunnel for the Beebs.
I think the BBC should carry on with their current direction. The more they target the younger audience bracket eventually they will give in and accept that the BBC is actually evolving and proves to be a threat to other radio services in the future. We might even see a resurgence in Radio 1 listeners in the next decade. I think that the longer they keep sticking with young people and including ethnic minorities, there's light at the end of the tunnel for the Beebs.
Thursday 18 June 2020
‘TV assessment learner response’
Reflecting on your assessment, what key concepts and theories do you most need to revise for the TV CSPs before your next Media exam? How will you do this?
I think Postmodernism is one of my weak points so going over Strinati and examples of postmodernism is something I need to revise. There's quite a few issues with my realism knowledge, mise-en-scene and cinematography. Re-doing notes and flashcards will help.
I think Postmodernism is one of my weak points so going over Strinati and examples of postmodernism is something I need to revise. There's quite a few issues with my realism knowledge, mise-en-scene and cinematography. Re-doing notes and flashcards will help.
Tuesday 9 June 2020
Introduction to radio: blog tasks
BBC Sounds
Read this Guardian feature on the launch of BBC Sounds and answer the following questions:
1) Why does the article suggest that ‘on the face of it, BBC Radio is in rude health’?
The problem is that ever since the BBC was founded almost a century ago it has been based around an era of broadcasting that was designed towards a comprehensive offering: a shared listening – and then viewing – experience.
2) What percentage of under-35s use the BBC iPlayer catch-up radio app?
3%
3) What is BBC Sounds?
It will bring radio livestreams, catch up services, music mixes and podcasts together under one roof.
4) How do audiences listen to radio content in the digital age?
Via apps like Spotify and Alexa where they can skip songs unlike BBC Sounds
5) What does Jason Phipps suggest is important for radio and podcast content aimed at younger audiences?
“The very best stories are fundamentally anchored around the personal experience. You’re trying to find the human in the machine. Journalists have a process but younger audiences can find that very cold and want to access the actual response of human beings. They really want to understand the heart of the story.”
6) Why does the BBC need to stay relevant?
They are a very old organisation who have dominated the UK's media landscape for ages. In recent years, the BBC have struggled to relate to younger audiences due to their relaxed and traditional approach.
Now read this review of the BBC Sounds app.
7) What content does the BBC Sounds app offer?
music, news, drama, documentaries and true crime
8) How does it link to BBC Radio?
It allows you to switch between anu live BBC radio station
9) What are the criticisms of the BBC Sounds app?
Sounds is easy to use, though I found the programme information a little tricky to access, and the search – as ever with the BBC – isn’t sensitive enough. (Looking for the new 5 Live podcast about the Waco siege, I typed in “5 Live Waco”, but only got old programmes). My other main problem is there isn’t enough content. “Spooky Sounds” only offered me 11 shows; “Be Curious” just 10. The BBC has thousands of amazing audio programmes! If you browse podcasts via, say, the Apple Podcasts app, you have 16 categories to choose from, and within each, at least 20 series to try. Sounds needs to feel as packed as Netflix in order to properly work.
10) Two new podcasts were launched alongside the BBC Sounds app. What are they and why might they appeal to younger audiences?
Guilty Feminist and Griefcast. They are something that breaks away from the BBC norm. GF covers a hot topic which is coveted by the younger generation. Griefcast provides us with something funny and different.
The ShoutOut Network is a growing podcast network that launched in 2015 with their flagship show Melanin Millennials, which focuses on socio-political issues for millennials.
3.7 million people, 6.5% of the UK population, listen to podcasts. 57% of them listen to them on their phones, and 47% listen to podcasts while commuting and 34% when they are relaxing or doing nothing.
Read this Guardian feature on the launch of BBC Sounds and answer the following questions:
1) Why does the article suggest that ‘on the face of it, BBC Radio is in rude health’?
The problem is that ever since the BBC was founded almost a century ago it has been based around an era of broadcasting that was designed towards a comprehensive offering: a shared listening – and then viewing – experience.
