The Walt Disney Company: Horizontal Integration and Synergy

 “Horizontal integration is a strategy that involves a company merging with or taking over another firm at the same stage of production. Horizontal integration gives the acquiring company more resources and a larger market share. In recent years, The Walt Disney Company engaged in horizontal integration by purchasing several sources of creative material, including Marvel Comics, Lucasfilm and Jim Henson Studios. These purchases allowed them to bring in properties such as "The Avengers," "Star Wars" and "The Muppets" into their libraries.” (Hanks, 2015)

By employing Horizontal Integration, The Walt Disney Company is able to gain profit by producing more across a wider platform of forms and genres such as film, television and print media. For example, Disney produce animated, children's films through Pixar Studios but more action/adventure live action films from Walt Disney Pictures.

As well as horizontal integration, The Walt Disney Company is able to increase profits and public awareness through the use of synergy. Synergy is the model of business whereby a company distributes its products over multiple different platforms. In terms of Disney these platforms include music labels, television channels and broadcasters, film production companies, shops, amusement parks as well as many, many more.

Such as:

Film/Feature Production:

•Walt Disney Pictures

•Touchstone Pictures

•Pixar

•Lucasfilm

•Marvel

•The Muppets

•DreamWorks (distribution)

Music:

•Walt Disney Records

•Hollywood Records

•Disney Music Publishing

Destinations:

•Disneyland/Disneyworld worldwide

•Disney Cruise Line

•Disney Vacation Club

Theatrical Group:

•Disney Theatrical Productions

•Disney on Ice

•Disney Live

 Consumer Products:

•Disney Store

•Disney Baby

•The Baby Einstein Company

Books:

•Disney-Hyperion

•Marvel Press

Broadcasting:

•ABC Television Network

•ABC Family Worldwide

•Live Well Network

•A+E Networks (50%)

•Disney Channels Worldwide

•Radio Disney

•Disney Television Animation

•ESPN Inc. (80%)

•Hulu (32%)

•A+E Networks (50%), includes Lifetime and History

 Online/Interactive:

•Disney Infinity

•Disney.com

•Maker Studio

 Comics:

•Marvel

•Disney Comics

(August, 2014)

References:

J. AUGUST. (2014) Disney’s corporate synergy, 1957 and today. [Online] Available at: http://johnaugust.com/2014/disneys-corporate-synergy-1957-and-today [Accessed on: 14^th October 2015]

G. HANKS. (2015) Examples of Differentiation & Integration in a Company. [Online] Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-differentiation-integration-company-71759.html [Accessed on: 14^th October 2015]

Realism and Representation in Game of Thrones

The world of Game of Thrones is not that different from our own. Despite the dragons and face-changing assassins, the concepts of power struggles, familial ties and loyalty are as equally important (though differently handled) in reality. The narrative of Game of Thrones is loosely based on ancient European history with a particular emphasis on the conflicts in Scotland and its rivalry with England. Nevertheless, the reality created within Game of Thrones is an internal one, as is clearly seen in the use of mise en scéne and the general lack of a modern order within the societies portrayed. However, such a situation alone would be near impossible for any audience to relate with. Therefore, the programme is granted verisimilitude via the use of character, history and representation as the basic struggles, archetypes and personalities which most audiences can accept to be true today and mayhap in a more medieval (and fictional) time Game of Thrones encourages the audience to believe.

