End of Year 1: Learner Response

GCSE Media Studies Year 1: Learner Response

1)

I am relatively pleased with my End of Year 1 exam results.

2)

I am quite happy with the fact that I got a Grade 7 in the first paper but am a bit disappointed that my Grade was brought down by my second paper. Despite this, I thought it went very well and I am alright with what I got.

3)

I feel that my strongest topic areas from what we've studied so far are Magazines and Advertisements as I achieved relatively high marks on questions involving these topics. I feel that my weakest topic areas from what we've studied so far are select parts of TV such as the social and cultural aspects of it which is a question I struggled with quite a bit.

4)

In the next set of mock exams in November/December I will make sure to polish my exam techniques and work more on my timing which prevents me from writing the required amount of paragraphs I need for a higher grade. I will also make sure that I really look into social and cultural context in order to get a better understanding of what the question is actually asking me.

5)

The grade I hope to achieve in GCSE Media Studies this time next year is a Grade 8 to 9 considering the fact that I was able to get a Grade 7 in paper 1.

Radio 1 Launch Case Study CSP

Historical, Social and Cultural Context

1)
The Radio stations that were offered by the BBC before 1967 were: BBC Radio Home which then became Radio 4; BBC Third which then became Radio 3; BBC Radio Light which then became Radio 1 (pop music) and Radio 2 (easy listening music entertainment).

2)
The BBC realised that the content that their audiences were paying the license fee for wasn't actually appealing to everyone. Younger people found that there was not enough content for them which led to them looking to things such as pirate radio which did appeal to them. In order to counter this and prevent it from getting any bigger the BBC decided to reorganise and rename their channels. BBC Radio 1 offers continuous 'popular' while BBC Radio 2 provides for 'easy listening'. BBC Radio 3 offers classical music and cultural programming whereas BBC Radio offers news and non-musical content like quiz shows, readings, dramas and plays.

3)
Due to the changing attitudes of young people towards music and youth culture in the early 1960s pop music was becoming more relaxed meaning that the need for a new radio outlet was imperative for a less formal presentation style which the BBC could not offer. This is how pirate radio stations came about as they could produce shows for young people however it was also beyond the control of regulators. After Needle Time was introduced it meant that only 5 hours of music could be played per day though this restriction could not be imposed on them because the law was difficult to apply off shore which only made pirate radio more popular with young people than the BBC.

4)
Pirate radio stopped broadcasting in 1967 as the Marine Broadcasting offences Act officially outlawed pirate radio stations. The Government had closed the legal loopholes that allowed pirate radio stations to broadcast music past the Needle Time. 

5)
After pirate radio stations were closed down the 10-15 million British audiences they had didn't have a choice but to listen to BBC Radio 1 if they wanted to listen to pop music. Due to the fact that the pirate radio stations did close down BBC Radio 1 employed many of them which brought their loyal listeners along with them. Commercial radio wasn't out yet and so the BBC didn't have any competition either.

6)
Needle Time was introduced out of fear from the Government as they thought the amount of music being played on radios was going to lead to no one buying records anymore. Due to this, they decided to restrict the amount of music played by the BBC per day to 5 hours this was a huge problem for the BBC as they were already losing popularity to pirate radio stations. This new restriction made them lose even more popularity which was detrimental to the BBC. 

7)

BBC Radio 1 offered content that was actually tailored to younger audiences and what they wanted to hear which was very different to the previous BBC Radio stations which were more focused on the enjoyment of the older audiences.

8)
The first presenter for BBC Radio 1 was Tony Blackburn these new Radio 1 DJs caused upset at the traditional BBC as it completely went against the traditional conservative values that the BBC stood for.

9)
Upon listening to the excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 I think that his way of speaking was quite informal and comical much like what you would expect from younger people at the time which may have in turn appealed to some young listeners.

10)
Tony Blackburn's radio show borrowed the informality that was more associated with pirate radios which was completely different to previous BBC Radio content.

Audience and Industry

1)
The target audience of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 was 15-29 years old. However, the people that actually listened to it were far older than what the BBC had initially anticipated. 

2)
BBC Radio 1 initially struggled to attract young listeners due to the fact that generally the DJs that were broadcasting were actually far older than the young people they wanted to attract. Additionally, the fact that the BBC was associated with its conservative values and having a majority of the content targeted at older people the idea of a radio station targeted at young people might have been seen as quite mediocre.

3)
In 1967 Radio 1 offered listeners: Information through the news summary and weather forecast that was given at the start of the broadcasts along with the end; Entertainment through the liveliness of the broadcasters and the pop music being played; Relationships after listening to the same broadcaster multiple times especially when they speak informally allows for listeners to build a greater connection with the broadcasters.

4)
The BBC is funded by the mandatory license fee that you are required to pay when owning a television in the 1960s it was about £4 but across the years it has now increased to a large amount of £154.50.

5)
Applying Stuart Hall's reception theory I believe that the preferred reading of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 was that the BBC was finally making an effort to provide content that actually appealed to those who were paying the license fee. Additionally, the fact the the BBC was now something that stretched out to a wider age group and catered to the needs of young people was quite a big improvement.

The oppositional reading of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 however was that although the BBC was trying to target young people it was still attracting older people and not exactly providing what younger people wanted to hear. 

