A beginners’ guide to...Laura Mulvey
Theorists: a beginners’ guide to... Laura Mulvey Lucy Scott-Galloway, MediaMagazine 21, September 2007, Film special, New online September 2008, Representation, Gender, Feminist, Film theory
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
#12 - Article - The rise and rise of UGC
Key points from the article "Is reality becoming more real? The rise and rise of UGC"
Now new technologies mean that the audience are no longer passive receivers of news.
We are in the era of user generated content (UGC) where the old divide between institution and audience is being eroded.
Key to this change has been the development of new technologies such as video phones and the growth of the internet and user-dominated sites.
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
This was one of the first examples of the news being generated by ‘ordinary people,’ now commonly known as ‘citizen journalists’, ‘grassroots journalists’, or even ‘accidental journalists’.
Most news organisations include formats for participation: message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled.
The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was another turning point for UGC. Much of the early footage of events was provided from citizen journalists, or ‘accidental journalists,’ providing on-the-spot witness accounts of events as they unfolded.
A second terrible event, the London bombings on July 5th 2005, provided another opportunity for citizen journalists to influence the mainstream news agenda. No one was closer to events than those caught up in the bombings, and the footage they provided from their mobile phones was raw and uncompromising.
23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho, an undergraduate at Virginia Tech. Between his first attack, when he shot two people, going on to kill a further 30 people. Rather than concentrate on saving his own life, Jamal Albarghouti recorded events from his position lying on the ground near the firing. The footage, available on YouTube and CNN brought events home to a worldwide audience.
Twitter and flickr came to the forefront during the Mumbai bombings in India in late November 2008.
You can send in as much UGC to the major news organisations as you want, with no guarantee that any of it will ever be aired. The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
The change in the landscape of the news means that groups who had little access to self-representation before, such as youth groups, low income groups, and various minority groups may, through citizen journalism, begin to find that they too have a voice.
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’
Now new technologies mean that the audience are no longer passive receivers of news.
We are in the era of user generated content (UGC) where the old divide between institution and audience is being eroded.
Key to this change has been the development of new technologies such as video phones and the growth of the internet and user-dominated sites.
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
This was one of the first examples of the news being generated by ‘ordinary people,’ now commonly known as ‘citizen journalists’, ‘grassroots journalists’, or even ‘accidental journalists’.
Most news organisations include formats for participation: message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled.
The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was another turning point for UGC. Much of the early footage of events was provided from citizen journalists, or ‘accidental journalists,’ providing on-the-spot witness accounts of events as they unfolded.
A second terrible event, the London bombings on July 5th 2005, provided another opportunity for citizen journalists to influence the mainstream news agenda. No one was closer to events than those caught up in the bombings, and the footage they provided from their mobile phones was raw and uncompromising.
23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho, an undergraduate at Virginia Tech. Between his first attack, when he shot two people, going on to kill a further 30 people. Rather than concentrate on saving his own life, Jamal Albarghouti recorded events from his position lying on the ground near the firing. The footage, available on YouTube and CNN brought events home to a worldwide audience.
Twitter and flickr came to the forefront during the Mumbai bombings in India in late November 2008.
You can send in as much UGC to the major news organisations as you want, with no guarantee that any of it will ever be aired. The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
The change in the landscape of the news means that groups who had little access to self-representation before, such as youth groups, low income groups, and various minority groups may, through citizen journalism, begin to find that they too have a voice.
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’
#11 Post - UGC
1. What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
Citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory", "democratic", "guerrilla"[2] or "street journalism" is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information".
2. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers who were recorded as racist for brutally beating a black man. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
3. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
4. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
First hand footage could be perceived in the wrong context and may set off a problem for the public. Professionally shot footage is a lot clearer and can be viewed easily.
5. What is a gatekeeper?
In journalism, gate keeping is the process through which ideas and information are filtered for publication. The internal decision making process of relaying or withholding information from the media to the masses. The theory was first instituted by social psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1947.
6. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
It has profound implications for professional content creators of all types.
http://pegmulligan.com/2010/07/26/content-strategy-and-technical-communication-by-sarah-okeefe/
7. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’ Some believe that the mediators and moderators might eventually disappear too, leaving a world where the media is, finally, unmediated. This does raise concerns however. Without moderation sites could be overrun by bigots or fools, by those who shout loudest, and those who have little else to do but make posts.
Citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory", "democratic", "guerrilla"[2] or "street journalism" is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information".
2. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
1991 - Video cameras had become more common and more people could afford them…unfortunately for four Los Angeles police officers who were recorded as racist for brutally beating a black man. King’s beating would be just another hidden incident with no consequences.
3. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
The blogosphere, for example, provides an opportunity for independent, often minority and niche views and news to reach a wide audience.
4. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
First hand footage could be perceived in the wrong context and may set off a problem for the public. Professionally shot footage is a lot clearer and can be viewed easily.
5. What is a gatekeeper?
In journalism, gate keeping is the process through which ideas and information are filtered for publication. The internal decision making process of relaying or withholding information from the media to the masses. The theory was first instituted by social psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1947.
6. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
It has profound implications for professional content creators of all types.
http://pegmulligan.com/2010/07/26/content-strategy-and-technical-communication-by-sarah-okeefe/
7. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
It is likely that in future there will be fewer and fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations, leaving a smaller core staff who will manage and process UGC from citizen journalists, sometimes known as ‘crowd sourcing.’ Some believe that the mediators and moderators might eventually disappear too, leaving a world where the media is, finally, unmediated. This does raise concerns however. Without moderation sites could be overrun by bigots or fools, by those who shout loudest, and those who have little else to do but make posts.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
#10 - Carol Clover - "Final Girl"
The "final girl" is a horror film (particularly slasher film) trope that specifically refers to the last woman or girl alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story. The final girl has been observed in dozens of films, including Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Hellraiser, Alien, and Scream. The term was coined by Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Clover suggests that in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.
According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, narcotic usage, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the "investigating consciousness" of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence, curiosity, and vigilance.
During the final girl’s confrontation with the killer, Clover argues, she becomes masculinized through "phallic appropriation" by taking up a weapon, such as a knife or chainsaw, against the killer. Conversely, Clover points out that the villain of slasher films is often a male whose masculinity, and sexuality more generally, are in crisis. Examples would include Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Clover points to this gender fluidity as demonstrating the impact of feminism in popular culture. The phenomenon of the male audience having to identify with a young female character in an ostensibly male-oriented genre, usually associated with sadistic voyeurism, raises interesting questions about the nature of slasher films and their relationship with feminism. Clover argues that for a film to be successful, although the Final Girl is masculinized, it is necessary for this surviving character to be female, because she must experience abject terror, and many viewers would reject a film that showed abject terror on the part of a male. The terror has a purpose, in that the female is 'purged' if she survives, of undesirable characteristics, such as relentless pursuit of pleasure in her own right. An interesting feature of the genre is the 'punishment' of beauty and sexual availability.
According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, narcotic usage, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the "investigating consciousness" of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence, curiosity, and vigilance.
During the final girl’s confrontation with the killer, Clover argues, she becomes masculinized through "phallic appropriation" by taking up a weapon, such as a knife or chainsaw, against the killer. Conversely, Clover points out that the villain of slasher films is often a male whose masculinity, and sexuality more generally, are in crisis. Examples would include Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Clover points to this gender fluidity as demonstrating the impact of feminism in popular culture. The phenomenon of the male audience having to identify with a young female character in an ostensibly male-oriented genre, usually associated with sadistic voyeurism, raises interesting questions about the nature of slasher films and their relationship with feminism. Clover argues that for a film to be successful, although the Final Girl is masculinized, it is necessary for this surviving character to be female, because she must experience abject terror, and many viewers would reject a film that showed abject terror on the part of a male. The terror has a purpose, in that the female is 'purged' if she survives, of undesirable characteristics, such as relentless pursuit of pleasure in her own right. An interesting feature of the genre is the 'punishment' of beauty and sexual availability.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
#8 - Media Conference
1. Perfecting your Production work
Research
Look at examples
codes and conventions
Media Magazine
Target audiences
Institutions
Planning
Plan for what can go wrong
Record all planning
Show process of planning
Blogging Evidence
Storyboard
Script
Ideas/ Feedback
At every stage take feedback to improve
Logistics
People, place, props, costume
Rehearse and prepare
Share contact details
2. Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class”. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare.
Also another thing he talked about was that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the more academic subjects.
3.Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor
Julian McDougall argues that Media 2.0 is a more interactive form of emedia where people express themselves thorugh social netowrking sites, download songs from..thus leading to the end of traditional methods of doing things the longer the way.