2) What percentage of under-35s use the BBC iPlayer catch-up radio app?
3%
3) What is BBC Sounds?
It will bring radio livestreams, catch up services, music mixes and podcasts together under one roof.
4) How do audiences listen to radio content in the digital age?
Via apps like Spotify and Alexa where they can skip songs unlike BBC Sounds
5) What does Jason Phipps suggest is important for radio and podcast content aimed at younger audiences?
“The very best stories are fundamentally anchored around the personal experience. You’re trying to find the human in the machine. Journalists have a process but younger audiences can find that very cold and want to access the actual response of human beings. They really want to understand the heart of the story.”
6) Why does the BBC need to stay relevant?
They are a very old organisation who have dominated the UK's media landscape for ages. In recent years, the BBC have struggled to relate to younger audiences due to their relaxed and traditional approach.
Now read this review of the BBC Sounds app.
7) What content does the BBC Sounds app offer?
music, news, drama, documentaries and true crime
8) How does it link to BBC Radio?
It allows you to switch between anu live BBC radio station
9) What are the criticisms of the BBC Sounds app?
Sounds is easy to use, though I found the programme information a little tricky to access, and the search – as ever with the BBC – isn’t sensitive enough. (Looking for the new 5 Live podcast about the Waco siege, I typed in “5 Live Waco”, but only got old programmes). My other main problem is there isn’t enough content. “Spooky Sounds” only offered me 11 shows; “Be Curious” just 10. The BBC has thousands of amazing audio programmes! If you browse podcasts via, say, the Apple Podcasts app, you have 16 categories to choose from, and within each, at least 20 series to try. Sounds needs to feel as packed as Netflix in order to properly work.
10) Two new podcasts were launched alongside the BBC Sounds app. What are they and why might they appeal to younger audiences?
Guilty Feminist and Griefcast. They are something that breaks away from the BBC norm. GF covers a hot topic which is coveted by the younger generation. Griefcast provides us with something funny and different.
ShoutOut Network
Read this Huffington Post feature on the Shout Out Network and answer the following questions:
1) What is the ShoutOut Network?
2) What podcasts are offered by the ShoutOut Network?
Mostly Lit, Two Fools Talking, Artistic State of Mind, Top 4mation and Archived History
Mostly Lit, Two Fools Talking, Artistic State of Mind, Top 4mation and Archived History
3) What audience do they reach?
92% of their listeners are from a BAME background.
92% of their listeners are from a BAME background.
4) What are the 2015 statistics on podcast listening in the UK?
5) The article suggests podcasts are ‘picking up more steam’. Do you think podcasts the future of radio?
Yes because they boast a whole heap of topics and appeal as well as being up to date with the digital age. I think that podcasts will be the future of radio as the ease of accessing them is becoming easier and the topics are also plentiful.
Yes because they boast a whole heap of topics and appeal as well as being up to date with the digital age. I think that podcasts will be the future of radio as the ease of accessing them is becoming easier and the topics are also plentiful.
Monday 1 June 2020
The Specials - Ghost Town: Blog tasks
Reading and questions
Read this excellent analysis from The Conversation website of the impact Ghost Town had both musically and visually. Answer the following questions
1) Why does the writer link the song to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition?
It's used in a lot of movies. It's a form of mood music which is a nod to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition
2) What subcultures did 2 Tone emerge from in the late 1970s?
Mod and Punk
3) What social contexts are discussed regarding the UK in 1981?
Riots, fights against the police
4) How can we apply cultural critic Mark Fisher’s description of ‘eerie’ to the Ghost Town video?
"The sensation of the eerie occurs either when there is something present where there should be nothing, or there is nothing present when there should be something."
The deprived towns are now run by the people who were rioting, a sort of dystopian future. It;s scary because there is absolutely no control of the establishments whatsoever.
5) Look at the final section (‘Not a dance track’). What does the writer suggest might be the meanings created in the video? Do you agree?
It unifies those skinheads in a cause. A subject of protest and that this song attacks the injustice incited by society at the time.
Now read this BBC website feature on the 30th anniversary of Ghost Town’s release.