Within the scene of Tommen Lannister’s coronation as King of Westeros in the fourth series of the show, the world is presented in the view of the Lannister family, one of the most powerful families within the narrative. The way in which the attending members are represented clarifies the internal realism of the series. The opening shot of the scene is a long, wide, extended shot which pans in from the right and focusses on the multiple characters in deep space. The movement in from the right is notable as it is the reverse of what is typically associated in the presence of powerful characters. A common convention of visual and print media is the focus of key characters, objects, text etc. in the centre-right of the frame; by coming in from the right the movement connotes that the scene currently unfolding is not the most important event occurring at this point in the narrative, suggesting that the crowning of Tommen is not as influential to the narrative as his family believes and claims in the development of the scene. This movement represents Tommen, and the Lannister family, as weak and unimportant. This is supported in the use of a long shot with the characters in deep space at the top of the frame as it makes them comparatively small in relation to the frame as well as making the watching crowd far larger than them in the spacing of the shot. This implies that the masses have more power and are possibly about to rise above the Lannister’s who, whilst currently at the top of the social hierarchy (as is connoted by placing them at the top of the shot), are fading into the distance.   Furthermore, the camera movement here is the reverse of the way an individual would naturally look or read. This suggests to the audience that the Lannister family is a step-back in the reality of Game of Thrones, prior evolution and progress has been ignored and the Lannister family are represented to have brought the people back into a time of darkness; this is supported through the use of natural low-key lighting which casts all but the King into partial darkness. In extension, the placement of a backlighting window over Tommen creates a halo effect around him (especially when he is seen through mid-close ups several times after this shot), representing the young King as largely innocent and naïve of the world he has been thrown into and it is instead the actions of his older family which are causing the darkness around him. Resultantly, the audience is made to believe that the reality of the Westerosi monarchy is similar to many real societies; those at the top are obsessed with power but they are uncaring or perhaps ignorant to the greater issues they are causing in society and how close they are coming to being revolted against entirely. This is best presented by the ending camera movement and editing. As the last shot of the scene ends it begins to fade to black, at this point the camera pans to the left- a more natural progressive movement- into a brightly lit scene showing Daenerys Targaryen who is most commonly believed to be the rightful Queen of Westeros. Here Daenerys is represented as the powerful leader that Westeros deserves; someone who will move it into the present in a less macabre fashion.

Essential to this sequence is the resulting conversation between the Queen Mother, Cersei Lannister, and the Queen Regent, Margaery Tyrell. The pair converse on an internal balcony on the left side of the hall. The balcony is strongly shadowed with the only visible light source coming from a small window above Margaery. Margaery initially appears alone on the balcony to catch the King’s - Her future husband- attention in the busy room, Cersei quickly blocks her view before joining her. Both women have similar appearances- blond hair, pale skin, tapered eyebrows, natural makeup and dark-coloured extravagant dresses- this physical presentation signifies both women as powerful and characteristically similar. Both Cersei and Margaery are power hungry and desperate for control which they have obtained, and lost, through marriage to kings who died, relinquishing them of their power. Even without the background knowledge of the show, it is clear to the audience they have similar intentions. Their dialogue is crisp and proper but dripping with passive aggression, as if the women are in competition with each other. The editing of the conversation is kept short; a series of mid shot and close-ups that swap between the two individual women and them as a pair. This clipped style symbolises the direct, but not elaborate, relationship of the pair. Particularly, the more common use of close-ups of one of the subjects uses blocking to position each woman in the foreground (a position of power and focus). This indicates the competition between them, with one constantly trying to ‘up’ the other. Meanwhile the singular-subject shot with very minimal background indicates each woman as self-obsessed, making sure the audience sees them as isolated, independent figures who are too obsessed with their personal, petty disagreements to recognise their similarity- which can be physically seen in a wider, mid-shot- and how by utilising that similarity they could construct a situation beneficial to both of them. This is supported by the use of natural side-lighting during the close-ups, the half of the subject’s face adjacent to the unseen character is always shadowed, symbolising how each of the women are attempting to keep the other in the dark regarding their next power play. Therefore, the constrictive and isolating nature of mise en scéne during this conversation represents Cersei and Margaery as women naïve of the more general issues of their reality (such as revolution) as the opening shot of the scene suggests. Mayhap this causes the world of Game of Thrones to lack internal verisimilitude as how could two highly intelligent and powerful people be so ignorant of the hatred and bigger issues surrounding them? However, it is possible that this is not a realistic representation but rather a stereotypical one whereby the show’s creators are attempting to portray the two fickle women as nothing more than ‘dumb blondes’- an image that could be placed over the entirety of the Lannister family by association.

