Kenny

Semiotics

1) What meanings are the audience encouraged to take about the two main characters from the opening of the film?

The audience is encouraged to form the opinion that the two main characters are bad, unproductive people who are unemployed and are both violent and antisocial. This is implied as they are dressed in tracksuits and are hanging around a park during the day; they also refuse to be quite when an elderly homeless man tells them to be quiet.


2) How does the end of the film emphasise de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic – open to interpretation or more than one meaning?

At the end the two boys go back to the homeless man and give him a bunch of bananas to replace the one that they took, which means it could be interpreted that they feel guilty about what  they did or that were good people all along. It is also revealed in the ending that both boys are hearing impaired or deaf, This could be interpreted that they did their actions out of anger due to people discriminating against them or that they did what they did to be kind even though people aren't kind to them.

Media Magazine theory drop: Semiotics

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?

The Signifier and the signified.

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

Have more than one meaning/interpretation.

) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?

When interpretations are accepted in society.

4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, and Cultural.

Icons, indexes and symbols

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

ICON

INDEX

SYMBOL

• 2)

Media Consumption Audit

Media Audit

Newspapers

• Which daily newspapers (if any) do you read?
• Non
• What sections of newspapers do you turn to first, and why?
• What sections do you never read, and why?
• Sport because I am not interested
• What kinds of stories do you usually read and why?
• Do you, or someone else, buy the newspaper you read?
• Do you look at the online versions of any newspapers? Which newspapers? Why do you visit their website and not others?

Magazines

• What magazines (if any) do you buy regularly?  Why
• Kerrang, because i like the music
• What sections of the magazines do you read and not read, and why?
• i read the interviews first because im interested in what the musician's say

Television

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television?
• 3
• What times of day do you usually watch television?
• evening
• What programmes do you like best and why?
• Do you watch alone or with others? If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch?
• alone
• Do you watch 'live' TV or on-demand/catch-up? Do you use any other devices to watch TV (such as laptop or tablet?
• mostly recorded

Radio

• Do you listen to the radio?
• yes
• If yes, what stations do you like best and why?
• Capital, Kerrang
• Do you listen to podcasts?
• yes
• If yes, what podcasts have you listened to recently?
• Joe Rogan,Happy Hour, Serial Killers
• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to podcasts or radio?
• 5
• What times of the day do you usually listen to podcasts or radio?
• morning and evening
• Where do you listen to podcast or radio?
• home and in car
• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst listening?
• cleaning
• Does anyone else in your house listen to the radio or podcasts? If so, when do they listen?

Film

• What films have you seen in the cinema in the last month?
• non
• What films have you seen in other places – for example, through Netflix, Amazon Prime, satellite/cable film channels (free or otherwise) or streaming?
• non
• Who else watched the films with you?
• Who decided what films to watch?
• What devices do you typically use to watch films: TV, laptop, tablet, phone etc.?
• phone, cinema

Online

• How often do you access the internet?
• everyday
• Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work?
• home and school
• What are the main sites that you access?
• youtube, insatgram, twitter, reddit
• What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment?
• entertaainment
• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst accessing the internet?
• What different devices do you use to access the internet? What is your primary device for accessing the internet?
• computer, phone
• What social networks do you use regularly (e.g. Twitter, Instagram)? Why do you belong to these networks in particular?
• twitter, reddit, instagram, facebook

Reflection

• How can you develop the amount and variety of media you consume?
• What will you change in your media consumption habits this year as a result of studying A Level Media?
• hopefully access different types of media more aoften
• List three sources of media (websites/newspapers/apps/TV programmes etc.) that you will start to access this year that you haven't engaged with previously.
• Film, TV, Newspaper

Introduction to media

1) Why did you choose A Level Media Studies? 

I chose A-Level media because i am interested in documentaries and crime journalism.

2) Did you take GCSE Media Studies (either here at Greenford or a different school)?

No

4) What grade do you hope to achieve in A Level Media?

A*

5) What are your current thoughts about your next steps after A Levels - university, apprenticeship, work?

I hope to study Criminology in either Canada or America.

6) What do you think the biggest media story of 2019 has been and why?

The Epstein files as it has opened up a lot of theories about very famous, influencial people and world leaders.

7) What media sources do you use to find out about news and current affairs?

Social Media, various news apps and TV.

8) What was the last film you watched?

Avengers End Game

9) What is your favourite ever TV series?

Desperate Housewives.

10) How many hours do you spend online in an average day? Is this too little, too much or about right? Why? (If you have an iPhone you can use Screen Time to get an accurate figure of how much you use your phone).

approximately 5 hours doing homework, entertainment, video games, news.