Self Evaluation
by Kalbir
on Wednesday, 4 November 2009,
In Year 12 I chose to take Media Studies as I wanted to explore subjects with a focus more on humanities and language as opposed to the 4 scientific/logical subjects I took last year. I must admit, before starting the course I was under the impression that I would have to push myself to be motivated, but thankfully the subject has proved interesting and engaging, and lessons are never bland or dull (well, for the most part anyway).
Attainment
I would rate myself a 1 (excellent) for Attainment, which may sound surprising, but I have honestly learnt a massive amount in regards to Media this year. I’m able to use keywords effectively, analyse various texts in depth, and I even catch myself thinking about techniques used when, for instance, a bus drives past with a film advertisement on the side of it.
Effort
For effort I would rate myself a 3/4 (average/good) because while I do make an effort in class, I must admit that there are certain pieces of homework that I’ve not done on time or not made a complete effort with. Regardless, I do feel that I am putting in enough effort to attain a good grade at the end of the year (don’t quote me on that, just in case)
Punctuality
This is a rather tricky one, as I would rate myself a 1 (excellent) if only my lateness comes into question, in which case I can proudly say that I have yet to be late to a lesson, and instead usually end up being there early.
However, if this includes attendance, I’ll be honest with myself and say that my rating would drop drastically to a 3/2 (average/below average) because of all the lessons I missed last term. In my defence, it was out of my control because I was ill; however it is still an issue.
Submission and quality of homework
In all honestly, I will need to give myself a 3 (average) for this one. I’m pleased with all the work I’ve done so far, as I make an effort to use media terminology and a high standard of English throughout, but I have been late submitting homework on several occasions, especially after being ill. I should be on track soon, but I realise it does not excuse the lateness.
Ability to work independently
I would give myself a 2 (above average) for my ability to work independently because, while I am sometimes slightly lazy I am able to effectively work and can understand key concepts without much guidance.
Quality of writing
I would like to rate myself a 1 (excellent) for my quality of writing (forgive the seeming lack of modesty) as any work I do is written to a high standard of English and I make a conscious effort to use a wide vocabulary and include media terms.
Organisation of blog
I will honestly give myself a 2 (above average) for this, because while some work is missing (unavoidable due to absence) and the blog was rather empty for a while, the posts are clear and concise with all the work I was expected to do there.
Oral contributions in class
Due to more shortcomings in modesty, I would give myself a 1/2 (excellent/above average) for my contributions in class, as I always make an effort to answer questions, I am able to converse effectively with both the teachers and pupils in regards to work, and I sometimes voice opinions regardless of if I’m the only one with said views, which in turn can sometimes spark a (usually heated) debate.
Vladimir Propps - Happy Potter - The Half-Blood Prince
by Kalbir
on Monday, 26 October 2009,
The villain — against the hero.
In this book Voldemort is the man villain as his main goal is to kill Harry Potter
The Donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
The donor could be considers as the Half-Blood Prince’s book that Harry makes use of, or Professor Slughorn, who gives Harry a bottle of liquid luck and part of his memory.
The helper — helps the hero in the quest.
The helper in this story is Dumbledore as he guides Harry throughout the book.
The princess — the item or person needs saving
There is no “princess” in this book.
The dispatcher — character who makes the problem known and sends the hero off.
This could once again be Dumbledore
The Hero — reacts to the donor.
Harry Potter for obvious reasons
The False hero — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess
While there is no ‘false hero’ per-say, it is worth noting that Snape pretends to be good but turns out to be evil.
Hollyoaks
by Kalbir
The Hollyoaks episode I chose to analyse can be viewed at: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hollyoaks/4od#2935031
The show follows a non-linear narrative, as the perspective that we as the audience see is not in chronological order, and features several flash-backs/forwards. As Hollyoaks is a ‘soap’, this is rather unique as shows of this nature usually follow a linear timeline.
Because it is a ‘soap,’ there is no single protagonist, which is common for this genre. This allows for many plots turns and twists, as the writers are not confined to the story of a single person. However, because all the characters have common social problems, we as viewers are able to identify with all of them.
This episode in particular includes many action scenes. Because there is no obvious narrative, several techniques are used to inform the audience of the situation. For example, before a particularly intense scene involving a fight, the camera hones in on the characters’ anger, and the music changes to fit the context.
This episode itself has several enigma codes, including characters with questionable motives and backgrounds. This is typical of this genre, as these types of programs aim to keep viewers interested and wanting to tune in next time.
The episode begins in disequilibrium involving the death of a character in a previous episode. However, there is a flash back to beforehand and the episode is in equilibrium for there on.
