Task 3 Developing responses to media products.

Screen Critic

Narrative Theory

Narrative Theory suggests that we as humans use narrative as a way of coming to terms with things that are constantly happening, for example Time and other experiences we have throughout our lives. this is why narrative is studies, looking at its elements, use, effects and structures. Narrative theory also studies what is distinctive about narrative and how its different from other kinds such as lyric poems, descriptions etc... and how this effects people in different situations and circumstances while figuring out how things such as Narrative help people understand the world.

Vladimir  Propp

Vladimir Propp was a soviet folklorist and scholar that analyzed Russian folk tales and would Identify common themes and characteristics in them. Many Folk stories have a web of connections making his work relevant not only for Russian stories but ones from all around the world and that they have influence in modern media today. There were 8 different character types that Vladimir theorized were...

1. The Villain- This character is there to struggle against the hero 
2. The Dispatcher- This person is the one to invite the hero to eliminate the evil. 
3. The Helper- The character that will help the hero fight against evil.  
4. The Princess- This would be the character that would need to be saved by the hero from the villain. 
5. The Donor- The character that would help the hero by offering objects that would aid him.  
6. The Hero- This is the most common character type who defeats the villain then goes on to wed the princess. 
7. The False Hero - The character tries to claim all the glory for him or herself.

   
   

Tzvetan's Todorov

Tzvetan's theory was a Bulgarian-French that every narrative has a 5 part structure and an equilibrium. So it begins with an Equilibrium then there is a disruption of order next the main character will recognize that there is a problem then attempt to solve it. Afterwards it will return to a new equilibrium. He sees the narrative structure as a circle instead of it being linear. He believed that the narrative will transform during this but also the characters during the disruption. The disruption could be anything that breaks the normal social framework, for example a murder. This happens in many modern films today and has also been used in previous films throughout history.

Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss was a French  anthropologist which meant he specialist in the study of humans. He believed that we as humans have opposite reactions for things like life and death which he called Binary opposites he came up with the theory alongside Roland Barthes. Levi Strauss believes that in a narrative will contain element that can be paired depending on how they oppose each other. This allows the narrative to move forward with actual conflict for the potential for it to happen later on. For example using the "coward" to fully understand it you would also have to understand its opposite "Brave" or "hero" 

Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist that believed that there were one or more of 5 codes that could describe text. He also believes the text might be "open" or "closed". The 5 codes were Referential, Enigma, Action, Semantic and symbolic.

Referential- This would be when text refers to an external source of knowledge such as science or history.

Enigma- The Enigma code would refer to the mystery within the text. Enigmas are used because they show clues but not very clearly which makes the audience want to watch it more so it attracts them.

Action- Would have back to back action throughout the text and causes suspense.

Semantic- This would refer to parts of the text that have additional meanings. It provides and extra layer of meaning to text.

Symbolic- This code is about symbolism within the text. it creates opposites to create Contrast, Drama, Tension and Character Development. 

Fairy liquid advert analysis

With all the Fairy liquid adverts  up to the 2000s it mainly shows a white mother and daughter in the kitchen with the daughter usually playing next to the mother, Then she will ask why fairy liquid is so good and show will always reply that not only does it clean but it also keeps WOMENS hands nice and soft how they think it should be. Doing this could result in Legal/Ethical action because of the deformation of character that happens when they only show women doing the washing up along with her daughter which many would think is sexist, But it was a different time. There also isn't a range of different ethnicities which is also not very including.  This only changes slightly when in the early 2000s where they kept the mother role but changed the Daughter to a Son as well as changing the ethnicity of the couple meaning the people making the adverts have changed slightly and  have changed with the times but they still have the idea that a women's place is in the kitchen which is completely wrong. Only in the 21st century have advertisers realised that it is not acceptable to be trying to market a product like that in such a sexist manner so they opened up to using men in the kitchen as well showing that parents plan different roles in a family unit. So in the 2015 fairy advert is shows both the Mother and Farther washing the dishes taking turns while trying to sell the bottles great cleaning abilities while lasting a long time instead of its only main selling point being it made women's hands soft.

Tordorov's Narrative theory of equilibrium would relate to these fairy liquid advert because of the equilibrium that is displayed when viewing said advert for example, It starts with the norm being the dirty plates then she realises this and then she does something about it then all the plates are clean creating a new equilibrium where all the plates are clean. But as time moves on we look at fairy liquids 2015 advert  where we can start to make connections to Vladimir Propps Theories how the farther is playing the role of the Donor who gives the empty bottle to the child who is wanting the bottle to help him finish his rocket he wants to build, In this scenario the child would be the Hero.





