Britain's Got Talent case study:

Broadcast: 

• Started in June 2007  
• Produced by FremantleMedia's TalkTalk Thames & Cowell's SYCOtv.
• Broadcast on ITV in the UK. 
• It has a spin-off show called Britain's Got More Talent which is broadcast on ITV2.
• The winners of the reality talent show now wins £500,000 and the chance to perform on the royal variety performance in front of the British royal family 
• in the third series there were approximately 17 million viewers. 

Print:

•  Tabloid newspapers like The Sun, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Star report stories on Britains Got  Talent and any salacious new stories to do with the celebrities associated with Britains Got Talent. 

E-media: 

• The BGT is on social networking sites like Facebook, with over 2 million fans, and Twitter with almost 75,000 followers online. 
• Britain's Got Talent channel on YouTube 
• On the BGT ITV website there are advertisements of the show itself and the sponsors. There are also links to the final performances, stories, photos and a comment section where people can comment via the website, facebook or twitter. There is also an option to sign up for email subscriptions to show. If  you have missed an episode you can catch up on ITV Player. There are a list of 'suppliers' who sponsor the show for example Virgin Media, Dominoes etc. 

Economic:

• Based around audience interaction; voting through BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Talk Talk, (most of which are 35-40p per minute via landline). It is more expensive to vote via Mobile phones for Orange and T-Mobile which is around £1

X-factor case study:

Broadcast: 

• Created by Simon Cowell; began in September 2004. 
• Produced by FremantleMedia's TalkTalk Thames & Cowell's SYCOtv.
• Broadcast on ITV in the UK. 
• It has a spin-off, behind-the-scenes show called The Xtra Factor which is broadcast on ITV2.
• The winners of the reality talent show win a recording contract with record label Syco Music; with a value of £1 million. 
• Last two series average of 14 million  viewers (7th series) and 12 million viewers (8th series) 

Print:

•  Tabloid newspapers like The Sun, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Star report stories on the X-factor and any salacious new stories to do with the celebrities associated with the X-factor. 
• There is an X factor weekly magazine called X magazine which was first printed in 2010. 
• There are also 3 books based on the X factor. 

E-media: 

• The X factor is on social networking sites like Facebook, with over 4 million fans, and Twitter with almost 700,000 followers online. 
• X-factor channel on YouTube 
• On the X-factor ITV website there are advertisements of the show itself and the sponsors. There are also links to the final performances, stories, photos and a comment section where people can comment via the website, facebook or twitter. There is also an option to sign up for email subscriptions to show. If  you have missed an episode you can catch up on ITV Player. Audiences can watch the performances again. The Rehearsal studio (sponsored by talktalk - synergy!) Beauty (sponsored by Rimmel London), Fashion (Your M &S) and Finalist cam (Nokia Lumia) - commercialised; funded and sponsored by many 'suppliers'/company's that want to invest their money and products as they will also be promoted through the show. 
• Audiences are able to Skype call X factor during The Xtra Factor shows to create a more direct interactivity between the audiences and the contestants/institution. 

Economic:

• Based around audience interaction; voting through BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Talk Talk, (most of which are 35-40p per minute via landline). It is more expensive to vote via Mobile phones for Orange and T-Mobile which is around £1.30-£1.50. 

Casino Royale Extract + 10/05/11 work

Sitcom: Only Fools and Horses, Simpsons.
Reality TV: Big Brother
Soap: Eastenders

Self Evaluation

a: Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:

• Attainment = 3 - I don't think that I have done much in my coursework.
• Effort = 3 - I haven't exactly put the effort that I should have.
• Punctuality = 1 - I don't remember missing any lessons this term.
• Submission and quality of homework = 3 Sometimes my quality of work is not as good as it was when I first started off.
• Ability to work independently = 2 - I can work independently, once I actually understand my work.
• Quality of writing = 2 - I'm hoping that my quality of writing is good.
• Organisation of blog = 3 - I am really bad at organisation, honestly.
• Oral contributions in class = 3 - Sometimes I don't contribute as much as I used to.

Hyundai Advertisement.

Media Forms: Which advertising techniques are being used?


The trailer uses the facial expression of the characters and the music in the background to convey the narrative. Throughout the trailer there is use of meduim shots of the young boy's and girl's facial expression to the car and each other, for example when the toddler sees the car his facial expression seems to be overwhelmed by the car which would connote the car being amazing. Also the fact that a young toddler is being drawn to the car would add to the car's appeal as young children are stereotypically drawn to bright block colours whereas in this text the child is shown, through the facial expressions in the medium shots,  to be drawn to the car.


The classic music in the background would connote the product to have an almost dream like quality as it would be a part of the fantasy genre. The lyric of the song which is repeated "to the wayward wind" would connote the toddler's journey being adventurous and exiciting; as he jumps out of his cot with exicitment and then drives in the car whilst waving at older people, who are walking.


The trailer consists of shock factor, however only to some extent as the text is overtly humourous. An example of this would be the toddler driving the car and surfing in the end, as the audience would clearly be aware that young children are not capable of this.


In the beginning of the trailer the long shot zooms in to the toddlers cot, as he jumps out of his cot the toddler is happy, this would connote the cot trapping the toddler, and the car being a form of escapism from what may trap the audience in life.


Representations:  How is gender represented in this advertisement?


 The representations of the male and female toddlers is parallel to the classic music as the ideologies of women following the men, and men being dominant, is also a classic view.  The young girl is shown to be swooned by the young boy and is amazed by his car and surfing; this is a dominant representation of women in a patriarchal society. 