By the end of the episode the mystery is never really solved, which makes sense as the producers want viewers to watch again to see what happens.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
by Kalbir
on Wednesday, 7 October 2009,
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Equilibrium:
At the beginning, we witness Batman taking his arch-nemesis to Arkham Asylum: a high security mental asylum for all of the evil-doers of Gotham. This is a positive moment as the Joker has avoided Batman for years.
Disequilibrium:
While being led to his cell, the Joker kills several guards and takes control of the whole Asylum. We later learn the Joker wanted to be captured, in order to test out a new drug on the inmates, which would allow him to have super-powered henchmen. As Batman, the player has to take down Joker and all of the supervillians he has released.
New –Equilibrium:
At the end the Joker is beaten near-death by Batman, and the notable villains such as Scarecrow and Poison Ivy are locked up one again.
The Darren Shan series
by Kalbir
The Darren Shan books – Cirque Du Freak
Equilibrium:
Darren Shan is a young boy who has a rather happy childhood. We are introduced to his best friend Steve, and he and his family seem to be very loving.
Disequilibrium:
After a series of startling events, including witnessing Steve begging a vampire to become is mentor, Darren is forced to become a half vampire to save Steve’s life. He fakes his death and has to witness the pain of his family. After leaving home, he joins a travelling freak show, but his new life comes to a shocking halt when he learns that Steve has become a half Vampanese; Vampires turned evil. After becoming a prince of the Vampires by chance, and being told that he is destined to kill Steve before all the Vampires are wiped out, Darren embarks on a mission then results in the death of dozen of his friends and mentors, including his God-son.
New-equilibrium:
After Steve and Darren kill each other in a fight, Darren’s soul becomes stuck in ‘The Lake of Souls,’ an eternal limbo where tainted souls spend forever contemplating their actions. He almost goes insane as he releases that his soul is bound here become he was becoming evil in order to match Steve’s deeds. However, before he loses his mind, he is ‘fished’ up and given another chance. After a painful process, he is given a physical body that only lasts a few hours, but allows his soul to move on.
Tropic Thunder
by Kalbir
Tropic Thunder:
Equilibrium:
The ‘actors’ live ideal lives, surrounded by fame, wealth and glamour, and all 5 have a healthy acting careers. We are introduced to all of their films in some way or another, and are given the impression that they have rather perfect lives.
Disequilibrium:
After acting like stubborn children on the set of ‘Tropic Thunder,’ the actors are then dropped into the middle of a fake-warzone to encourage them to act realistically. However, it turns out that the jungle is not a fake set, and on arrival the director gets blown to pieces by a land-mind. As the actors set off in denial, convinced that his death was “special-effects driven,” they find themselves in increasingly hostile situations, and one of their team is kidnapped by Vietnamese drug-barons.
New-Equilibrium:
They rescue the kidnapped actor, and along the way discover that they all have rather glaring insecurities. Upon returning to America, the film “Tropic Thunder: The true story behind the making of the most expensive war movie ever...” wins several awards and all of the actors seem to have happier lives.
The Sun - Media Analysis
by Kalbir
on Friday, 2 October 2009,
This media piece is the front page of a popular tabloid Newspaper called ‘The Sun;’ the second-highest selling newspaper in the country with almost 3 million copies being sold daily. It seems to be aimed at the working class, and furthermore predominantly male readers.
The composition of the cover is vital in grabbing the attention of potential readers, and it is done by having the near-nude woman in the centre of the page, which attracts the focus towards her and consequently the headline. However, having the headline being held up by a half-naked woman connotes that the image has nothing to do with the contents of the article, and is merely there to be gawped at. However, to stop the page focusing entirely on the woman, the font of the headline is large and bold, in an attempt to steal attempt away from the female body. This, one again, seems to compensate for the audience, who appear to have very little interest in the written word.
To make the image even more tantalising is the way in which the image is shot; it is a medium shot, with a rather seductive pose, as the model seems ‘open’ and ready. This is helped by the high-key lighting, which allows readers to see almost every part of her body, leaving very little to the imagination.
The use of colour is an interesting one in this piece; because the background is plain back, attention is focused even further on the girl in the centre. A point to note however is that the name of the newspaper is the only thing in colour, allowing a reader to easily recall the name at a later point.
The dominant reading of this piece is the image of the woman and the word “GOAL,” which signifies the desire to ‘score’ with her, so to speak. Taken even more literally, the girl could denote a physical target to enter and invade. Some viewers may see this as a degrading use of the female form, and would hence be part of an opposition reading. Furthermore, a selection of readers would partake in the negotiated reading, in which they would acknowledge and enjoy the image briefly, but not dwell on it and instead move on to the article.
And anchorage encourages the dominant reading however, due to the phrase ‘to cheer lads,’ which promotes the stereotype that women serve only as ‘cheerleaders’ in sporting events. But this could have a polysemic reading, in that women serve to ‘cheer’ men up or gratify them sexually.