Alternatively, this section of dialogue could be utilise to comment on the reality of woman’s power in the world of Game of Thrones. The balcony Cersei and Margaery converse upon is part of a walkway on the side of the room. It is physically higher than the level on which the throne sits and the floor where the guests are mingling. Initially this suggests to the audience that these women are powerful, enough so to control the actions of the King and his people, which they do. However, this placement also gives the impression that Cersei and Margaery are being made to stand on a pedestal as figures of beauty rather than influence. This is suggested through the use of natural, soft lighting that hits the two women front-on. Rather than exposing them, the light blurs their flaws and appears to make them glow, this is furthered by the light from the small window above Margaery which gives her a slightly angelic appearance as the light falls upon her. In comparison, the aforementioned close-ups utilise a harsher form of light which accentuates their flaws, such as the signs of age on Cersei’s face. The fact all these forms of light appear natural implies that women aren’t meant to be in the spotlight- suggesting to the audience that in the world of Game of Thrones power is an ugly trait on women. However, the higher positioning of the women also speaks massively towards the nature of power in women. At several points the conversation is seen through a long, low-angle shot of the women on the walkway. The long shot emphasises the emptiness of both shallow and deep space, but also the darkness surrounding the women, representing them as being isolated and without support, but also nothing in the way of them moving on, walking forward. The combination of lighting, the low-angle and the presentation of space connotes that not only is it hard for a woman to gain power (as is suggested by their heightened appearance due to the low-angle) but they have to do it entirely alone and sometimes that just isn’t enough to reach the end goal. Therefore, the techniques employed in this scene may not only represent women as objects and stereotypes, but also as victims of a faulted societal construct. This has verisimilitude to our reality and may be used by the creators of Game of Thrones to create another point of relation to the internal reality for the audience. 

Representation in Television Drama

To investigate representation in television drama I watched the first five minutes from the pilot episode of 'The Following' (2013). The first five minutes introduces 3 main characters as well as numerous sub-characters, one of whom is essential to the plot of the pilot episode.

Who/what is represented?

 

Joe Carroll

Serial Killer and former English Literature professor who escapes from Virginia State Penitentiary in the opening minutes of the pilot dressed as a prison guard. Portrayed by James Purefoy.

 

 

Ryan Hardy

Former FBI agent responsible for the capture and imprisonment of Joe Carroll. He gained fame from the Carroll case and ha since become an alcoholic who lives lone in a studio apartment in Brooklyn. Portrayed by Kevin Bacon.

 Jacob Wells

One of Carroll's 'followers' who has been posing as Sarah's neighbour. Portrayed by Nico Tortorella.

 

 

Sarah Fuller 

Carroll's last victim. She survived the attack and is now working as a doctor. Portrayed by Maggie Grace.

 

The FBI

 

Prison Guard System

 

How are they represented?

 

 

Joe Carroll

Joe Carroll is the main focus of the first minute and a half of the pilot. He appears dressed in a Prison Guard's uniform and is referred to as 'Pete' throughout the sequence which demonstrates the other Guard's ignorance towards his true identity. The shores are mainly close-ups focussing on his face or specifics of his uniform such as keys and an entrance card. The use of such shots make the audience familiar with this so far unknown face and connote the idiocy of the guards who fail to notice his true identity; implying Carroll to be both very intelligent and manipulative as he is able to simply walk out of a heavily guarded prison.
Furthermore, the shots focussed on Carroll are short in length and make the period of time it takes Carroll to make his calm escape barely worth documenting. Overall this represents Carroll as a man in control. His movements, disguise and lack of speech reflect the focus of his character; everything is clean cut and methodical implying he knows exactly what he is doing and what will come next. This resonates throughout the remainder of the series as he never ceases to be less than one step ahead of those chasing him.
Lastly, the use of costume and colour makes him blend into the background, suggesting Carroll to be nothing special to the audience (who still don't know his name) despite the fact he has taken central focus within the Drama's opening. It is through the casting of sinister looking, Shakespearean actor James Purefoy, the darkness cast over Carroll's face by his black cap and the bloody makeup of the Guard's corpse-filled observation room that represents Carroll as a cold, psychopathic murderer.

