Niamh's A-level Media

Berlin in the early 80's

Berlin in the early 80’s

Historical

Throughout the 50’s and 60’s, people continuously crossed between the border between east and west Germany to visit family and work. However, as communism grew in the east, the government decided to stop all people commuting by sealing off all point of entry into west Berlin. They then built a concrete wall, refraining from any refugees fleeing from the communist society. America was outraged by this and the west Berlin people expected to be helped. In an attempt to reassure the West Germans that the United States was not abandoning them, Kennedy traveled to the Berlin Wall in June 1963, and famously declared, “Ich bin ein Berliner!” (“I am a Berliner!”). Since the word “Berliner” was commonly referred to as a jelly doughnut throughout most of Germany, Kennedy’s improper use of German grammar was also translated as “I am a jelly doughnut.” However, due to the context of his speech, Kennedy’s intended meaning that he stood together with West Berlin in its rivalry with communist East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic was understood by the German people.

During the lifetime of the wall, nearly 80 people were killed trying to escape from East to West Berlin. In late 1989, with communist governments falling throughout Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall was finally opened and then demolished. For many observers, this action was the signal that the Cold War was finally coming to an end.

Economic

To reduce dependence on imported fuels, East Germany sought to develop the capability of mining 285 to 290 million tons of lignite annually by 1985, a substantial increase over the 1980 production level of just under 260 million tons. On the consumer side, the government sought to hold prices for the basic necessities at existing levels, necessitating increasing subsidies from the state over time. The plan projected an expansion in supplies of consumer goods retail trade by 20 to 23 percent and net personal income by about the same amount. Housing construction was to continue to receive special attention, and more than 900,000 units were to be completed by 1985.

In the 1984-85 period, the agricultural sector registered a particularly good performance, and record harvests were reported. During the plan period, the state raised crop and livestock prices, and it eliminated subsidies to the input sector (for example, fuels, feedstuffs, and construction materials) to promote greater efficiency. The situation of the individual consumer deteriorated somewhat during the early years of the plan because of shortages and supply bottlenecks. In 1984 the growth rates in private consumption customary in earlier years resumed.

Social/ cultural

“For one thing, housing was scarce and bare bones, the search for a room – not an apartment, just a single room or temporary sublet – way tougher than today. Everybody I knew lived in a shared flat, called a Wohngemeinschaft or WG, which packed in the bodies – as many as seven at a time when they would fit.

Many apartments were heated with coal burned in free standing ceramic ovens. The dirty, dusty briquettes were stored in heaps in the cellar. Firing up the oven was a laborious chore, and no matter how diligently you fed it, most coal ovens didn’t heat the whole apartment in the dead of winter (which in 1985-86, my first year in West Berlin, spelled sub-zero temperatures for months on end.)

Since wages were relatively high compared to accommodation – once you had a room, it was usually cheap – one could work for a few weeks and then coast for a month or more. Part-time work was plentiful, the city being severely depopulated and thus short on labour power, even though it was largely deindustrialized, too.”

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(Music) In the early 1980s the indigenous popular music in the GDR reached a high point with bands like The Puhdys, City, Karat and Silly. Furthermore, there was the possibility of a limited musical exchange between East and West Germany. Nevertheless, the bands and musicians had to fear censorship and the state influence.

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“Those regarded as oppositional or academic children, whose parents were not members of the communist party, were not allowed to study. It was the social engineering of the East German dictatorship. They wanted to ensure that children who were socialised at home to be independent thinkers and would not rise to any position.”

As the top student in her class, the seven year-old Mia had to bring her schoolmates to attention every morning and give a military salute to her teacher. Even then the schoolgirl was aware of the dreaded Stasi and the dangers they posed. We were aware of the fact that we really could not speak to anyone about certain things that were said at home.”

Long Form TV Drama Regulation

Stranger Things Media Language

Long Form TV Drama and Fandom

Is Netflix ruining TV?

The guardian Tv drama questions

Tv drama essay question (social groups)

Narrative Timeline

Stranger Things Episode 1 - Scene by Scene

Stranger Things Timings

Tv Drama notes

Stranger things poster analysis

- The amount of people in the poster shows their will be multiple story lines. This attracts an audience to know who they are and what they go through.

- There is intertextuality within the poster crosses with ET by Spielberg show through the bikes and starry night.