Task 2/B

Passive or Active Consumption-

Passive and active consumption would be how a viewer would take what they have watched and process it. so do we either watch it and just agree and carry on with it and accept that information is right or do we question and oppose it. for example with the news when someone is reported on and the news thinks the person in question is guilty but hasn't been convicted and hasn't had a trail but the person watches immediately thinks this person is guilty compared to someone who would watch it and only make their mind up about the person after their own research and when the trails and verdicts have been announced.

This is a perfect example for the Passive or Active Consumption theory as when the trails were first happening people were being passive and believing he was the killer until more active consumers watched it and realized there's more to the trail and that he could be innocent years after the trail was complete which meant this series was started and the investigation flared back up with people at home joining in with the investigation.

Hypodermic needle model-

 The "Hypodermic needle theory" or the "Magic bullet theory" is that many believe that the media can influence a large group of people by using mass media such as social media and Television by injecting them with information to make them react in a certain way. This would be designed for a passive audience member when  they don't notice so people are sitting ducks as they are unable to avoid it. So they believe whatever information is injected into them without looking into it using different sources. This has been used for nefarious reasons by people such as Hitler to spread hate and propaganda.

 

The Nazis use of propaganda was a massive part of the Nazi war effort and it worked. By Injecting the public with all this Anti-Semitic content and not allowing any counter argument meant that ever the non-passive audience members when along with it and people believed that the Jewish community has ruined Germany and that they should pay for crime they had not committed with the use of Concentration camps, Ghettos  and having to wear stars along with the destruction of their businesses and homes. This was all because the media had fed them lies which were built of fear and the lack of common knowledge and sense.

Uses and gratifications model

The uses and gratifications model is when media tries and understand how and how people use and seek out specific media to satisfy their needs. While many other theories try and figure out what media does to people, UGT focuses on what we do with media. The UGT theory suggests that we are not a passive audience and that we chose what massive media we watch  and what media we consume. it is said we do this to achieve our own personal gratification.

A great example for this would be going to the cinema. This is the main form of chosen media and entertainment because the media wouldn't have a big influence on deciding what films you want to go anyway because of the limited times you would see the advert. Also because you as an audience has chosen and paid to watch. It also isn't just watching the film is also the cinema experience of getting popcorn and the cinema in general.

Reception study

This theory is based on how the audience receives the information from literary text being given to them. So each member of the audience will have different feelings about what they are watching or reading. there director will always will have a Preferred meaning he wants from the viewer so they will be able to understand fully what they are watching and they agree to what the directors producing. There are different responses for different viewers such as a Negotiated response. This is where the audience hasn't quite made up their mind and still think both sides of the matter are valid. On the disagreeing side would be the Oppositional audience members would understand the preferred reading but doesn't accept the dominants code.

Such as with advertising, such as when it comes up to summer and everyone wants that "Beach body" look and would show an in shape male or female as almost a goal for people to strive to and this would be a normal beach body. Many people felt that this would body shame anyone who was self conscious about themselves then they would feel even worse after looking at this advert and seeing what everyone wants and they look at themselves and see something wrong. Where as people would like something like it because it gives them a goal to work to. Many think that Britain is becoming too relaxed with obesity and the body image in the world.  































































There is Dominant, Negotiated and Oppositional. A good example to illustrate theses models would be with the documentary Bowling for Columbine, Where Director Michael Moore looked into the shootings and its possible link to relaxed gun laws, such as when he goes to a bank that offers a free gun if he was to open an account. After watching this documentary it was clear his preferred readership would be dominant. This is proven by the popularity of the documentary that shook not just America but also the world. This was a very sensitive matter that most people were afraid to talk about in case it triggered an uproar and mass hate. This also accommodates the Mean World syndrome, where all of this being in the news and all over the media, along with other crime and tragic stories makes people start to be afraid of just going to the shops because they too believe something awful like what's happening around the world could happen to them.


Unbeknownst to these people the opposite was happening crime rates were going down but because of how the news portrays the world most of the time people were scared. Michael Moore includes this theory because of how the media portrayed the matter with almost idolising the killers and go into so much detail about what they've done instead of just localising it in the effort not to spread mass hysteria. They didn't really listen to the families of the shooting but focused of all the reasons behind the shooting and trying to blame people like the creators of south park as well as Marilyn Mason. During this event the U.S. dropped more bombs overseas than it ever had. The media keeps the public scared using shows and advertisement to keep people consuming in the hope something bad wont happen to them. Michael Moore was highly criticised for this documentary but it was also praised highly because this also proved a lot of theories people have a bout media and also the public in general.