 

Ryan Hardy

The same methods are employed to represent Hardy as the exact opposite of Carroll. Here, the shots are extended and are mostly long shots with a few close-ups. These represent Hardy as a far slower individual who is not so much as in control as stumbling through life. The long shots connote his loneliness and, unlike Carroll, his lack of control over himself, instead it is suggested that hardy's environment and past are controlling him. The close ups, similar to Carroll, reflect key elements of his character but instead of being his physical identity and images of power (like the guard costume), the focus' of Hardy's character are bottles of vodka, the book he wrote about Carroll and his pacemaker which all represent him as a deeply flawed and obsessive individual who has fallen from grace.
Hardy's moves are slow, his pyjamas (then suit) are crumpled and nondescript which present him as not-caring of his appearance as well as a mess. A prominent action is his placement of a disguised bottle of vodka and his tie in his bag. These simultaneous actions suggest to the audience that he is as addicted to his old job as he is to the alcohol. His later removal of the tie before the vodka further suggests that his work with the FBI is more addictive than the alcohol his consumes now, implying that he is in remission from his main obsession and that I why he is in his current dishevelled state. This is further presented in the use of lighting. Despite there being bright light outside, the lighting within Hardy's apartment is low key and only changes to high key when put in the company of current FBI agents investigating the prison Carroll has just broken free from; suggesting that Hardy has just escaped his own personal prison and is now exposed to reek his own form of havoc- as is implied by the vastly negative reactions of the officers and agents meeting him again.
Finally, the casting of Kevin Bacon is essential to the representation of Ryan Hardy. Bacon is a vastly popular dramatic actor who, until the series, had seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. By casting such a well known yet absent actor, the creators of 'The Following' have built the same persona for Hardy which suggests to the audience that they are meeting an 'old-great' who is going to become very memorable indeed.

With both characters, the shot is focussed in the foreground with little recognition of deep space. This represents the male leads as arrogant but also that they are in a completely different league than the people around them in their respective fields and therefore require respect and attention.

Jacob Wells

Jacob only appears in the first few minutes for a matter of seconds. Within that time he pushes his way past FBI agents to support his friend and neighbour, Sarah Fuller, in the aftermath of Joe Carroll's escape. These actions along with the plain, comfortable clothing and soft sunny lighting represent Jacob as someone trustworthy and friendly. However, this is turned on its head later in the episode when he is properly introduced as Jacob, rather than his alias, and it becomes known he is loyal to Joe rather then his victim, Sarah.

Sarah Fuller

Sarah is put under the watch and protection of the FBI following Carroll's escape. Soft, high key lighting is employed to reflect how she is both exposed yet safe and protected. This representation is turned around within the episode when she is kidnapped by her friendly neighbours under the watch of the FBI.
Secondly, Sarah is portrayed as someone who is mentally conflicted. A flashback to her testimony of Carroll's attack brings her paranoia and suicidal episode into the present. Combined with her costume of scrubs and her generally clean and kept appearance and home, the audience comes to believe that Sarah had almost moved on and was doing well, but is now being thrown backwards. As a result, Sarah is represented as mildly depressed but also very strong.