TV: Class - Co-owner of A Lonely Heart Case Study CSP

Language and Close-Textual Analysis

1)

Narrative:

The Narrative of the first part of this episode, 'Co-owner of a Lonely Heart' begins with a recap of the activities that took place during the first episode. After this recap we are brought back to the current point in the story in which the shared heart between April and Corakinus seems to be having a greater impact than just hearing thoughts with even Corakinus's weapons materialising in April's hands. Later on, it appears as though the Shadow King's thoughts are taking over April completely although only for a short while as she is also gaining an immense amount of strength. We are also informed of a parent's evening in which no one really wants to attend apart from Charlie which was deemed as alien like behaviour by Tanya. Additionally, we learn that Charlie's box which was supposedly empty can in fact act as a weapon which seems as though it will be incredibly important to know for later on in the series. Not too long afterwards we are introduced to April's Dad who appears to be more important than previously anticipated. In the later parts of the episode the Shadow King takes over April once again and almost kills her Dad with Corakinus's weapon but he is able to get away before being harmed by her. We also discover that the reason for April's Mum being paralysed is April's Dad who supposedly almost killed them in a car accident. After Ram tries to comfort April he takes her home and then they have sex but they are caught in bed together by April's Mum who is disappointed in April and threatens Ram. Finally, April's Dad returns much to the surprise of April and her Mum. Upon returning he is once again attacked by April as Corakinus's thoughts are only having a greater impact on April. This sudden appearance seemed to be the final straw and so following this April went through a tear in space and time which she created in order to find Corakinus before he found her so she could get her heart back.

Characters:
The Characters that we see in the first part of the episode are April and Corakinus, in the little seen at the start we start to see that April's character is developing in a way that frightens even her. We also see that the heart is quite clearly posing as a problem for Corakinus as well as he is desperately trying to sever the bond between him and April. After this, we see the ensemble cast on the 'previously on' which gives us a simple reminder of what happened prior to this episode. Later on, we are introduced to April's Dad as we see that he makes an attempt to call her to which she ignored which increases the sense of mystery around him. We are also introduced to the New Headteacher who appears to for some reason have knowledge about everything including the background of Quill and Charlie. At this point of time it is too early to tell whether or not she is an ally or a foe as she has not yet threatened them but has offered to remove the Arn (race genetically created by the Rhodians in order to make the Quills into their slaves against their will) inside her head which could prove as a problem later on. Additionally, she also seems to know the situation surrounding the shared heart as she makes an excuse for April and Ram rather than questioning them which is far different from what a typical Headteacher would do. When Ram takes April home it seems as though their relationship with one another has greatly developed as they have sex with one another. This somewhat suggests that Ram is already over his girlfriend which makes us question if he really did love her as much as he said he did. Also, not too long before April had asked Charlie to the prom but was rejected and was easily able to get over him even though at first  it didn't seem like she would as it seemed more as though she was pretending to be alright. April's Mum however, catches both of them in bed together, this is then followed by a scene where April's Mum threatens Ram by saying, "Don't let the chair fool you." This shows that April's Mother is more than capable of protecting her daughter from harms way wheelchair or not.

Iconography:
At the beginning of the episode the costume and make-up is shown in the character of Corakinus and the Shadow Kin through their eyes, facial features and complete full body appearance. The amount of detail put into the costume and the make-up is quite clear to see as it works very well and would in fact horrify an audience if they were to see them in real life. Additionally, the use of props in the first scene is also quite great as the Corakinus's sword appears in April's hands and it actually resembles the appearance of Corakinus's skin. Later on in the episode when April punches her locker she hurts her hand but then CGI effects come in as we see some kind of blue healing take place. This just further emphasises the fact that April is changing and supposedly becoming more like Corakinus each second. There is also CGI used when April's eyes change colour which acts as a way for the audience to recognise the change in April's actions and emotions which are now closely resembling Corakinus. We also see the Cabinet of Souls and the bright little lights within it which are, according to Charlie, souls of people that have passed. Finally, the flower petals have some kind of special effect as whenever they are touched they bite their victim. This is not the only thing they are capable of as we see that they continue to multiply and they don't stop which means they have the potential to turn into a weapon of mass destruction.

Setting:
At the beginning, the episode takes place in the Shadow World, the location of which Corakinus and the Shadow Kin reside. There is then a transition to a different location which is April's bedroom in order to amplify the connection between the two. After the recap at the start, the setting is then changed to the classroom where April's thoughts become more similar to that of Corakinus's thoughts rather than her own. Once she has regained her sense of self she goes out to the hallway where she then punches a locker which is when the CGI blue healing effects appear. Ram stumbles upon April and helps her by taking her outside of the school so they can go to his car in order to take April home. It is when they are in the car that April's Dad appears and so the setting shifts to outside of the school where Corakinus's swords materialise in April's hand as she threatens her Father. Near the end of the episode April and Ram are in April's bedroom after he takes her home where they then have sex with one another. When they are caught the setting then moves on into the Kitchen instead where April's Mum warns Ram and gives them both a lecture.

2)
Todorov's theory of equilibrium does actually apply to the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart, the Equilibrium was the very beginning of the episode which was the opening scene between April and Corakinus reintroducing their shared heart. The Disruption is then the unexpected mention of April's Dad as we see that April rejects a call from him which causes enigmas to rise within the audience. Arguably, you could also say that the Disruption is the strengthening connection between April and Corakinus which is the reason for her being able to materialise Corakinus's blades after the anchor was placed on his heart. The Recognition is when April's Dad appears outside of Ram's car which is when we see that April is only becoming more similar to Corakinus as she even threatens to kill her Father. It could also be said that the Recognition was when April began to devalue the efforts of those who went to fight in the war which were things more likely to have been said by Corakinus than her. The last possible Recognition could have been when April's eyes began to turn orange which is the exact same colour as Corakinus's eyes showing the differences between disappearing as they are now becoming more alike. The Reparation is the scene in April's Garden where everyone gathers after April almost kills her Father again after he arrived at her home. Finally, the New Equilibrium is when April creates a rip in time and space allowing her to jump through this newly created tear in space and time in order to defeat Corakinus before he can find her.

