Zoella CSP Case Study

Language:
1)
Zoella (real name Zoe Sugg) is a YouTube Vlogger mainly focusing on both fashion and beauty as the topics for it which are in fact quite mainstream. She started out as a blogger which was about fashion, beauty and lifestyle tips. Zoella is famous because she is able to meet what her target audience (mostly female teens) want to see along with creating a desirable/relatable lifestyle. Zoella's YouTube channel currently has 11.5 million subscribers.

2)
Convergence is when 2 or more media forms meet in one for example, on Zoella's website you can buy her book, read her Twitter feed, see her Instagram photos & buy her beauty products.

3)
Zoella's YouTube videos are about a range of different things involving content like: life hacks; depression and anxiety; collaboration videos; hauls; tutorials; beauty, make-up and fashion; challenges; general lifestyle; Q&A.

Five Video Titles:
HUGE Summer Primark Haul
My Travel Anxiety Tips
The Questions I've Never Answered
Speech Jammer Challenge with Mark
How To: Quick & Easy Hair Styles

4)
The codes and conventions of vlogging videos involve: an introduction and personal nature which go straight to the point; looking at the camera in a close-up or medium close-up which makes it seem more intimate or like you're talking to a friend which is more informal; a home setting possibly in her loft-bedroom which her target audience may be able to relate to; costume and make-up in order to make her look more like her audience which emphasises her constructed persona; fixed camera and fast-paced jump cuts so it all looks like it's continuous; collaborations with other YouTubers which can act as intertextuality as both audiences will go to see the video; out-takes/mistakes which make her seem more human and normal rather than being in a completely different world, this also adds more comedy/humour to the video for the viewers as well; quirky background music which adds to the vibe of the video; text on screen; props; a question underpinning the post; a vlog name.

5)
Zoella uses much more informal language in her videos and almost speaks in a way that not only makes her seem childish but seemingly quite strange as well. Her make-up usually seems to make her eyes seem a bit larger which tends to be more associated with young children rather than with adults, especially of her age. She has also dyed her hair (to a colour not resembling her natural hair colour) which is arguably something more related to young people. Her costume also appears to be based on that of what young people wear being quite simple and comfy, mostly being short sleeved or long sleeved tees. The setting that she usually films in is usually just in her room/somewhere in her house but it always looks quite basic. This makes her seem more relatable to teenagers as it will seem to them as though the fact she is in such a location makes her more like them as they could also film in a similar location as well. You could say that this could encourage her young fans to make a video of their own as her whole concept almost suggests, 'you can do it too'.

Industries:
1)
Zoella makes money through: ad revenue which is mainly from the pre-roll adverts; her blog which also uses ads; product placement in which companies will pay her to showcase their product; her beauty range where she partnered with Superdrug; her novel 'Girl Online' also generated a large amount of money along with even being paid an advance; the vlog tours she does with other YouTubers also generate a large amount of income as well.

2)
A digital influencer is someone on the internet that almost advises and has an impact/effect on their viewers or followers. Zoella is considered as a digital influencer as she does advise viewers of products they should use because 'she's tried it herself'. Not only this but she also gives out recommendations, tips and tutorials where she expects her viewers to replicate her actions. Due to her publicity this is exactly the effect that she will get with her viewers imitating her style in order to seem more like her.

3)
The reason why companies want Zoella to place their various products in her videos is because previously on average Zoella would get about 22 million views a month which is a large number of people that will willingly want to use the product as well. The company will be able to expose their product to a larger audience as Zoella is/was seen as a role model to her audience and in doing so will buy it in order to replicate her actions.

4)
YouTube collaborations are so important for helping digital influencers like Zoella to grow because if both YouTubers do collab it is very likely that the subscribers for both channels will flock to watch the video they've created which will result in a much larger amount of views than she would usually get. More views means more money which can also help her to improve the content/quality of her videos along with increasing her fanbase.

5)
Zoella has moved into a more traditional media landscape in recent years by actually talking about things that reflect her age and target an audience like her. Prior to this she almost seemed to act and dress like a teenager which did give her access to a larger audience but not to one that actually corresponded to her age. Now she talks more about mental health issues and travelling along with challenges which is what we expect from her.