The FBI and Prison Guards

The FBI and Guard's are presented in the same ways as Joe and Ryan, to mostly the same effects. The FBI are represented the same way as Joe. The editing is fast and there are lots of close ups focussing on faces and elements of their uniform; representing their work focus and control. Furthermore, the lighting I harsh and high key ( a slight differentiation from Joe) which represents the organisation as a group highly exposed and in the public eye. This further represents Hardy as a maverick within the organisation as he brings the darker edge that Joe possesses that the FBI just can't afford to have.
In contrast, the prison guards are portrayed more like Hardy, slightly behind the times and in the dark which is presented through lower key lighting and the use of long, extended shots. Furthermore, their costume is no where near as neat as the FBI's or even Joe's, suggesting a lack of passion form their jobs. Most prominent is the choice of actors and their positioning within the scene. Most of the prison guards are overweight and, as is scene in the crime scene, they are obviously slow which I seen in how the majority of the dead men are still sitting at their consoles or facing away from he door on the floor- as if Joe just crept up behind them. The overall representation of the guards as lazy individuals bored and uncaring of their jobs gives the audience the feeling that the prison system and other officials almost made it easy for Carroll to escape; the is also suggested in the length of time I takes the two surviving guards to notice something has gone very, very wrong. On the other hand, this representation could have ben employed to demonstrate how, to Carroll, everyone is lazy and being kept in the dark by their superiors. Therefore the weak representation of the guards may inform the audience that Carroll is by no means a man to be messed with.

Lighting in Film

The Basics and Importance

Natural or artificial light and the way in which it is used has a massive influence on the look and mood created when used in film.

Cloudy lighting in The Princess Bride (1987)

Natural Light can vary between bright and sunny, soft and understated  to grey skies with rain, a storm, simply being dull or gloomy or even a pitch black night. All of these can act as metaphors for the moods of the characters or the general atmosphere. The way in which they change emphasises this. For example, in ‘The Princess Bride’ the soft, sunny lighting used in any scene between Buttercup and Westley connotes the romantic mood and the joy of the characters. In comparison, the cloudy, greyish lighting during the clifftop fight scene is far more sinister and threatening, despite the fact these different forms of lighting occur only minutes apart.

A pictorialist shot from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999)

‘Artificial’ in terms of lighting can refer to either how ‘natural’ light is artificially created (i.e. to look like the lighting for a scene is coming from an unseen window or light fixture) or a different style of lighting completely, pictorialism. Pictorialist lighting I when light is used to create the most visually captivating image that is unlikely to occur in real life.

Grey lighting in Jane Eyre (2011)

Whatever its composition, light and what it connotes has significant effects in every scene of visual imagery. In terms of mood and atmosphere, if the light is bright, clear and even it creates feelings of joy and security; for these reasons it is often used in comedy as it is always positive due to its lack of shadows- both literally and figuratively. In contrast, there are always anomalies. In ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ the sunny weather seen throughout the film are a stark contrast to the attitudes and moods of the characters as the largely negative events of the film progress. In comparison, cloudy or grey light can reflect the inclement of weather or a problematic situation. It is often sombre or serious and acts as a metaphor for the emotional distress or depression of the seen characters.

Bright, natural lighting in American Psycho (2000) symbolises how Bateman has control.

A change in lighting will often depict a change in mood  or attitude for a subject character. This is  used in ‘American Psycho’. Bright, natural lighting is employed when Patrick Bateman is in control of himself (such as in his work place). In contrast, dark shadowy lighting is seen whenever Bateman loses control over himself or his situation, letting his animalistic side take over. These effects are often reversed or turned on their heads towards the end of the film which makes the audience question reality, exactly like Bateman. ‘American Psycho’ is a perfect example of how lighting can manipulate the audiences attitude towards a particular character or the film in general.

Perfect, uniform lighting in The Truman Show (1998).

Directly opposite change in lighting is the lighting being made uniform for a large period of time. In ‘The Truman Show’ the bright, sunny, uniform lighting used in Truman’s world presents a uniform society. It connotes perfection and harmony that is ultimately artificial; as the audience is made to believe by the darker naturalist lighting employed when the film shifts to a person watching the Truman Show rather than acting in it. Therefore, the lighting used in a film can set the atmosphere for the whole film or just a specific scene or shot.

Bars of light in American Psycho (2000) reflects how Bateman is a captive of his own desires.

More unique lighting can be used to define a specific attitude or atmosphere. For example, if the main light source if shone through a set of blinds, a window or another structured viewpoint, it can bask a particular character or setting in ‘bars’ of light which can act as a metaphor for confinement or imprisonment. May of lighting’s most significant effects occur when the light interplays with darkness and in turn can connote a number of different atmospheres.

