Industries: Ownership and Control

1) Why did Facebook buy Instagram for $1bn in 2012?

Facebook bought Instagram to help secure Facebook's dominance in social media for years to come.

2) What are the benefits for media companies of vertical integration?

• Eliminate dependency on external suppliers
• gives a business independence from external suppliers
• Saves time
• Reduces costs
• Increased expertise
• Improves marketability
• Increased market control/share
• Creates economies of scale

3) What are the benefits for media companies of horizontal integration?

Undergoing horizontal integration can benefit companies and typically takes place when they are competing in the same industry. The advantages include increasing market share, reducing competition, and creating economies of scale.

4) What is a subsidiary?

A company that is owned by a larger company.

5) Give three examples of media companies that have used synergy to maximize the profit from a brand.

• Disney makes movies but then also has related stage shows, theme parks, merchandise, soundtracks and events.
• The Lion King is just a movie however has many events, merchandise, songs and theatre productions
• IshowSpeed a famous streamer has gone off to also create music, play sports, sell merchandise and create videos

6) Read this BBC article on Disney buying 21st Century Fox. List 10 companies that are part of the Disney media empire: 

• Walt Disney Pictures (Live Action Movies)
• Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (including Buena Vista International and more)
• Pixar
• 20th Century Studios (including Fox Family and 80% share in New Regency Productions)
• Lucasfilm (including Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, and more)
• Disney Digital Studio Services (Post-production)
• Disney Nature (Disney nature documentaries)
• Searchlight Pictures
• Disney+

7) Why did Disney buy Fox - what are the benefits?

They are able to build a horizontal interrogation for Disney as then they have a wider audience since they are also delivering Tv and news among they're other entertainment services. This will then make them more dominant among the media industry.

Audience Effects Theory

Audience effects theory: blog tasks

1) Write a definition of a passive audience: 

This is the view that audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.

2) Write a definition of an active audience: 

This is the more modern and generally accepted view that audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume.

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory: 

This is the suggestion that audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members. 

4) Write down a media product (e.g. TV show, newspaper or videogame) for each category of Blumer and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification. The first one is done for you: 

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: The Times newspaper
 > Why: It tells audiences important information about politics, the world and more.

PERSONAL IDENTITY: Influencers
 > Why:  They inspire people by relating to their character.

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT:  TikTok
 > Why:  It is an app where anyone can create/view content by others.

RELATIONSHIPS: Friends social media pages
 > Why: You are able to see what your friends are up to and how they are.

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analyzing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above). 

Audiences consume media texts like Blue Planet to escape from their everyday lives and divert their attention from the real world. The Uses and Gratifications theory supports this idea when they discovered that the reason for this was for diversion. Audiences also tend to consume these media texts to gain a sense of personal identity with David Attenborough travelling the world as they may also want to travel like he does.

Media learner response

 

Full Name

Blog set up and URL provided

Introductory 10 Qs

Key Concepts analysis

Fruit bowl

Denotation & Connotation x2

Mise-en-scene: Stranger Things

Blog marking LR

Camerawork - Doctor Who

Camera movement and editing

Demographics and psychographics

October assessment LR

Reception theory blog tasks

Audience effects theory - Blue Planet

CARVALHO DA SILVA, Steven

 

WWW: Your blog is up to date which is fantastic – it shows your commitment to the subject and that you are organised and meeting your deadlines. This is so important across all of your GCSEs so well done! Best of all, you are starting to add that depth and detail you will need to access the higher levels – your recent assessment LR is a great example of this.

EBI: Make sure you keep adding that depth and detail – look at your Editing task and Reception theory work as an example of this. The editing analysis is excellent – really detailed. Similarly, the final task on Reception theory that required 150+ words meant you had to write more of a paragraph there too but the challenge now is doing that for EVERY question (where relevant) in every task to show the breadth and depth of your knowledge. I would also strongly recommend taking on the grade 8/9 extension tasks if you want to reach that level next year.

LR: Copy and paste this feedback into a new blogpost called ‘Blog feedback and learner response’. Then, as your learner response write what you think the most difficult topic we’ve covered so far has been and why.

I believe that the most difficult topic that we have gone through so far is Analysis paragraphs because I find them challenging.

 

Media assessment learner response

 1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

GRADE: 5

MARK: 15/30

WWW:

These are some good answers here but I think this is also a very valuable lesson in the standards required  if we want to go for that grade 8/9. The potential is there so now we need to work on our exam technique to unlock the top levels.