3)
Propp's character theory does apply to the Class, although you could say that many different characters fulfil more than one role as most of them have had lots of character development throughout. The role of the Hero/ine can be fufilled by 4 different characters at this point one of the possible candidates for this character type is April. The reason why April could be a possible hero is because she is the only one who has the ability to actually find Corakinus as she shares a heart with him which also makes her his lifeline. Additionally, she even tried to pierce through her own heart in order to threaten Corakinus into leaving Earth which was an excellent display of her bravery making her perfect for the role of a Heroine. Another character that could possibly be a Heroine is in fact Quill herself. This is because as she is trying to protect of whom she absolutely despises for putting an Arn in her head preventing her from doing otherwise she is also trying to defeat the Shadow King and save her people, the Quills. Another character that fulfils the character type is Charlie as not only is he a Prince but he is also taking on the role of protecting April from harms way after having her heart shared with Corakinus. One of the most remarkable things about Charlie is that despite the fact that he had the chance to kill Corakinus he didn't because he knew that April would die as well. This shows that Charlie has good sense of justice but is not blinded by revenge as although he wants to save his people he also doesn't want anyone to die. The final possible character that could be a Hero is Ram as in the first episode his girlfriend was killed right before his eyes and his leg was cut off but even despite all this he didn't run away but instead went ahead to attack the remaining Shadow Kin at the school. Ram was also proved to be a Hero when he made the split second decision to jump after April into the tear in space and time in order to make sure she wasn't alone even though he didn't really know what he was getting himself into. The only character that could be considered for the character type of the Princess is April as she needs to be protected from the Shadow Kin and Corakinus by the Hero/ine. The Villain character type is Corakinus as he is the one that challenges all of the Heroes/Heroines and poses as a threat to them as he is the enemy of humanity the other villains could also be the Shadow Kin as they follow what Corakinus says even if it is too harm one of the heroes/heroines. There are two possible donors, one of which is Quill as shown by the fact that her gun is capable of killing the shadows and she also gives her protection to Charlie. The other Donor is the New Headteacher who gives out information to the cast which at times is rather suspicious but at the same time rather helpful. The False Hero in Class is actually Ram as although he does do heroic things he doesn't get the same result as shown when he tried to attack Corakinus he instead loses his leg. The Dispatcher is Corakinus as it is the connection between him and April that led to her going through the tear in space and time in hopes to defeat him. The Helper is Tanya as despite the fact that she is young she is quite intelligent and so she will sometimes give advice to the Hero.

4)
There were a lot of enigma codes in the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart, one of them was what would happen to April and her Mum as April had just gone into the tear in time and space also, before April left she had stabbed her Mum with Corakinus's swords however rather than dying or bleeding she got the feeling back in her legs. Another enigma code is what exactly April's Dad to April and her Mum, Huw for them to completely reject him from their family. The other enigma code is how they'll be able to stop these blood sucking multiplying flowers that have appeared. An additional enigma code is what the ensemble cast will do now after everything that happened in this episode. The final enigma code is how Ram and April are going to get back to Earth after going through the tear. There aren't as many action codes as enigma codes in this episode but one of the action codes was the appearance of Corakinus's swords in April's hands from those points on we could tell that things were about to start getting a bit more exciting. Additionally, the making of the tear in space and time made for a good signal that there was going to be a big battle in the Shadow World. Another action code would be when the anchor was plunged on Corakinus's heart. The final action code was finding out the flowers could multiply and bite.

5)
The binary oppositions we see in the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart are: Light vs Dark; Weak vs Strong; Good vs Evil; Youth vs Old. These contrasts will act as an interesting factor that will keep audiences absorbed.

Representation:
1)
Male stereotypes in Class are both reinforced and subverted by Ram and Charlie. Ram reinforces male stereotypes as he sometimes comes off as aggressive with the way he acts, he plays football which is a stereotypical male sport and he acts like a hero which is what is expected of males. Charlie however subverts male stereotypes as not only is he quite timid and reserved but he is also gay which is not really expected of males. Despite this, Charlie also reinforces the stereotype of male dominance as he is a Prince which means he has/had control over his people. Female stereotypes are subverted and reinforced by the characters April, Tanya and Quill. April subverts female stereotypes as rather than being a Princess she is a Hero following Propp's character theory which isn't the typical role of a female. Tanya also subverts female stereotypes as she is academically advanced than everyone else including the males which is quite unorthodox for females as they are expected to be less intelligent than men. Quill reinforces and subverts female stereotypes. Quill reinforces gender stereotypes as the Arn in her head forces her to be under the complete control of Charlie which is similar to the stereotype of women having to listen to men.

2)
In Class older people are represented as being reliant on the younger people to do the majority of things. This is shown by the fact that when the Doctor appears in the first episode he and Quill talk and say things along the lines of having to leave it to the younger ones rather than to protect them by themselves. This subverts stereotypes as younger people are supposed to rely on older people to protect them not the other way round. Younger people however are represented as being brave and strong as shown by them fighting the Shadow Kin and Corakinus over the course of the series despite how dangerous and frightening it must be to do so. This reinforces stereotypes of young people having energy and strength in order to fight.

3)
Race and ethnicity in Class is represented as being quite diverse as shown by the vast number of characters being either white or from minority ethnic groups. The character of Tanya subverts black stereotypes as it is believed that black people are not very intelligent and are only suited for jobs that don't require much intelligence/in the entertainment industry. Charlie reinforces white sterotypes as he is a Prince which is typically imagined as being a white person.

4)
Sexuality in Class is given a modern representation which supports both heterosexuality and homosexuality. Class definitely reflects the current culture and society now as it shows the equality for the LGBTQ+ which although is sometimes not given it it certainly an improvement from what it was years ago.The fact that Class has evened decided to incorporate the LQBTQ+ community makes it an accurate reflection of the world which represents the BBC's message to inform, educate and entertain.

