In Class

Today in our theory lesson we got into groups and were each given a task. Ours was to devise a presentation with no speaking, a totally technology based unsual presentation with interactive ideas explaining Web 2.0.

We decided to try a very simple flick book with important Web 2.0 words on it.

Here it is;

Theory - Post Modern Media

Post modernists claim that we live in a world which is saturated by media, because we are immersed in media 24/7. The distinction between reality and the media representation of everything becomes blurred or even invisible. Apparently we now have no sense of real things and images of them, or real experiences and simulations of them.

Media reality is the new reality.

In the modern period artists experimented with the representation of reality. In the post modern period the idea of representation got 'remixed,' played around with through pastictile, parody and inter textual references - where the people that make texts deliberately expose their nature as constructed texts and make no attempt to pretend they are 'realest.'

Value judgements are blurred everything is down to taste. Anything can be art, deserve and audience and culture 'eats itself.' There is no longer anything new to produce or distribute.

The distinction between media and reality has collapsed and we now live in a 'reality' defined by images and representation.

Images refer to each other and represent each other as reality rather than some 'pure' reality that exsists before the image represents it.

Magazine CD advertisement - Research

Once I have decided on the image for the CD package I will devise a magazine advertisment page which links to my video and CD package. My advert will be a one page spread maybe incorporating the atcual CD. But I might just incorporate the style and design of the video to again show links between the three.

I have looked in Q magazine which has a great abstract advert for JAY-Z, the first page, which has a white background and a collection of musical equipment tightly composted in the centre in a large heep. The simple colour scheme of white, black and red is a great idea to focus the viwer in but not over power them. I am not over keen on the other page as it is extremly plain, although it does work and does capture the idea. If I was to re design this advert I would somehow incorporate the writing on the image page to create a singular page advertisment.



I am going to continue my research of magazine advertisments and find some of Lily Allen's advertisments to take inspiration from the style.

Power Point Presentation

Presentation

View more presentations from emily.

This power point presentation is what I produced to pitch to the class and teachers.

The presentation was filmed, I will add this to my blog when I am given a copy of it.

CD package - Research

I have an idea of using a image from my video as the front cover of the CD to show continuity. I will work on this when I have drawn out my animation drawings for the video and decided on the most incapturing and suitable one.

Theory - Representation + Sterotypes

Stereotypes have been made to group people together to make events and issues more digestible to audiences. Rather than texts representing people as individuals media represents them in the way of some of the people in a group. Stereotyping groups from one or two individuals has its problems as it can mean people will judge people for wearing a certain types of clothing because they think they do what other people do wearing those clothes. Stereotypes in moving media are often exaggerated, and entire countries are grouped to all be good/bad at the same things. For example the Americans are patriotic.

Tessa Perkins - 1997

" Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of assumptions that can be challenged. She identifies 5 assumptions;

- There not always 'false' - Cowboys do wear hats - The question is to what extent social groups consciously adopt stereotypical signs in order to identify themselves, and to what extent the mass media amplify these social acts of communication, deliberately.

- Stereotypes can be positive to some existent Germans are efficient although there always backhanded compliments as Germans are seen to be ruthlessly efficient.

- Stereotypes can be held about ones own social group, the English have stereotypical images of themselves for example young British women drink to much

- Not always concerned with oppressed groups, celebrates are self righteous

- Not always minority groups which we have little direct experience, stereotypes of men and women, everyone has wide spread experience off

- Stereotypes can be simple and complex at the same time, Marilyn Monroe being a dumb blonde, which represents her as having a lack of intelligence

- Not rigid or unchanging, stereotypes change and evolve as they are based around struggles and power which changes over time.

- people don't believe or disbelieve in stereotypes they can 'work' for us to communicate without necessarily agreeing with them.

- Stereotypes don't always influence are behaviour and attitudes, it is possible to 'hold' a stereotype without believing in it. The reaction of the viewer will depend on the complex set of social, historical and individual experience.

Everyone stereotypes even if they don't mean to, especial in media every character is a stereotype to a certain existent. My stereotype is a girl who is in fear of her future, Lily Allen. Stereotypes mean that audiences can relate to text so it is not always a bad thing.

Leon Festinger

Festinger has a theory of 'cognitive dissonance' argued that we resist adjusting out attitudes unless faced with overwhelming evidence against it. Believed that we seek out confirmation of out thoughts/beliefs.

Theory - The Royal Tenembaums

In lesson we watched the opening to the film The Royal Tenembaums, we anaylisised the text and looked at the siblings using two of Roland Barthes codes; semantic and culture. This activity made me relise how important the codes are and who much time and effort is taken into the appearences of characters. So that the director portrays their character correctly to get the right message across.

I will have to think very careful about what colours and images I use to get the right message across. I have already decided to use the sweet pastel colour that are used in the offical music video of The Fear by Lily Allen as this shows a link between the two. Once I have experimented with images and use of colour I will analysis my work taking the codes into consideration, especially the semantic code.