1) How does the article describe the song?
2) What does the article say about the social context of the time – what was happening in Britain in 1981?
Britain's streets erupted into rioting almost three weeks later - the day before Ghost Town reached number one in the charts.
3) How did The Specials reflect an increasingly multicultural Britain?
With a mix of black and white members, The Specials, too, encapsulated Britain's burgeoning multiculturalism. The band's 2 Tone record label gave its name to a genre which fused ska, reggae and new wave and, in turn, inspired a crisply attired youth movement.
They used a reggae beat as well as take influences from other cultures.
4) How can we link Paul Gilroy’s theories to The Specials and Ghost Town?
We can apply his Diasporic theory. He says that that black culture is forged through travel and hybridity, a “liquidity of culture”
There is a clear merging of reggae and pop/rock music so and this brought in working class culture.
5) The article discusses how the song sounds like a John Barry composition. Why was John Barry a famous composer and what films did he work on?
John Barry was very well known for the Bond films. He was well known for merging different cultures and sounds together such as Live and Let Die and Die Another Day with carribbean and asian cultures respectively. I particularly like The Man with the Golden Gun for his use of the slide whistle used in the car chase between Scaramanga and Roger Moore.
Close-textual analysis of Ghost Town
Watch the video several times and make bullet-point notes of your close-textual semiotic analysis using the following headings:
1) Mise-en-scene: Setting, Lighting, Colour, Actor/performer placement and movement, Costume and props. How are some of these aspects used to create meanings?
The setting is central London, a part of the country where most of the money is and where people should be employed and happy. Instead it's quiet and althoigh the grand buildings stand, nobody seems to be in them hence the title name 'ghost town'.
Low key lighting mainky as we go into the Vauxhall's interior, this suggests that this was a dark and uncertain time for the British public.
Actor placement is significant as there is a synergy between black and white people. They are there for the main reaggae element of the song as well as representing the diasporic community.
Costumes, the white actos are wearing suits which is a juxtaposition to the skinhead movement.
2) Cinematography: Camera shots and camera movement.
There is clear movement which is a convention of a music video. We see mid-close ups of the actor's faces and we see tracking shits of the car driving. At the end we see the mid-shot of the actors on a beach throwing stones as if they were in a protest.
3) Editing: Pace, juxtaposition, timing.
It's quite a slow build up. First the siren, then the chords cresendo to deliver this quite spooky chord. Not a fast paced video at all. The timing of the shots switching to each change in melody.
Now apply media theory to the video - perhaps by considering whether Ghost Town reinforces or challenges some of the media theories we have studied. Make bullet-point notes on the following:
1) Goodwin’s theory of music video.
- there's a link between the lyrics and the video as they are talking about riots and culture.
- they contain cultural references to reggae
- the video is concept based, if the riots stopped
2) Neale’s genre theory.
The video uses conventions from horror films so the fans have something to relate to
3) Gilroy’s diasporic identity/postcolonial theory.
This reflects its musical genre of ska, a style which could be read politically in the context of a racially divided country. Ska also blends reggae and punk rock which emphasises the cultural ties.
4) Bricolage and pastiche.
A merging of horror in the 80s and the use of mise-en-scene makes references to these films.
Reference to on the road movies which have no real goal or achievment.
5) Strinati’s definition of postmodernism.
An arthouse video style mixed with a popular music genre is an example of Strinati's definition of Post Modernism.
Read this excellent analysis from The Conversation website of the impact Ghost Town had both musically and visually. Answer the following questions
1) Why does the writer link the song to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition?
It's used in a lot of movies. It's a form of mood music which is a nod to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition
2) What subcultures did 2 Tone emerge from in the late 1970s?
Mod and Punk
3) What social contexts are discussed regarding the UK in 1981?
Riots, fights against the police
4) How can we apply cultural critic Mark Fisher’s description of ‘eerie’ to the Ghost Town video?
"The sensation of the eerie occurs either when there is something present where there should be nothing, or there is nothing present when there should be something."