5)
Disability is represented as not being able to prevent you from living your life as shown by the character of Huw, April's Mum which further shows the strength and determination of homeless people. Disabled people are generally under-represented in the Media as it is seen as not being the norm and so the Media doesn't want to really show it to audiences as it is not the majority. The media wants to aim their products at people who resemble those in the shows and so they ignore the minority. Class tries to address this by using the character of Huw to show just how strong and capable disabled people are even with their disability showing that it doesn't make them any less of a person.

Audience:
1)
The viewing figures for Class when it was aired on BBC One after initially being shown on BBC Three was 0.28 million which is about 5.1% of the total television audience. I think that Class did badly due to the the fact that it was always shown at later times at which their audiences may be busy with work or sleeping. Another reason why I think that Class didn't do very well is because although it was a spin-off of Doctor Who it was more explicit included violence and profanity which isn't what Doctor Who shows making it aimed at a more niche audience. Additionally, although they did try to aim it more at young adult audiences by including more sexual scenes there's times when it's quite forced and just doesn't work.

2)
I think the psychographic groups that would be interested in Class are Explorers and Reformers. The reason why Explorers would like Class is because they are typically quite young which is the target audience for Class and they seek out a variety of things which is exactly what Class offers. The reason why Reformers would like Class is because it is an accurate reflection of race, ethnicity and sexuality which corresponds to a Reformer as they are intellectual individuals.

3)
Personal Identity: Audiences would be able to relate to the school aspect of Class as everyone has been to school so for older audiences it can give a sense of nostalgia for when they attended school. Additionally, the history lesson is also quite relatable as we have all been taught History at one point of our lives. Some could also relate with Charlie and Matteus who are both openly gay which may even encourage over homosexual people.

Personal Relationships: Audiences will care particularly for characters like April and Huw as they seem to have been in a serious car accident which has led to Huw not having any feeling in her legs which may be the same for others watching the show. Additionally, the relationship between Charlie and Matteus is quite empowering as they don't really care what others think which makes them seem quite strong.

Diversion: The Shadow Kin and the Shadow World both act as diversions as we wouldn't really be able to see them or the place in real life which can act as a distraction from real life.

Surveillance: Class gives information about the world by giving a true reflection of the races and ethnicities in the world now. Additionally, in the History Class they actually talked about a war which is also giving information about those who fought.

4)
Visceral Pleasure and Voyeuristic Pleasure can both be applied to this episode of Class, Co-owner of a Lonely Heart. The visceral pleasures we get are from when April stabs her Mum's legs with Corakinus's swords and also when she jumps into the tear in space and time. Along with these moments, there is also the time when April almost killed her Dad, these were all thrilling moments where we, the audience didn't know what was going to happen next The voyeuristic pleasure we get is the moment when April and Ram are caught which transitions to them being lectured by Huw in the Kitchen. We wouldn't normally be able to see this as it takes place in someone else's home which makes it a special scene.

Industries:
1)
The objective of BBC Three when it was launched was to provide innovative programmes and content for ages 16 to 34 years old.

2)
BBC Three went online only in February 2016 due to a £100 million budget cut across the BBC which is when the decision was proposed to convert BBC Three into an online only. Additionally, the fact that younger people whom were already the target audience were using things like Netflix this just made it a perfect opportunity to tailor BBC Three to their needs.

3)
Class educates by giving information about other subjects when in lessons; Class informs by giving an accurate reflection of race and ethnicity; Class entertains by providing exciting moments between the ensemble cast and the villains.

4)
The distribution of Class greatly contributed to the failure of Class as quite frequently the show would be aired at quite the random times and so it wasn't surprising that many actually missed the episodes. It is due to this that many may have gotten irritated with the irregular airing schedule which led to them just dropping the show completely.

5)
Trailers for Class were made but the reason why they may not have been very successful is because they mainly incorporated the Doctor who was only actually present for one video. I believe that after the audience found out that the Doctor would not be appearing in any further episodes they may have just dropped the series.

Comparison:
1)
Class has a greater variety of camera shots and transitions done in a steadier way as now there is more equipment that can help the camera movement more to make it smoother. The editing and colours in Class are miles better than Doctor Who as now there is so much advanced software.

2)
In terms of the Science-Fiction genre both An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart are both heavily focused on space. There are more visible differences however as An Unearthly Child is much more futuristic while Class is more current but includes more CGI effects.

3)
An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart both did a good job at meeting the BBC's remit for the time that they were released. This is because An Unearthly Child was released in a time where BAME groups were mostly rejected by society. Co-owner of a Lonely Heart also meets this as now there are many BAME backgrounds in London which is reflected by the diverse people in Class.

4)
In Doctor Who everyone is reflected as being mainly white rather than from a BAME group and of a middle class standing. In Class everyone is quite diverse but no one is discriminated because of it which reflects the somewhat equality we have in today's society.

5)
Both Class and Doctor Who share the same visceral and voyeuristic pleasures as they both provide a sense of thrill when the Doctor is in the TARDIS and when April's swords appear. For voyeuristic pleasures we are able to see Huw embarrassingly giving a lecture to April and Ram after finding them in bed together. A voyeuristic pleasure from Doctor Who is when we see Ms Wright and Mr Chesterton talking about Susan after school which is again a scene we wouldn't normally be able to see.

Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child Case Study CSP

Language and Close Textual Analysis:

1)

Narrative:
The Narrative of the first part of An Unearthly Child begins with Todorov's proposed theory of equilibrium. The equilibrium of this episode is when all the school children are going home after school and everything seems calm and normal as nothing out of the ordinary seems to be/has happening/happened. Not too long after this scene we are met with the disequilibrium which is realising that Susan's home supposedly does not exist. This is a variable of the world that does not fit and so this is what sparks the need to find out who exactly Susan is and where her home is. A little later on we see a use of flashbacks in order to see a bit more of Susan and what she's like. A while later we see a police box which is then discovered to be known as the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) and Susan's home. It is then found that the TARDIS is actually able to go anywhere in time and space and once Ian and Susan are notified of this the Doctor (Susan's grandfather) traps them inside the TARDIS. Despite Susan's attempts at negotiation to free her teachers the Doctor refuses and even ends up electrocuting Ian. We also get a hint as to what this narrative arc will be about as the Doctor says to Susan,"One day we will get back to our planet." Unexpectedly, the Doctor then begins to take the TARDIS to a different place which is not revealed in the episode. However. as the episode ends a shadow appears and is approaching the TARDIS although we cannot yet be certain of what kind of lifeform or even non-living bio is it is certain to be dangerous.

Characters:
The Characters who are seen to appear in first part of the episode are: Barbara Wright who we find out is a History teacher who teaches Susan and is in fact worried about Susan; Ian Chesterton who is a Science teacher who also teaches Susan and thinks that her knowledge of Science is amazing; Susan Foreman a 15 year old who almost seems as though she is from the past, it has even been said that, "She's a genius.". Later on in this episode we get the opportunity to see a few flashbacks which allows for some character development specifically for Susan. This is shown by the fact that in one flashback it looked as if the class was talking about money and Susan began to talk about the decimal system which did not yet seem to exist at the time she was in which caused some of her peers to giggle in the background. In another flashback they were talking about dimensions in which Ian had thought of an 'impossible question' as to which Susan responded with the existence of two other dimensions, space and time. As we discover that Susan's address supposedly doesn't exist the mystery behind Susan increases and suddenly the interest of the audience has been grabbed as well. Later on in the episode we are introduced to Doctor Who (Susan's grandfather) who appears to be quite patronising in nature towards all the characters he meets in this episode. For example when talking to Ian he refers to him as 'young man' and when talking to Susan he spoke to her as if she were a small child. This shows that the Doctor does not see anyone on the same level as him which makes it seem as though he is superior to everyone else being the oldest of them all. Despite this, Ian Chesterton does take on the role of the hero and does try to protect Barbara and Susan, even questioning the Doctor. Though his efforts prove futile as the Doctor electrocutes Ian as he attempts to find the button that will open the door of the TARDIS which shows Ian as a strong character for even trying to find a way to leave and the Doctor as somewhat of an anti-hero as the Doctor is supposed to be the hero but his actions strongly subvert this. Although Barbara did instigate the search for Susan's house as she was worried it seemed as though she stepped back and let Ian take charge instead of her. As Susan begs her Grandfather to allow them to stay in their current time it almost seemed as though she was throwing a tantrum like a child. This shows that although Susan may be travelling through space and time in the TARDIS along with having knowledge of many things it is important for us to remember that she is still only a child.

Iconography:
The beginning of the episode started off in a classroom as could be seen by the blackboard in the background which gives us as the audience a rough idea of the time period this was set in. It is in this setting that we meet Ian, Barbara and not too long afterwards Susan too. As we meet Susan we can see that her dress is that of a typical teenager in the 1960s which means that she is surprisingly still able to fit in despite being from a different time. Additionally, we also see the police and some kind of fog which suggests connotations of danger and mystery which may amplify the curiosity of the audience. After this, we are then taken to the TARDIS where the central controls are based right in the middle of it. Additionally, the interior of the TARDIS is completely made up of white colours and bright lighting which are all typical Sci-Fi conventions. As the TARDIS begins to take off the visual effects take on the appearance of white swirls of light which is a similar shape to galaxies which shows they are in fact moving through space and time. This is a reference to the rocket launch that was due to happen during that time as that was the period of the 1960s space race.

Setting:
The beginning of the episode takes place at a foggy junkyard which heightens the sense of mystery and danger within the scene. These factors are what will cause the audience to keep watching as they want to know what is so special about the location. The junkyard then transitions into Coal Hill School which is a location that seems to be important throughout all the Doctors' experiences. The school itself seems to look like a typical classroom of the time with there being a blackboard in the background. After this, the location once again changes to Ian Chesterton's car which is the means of transport they use to get to Susan Foreman's 'house'. During this journey we see more of the classroom incorporated in the flashbacks we see for more character development of Susan. Later on, we are then introduced to the TARDIS  in which there is so much high level technology an example of this is when the door close with just the press of a button and even the sound effect it made as this was done adds to the futuristic element of this. As the TARDIS was launching there was a hum in the background which is similar to the sound made by a charger when you are charging a device as it was going through space. The final location we saw in this episode was the Earth in what seemed to be caveman times which suggests that the TARDIS actually is capable of travelling through space and time.


2)


Todorov's theory of equilibrium does in fact apply to An Unearthly Child, in the beginning the Equilibrium is all the students at Coal Hill School going home after school which is the sense of calm that we feel at the start. The Disruption is  the fact that Susan Foreman's address supposedly does not exist according to Ms Wright. The Recognition is the Junkyard scene with Susan's Grandfather (the Doctor) where he seems to be preventing them from going inside the police box despite the fact that they could hear Susan's voice to which he questioned their sanity. The reparation is when Ms Wright and Mr Chesterton are able to force their way into the police box and see that Susan is safe. The New Equilibrium is then when Mr Chesterton and Ms Wright discover Susan's home which was actually the police box also known as the TARDIS which is the reason as to why Ms Wright was unable to find Susan's house the first time around.