-The characters at the top of the poster look afraid which suggests they have something to fear within the show.

-The center figure seems to have a power of some kind which is shown through the strength of her hand and her stare. This signifies that the show may be supernatural.

- The retro neon style font of the title suggests his show is set in the 80's which is further emphasises by the costumes and structure of the bikes. It can be said that this was influenced by Stephen King as he set many of his plays within this era.

- The barbed wire in the background connotes imprisonment of maybe more than one of the characters.

Stranger Things characters

LFTVD VOCABULARY

Easter eggs - Hidden message or image.
Time shifting - Available to watch whenever you want.
VOD - A stream content through either a set-top box, a computer or other device, allowing viewing in real time or downloading it to a device such as a tablet.
PVR - A personal video recorder is an interactive TV recording device.
Streaming - A user does not have to wait to download a file to play it because the media is sent in a continuous stream of data so it can play as it arrives.
Terrestrial - A type of television broadcasting where the television signal is transmitted through radio waves.

EXAM DIRT SHEET

Identify a strength/strengths in your assessment:

Good big issue analysis regarding Trump and the Russian government.
Marks gained on music video question.

What are the areas you need to improve?

Q1- Talk about Van Zoonen's theory sooner and describe her theory in detail.
Revise regulations for TV, Radio, Newspaper etc.
Ensure to answer the question and not just put knowledge across.
Make sure answers and not vague- concrete evidence needed.

What do you need to focus on for your final assessments?

Revise all key facts about each topic (owners, regulators, opinions etc.)
Practice questions will help write in each time frame.
Analyse covers quickly.
Politics at the time.
Revise theorists!

BBC Radio 1 Pass the Pasty

On the 3rd of September 2018 BBC Radio 1 put out a tweet explaining how they want to send a Cornish pasty from south west of England to Aberdeen. A woman named Sarah who lives in Aberdeen told the new presenter Greg James how she had never tasted a British delicacy, the almighty Cornish pasty.
In response to this, Greg James decided to make a challenge called 'pass the pasty' which involved people from different locations in England to drive, collect the pasty and deliver it to Sarah in Aberdeen. It arrived there safely three days later.

Website- BBC ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45425752)

SUMMER WORK 2018

YEAR 13 SUMMER WORK

INTRO TO CONTEXT – IN THE EXAM YOU MAY BE ASKED TO REFER TO ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR CULTURAL CONTEXT. THESE OF COURSE TEND TO OVERLAP. HERE IS A TASTER FOR YOU TO RESEARCH AND SUMMARISE. WE THOUGHT ECONOMIC WOULD BE A BIT TOO BORING FOR THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS BUT WE’LL RETURN TO IT.

POLITICS

· After Cameron resigned who was running for the leadership? Theresa May, Michael Gove, Stephen Crabb, Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox.

· When was May chosen as leader of the Conservative party? On 11^th July 2016, May became the leader of the conservative party, two days later she was elected prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II.

· General Election result and the rise of Jeremy Corbyn’s popularity. The overall result of the votes in the general election show a hung parliament. Although conservative won, they did not get over 50% of the votes. However, Theresa May will stay on as prime minister, for now, after agreeing with the Democratic Unionist Party to work together to form a government.

After Ed Miliband stepped down as Labour leader after a poor general election, Jeremy Corbyn became successor after many turned down the role. He won the hearts of many due to his grandfatherly style and informal manifesto that promised money to almost anyone. Many students and young people started to support Corbyn due to his promise of free university.

· ROYALS Engagements, Queen’s 90^th, babies. The queen celebrated her 90^th birthday and become the longest-reigning living monarch in 2016. Prince Harry confirmed dating Meghan Markle in 2016. In January 2016, prince George had his first day of school. In 2016, the Obamas visited Kensington palace.

In 2017, the Queen and Duke celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary. Pippa Middleton got married. Prince Philip retired from public royal duties. 20^th anniversary of Diana’s death. Kate Middleton announced pregnancy. Harry and Meghan confirmed engagement.

TERRORISM and HATRED

Westminster Bridge- Six people died, including the attacker, and at least 50 people were injured after a terror attack near the Houses of Parliament on 22 March 2017. A man names Khalid Masood hired from Birmingham and mounted the pavement at Westminster bridge and began to hit people. They believe he was driving at around 76mph. When crashed into the parliament fence, Khalid ran towards the houses of parliament where he was confronted by officers. PC Keith Palmer, although wearing a protective vest was stabbed and killed. Controversy was apparent as the medics tried to save the terrorists life.