EBI:

Put simply, depth and detail in the higher mark questions is what holds you back here. Annotating the media texts will help you write more - both in terms of more aspects from each text and also a wider range of potential meaning for each aspect.

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question: 

Q1. 0/1

Q2. 1/1

Q3. 5/12

Q4. 2/2

Q5. 3/6

Q6. 4/8

3) Identify one of your stronger questions. Why did you do better on this question? Use the mark scheme to help you with this.

I believe one my stronger questions were questions 2 and 4 as I was able to gain full marks from them.

4) Identify one of your weaker questions. Why did you score lower on this particular question? Use the mark scheme to help you with this.

I believe one my weaker questions were questions 1 and 3 as I scored less than half or even 0.

5) Finally, write a new, detailed paragraph for Question 3 - the unseen text 12 mark question. Use the mark scheme to identify anticipated content you can add to your response and make sure you refer to the text and write in detail. 

The central image features Beyonce in a provocative pose wearing a low-cut, revealing dress this combines with the colour connotations to create a seductive effect. The image also has connotations of class and wealth with the costume appearing to be luxury or designer label, fitting in with the connotations created by the serif typography. This is because the upper-case Serif typography for the text ‘HEAT’ suggests class, style and sophistication to go alongside the suggestive image.

The use of language is in the product name that offers connotations of romance and attraction – ‘Heat’ ‘Catch the fever’ as a slogan is snappy and links to idea of magic or irresistible attraction created by the fragrance. ‘The first fragrance by Beyonce’ appeals to fans of the artist and suggests an exciting new range of products from a star known for music and acting.

The colour palette used in the advert also encapsulates a big role in meaning o the audience as the advert is dominated by red which can enhance the connotations of romance, seduction, sex appeal and fire/heat (the name of the product) this is smart as the name of the product is complementing the theme of the advert. This then creates a powerful effect on the audience and the colour of product in bottle adds to this effect.

Reception theory

1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

The meaning the producers intend to communicate. This builds on the idea that producers can position the audience in a certain way and influence their reading so they accept the intended message by using recognized codes and conventions (such as stereotypes).

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

The oppositional reading goes against the meaning the producers are trying to create. The audience reject the intended message and construct an opposite reading instead. This can be due to their own social, political or moral beliefs and values. 

Re-watch the trailer for the film Harry Brown:

3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

The Harry Brown trailer showcases teenagers as being violent and evil savages who have no morals.

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

Young people construct an oppositional reading as many young people are non-violent hard working and thus talented. 

Look at this McDonald's advert:

5) Write a 150+ word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

I believe that the producers are attempting to gain customers for their new product by describing it in high level vocab to make the audience surprised by how amazing this burger may be. However there may be the oppositional reading that the producer is just lying in order to gain more consumers and in reality it is just a burger. When you combine the two readings and examine them closely you can discover a negotiated reading which is 

Somewhere between the preferred and oppositional reading. I believe that this the burger may not be as magical at it is described however it is still enjoyable for a vast group of different ages and genders however I wouldn't say social classes as people classed in C1 and above may prefer something contrasting.

Demographics and Psychographics

1) What information do media companies use to create a demographic profile of their audience?

Media companies use a wide range of strategies to create a demographic profile of their consumers these are:

Demographics

• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Social class
• Race/ethnicity
• Job/profession/earnings
• Home (city/village/countryside)

Social class classification

Psychographics

 Audience profiling is used to create a more detailed picture of their audience. This means looking at the audience's personality, interests and the brands and lifestyle they enjoy. Psychographics are a range of groups which are identified by everyone's traits and then sorted out.

2) Why are media companies and advertisers increasingly using audience profiling and not just demographics?

Advertisers are increasingly using audience profiling and not just demographics because with audience profiling they are able to create a much more explicit idea of their audience's preferences.

2) What psychographic groups fit YOUR own interests and lifestyle? Explain your decision and remember you may fit into two or three different groups. 

I believe that I fit in many of the psychographic groups therefore I have selected The Succeeder, The Explorer, The Mainstream, The Reformer and The Aspirer. This is because I am a very curios and creative character who is also driven by family as well as the latest trends I also have many goals in life which I have been able to achieve a few. Furthermore I think outside the box a lot of the time and dislike being told not to.