 The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Lighting can also be used to emphasise a certain area of interest or bring out texture and detail in costume, setting and décor.

 

   

Qualities of Light

There are three key types of lighting:

High key lighting in Black Swan (2010)

High Key lighting- a brightly lit scene with few shadows. It is provided by one source called a Key Light.



Low key lighting in Black Swan (2010)

Low Key Lighting- The scene is lit in a darker/greyer scale with a large amount of shadows. In the case, the Key Light is less bright and does not dominate the scene.

High contrast lighting in Black Swan (2010)

High Contrast or Chiaroscuro Lighting- There is a strong contrast between light and shadow with very little grey scale. It creates depth and makes the content more realistic as the light isn’t even. High contrast lighting balances different compositional elements in relation to one another. This is a pictorialist technique often associated with film noir.

Light can either be hard or soft.



Hard lighting in The Dark Knight (2008)

Hard light clearly illuminates characters and brings out texture and detail. It gives featured characters a sharp outline and creates contrast between light and shadow. As a result, the scenes are clean , crisp and defined which provides a pitiless, unflattering view of the characters. Such ‘Hard’ effects can be produced using unfrosted bulbs or focussed spotlights if the lighting is artificial, or naturally through the use of noonday sun and clear skies.

Soft light covers a larger area with more diffuse light. It diminishes the outlines of subjects and the clarity of characters whilst minimising shadows and the depth of detail. Soft lighting hides surface irregularities meaning it is far more flattering. It also suggests a melancholy atmosphere. Soft lighting can be achieved in moving visual media through the use of pun-glass diffusers on studio lights (these reduce the light intensity). For still images umbrella reflectors are used to soften the light.

 From a technical point of view…

Threepoint Lighting is the simple yet versatile system used in the creation of film, still photos and computer-generated imagery as standard.

It is based around three different types of light:

1.       The Key Light

This is the main light used. It is strongest and most influential of the three types. A key light is positioned slightly to the side but in front of the main subject. It is hard and very bright which causes harsh shadows as well as showing excellent modelling of the shapes and contours of the subject.

2.       The Fill Light

This is position on the opposite side of the Key Light but still in front of the subject. It is meant to be a form of indirect sunlight or reflected light as there would be in natural light. It softens and fills the shadows whilst the shadows it causes are indistinct due to the softer quality of the light itself. The Fill Light is often referred to as a ‘highlight’ as it causes effects like the sheen on an actors hair.

3.       The Back Light



Back lighting gives Galadriel an ethereal appearance in The Lord of the Rings 2001)

This lights the subject from in indirect source behind it/them. It is used for modelling purposes as it provides definition and subtle highlights to the subject. The Back Light provides a three-dimensional effect as it separates the subject from the background.

Anne Hathaway exposed in Les Miserables (2012)

Flawless Threepoint on Olivier

The use of Threepoint Lighting affects the appearance of characters and settings. It can diminish or define physical characteristics which in turn can make them less or more attractive. The absence of or very little fill lighting can give the impression that a character is exposed or flawed from example.



Light positioning is essential to this scene in

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Another important feature is the positioning of lighting. The positioning and strength of the key and fill lights can cause the face of a character to be mostly shadowed (suggesting depression  or a two-faced or sinister personality) or largely undefined (suggesting confusion, anxiety etc.) As a result, our opinions on the character may change. If the light is mainly angled from above the subject, the resultant shadows in the eye sockets and under the nose distort their appearance, often connoting an evil or sinister edge. Backlighting, by contrast, highlights the edges of the subject which can cause a halo effect and separate the subject entirely from the background which may symbolise an angelic, ethereal character. Although, there are always exceptions to these.