London Bridge- Three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before getting out and stabbing people in nearby Borough Market on 3^rd June 2017. 8 people were killed and 48 injured. The attack stopped when the three men were shot by the metropolitan police. The men had fake bomb vests on, they were known to be Islamic. It occurred only 3 months after an attack on Westminster bridge.

Borough- On 3^rd June 2017, 3 men drove a van across the London bridge, mowing people down and continued to enter Borough market and stab people. 8 people died with 48 injured. They were known to me Islamic extremists and were shot dead by the metropolitan police.

Finsbury Park mosque- Finsbury Park mosque attack: Driver who ran over worshippers 'brainwashed' by TV sex gang drama, court hears. Darren Osborne, 48, deliberately mowed down Makram Ali, 51, and nine others last June after becoming radicalised against Islam following viewing of BBC's 'Three Girls'. This brought controversy as people believe the man was a terrorist and was not sentenced or labelled right.

Manchester- The Manchester Arena bombing was a suicide bomb attack in Manchester, United Kingdom on 22 May 2017. An islamist detonated a homemade bomb as people were leaving the arena from an Ariana Grande concert. 23 people were killed including the attacker and 139 were wounded, more than half of them were children.

Jo Cox- Helen Joanne Cox was a British labour politician was an MP for the Batley and spen constituency in May 2015 until she was murdered in June 2016. On 16 June 2016, Cox died after being shot and stabbed multiple times in Birstall, where she had been due to hold a constituency surgery. Thomas Mair, who held far-right views, was found guilty of her murder in November and sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order. When committing the crime, Mair apparently shouted “Britain first”.

SYRIAN WAR

Brief summary, still ongoing, huge humanitarian issues, refugees – The Syrian war is an ongoing multi-sided conflict between Ba’athist Syrian Arab republic led by Bashar Al-Assad and various conflicting organisations who are opposing both the government and each other in various combinations. The human rights situation in Syria has long been the subject of harsh critique from global organizations. The rights of free expression, association and assembly were strictly controlled in Syria even before the uprising.

SPECIFIC UK ISSUES

· Grenfell tower – The fire at Grenfell tower highlighted the lack of care and money the government had put into safety measures within the building, such as, fire doors, fire escapes and the fact the cladding which made up the structure of the building was incorrectly installed. After the disaster, it took the government too long to respond and help with the casualty, resulting in many civilians living in poverty. This lack of care has risen problems between the government and the social demographics they choose to focus on and those they choose to neglect, such as those who were effected by Grenfell fire.

Windrush - Those arriving in the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries have been labelled the Windrush generation. This is a reference to the ship MV Empire Windrush, which arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on 22 June 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands, as a response to post-war labour shortages in the UK. The ship carried 492 passengers - many of them children. Prime Minister Theresa May has apologised to Caribbean leaders over deportation threats made to the children of Commonwealth citizens, who despite living and working in the UK for decades, have been told they are living here illegally because of a lack of official paperwork.

NHS – doctor’s strikes, worry over privatisation, waiting times- The current financial crisis, rising costs of services, energy and supplies; innovations and technological breakthroughs that require more investment – along with higher numbers of people to cater for – all spell out a huge economic disaster for the NHS. In September 2015, Hunt proposed new contracts for junior doctors which would scrap overtime rates for work between 7am and 10pm on every day except Sunday while increasing their basic pay. The union argued that the contract would include an increase in working hours with a relative pay cut of up 40%, and refused to re-enter negotiations unless Hunt dropped his threat to impose a new contract and extensive preconditions, which he had refused to do.

Football sex abuse- A sexual abuse scandal involving the abuse of young players at football clubs in the United Kingdom began in mid-November 2016. The revelations began when former professional footballers waived their rights to anonymity and talked publicly about being abused by former coaches and scouts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This led to a surge of further allegations, as well as allegations that some clubs had covered them up.

· Murray wins Wimbledon- Murray defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2012 US Open final, becoming the first British player since 1977, and the first British man since 1936, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. Murray is also the first British man to win more than one Wimbledon singles title since Fred Perry in 1935.