3)

Propp's character theory does apply to An Unearthy though the roles do change later on in the episode. The Hero of An Unearthly Child is quite obviously Ian Chesterton as he tried to help Susan when he thought that there was a chance that she could be in danger as he found out that her address didn't exist. However, later on in the series we find that the hero is supposedly the Doctor but he is more of an anti-hero in the first episode as he was shown to be quite patronising and even refused to let the teachers go. The Princess in an Unearthly Child was Susan Foreman at the start, this is because Susan was the one who was initially thought to be in trouble and needing to be saved. This then becomes Barbara Wright's role when both her and Ian Chesterton are trapped in the TARDIS as she then becomes the one in need of saving. The Villain was actually The Doctor in this episode as he prevented the teachers from leaving the TARDIS and even went as far as to electrocute Ian Chesterton as he tried to find the button that would open the door. At the end of the episode this role is then given to the Shadow we see as it suggests connotation of danger and threat as it leaves on a cliffhanger.

4)

In An Unearthly Child the action codes we see include the appearance of the shadow this could hint at a future battle as it gives connotations of danger. Another action code we see in this episode is when the Doctor says 'One day we will get back to our planet' this could possibly suggest a fight to get back to their planet as it doesn't seem like it will be an easy feat. One of the enigma codes we see in this episode is the mystery behind who the Doctor really is and where he comes from. Additionally, the appearance of the Shadow makes us wonder what it is and whether or not it is friend or foe.

5)

The binary oppositions we see are: Light vs Dark; Good vs Evil; Youth vs Age; Hero vs Villain; Future vs Past. The constant contrast between these things will make for a more interesting series to see which one will prevail in the end.

Representations:

1)

One of the stereotypes of men reinforced in An Unearthly Child is the fact that they always take on the strong more powerful and important roles. This is shown by the fact that Ian Chesterton and the Doctor took on roles in Propp's character theory which were that of Hero and Villain which are the two main roles in a majority of stories. This in turn suggests that women can only ever take on the supporting roles rather than the main roles as only men who are strong can take the main parts. Another stereotype of men that is reinforced is that they are more intelligent than women this is shown by the fact that when the Doctor was talking to Ian and Barbara it almost seemed like he was only really talking to Ian. This shows that Barbara was not even able to follow the situation and that the Doctor did not want to spend his time explaining for her which also reinforces the stereotype of men being superior to women. One stereotype of men that is subverted in An Unearthly Child is the stereotype in the media of men being good looking and young. The fact that the Doctor seems to be a much older character clearly subverts this stereotype.

2)

The stereotype of girls reinforced in An Unearthly Child is that teenage girls like music and wearing dresses. This is shown by the fact that when we are first introduced to Susan Foreman she is seen dancing to music and wearing a dress which was quite typical for a teen of that time.The stereotype of women that is reinforced in An Unearthly Child is that they aren't intelligent. This is shown by the fact that when the Doctor was explaining about the TARDIS Barbara just remained silent rather than questioning him which almost makes it seem like she was unable to process what he was saying. The stereotype of girls that is subverted is that boys are superior to girls. This is shown by the fact that Ian Chesterton admitted to the fact that Susan knew more than him in his own lesson which is another way of him saying that Susan surpasses his own knowledge.

3)

A common stereotype of young people in the media is that they are strong, good looking and quite often take the lead throughout. They are also commonly presented as troublemakers, quite often being very immature or even dangerous. A common stereotype of old people in the media is that they are weak, wrinkly, fragile and more prone to illnesses which means they are in constant need of care or looking after. The stereotype of young people being immature is reinforced by the character of Susan Foreman, the Doctor's first companion. This is shown by the fact that when Susan said to her Grandfather that she wanted to stay in the time they were in she began to throw somewhat of a tantrum when he refused. This shows that despite having such an important role she is far too young and childish to properly carry out her duties. This has changed over the history of Doctor Who as we see the 13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker who is much more mature and has a key role in the series. Additionally, the stereotype of older people is subverted by the first Doctor, Susan's Grandfather. This is shown by the fact that instead of him having to be looked after and protected it almost seems as though the characters need protection from him. His behaviour matches more closely with that of young people rather than old people.

4)

In Doctor Who the representation of race and ethnicity is completely lacking in BAME ethnic groups. This is shown by the fact that throughout the episode the only ethnicity shown is 100% white people. This almost makes it seem as though those from BAME backgrounds just don't exist at all. Additionally, in the episode there was actually a bit of racism from the Doctor as when he was talking about the Red Indians he said, 'savage minds were blown' which almost dehumanises them. This is not surprising as this was not long after Windrush had started and so getting used to these new BAME ethnic groups and for them to become more part of the community must have taken awhile. This has changed a lot over the years as now in the current Doctor Who the Doctor's companions consist of more BAME ethnic groups.

5)

In An Unearthly Child social class is represented as being made up of only Middle Class and educated people which is quite similar to the concept of the BBC. This is shown by the young people we see in Coal Hill School and the teachers Ms Wright and Mr Chesterton who are both quite intelligent. Education and knowledge in this episode is represented as being an integral part of life and being able to understand the series as shown during the explanation of the TARDIS.

Audience:

1)

The target audience for Doctor Who is mainly families between the ages of 12-40. This is because Doctor Who can sometimes contain frightening scenes that may not be suitable for younger people however, it is a show that the whole family can watch together rather than individually.

2)

The psychographic groups that I think will enjoy Doctor Who are Explorers are Mainstreamers. The reason why I think that Explorers would like Doctor Who is because they love new ideas, experiences, seeking out and discovering things which is the variety that Doctor Who will provide. This is because Doctor Who revolves around change as the Doctors are regenerated and they are constantly travelling through space and time which will give the Explorers new things to get entertainment from. The reason why I think that Mainstreamers would also enjoy Doctor Who is because it is a show that the whole family can watch together. Mainstreamers are all about the domestic and everyday choosing 'we' rather than 'me' which means that Doctor Who gives them an opportunity to be together as a family in order to watch it together.