Audience:
1)
The target audience for Zoella's channel used to be teenagers but over the years as she has grown older her audience has grown with her making her audience more so young adults. Although Zoella's target audience did used to be teenagers she herself was not a teen, she was in fact still a young adult but almost created a fake persona that acted, dressed like and spoke like a teenager. This of course would make her feel more relatable to teenagers despite the fact that she was not one herself.

2)
Audiences are encouraged to participate/feel part of Zoella's brand by the use of her vlogs as she will often be using her products in tutorials so if her audience wants to achieve the exact same look as her they will use her brand. Additionally, she might make references to products in her brand that only people who own the product/s will understand.

3)
Zoella is an all rounder when it comes to audience pleasures in Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory. She is able to provide information through her tips, life-hacks, tutorials and advice in order to keep her audiences informed and aware of things that they may be experiencing along with acting as a guide. She also shows escapism as her vlogs are often just about her daily life in which teens can almost feel as if they are living her life rather than their own which may act as a from of relief for seem teens who may feel stressed as she also has quite a perky yet relaxed/laid-back tone. Entertainment is also displayed as her challenge videos are usually quite engaging and interesting to watch as the audience likely to want to know how it ends/who wins. There is also personal identity as teenagers who watch her videos may be able to relate to the lifestyle that was presented on her vlogs (even if that wasn't so true in real life) such as the Primark Hauls which is a place that teens are likely to shop at due to the affordable prices. Finally, personal relationships is also applicable as in her vlogs Zoella almost makes it seem as thought she is talking to a friend making it seem more personal especially as the audience is looking into her life as if they are there with her. This ought to have made the connection between them strong particularly as her audience has now grown up with her only making the bond stronger.

4)
Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory the preferred reading of Zoella is that she is acting as a role model for teenagers as she advises them and helps to make them feel as though they are not alone. She is able to strongly reach out to her audience and can encourage them to do beneficial things such as when she made her book which encouraged a lot of reading from teens.

The oppositional reading however is that the things that she herself is advising not to do is what she is practising herself. This was displayed when she spoke about social media really having a large impact how teens view themselves and yet she is encouraging her platform on social media which in turn will end up in her audience also going to social media to see her contact. Additionally, her whole image seems like a fake persona that she herself has created in order to attract the largest possible audience that use platforms like YouTube and Instagram - teens.

5)
Zoella has been criticised for many things due to her actions in previous years and even now one of which was for filming whilst she was driving in 2014. In 2017 she was also selling 12-door advent calendars which were being sold for £50 even though the contents could have been bought for about £20, due to this she was criticised for her calendars being both 'over-priced' and 'poor quality'. Also in 2017, some people looked through Zoella's old social media posts from 2009-2012 where she mocked gay people and 'chavs' she then issued an apology claiming she didn't mean to offend anyone. Generally, vloggers have also been under fire as they are now advertising products that may not even work or that they haven't even tried themselves just for the money that the brand for that product will give them which in turn only ends up misleading young people. Zoella has also been criticised for making looking feminine and pretty which makes her seem like a poor role model as she is almost pressuring young girls. Finally, she has been criticised for using a 'ghost writer' for her novel, 'Girl Online' which really drives away from her image as a role model to young people.

Representation:
1)
In my opinion, although Zoella has really encouraged women to know that they can be successful and has advised young girls I don't think that she is a positive role model for young women. Zoella has displayed blatant hypocrisy on multiple occasions as she says that young women shouldn't focus on their appearance and yet that is what her whole channel is based on. Additionally, Zoella has lied and cheated her audiences for example with her novel 'Girl Online' and her 12 door calendar. Some of the products used in her videos also seem as though they have only been advertised due to the company paying her which means that she is having  a negative influence as she is encouraging her young viewers to buy the products.

2)
The representations of women by Zoella are both positive and negative representation. A positive representation is that she has shown that women can make a business on their own from scratch without the help of a man enforcing independence and ability. In 2015 Zoella was named Most Inspirational Woman of the Decade also suggesting and empowering other women who need the success of another woman as a sort of support for their rise to success.  However, she also provides a negative representation as it could be argued that in order for her to have become successful she had to do something that was more focused on her appearance rather than her talents even being named the 34th Sexiest Woman in the world by FHM magazine.