· 2016 Great Britain Olympics success- Great Britain smashed their medal target for the 2016 Olympics, achieved a succession of notable 'firsts' and caused a major stir by finishing second in the table, above global powerhouse China.

YOUTH AGGRESSION – Acid attacks have trebled in three years and threaten to cost Britain £500million by 2020. As victims suffer the long-term physical and physiological impact from appalling injuries, taxpayers are facing a mounting bill for increased spending on medical, police, prison and legal services.

TRUMP ELECTION – Trump's campaign rallies attracted large crowds, as well as public controversy. Some of the events were marked by incidents of violence between Trump supporters and protesters.

#METOO CAMPAIGN- Instigated from the reveal of sex offender and top film prodder Harvey Weinstein. Multiple well known actresses came forward to explain how they were victimised by Harvey. From this abuse within the industry has been highlighted.

CULTURAL TRENDS OF 2016-2018 (and how other media has influenced a product) Spider diagram, Moodboard whatever you fancy to get an idea of the

zeitgeist (look it up)- The Zeitgeist is a concept from 18th to 19th-century German philosophy, translated as "spirit of the age" or "spirit of the times". It refers to an invisible agent or force dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history.

· Films- Major films include: Moana, Infinity war, wonder woman, la la land, shape of water, three billboards, black panther, suicide squad, Get out and jungle book.

· Tv programmes: Dr Foster, Stranger things, American horror story, Victoria, Black mirror, Fargo, Orange is the new black, Good place, prison break, Narcos, breaking bad.

· Music: Albums released by major artists including Kanye West, Drake, Gorillaz. Cardi B took media by storm. Kanye became very controversial. Jorja smith is a rising star and Dua Lipa won too many awards to count.

· Video games: Celeste, assassins creed, COD, Fifa, Grand theft auto.

· Youtube, memes, twitter storms- Logan Paul was shamed throughout the world due to controversial Japanese suicide forest YouTube video. Cardi B and Niki Minaj feud. Donalds Trump threatens North Korea and other major organisations. 21^st century teens and young adults share humour through memes.

· Find three examples of intertextuality

· TOP CULTURAL FADS- Top cultural fads such as 'the dab' is a trend that went viral due to social media i.e twitter and Instagram, facebook.
Fornite is an example of a video game, played through games consoles or mobile devices, which went viral in 2017. In the 2018 in world cup, some of the footballers, e.g. Jesse Lingard, took on and recreated one of the characters moves off the game. This was influenced from the gaming platform of media, but also due to social media, it allowed the game to become popular worldwide. It can now be seen on various platforms.

SOCIAL CONTEXT – changes in wider society find some egs in media for each

· DISABILITY (more publicity in Olympics)- At the Rio 2016 Olympics the Para-Olympics was publicised. It was played on channel 4 and bbc. In the new Mama Mia 2 film one of the dancers in the song ‘Waterloo’ was a woman named Amy Trigg who needs a wheelchair. Although the dancing was physically demanding, the dancer pulled off an amazing performance and showed the audience disabled people can do anything.

· REGIONALISM – With various regional programmes on TV, various places are stereotyped to look a certain way. Made in Chelsea shows the posh people of England with a lot of money, TOWIE follows the lives of so called dumb blondes who care nothing else but spray tans and Botox and Geordie shore parties with youngsters who can’t handle their drink. However, in Towie, people from outside of Essex are making an appearance on the show and people from other reality tv shows such as Love island’s Cara and Nathan are having short cameo’s.

· CLASS – The poorer parts of England are still portrayed in the media, such as the tv show ‘people just do nothing’ and ‘benefits Britain’. On the other hand, programmes such as made in Chelsea are still popular. Reality stars who came from a common background have gained money however, due to their publicity, money can be made from online advertisements. Controversy was apparent due to the Beyoncé and Jay z collaboration. Fans felt their recent music and music videos portrayed the couple to be arrogant, splashing their money and mocking the serious issue of a cheating husband.

· AGE – Due to the brexit votes a barrier between young and old people has been risen. Youths feel the adults are voting for something that will not affect them in the future. As costs for mortgages and general living wages rise, young people have latched more onto the labour government hoping that Jeremy Corbyn keeps his promise of wanting to make the future bright for young people who are not yet able to vote or feel they do not have a say in any political matters.