The deprived towns are now run by the people who were rioting, a sort of dystopian future. It;s scary because there is absolutely no control of the establishments whatsoever.
5) Look at the final section (‘Not a dance track’). What does the writer suggest might be the meanings created in the video? Do you agree?
It unifies those skinheads in a cause. A subject of protest and that this song attacks the injustice incited by society at the time.
Now read this BBC website feature on the 30th anniversary of Ghost Town’s release.
1) How does the article describe the song?
It starts with a siren and those woozy, lurching organ chords. Then comes the haunted, spectral woodwind, punctuated by blaring brass.
Over a sparse reggae bass line, a West Indian vocal mutters warnings of urban decay, unemployment and violence.
2) What does the article say about the social context of the time – what was happening in Britain in 1981?
Britain's streets erupted into rioting almost three weeks later - the day before Ghost Town reached number one in the charts.
3) How did The Specials reflect an increasingly multicultural Britain?
With a mix of black and white members, The Specials, too, encapsulated Britain's burgeoning multiculturalism. The band's 2 Tone record label gave its name to a genre which fused ska, reggae and new wave and, in turn, inspired a crisply attired youth movement.
They used a reggae beat as well as take influences from other cultures.
4) How can we link Paul Gilroy’s theories to The Specials and Ghost Town?
We can apply his Diasporic theory. He says that that black culture is forged through travel and hybridity, a “liquidity of culture”
There is a clear merging of reggae and pop/rock music so and this brought in working class culture.
5) The article discusses how the song sounds like a John Barry composition. Why was John Barry a famous composer and what films did he work on?
John Barry was very well known for the Bond films. He was well known for merging different cultures and sounds together such as Live and Let Die and Die Another Day with carribbean and asian cultures respectively. I particularly like The Man with the Golden Gun for his use of the slide whistle used in the car chase between Scaramanga and Roger Moore.
Close-textual analysis of Ghost Town
Watch the video several times and make bullet-point notes of your close-textual semiotic analysis using the following headings:
1) Mise-en-scene: Setting, Lighting, Colour, Actor/performer placement and movement, Costume and props. How are some of these aspects used to create meanings?
The setting is central London, a part of the country where most of the money is and where people should be employed and happy. Instead it's quiet and althoigh the grand buildings stand, nobody seems to be in them hence the title name 'ghost town'.
Low key lighting mainky as we go into the Vauxhall's interior, this suggests that this was a dark and uncertain time for the British public.
Actor placement is significant as there is a synergy between black and white people. They are there for the main reaggae element of the song as well as representing the diasporic community.
Costumes, the white actos are wearing suits which is a juxtaposition to the skinhead movement.
2) Cinematography: Camera shots and camera movement.
There is clear movement which is a convention of a music video. We see mid-close ups of the actor's faces and we see tracking shits of the car driving. At the end we see the mid-shot of the actors on a beach throwing stones as if they were in a protest.
3) Editing: Pace, juxtaposition, timing.
It's quite a slow build up. First the siren, then the chords cresendo to deliver this quite spooky chord. Not a fast paced video at all. The timing of the shots switching to each change in melody.
Now apply media theory to the video - perhaps by considering whether Ghost Town reinforces or challenges some of the media theories we have studied. Make bullet-point notes on the following:
1) Goodwin’s theory of music video.
- there's a link between the lyrics and the video as they are talking about riots and culture.
- they contain cultural references to reggae
- the video is concept based, if the riots stopped
2) Neale’s genre theory.
The video uses conventions from horror films so the fans have something to relate to
3) Gilroy’s diasporic identity/postcolonial theory.
This reflects its musical genre of ska, a style which could be read politically in the context of a racially divided country. Ska also blends reggae and punk rock which emphasises the cultural ties.
4) Bricolage and pastiche.
A merging of horror in the 80s and the use of mise-en-scene makes references to these films.
Reference to on the road movies which have no real goal or achievment.
5) Strinati’s definition of postmodernism.
An arthouse video style mixed with a popular music genre is an example of Strinati's definition of Post Modernism.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)