Finally, time of day can be dictated by lighting. The use of sunrises that cause a blue-tinted foreground are often employed to represent dawn to the viewer. By contrast, a sunset can be identified by the foreground being more darkly shadowed than the blue of dawn. Furthermore, backlighting is often used to demonstrate night, the silhouetted shapes and subjects caused by backlighting emphasise the loneliness and emptiness of most night time scenes. The use of time-specific lighting also has metaphorical meaning. If a particular character is often seen at night it can imply that said character is figuratively in the dark, depressed or lonely.

What is Narrative in the media?

The Basics

Simply put, narrative is the way in which a 'story' or series of events is told to the viewer or listener. A key concept of narrative is that it is reliant on its type, the same story can be told over and over again but its presentation in the News would be entirely different to its presentation in a Soap Opera due to the codes and conventions of that particular type.

Other than the News and Soap Operas, other types of narratives include fairy tales, jokes, comics, dreams, thrillers and ghost stories. These different narratives all present versions of the world, each in different 'packaging'. Such 'packaging' has similar common elements but will have different characteristics. For example, the same story could be told in different orders or from  different points of view depending on the conventions of the type of narrative.

It is through narrative that the similarity between fiction and fact is realised. Whilst one is created and the other real, both are 'narrated'. This means they are told by the selection, order and shape for a particular audience.

Furthermore, there are different narratives used in different media platforms. In films or documentaries, the narrative is often developed or extended to tell a whole story whereas mini-narratives are seen most often in adverts and magazines. This technique tells a small section of a narrative, leaving the viewer to complete it. This is particularly effective in advertising as it forces more thought on the product being advertised. In contrast television shows such as Soap Operas or News broadcasts apply Continuous or Serial Narratives which tell the story in 'episodes' over a longer (continuous) amount of time.

Key Elements

The following features are common to all narratives. The ability to identify the appearance of these traits within any media text allows us to analyse their effects and also allow the audience to see how reality has been constructed.

Narrative Structure is the basic plot. It relies upon an initial state of order being disrupted and ending with the resolution of the aforementioned problem which leads to the restoration of order. The problem that causes the disruption and its method of resolution rely on the genre e.g. the punishment of the criminal in a crime drama. This basic structure can be seen in all medal platforms, even advertising where the product being marketed acts as the resolution to disruption.

Character is essential to narrative as both the function and producers of the plot. The exact role of each individual character within the narrative relies on their basic character type whether this is a hero or a donor.

A Narrator is essential for any narrative. The narrator is the 'story teller' but they may also act as evaluators of the presented material, such as the commentators of sporting events. A main part of narration is recognising the point of view the narration is coming from. In film and television there often isn't a literal narrator, instead the camera itself is the narrator as it controls the events and order of images the audience see and therefore 'read'. As a result, narration is often implicit as it relies on the audience to decide that whilst certain images denote one thing, is can and will connote much more. Therefore, a lot of narration relies n the audience decoding the narrative.

The Narratee has an uncertain position within the narrative. It is their job to understand the narrative by decoding the actions of the narrator. However, it is difficult to say whether they must just reconstruct the meaning of what is before them or to add their own subjective opinion based on thoughts, feelings and values. The opinions built by narratees have helped to define, analyse and describe the denotations and connotations of essential elements of highly visual media formats such as film, television and advertising. Every narrative and media text construct constructs its own 'implied audience' who were familiar with the codes and conventions of the narrative  and were responsive to the functions of that type of media. As a result, the 'implied audience' is unique to the genre and narrative as certain characteristics just aren't appealing to some groups, however these two traits are essential for any narratee.

Narrative Codes are used by the narrator to create certain effects, such as controlling the suspense of a scene, obtaining audience attention, building setting or revealing character. It is argued that everything within a narrative serves a purpose; this is the effect of narrative code. Analysis of any media platform will reveal the distinct codes used and for what function they are employed.

Genre refers to the type of narrative presented in the media form. It controls setting, character, narrative definition and the effect on the audience. A particular media platform, often film, may stick to one genre but employ the codes and conventions of many genres.

Narrative form is the way a narrative is physically constructed through time, spacing and order rather than the underlying structure.