3)
The representation of celebrity by Zoella has really changed from the traditional music or TV stars as she has shown that even by being a YouTube celebrity you can gain the same amount of publicity and maybe even more. She has made celebrities seem more down to earth and much more relatable to us which is almost more appealing to audiences now. Despite this, I still believe that self-made YouTube celebrities are on equal level (possibly less) in terms of both authenticity and positivity.

4)
I believe that the Zoe Sugg's whole character of Zoella is merely a fake depiction of herself in order to attract the target audience which uses the platforms that she put her content out on. Due to this, despite her age she makes herself look younger than she actually is along with speaking in a different manner that you would expect more from teens. This constructed persona does succeed in selling products but it does make us question who the real Zoe Sugg actually is and if we will ever see past this persona.

5)
It could completely be the case that Zoella turns back into Zoe Sugg once the camera turns off returning to her normal life. Her role as 'Zoella' almost seems like a job rather than her herself meaning that in reality she does act more like someone of her age rather than trying to be a teenager.

Things to change in Coursework

Allow the music to continue playing even when Kanye walks in and say what's that smell. Accepted.
Re-film all scenes that are in front of the yellow sign, hand wash and bench to make it look more professional. Accepted.
Make it shorter. Accepted.
Music change?? Joseph Joestar's Theme Overdrive OST  Rejected.
Film a scene of Kanye actually catching the body spray as a extreme close up. Accepted.
Pack shot of feet moving out of focus with focus on the body spray in front. Accepted.
Make dancing scenes much faster with more cuts and camera movement to make it more interesting. Accepted.

Feedback:
Dancing shots need movement + pace to editing.

Skip to 2:00 ~ Dancing reference

Add a voiceover, one voice saying Fragrare and then whole cast saying 'Let your fragrance dance'.
Add hashtag
More professional text for the title and slogan
Film in front of the mirror put it at an angle to avoid camera showing up in the mirror
Completely clean up the ending
Work on volume for both speech and music
Get Lemmy to send a recording of him saying, 'No, my bus!' then edit it in when he misses it.

Kim Kardashian Hollywood CSP Case Study

Language:

1)
The objective when playing the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game is to work your way up the celebrity scale from Z-List to A-List. There will be a number of opportunities to gain fans, date famous celebrities and get attention in order to get closer to the higher end of the A-List.

2)
An A-List celebrity is determined by your ranking on the Top Stars List in Hollywood. This list is then split into six different positions, Unlisted being the lowest possible rank and A-List being the highest possible rank.

3)
You can download the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game by searching for it on either the App Store (Apple) or the Google Play Store (Android) and then selecting the download option.

4)
The narrative of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is to interact with a range of different fictional and real characters and around many of the world's most prestige places around the world and famous locations. There are also collectables and missions that will allow you to develop the status of the customisable characters. The game is mainly set in the United States.

5)
In Kim Kardashian: Hollywood you play as the avatar that you create in other words yourself. You have the option to customise your character in any way you like to make the avatar look exactly like you or completely different as the power is in the players hands. Other characters that do appear are NPC's which are essentially all characters that aren't you meaning the celebrities,

Audience:
1)
The intended audience for the Kim Kardashian Hollywood game is probably for about 14-32 year old females due to the fact that it did specify in its description that it was not suitable for those who are not of age to have social media. Despite this, it is quite known to both the public and most likely the game itself that people below the age required use social media meaning that they still expect younger people to play it. Therefore, all though they publicly intended it to be aimed at this age bracket the actual age bracket is likely to start from at least 10 years old. 

2)
The audience pleasures provided by the game involve Relationships as you will be able to relate with your character as it is supposed to be a depiction of yourself along with being able to have a relationship with Kim Kardashian and her friends through the game. There is also Diversion as you are escaping into a completely different celebrity lifestyle with wealth and success which is probably completely different to your lifestyle. The levels and missions will also make you want to keep playing the game as you will be completely absorbed into the world instead of your own world. 