3)

Personal Identity: Audiences would be able to relate to the school setting as the vast majority of us have attended school. Being able to see a familiar setting will make it seem closer to reality. Teenagers will be able to relate to Susan as she is a typical teenager and adults will be able to relate to the teachers as they are both working.

Personal Relationships: As we have gotten to see Ian Chesterton in An Unearthly Child the audience will get attached to him as he seems to be a kind character who genuinely cares about others. Due to this attachment when the TARDIS begins to launch we worry about his well being and whether or not he will be alright.

Diversion (Escapism): Being in the TARDIS takes us away from our normal lives as it is not everyday that you are in such a futuristic machine. Additionally, the whole idea of space and time travel isn't something we expect in everyday life especially with the excessive tension and threat we feel at the end of the episode due to the shadow cliffhanger.

Surveillance (Information/Facts): In this episode we learn about Science and Technology as we learn more about the TARDIS and space travel which can help to broaden the knowledge of audiences quite significantly.

4)

This episode provides information to a modern audience as it gives us knowledge of what it was like at that time in schools and so it in turn teaches modern audiences about History.

5)

The Visceral and Voyeuristic pleasures can be applied to An Unearthly Child. The reason as to why I think that Visceral pleasure can be applied is due to the fact that when the TARDIS began to take off it seemed like the camera was shaking and so the tension begins to rise as the audience wonders what will happen to the characters. Additionally, at the end the shadow appears and that could cause the audience to feel threatened as they are not yet aware of what exactly the shadow is capable of. The reason why I think that Voyeuristic pleasure can be applied to this is because when we saw Ian and Barbara talking it was almost like there was a hidden camera which was allowing us to see their conversation. The same thing happened in the TARDIS as we wouldn't normally be able to see this.

Industries:

1)

In 1963 there were only 3 TV channels and only one BBC channel. This means that during that time the number of programmes you could watch were limited which also means that if there was an interesting show everyone would watch it. Additionally, you could not record programmes and so if you wanted to watch something you would have to make sure you were home.

2)

Doctor Who is such an important franchise for the BBC because it is one of the most iconic franchises it has even being launched Worldwide. Doctor Who generates a huge income for the BBC and in 2014 a BBC Worldwide Report stated that both Sherlock and Doctor Who as the BBC's biggest exports over the past year.

3)

Doctor Who does meet the BBC mission statement as now it includes BAME ethnic groups which is a more accurate depiction of our society today. Additionally, the fact that Doctor Who mainly focuses on time travel it is able to inform audiences of things that may have happened in the past years in other words about History. Finally, with the action involved in Doctor Who it is able to successfully entertain their audiences.

4)

The BBC is funded by the license fee that you pay for owning a TV. This funding goes towards improving their channels in order to give the public the best quality information.

5)

Since 2017 the BBC has been regulated by OFCOM who oversee all media channels and have the power to take away licenses or heavily fine them if they do not follow their code of conduct. The watershed prevents violence, profanity and sexual content to appear on TV before 9PM.

Social and Historical Context:

1)

An Unearthly Child reflects the social and historical context of the 1960s as during this period there was the space race and so we see a small still image of space which could be referencing that. Additionally, Britain during the 1960's was a predominately white country and so at the time racist comments may have been nothing more than a joke which is completely different from now.

2)

I think that audiences of the 1960s would have felt excitement towards Science Fiction as this was during the period of the New Wave Science Fiction. This means that it was a completely different take on Science Fiction which means that the focus on it may have considerably increased and gotten a much more positive reaction.

Magazines and Advertising Assessment: Learner Response

Total = 21 = Grade 6

WWW:

Lots to credit here: you clearly know the CSP well but I'd say the best aspect of this assessment is your engagement with media debates on race and gender representations.

EBI:

The key area to improve is actually exam technique and how long you spend/how much you write for each question. E.g. you write almost as much for Q4 (2 marks) as Q3 (6 marks). Similarly, you need a little more in the final 12-mark question for the top level.

Q1: 1/1

Q2: 1/1

Q3: 3/8

Q4: 2/2

Q5: 6/6

Q6: 8/12

Magazine cover conventions include the: title of publication positioned in the top third; slogan which sums up the image of the magazine; central image which acts as the anchor of the cover; name check which gives readers an indication of the stars/celebrities who are featured in the magazine; cover line to advertise the content of the magazine. 

Reveal: 

• The price in the top third is bold and looks like a pound coin which connotes the cheapness of the product.
• Use of paparazzi shots rather than posed shots which make the reader feel as if they are seeing a different side to celebrities and this reinforces the dramatic cover lines.

Tatler:

• The use of words like ‘21 st century’ and ‘Millennial’ make the magazineseem modern and up-to-date as well as classy.
• The use of sans serif font for the cover lines, together with brackets (‘yes, really) gives the magazine cover a friendly, more informal tone,although words such as ‘Aristo’ and ‘Sloane’ are specific to the target audience demographic.

Attained full marks for question 5 so did not answer this LR question. 

In the OMO advert the constant use of 'bright' and 'white' is incredibly patronising as it treats female audiences as being on the same academic level of children who won't be able to understand the meaning of this in any way other than repetition. In the Galaxy Advert however, women are represented as being glamorous celebrities rather than housewives which in turn subverts that traditional stereotype. Despite this, CGI Audrey Hepburn is still being represented as the Damsel in Distress which again, reinforces stereotypes of women of the 1950s/60s. But, as we reach the half way point of the advert this stereotype is then subverted as Audrey Hepburn takes on the role of the heroine rather than the princess.

Introduction to Science-Fiction TV Drama

Class meets the conventions of a TV drama series by having what seems to be an antagonist and protagonist along with the ensemble cast. Additionally, there is action/conflict between the ensemble cast and the 'shadows' which adds to the tension and suspense of the trailer.