Task Three: Why am I taking Media Studies?

 I have decided to take media studies because I am fascinated by the impact the media has.

Whether a source of entertainment, news or social connection, the media always causes a dispute of opinion. Furthermore, it is often the source of social change. I want to investigate why such a fundamental part of society holds so much power.

Moreover, I want to learn how all elements of the media obtain such a power through their construct and evolution over time.

I am particularly interested in film and written forms of media such as daily newspapers as these are the platforms I absorb in my everyday life. I would like to find out what makes these areas so influential, whether it is down to the use of language and character, or simply the use of certain camera angels and layouts.

I hope media studies will enable me to understand the process and importance of the media and this is what I aim to explore in this blog.

Task Seven: Young People and UK-Based Drama

 

How are young people represented in Broadchurch?

 

Storyline and Character actions (Contains information regarding the outcome of the series)

 There are very few young people seen in this crime thriller. With the body of a young boy being found dead on the beach in the town of Broadchurch, the drama of the series is seen through the investigation of detectives David Tenant and Olivia Colman.

There are two main young characters, the sister and best friend of the deceased boy, Danny.

 His sister, Chloe suffers mainly in silence for the most part of the first series giving suspicion to a possible case of depression in the aftermath of her brother’s death. Furthermore, Chloe rebels from her parents, often sneaking out of the house to see her boyfriend and failing to go to school.

 Danny's best friend, Tom, is the son of female lead and detective Ellie Miller, portrayed by Olivia Colman. Urging the first series, Tom hides crucial evidence from his mother in order to protect his deceased friend. When his father is arrested for the murder later in the series, he refuses to accept his father’s guilt. This leads to his estrangement from his mother in the second series as she believes her husband to be guilty. Tom is one of the few characters to stand by his father in the second series, acting as support for his father in court until his beliefs are changed towards the nd of the series.

Another important character to remember is Danny himself who is accidentally killed by his chosen father figure when his own father fails to meet his needs.

When just looking at the storylines of each of these characters, they appear to be loyal, loving and emotionally intelligent, despite the occasional lapse in judgement as is expected of everyone from time to time. n extension, the young people of Broadchurch are reasonably minor characters, as young people often are in such strenuous circumstances are. This is best seen through Danny himself as although he is the victim of a tragic crime, his family take centre stage and are named victims instead. Even the legal events of the second series focus on the dynamics and conflicts of the people surrounding Danny, not the fact that a boy was killed in his search for emotional support. This emphasises the societal reality whereby young people are often treated as lesser citizens than their adult counterparts as when they die they are ‘someone’s child’ and not a person.

 

Use of actor

The younger members of the cast were very much unknown at the beginning of the series, often only having one or two previous acting credits. This was probably done for the sake of the plot as the characters loss of anonymity within the world is lost after a series of extreme events is reflected in the sudden fem of the actors that play them. Furthermore, the way this works makes the audience feel as if they are getting to know these children as the general public would if the circumstances of the series were a reality. This process uses the young characters as symbols for society as too often are innocent people sucked into a situation that taints as well as hurts them; a child being the ultimate vehicle of innocence.

 

Use of costume

Mostly the characters appear in age appropriate clothes or school uniform. Danny and Tom are always seen in jeans and t-shirts or their school wear, as any child of their age would naturally be seen in. Chloe is slightly different, although appearing in clothes naturally worn by women in their mid to late teens, her skirts are often very short and the rest of her clothes normally tight and sometimes low cut. In addition, her makeup is often extreme and dark. Despite the fact that this type of wear is considered ‘normal’, Chloe is one of the very few members of the cast who appears sexualised. As the only young woman seen (alive) in both series, this stereotype doesn’t seem out of place and therefore exaggerates its normality in real society, when it actually is a largely rare occurrence. Overall, the costume represents young men as playful and proper, whereas young women are mildly sexualised, a representation that is emphasised by Chloe’s promiscuous attitude and behaviour in the first series of Broadchurch.