3)
The game is so addictive for audiences as it is constantly giving them a way to interact and feel involved with celebrities that they may like giving them more reason to play it. Additionally, the passing of the levels as you progress through the game will result in a greater amount of accomplishment you'll feel once you've completed the level. Finally, the fact that you can speed up timed tasks by being interactive in the game will cause the player to do other tasks in order to speed up the process.

4)
James Liu thinks that Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is so successful because of the overall aesthetic design of the game partnered with the features and brands involved in the game. It also caters to a very specific type of gamers with it being a mobile game rather than on a gaming console.

5)
James Liu suggested that the reason why players keep coming back to the game is because players get notifications that will act as reminders to return to the game. This ensures that they won't forget about it and will also urge them to keep playing the game. 

Representation:
1)
The representation of women that can be found in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is that the only way for them to be successful is for them to focus on modelling, dating and their appearance. This is emphasised by the fact that in order your way up to being an A-List celebrity you constantly have to charm men in order to use their fame to make you successful. Doing modelling is also able to increase your popularity along with your appearance/clothing decisions. In the advert for the game the dress being worn by the avatar was quite revealing almost suggesting that the game is objectifying women.

2)
In the game when creating your avatar there are a variety of different skin colours and hair types which is really involving for people of all different kinds of races and ethnicities. This range can also allow you to actually make the avatar look just like you rather than for it to look like a completely different person. Additionally, in the game there aren't just heterosexual couples but also homosexual couples as well which is a great addition to the game to allow more people to feel involved and represented in the industry. 

3)
The game reinforces stereotypes that women aren't able to do things without the assistance of a man as flirting and charming them acts as a way to boost your popularity. The stereotype of women having to look good is also reinforced in the game as what exactly you choose to wear can also have an impact on your popularity. The stereotype of only white women with blonde hair and blue eyes being the only people represented in the beauty industry has also been subverted as you can choose what skin colour you are. Finally, the stereotype of women not being able to be successful at all has been subverted as if you choose a female avatar you can end up working your way up to become a successful celebrity.

4)
Regarding modern perceptions and how to get famous, the game suggests that you don't even need to have a particular talent in order to become famous. Simply by having a family member that is famous can easily make you famous as well along with publicity for something that doesn't involve anything special either. This suggests that now you don't have to do much in order to become famous now whereas before you actually became famous for something that could set you apart from other people.

5)
Someone might criticise the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood as it almost discredits celebrities that have actually worked exceedingly hard to become who they are today using their own talent and effort. Kim Kardashian: Hollywood makes light of this as it is suggesting that just by flirting, dressing nice and attending parties you can be famous. This suggests that you don't have to do much to become a celebrity which isn't the case at all however now it seems that some celebrities are simply 'famous for being famous'.

Industries:
1)
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is free to download on either the Google Play Store or the App Store however there are in-app purchases. You aren't required to pay the in-app purchases to play the game but there are a lot of benefits that come with it if you do decide to pay for it.

2)
The game makes money through the in-app purchases that the players make in order to have access to these benefits that can allow for easier playing.

3)
The subscriptions available to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood include the Bronze, Silver and Gold subscriptions. The Bronze subscription is about £4.99, the Silver subscription is about £19.99 and the Gold subscription is about £49.99. The more money you pay for the subscription the more benefits you will be given access to.

4)
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood was marketed in a way that made the audience feel as though Kim Kardashian was just a normal friend in their every day life. This was successfully delivered in the official TV advert where it was all filmed from our point of view to first of all make it seem as though we are experiencing this first hand. This is then supported by the video call that is appeared to take place with the audience and Kim Kardashian emphasising the friendship between you.

5)
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood used Media convergence by referencing and promoting the game on social media and on the TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians in order to make audiences much more aware of the game.

Lara Croft Go CSP Case Study

Language:
1)
Lara Croft was the first featuring female character to ever be a protagonist on a computer game which was Tomb Raider during the year 1996 on the Eidos Playstation.

2)
The creation of the Tomb Raider Games was influenced by the classic film Indiana Jones while the character of Lara Croft herself was influenced by the daughter of a Lord who later became a famous archaeologist and was called Lara Croft. These aspects eventually helped to put together the game involving the aim to complete missions through the varying settings of tombs and jungles.