Research
Look at examples
codes and conventions
Media Magazine
Target audiences
Institutions
Planning
Plan for what can go wrong
Record all planning
Show process of planning
Blogging Evidence
Storyboard
Script
Ideas/ Feedback
At every stage take feedback to improve
Logistics
People, place, props, costume
Rehearse and prepare
Share contact details
2. Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class”. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare.
Also another thing he talked about was that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the more academic subjects.
3.Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor
Julian McDougall argues that Media 2.0 is a more interactive form of emedia where people express themselves thorugh social netowrking sites, download songs from..thus leading to the end of traditional methods of doing things the longer the way.
Monday, 1 November 2010
#7 - Alternative Representations in Hip Hop
Ciara - Like a Boy
Within the area of Hip Hop the representation constructed of females and their sexuality is mostly controlled by males, but recently there can be a sighting of a strong movement by strong female Hip Hop artists to reclaim and transform this representation therefore removing the female stereotype and creating a strong, independent woman.
In this essay I will be discussing the alternative representation Ciara portrays in her music video “Like a Boy”. The name of this song instantly allows the audience to understand the song is a play on gender roles and could include some switch in male and female positions.
At the beginning of the music video we hear Ciara starting the song with "Ladies, I think it’s time to switch the roles" this emphasises the song title and begins to convey her message across. We then see a close up shot of Ciara’s hands and arms which have tattoos all over them and wears very big, manly rings. Also in the second shot we have Ciara sitting in a throne like chair which could connote her strenght and power. Her slouch and posture definatly contrasts with a way a woman is supposed to sit which makes her look quite like a man.
Her clothing is the complete opposite to what a woman normally wears as we see Ciara wearing baggy jeans, a vest top and a hat. Her accessories consist of chunky chains and rings to bring out the masculinity she is trying to convey. This begins to highlight Ciara's masculine approach and alters the stereotypical gender roles women usually have in hip hop videos.
We also see Ciara circling a man who is at a lower level than her. This could imply she has a greater power than him and is at a higher rank than him, acknowleding women are the greater sex in this video. The close ups of her talking in his ear and her angry facial expressions also suggest this and show that the man is weak and helpless. Ciara also spells her name in a bold sort of manner "C.I.A.R.A". This emphasises her status.
There is a shot of Ciara holding the crotch area, this plays around with gender roles as men are usually seen to do this to show their power. Ciara's clothing is very man-ish even when shes wearing a suit, she looks exactly like a man and dances like one. Her stick used could be seen as a phalic symbol to highlight the manhood of this video. Ciara's dance moves are also quite masculine.
Within the area of Hip Hop the representation constructed of females and their sexuality is mostly controlled by males, but recently there can be a sighting of a strong movement by strong female Hip Hop artists to reclaim and transform this representation therefore removing the female stereotype and creating a strong, independent woman.
In this essay I will be discussing the alternative representation Ciara portrays in her music video “Like a Boy”. The name of this song instantly allows the audience to understand the song is a play on gender roles and could include some switch in male and female positions.
At the beginning of the music video we hear Ciara starting the song with "Ladies, I think it’s time to switch the roles" this emphasises the song title and begins to convey her message across. We then see a close up shot of Ciara’s hands and arms which have tattoos all over them and wears very big, manly rings. Also in the second shot we have Ciara sitting in a throne like chair which could connote her strenght and power. Her slouch and posture definatly contrasts with a way a woman is supposed to sit which makes her look quite like a man.
Her clothing is the complete opposite to what a woman normally wears as we see Ciara wearing baggy jeans, a vest top and a hat. Her accessories consist of chunky chains and rings to bring out the masculinity she is trying to convey. This begins to highlight Ciara's masculine approach and alters the stereotypical gender roles women usually have in hip hop videos.
We also see Ciara circling a man who is at a lower level than her. This could imply she has a greater power than him and is at a higher rank than him, acknowleding women are the greater sex in this video. The close ups of her talking in his ear and her angry facial expressions also suggest this and show that the man is weak and helpless. Ciara also spells her name in a bold sort of manner "C.I.A.R.A". This emphasises her status.
There is a shot of Ciara holding the crotch area, this plays around with gender roles as men are usually seen to do this to show their power. Ciara's clothing is very man-ish even when shes wearing a suit, she looks exactly like a man and dances like one. Her stick used could be seen as a phalic symbol to highlight the manhood of this video. Ciara's dance moves are also quite masculine.
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