The male toddler in the text is shown to be not only superior to the women but to the other male characters; an example of this would be when the toddler is driving on the streets and looks at the passers-by on the pavements who are all ironically men carrying their babies; this would connote the car giving the toddler status over the other men as he is driving in a big car while they walk with their children on the street.


The male toddler is also shown to be skillful, clever and adventurous; he is able to drive, he can pick up girls and he seems to be driving in different locations, first the city, then the motorway and finally in the end the beach where he is with his 'summer love'.


Although there is a clear difference between the male and female role in the advertisment, they both would represent the Aryan stereotype as they have blond hair and blue eyes. This could also connote the children being angelic and the fact that they are both wearing white would connote their innocence as toddlers.


Institution: What is communicated about the Hyundai brand and the experience it offers?


When we look at the lyric again; "to the wayward wind",  this would promote the Hyundai brand as being forward thinking and futuristic; using the young generation in the advertisement, an example of this would be the voice over in the ending of the text "The Next Generation" which would connote Hyundai catering for the younger generation- it shows that they are expanding their target audience. It would also suggest that Hyundai would provide comfortable driving and many features specifically for the customer's needs.


The advertisement would promote Hyundai allowing freedom for the drivers for example when the toddler is driving on the open road, beach, the wind in the hair and also the fact that he escapes his cot.


Audience: Who is the target audience and how does the advertisement attempt to persuade this audience to buy the product?


The primary target audience is between the ages of 20 - 35 with a socio-economic class of B, C1, C2; 5the gender would be male and the psychogrpahics are egoistics.

CaseStudyEssay due 31/01/2011

Firstly the statement is true to some extent as the audiences have been “becoming increasingly powerful” for example they have been participating in the “media output” for example my primary text, America’s Next Top Model, on the social networking site Twitter Tyra Banks asked her followers to pitch an idea for the creative photo shoot; this is an example of User Generated Content using the e-media platform and interactivity between the institution and audience; as the audience have the power “in shaping the media output”. The audience have been contributing to the media which shows that the audience have power as they decide what will happen during the course of the show. In contrast to this, audiences are given the illusion that they have power. When looking back at my main text, America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks wanted her followers to pitch an idea for the creative photo shoot; but then Tyra Banks decided which pitch from the site would be aired on television. This is a clear example of audience input affecting the media output however this is because the institution is allowing the audience to have power; hence the audience is not “becoming increasingly powerful” as they play very little in “shaping media output”. The uses and gratification theory would apply to this as they focus on what the audience actually do and how they react to the “media output”.

Similarly the audiences are not “becoming increasingly powerful in shaping media output.” the audience have been restricted in the amount interaction between the audience and the institution for example when looking at my second text Janice Dickinson’s Modelling Agency there is not much audience input. On the official website of show audiences can only give the institution Oxygen feedback of the show; the rest of the power is given to the producer and presenter of the show Janice Dickinson. Although it is a reality show which mainly operates on television the show is not being aired on television there are recaps and games available on the website; this would create some form on interactivity between the audience and institution; this would also be a method of continuing the publicity of the show even when it is not broadcasted. This would link back to the hypodermic model audience theory as the show is giving people access to the show via the internet, which would connote that the audience are dependent on continuously watching and catching up on the show.

Likewise Janice Dickinson’s Modelling Agency we see that the audience is not “powerful” in my third text Make Me a Supermodel US, which again consists of the hypodermic model theory as audiences would watch the show on television and then an there is an advertisement promoting the website for the audience to post comments, play games, read the gossip and catch-up on the episodes. As the audiences have no input they cannot be described as “powerful” because they do not contribute in “shaping model output”. However during the show the audience are expected to have a form of identification with the contestants as the audience follow the presenters, Tyson Beckford and Nicki Taylor, on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter; this would create a form of interaction between the audience and institution and would make the audience feel as if they are involved when they are not.

In my opinion the audience are not “becoming increasingly powerful in shaping media output” as the institutions have restricted the power which audiences have as the audience have very little media input; the audience do not choose what parts of the texts are broadcasted on television and they do not have control over what the content that the institution put on the websites.

Case Study h/w 24/01/11

How do audiences access texts across the three platforms?

• Do the texts enable different types of audience activity and/or interaction?

With America's Next Top Model there is audience activity between the channel broadcasting the competition and the audience as they are allowed to vote and comment via the Internet over what happens throughout the show while being broadcasted. There is different types of audience activity depending on the platform; on the E-media platform audiences have access to watch previous episodes, comment on them, able to look through each modell's portfolio, links to associated websites, audition for the reality series etc. On the broadcast platform audiences can send their own photo's of them modelling, the 'Amature Model' competition, which encourages the audience to also be apart of the modeling experience.

• Are audiences able to play a role in the construction of media texts? (UGC)

The audiences can send in their own 'Amature Model' photos which will then be chosen by the producers (Tyra Banks) to be aired on TV. Other types of User Generated Content has been examples in the episodes where a member of the audience sent an idea for a creative photoshoot to Tyra Banks via Twitter which was then used.

• How are institutions reacting to change in technology?
The institutions are evolving along with the change in technology for example audiences can now watch online along with many other interactive features which aren't available through the television. There are social networking sites for example Twitter and Facebook which America's Next Top Model and Tyra Banks operate on to send the audiences reminders of new episodes or
What institutional issues are raised by the topic areas?

• What economic issues are behind the construction and distribution of contemporary media texts?