3)
Despite first featuring in a video game the franchise has grown immensely from when it first launched as it has now had a film remake of the game in recent years staring Angelina Jolie even appearing on magazine covers even more so than any supermodel. There have also been merchandise, comic-books and spin-offs featuring Lara Croft emphasising just how much of an impact she has on the gaming community.

4)
You can play Lara Croft Go on both Android and Apple devices by downloading it from either the App Store or the Google Play Store.

5)
Lara Croft Go is a turn-based puzzle centred game involving both action and adventure. These aspects are displayed when the player has to make calculated moves in order to avoid enemies or traps which may end up killing you.

6)
Lara Croft Go uses narrative to act as a form of diversion as the player will be focused on discovering relics which will only make the player more determined to finish the game. Exploring the ruins of an ancient civilisation while fighting enemies also provide visceral pleasure as the player probably hasn't experienced this in real life. This will cause them to feel excitement towards the game and the constant tension throughout the game as they're playing it.

7)
In Lara Croft Go there are trees, vines, cliffs, caves and rocks. All of these easily allow the audience to interpret that it is some kind of jungle setting and some may be able to tell that it is in fact the Amazon Jungle. This can help the audience to know that there could be a lot of enemies mostly in the form of animals as that is their natural habitat making them aware of these aspects of the game.

8)
In the game Lara Croft Go, Lara Croft comes across quite a lot of enemies such as Lizards, Snakes and Spiders while the main villain is the Queen of Venom.

9)
The setting for Lara Croft Go is the Amazon Jungle mainly inside the caves and at cliffs in order for the player to feel some thrill when playing the game. This is quite different from the far away island locations in the previous Tomb Raider games. This makes it seem much more adventurous and exciting for the player.

10)
Over the last 20 years Lara Croft has become a more respectable and influential character in the gaming community leading the example that having a female heroine can be done well. Lara Croft was able to inspire many people encouraging many females to take control. When Lara Croft was first created she was heavily sexualised with a body that did not fit realistic human proportions and clothes that certainly did not fit her mission of finding relics these are some of the reasons why her character was antagonised. As the game continued to adapt her figure became much less sexualised and believable with clothing that was actually appropriate to her mission.

Representation:
1)
In video games, women are usually represented as having overly sexualised bodies with only little clothing. being either the love interest or support of the main character. It is also suggested that in order to have a successful female protagonist they must still display typical male stereotypes. 

2)

The character of Lara Croft reinforces stereotypes of females in the media as her features were extremely exaggerated in the first versions of the game. She was also scantily clad which does suggest that they were really aiming the game towards male audiences rather than female audiences. She also displays features that would be 'ideal' to a mean making her an attractive and desirable game character. 

3)

The character of Lara Croft also subverts female stereotypes in the media as although she is an empowering female heroine in order to do so she must display male stereotypes. This suggests that in order to have a powerful female character they must still be identified with the stereotypes of a man. Lara Croft was able to have such an impact on the gaming industry as she really gave women in the gaming community a sense of belief that they too could be influential and do what they wanted.

4)

Some people believe that the video games industry is sexist and needs to change due to the rise of 'Gamer Gate' which started discrimination against females in the gaming community. The fact that death threats were being made to females in the industry and community definitely means that something has to be rectified in order for not only men but females to be equal in the community. 

5)

I think that when Lara Croft was first created she was merely an objectified woman but over the years I believe that she has changed into an empowering feminist icon. To the creators she may have been objectified (in the early stages) but to especially the females in the gaming community she must have been an idol who really gave them hope. Now this has thoroughly been carried on to the Lara Croft now, showing not only the change of Lara Croft but part of the change in the gaming community and industry as well. 

Industries:

1)
PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information.

2)

PEGI is a European video game rating system whose job is to help consumers make informed decisions when purchasing video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors. This is especially useful for parents with children who want a certain game as they can easily tell the contents of the game and whether or not it is suitable for their child to play.

3)
The original Tomb Raider games were created by the British gaming company Core Design which was then bought by Eidos Interactive which was then bought by Square Enix. This makes Square Enix the creator of Lara Croft Go.

4)
Lara Croft Go was the result of a combination between the popular Tomb Raider game franchise and the Hitman Go mobile game. By using Tomb Raider they were already given a well known character that was instantly recognisable for consumers and by mixing it with the successful puzzle based aspect of Hitman Go they were able to create a successful plan for success.