This trailer also involved several sub-genres including that of: high school involving typical teenagers and their lives; action as shown by the little clips we see with the 'shadows' which appear to be the current villain that they as the heroes will have to face; horror as shown by the screams and disbelief after the appearance of the 'shadows' as not much is known about them at this stage they can be seen as very dangerous.

The genre of futurism and space is also suggested clearly by the high tech weapons they possessed in order to win against the antagonists and the fact it was said that they would be fighting against 'space and time'. Due to this, I do think that this show is an example of a modern hybrid-genre show.

The character of the doctor appears at the point 1:15 of the trailer.

I think that the target audience for class is 15-30 year olds. This is due to to all the different range of genres within it which makes it suitable for a wider ranged age group.

Audrey Hepburn Galaxy Advert Case Study CSP

1)
Audrey Hepburn was a Hollywood star associated with Hollywood glamour and style during the 1950s-1960s she was also a fashion icon and a model. Unfortunately, she died in 1993 at the age of 63 years old.

2)
Galaxy selected Audrey Hepburn for this advert to create nostalgia amongst those who were familiar with the works she starred in as the scene when she was in the car was awfully similar to one of the films that she acted in, Roman Holiday in 1953. By using CGI to create an identical image of her Galaxy was able to use intertextuality in the advert.

3)
The connotations of Audrey Hepburn and celebrities in this advert is that Hollywood stars are expected to be heavily made up and have a typical hourglass figure. This is shown by the fact that Audrey Hepburn is quite obviously wearing lipstick which does make it seem as though she really cared about her appearance as well. This also shows that by having a celebrity eat a product people that like the celebrity will purchase the product as they believe that they should follow the celebrity's example.

4)
This advert was set in the 1950s to heighten the amount of nostalgia for in the advert for those more familiar with the time. This allows those who were living during that time period to reminisce and recall their own experiences and perhaps their first encounter of Audrey Hepburn on TV or in real life.

5)
Intertextuality is when two or more media texts relate to one another despite them being different things. An example of this is in X-Man Annual Vol 1 1998 the Hulk gained an armour that was based off of Dio's stand, a character from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure which came out in 1987. The point of this is to allow fans of JoJo to be able to understand the reference and hopefully show a positive reaction to this.

6)
The Audrey Hepburn film that is suggested in this advert was the 1953 film, Roman Holiday. In this film Audrey Hepburn was seen being driven to places by her very own 'chauffeur' just as can be seen in the Galaxy advert, hence the fact that they used a similar looking actor to the man in Roman Holiday. Overall, this advert was really just trying to create nostalgia amongst older audiences through the use of the props, specifically the car in which the producers of the Galaxy advert used quite a similar looking old fashioned car to the one featured in Roman Holiday. Additionally, the CGI Audrey Hepburn in this advert has a costume that quite closely resembles what the real Audrey Hepburn wore in Roman Holiday especially the scarf wrapped around her neck. Even the actors used for the CGI version of Audrey Hepburn and the 'chauffeur' look relatively similar to Audrey Hepburn and the man in Roman Holiday so this increases the effectiveness of it. The setting also simulates that of Roman Holiday which helps to better set the scene of the advert.

7)
In this advert the hero character type is the man who offers to take Audrey Hepburn to where she wants to go as before he showed up Audrey was in need of being rescued which is the role that he fulfilled. The princess character type was represented by the CGI Audrey Hepburn who was suggested to be the damsel in distress when the path of the bus was being blocked by the spilled apples delaying her from going to wherever it was she had to be. The villain of the advert was the person who spilled over the fruit that led to the bus stopping which caused the problem. The donor was the bus driver who had his hat taken in order to make the driver of the car Audrey Hepburn's 'official chauffeur'. A few of these however end up changing as the advert goes on as when Audrey puts the at on the man she becomes the heroine and the man becomes the helper who drives her to her final destination.

8)
This advert follows Todorov's equilibrium theory by being at a calm point as Audrey is on the bus and travelling to her destination. This however is disrupted when the fruit basket is spilled all over the road causing the bus to have to stop moving which delays Audrey from continuing her journey. At this point it is clear to see that the equilibrium has been ruined by this incident. However, as the problem makes itself clear the resolution arrives as a man who is driving his car offers to ride Audrey to where she wants to go. Audrey takes up this offer and decides to make the man her chauffeur which then becomes the new equilibrium after the disequilibrium.

9)
In this advert women have been represented as being the damsel in distress shown by the fact that the CGI Audrey Hepburn is almost like the princess waiting for her prince to come and save her. This strongly suggests that women are weak and quite oftenly need to rely on men to save them. On the other hand men have been represented as strong, reliable and capable of coming to the rescue. This however changes later on in the advert when Audrey Hepburn decides to put the bus driver's hat onto the man who offered to drive her to her destination. This puts Audrey in power rather than the man as it suggests that she is of higher importance than the man by turning him into her own personal chauffeur.

10)
This advert reinforces the stereotype of Italy being busy with all the marketplaces and the fact that the fruit basket fell over blocking the road. It also reinforces that things were quite different in the 1950s compared to now shown by the appearances of the vehicles and the dress of those in the advert. This also reinforces the stereotype of women being reliant upon men and not being able to do things without a man's help shown by the sudden appearance of a man to rescue Audrey Hepburn. This subtly reinforces the stereotype of women not being able to drive independently which is suggested by the fact that Audrey Hepburn took the bus and was then offered a ride which could have been easily solved if she could drive. However, the stereotype of women and men is subverted midway through the advert when gets out of the bus and turns the man offering her a ride into her very own chauffeur. This completely subverts typical stereotypes of women as it suggests that they are strong and able to take care of men who are supposedly less capable than men. This also subverts the stereotypes of men as it shows that men should listen to women and follow what they say which is the complete opposite of what the media may have been trying to say during that time.