· GENDER – It is an ongoing debate about the gender fluid matter within the media. People agree/disagree with uni sex toilets and the option for children to decide whether they want to be a boy or a girl. Abuse towards women in the performing industry has been noticed and the #metoo campaign is trying to prevent the degradation towards vulnerable performers who are trying to make a name for themselves.

· ETHNICITY – Black panther and get out are films that are highlighting or fighting back against racism in today’s age. Black Panther used an all-black cast and Get out focused on a dystopian society that want black people for a special purpose.

· SEXUALITY – in the media, the LQBT community has fought for representation. In the show Rupauls drag race, every cast member is gay and enjoys dressing up as a woman. In orange is the new black, there are many lesbian characters such as Suzanne (crazy eyes). In Glee, one of the performers is a gay singer.

2018 mock assessment

Big Issue powerpoint

The big issue (1) from niamh deasy

Corrine Bailey Rae- Stop where you are

Corinne Bailey Rae - Stop Where You Are from SianField81

Music video assessment

Explain how representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artists. Refer to one of the music videos you've analysed.

At the beginning of the music video by Titanium by David Guetta and Sia, there is a boy aged 12/13 crouching in a ball amongst debris and mess in a school. We cannot yet see his face but the camera pans across his body at floor level to visualise his closed body language, suggesting he is scared and vulnerable. The shots then focus on the destruction around him then a long shot pans out and portrays the boy sitting up amongst the mess of a school. The camera then pans along with a close up shot of the boy as he walks out of the school and puts on a bright coloured hat which foreshadows the colour contrast between his hat and the dullness of the school whilst also suggesting the contrast between society and the brilliance of the boy’s unknown hidden powers and individuality. The boy then walks outside, where the atmospheric colour becomes more enhanced, encouraging the theme of escape and freedom. Whilst doing this, the police car discourages the theme of freedom with the theme of threat. The shot then shows the boy riding a bike, however, editing has allowed the pace of the shot to speed up to portray the power within the boy and his need for escape. When at his home, the camera goes from a long shot of the living room to a close up of the television that reads “supernatural occurrence at local school”. To the left of it, there is a ‘superargo’ poster which Is a vintage supernatural fan poster. The shot then changes to a mid-shot of the boy throwing stuff off his bed. After the boy has left by using his powers, the drop of the song erupts as the door smashes open by the police. Although the music Is fast-paced, the shot of the door opening is edited in slow motion, presenting the impact of the strong beat within the song. A low shot is then used facing upwards to the ceiling of the boy’s room, where two teddies’ are floating. As the boy steps out into the forest, the bridge of the song starts playing which builds a climax to the final event of this boy’s journey. At this point, the sky has turned to dusk to represent the darker stages of the story which is proven as we see a long shot of the police chasing after the boy through the woods. As the boy is caught, a mid shot is used to show he has fallen and is now trapped by the police. At this moment, the head lights of the car near him turn on which represents the light of the boy’s powers and allows the audience to see the actions occurring. Close ups of the police men’s faces emphasise the stress and fear due to the situation. In the final moments, the boy returns to his original crouching position which was performed at the start of the video, showing a cyclical theme. From a long shot a bright light then follows from the boy and causes the police men to be thrown backwards in slow motion. The contrast of the bright light to the surrounding dark atmosphere creates brilliance for the boy with the power and encourages the audience to remember the video due to the explosive visual.

The costumes used in the video are basic, autumnal and normal to everyday people. The set is also basic and shows a national school where disaster has stuck along with an average 80’s American neighbourhood. No characters have heavy makeup or outfits. Although the basis of the video is neutral and normal, the artist behind it are glamorous, rich and well-established. They probably do not usually visit schools or even normal neighbourhoods, therefore, this representation of working-class people makes the audience feel that the rich celebrities behind the song do have an idea of normal life and the difficulties of wanting to be individual in society.

The music video takes on a narrative form, showing the journey of a supernatural boy. The main character, the boy, never breaks the fourth wall or breaks character. He is shown as vulnerable and desperate throughout. This identifies the difficulty individuals may feel when wanting to be comfortable in their own skin but society does not accept it. The artists David Guetta and Sia, may have wanted to portray this to show they support individuality and want encourage young people to be themselves without fear.