5)
In the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise along with the video games there have also been movie adaptions, comic books, spin offs, advertising campaigns and merchandise all based on the original Tomb Raider game.

Audience:
1)
An audience may enjoy playing Lara Croft Go due to all the nostalgia that the character of Lara Croft brings to players who may have played the original Tomb Raider games. Additionally, the visceral pleasure that the audience will feel during engaging bits of the game are sure to provide some thrill/excitement for them.

2)
An audience may play Lara Croft Go when they are waiting for something or just relaxing so in places such as: a bus stop; a train; a bus; a train station; in bed; on the sofa. These are places where the audience may feel bored and so in order to keep themselves occupied they may decide to play the game that can be opened quickly as it is a mobile app and doesn't require you to play a long game so you can leave it where you left it off.

3)
Square Enix decided to design Lara Croft as fully animated using her design in the first Tomb Raider games as a reference for her completely animated design in Lara Croft Go. These animated features were able to polish off the game and make it look much more appealing.

4)
Of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory I believe that both Diversion and Personal Relationships have been incorporated. For Diversion, there is a completely different location that we may not have seen in real life before along with enemies and puzzles we wouldn't have the chance to encounter in real life. For Personal Relationships, the fact that Lara Croft is in it will make players of the previous Tomb Raider games almost feel as though they are well acquainted with her already which will in turn almost further develop the relationship he they have with Lara Croft.

5)
The target audience for Lara Croft Go is probably for ages 10-30 as this can not only engage the minds of young people but also for older people who may be on their way to work and might want to play the game. Additionally, loyal players of Tomb Raider who may be older are quite likely to still play Lara Croft God despite their age in order to feel the nostalgia they may have felt when they first played the game.

A Brief History of Videogames

1)
The first video games were rather basic as they were lacking in colour, interactivity and communication as shown with Pong. Although they may have been fun it might have been very easy to get tired/bored of the games as there was only one thing you can do without having different modes.

2)
Over time, video games have completely changed from only having monochrome/bichrome games and being singleplayer to offering games with a huge range of colours along with multiplayer & team player games. Additionally, games used to only involve one mode that you can play on but now you can play with time trials or any other setting as seen in games such as Fruit Ninja. The graphics of games have also greatly improved from being pixelated to now looking more realistic and film like.

3)
I think that the most successful video games require you to think logically in order to level up or to go further into the narrative that may have been set up for the sake of the game. These are the games that makes players more invested and more willing to continue playing for the Personal Relationships they have built with the characters but also for the Visceral Pleasure after winning a level or completing a quest. People naturally like to win things as it makes them feel successful and accomplished which is what videogames can constantly offer for the player.

4)
People have criticised video games for being to violent which only causes a rise in crime that is committed in real life as people are replicating these actions. Others think that videogames are addictive and due to this addictive nature can lead to people becoming NEETs and in even worse cases can result in excessive gambling which can in turn ruin their lives. Additionally, it is said that this can distract students from their school work as they are too busy playing games to revise and do their homework. Some also worry that some do not leave their homes as they are gaming at all times.



1)
There are more than 200 million Fortnite players worldwide most of which are likely to be children.

2)
The reason why Fortnite is so popular is not only because it is free but also as it is fun, silly and humorous which is exactly what appeals to young children. Additionally, the cartoon-like graphics and ridiculous costumes and items make it seem more interactive for kids as they can provide the characters with these costumes making it appeal even more to the popular. Finally, the viral dances involved in Fortnite make it fun to watch and play as one can even replicate the dances done themselves. With all these aspects it is not surprising that Fortnite would be so popular.

3)
Some people may criticise Fortnite for not monitoring chats that may be occurring between players as due to the fact that it is known that mainly young people use Fortnite they are targets for scammers as they offer the in game currency, V-Bucks in exchange for the credit card numbers of their parents. Additionally, some children ado actually play a lot more than they actually should which can not only lead to addiction but can affect the development of their eyes from looking at such a bright screen for hours straight.

4)
Some criticisms that have been made to video games is that young people are becoming addicted along with becoming influenced by the violence from the games.