Media Studies

'Non-verbal' communication. e.g Use of colour, image, body language, costume, persuasive techniques, mode of address, design/layout and typography.

Saying what you see.

Explaining the effect of what you see.

No Answer needed.

Statement.

Command.

!

?

How does a media text speak to its audiences?

When the text is 'speaking' to you.

When the media text is not speaking to you specifically.

More presentable.

A little slang. ('big bucks')

More slang. ('this ain't nothin without youths')

Includes everyone.

Only applies to certain groups.

Classification of media text into groups with similar characteristics.

The 'characteristics' of a genre.

Genres within genres. (e.g. Horror - Teen Horror, Supernatural Horror etc.)

When a text uses the key elements of two or more genres to create a new genre. (e.g. Zom Rom Com (Shaun of the Dead))

The art of storytelling.

Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and New Equilibrium.

8 Character Types. (The Hero (seeks something), The Villain (opposes the hero), The Donor (provides a magical object to hero), The Dispatcher (sends hero on quest), The False Hero (disrupts hero), The Helper (supports hero), The Princess (reward for hero), The Father (princess' father)).

Binary Oppositions.

Action and Enigma codes.

The men is superior in media texts and women are seen as housewives and minor roles.

Reinforcing stereotypes.

Women shown in a position of power, fighting against stereotypes or fighting against patriarchy.

Where one group dominates over another group in society

Every time we encounter a media text, we are not seeing reality, but someone's version of it.

Certain words and images been selected.

The various elements will be organized carefully in ways that real life is not. (e.g Big Brother.)

The audience is pushed towards concentrating on one aspect of the text and ignoring others. (Often cropped.)

Widely circulated ideas or assumptions about particular groups.

At least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. (Many films fail this test) (Allison Bechdel)

The belief that films are in the perspective of a heterosexual male. (Laura Mulvey)

They are used to help their men without pursuing their own happiness, and such characters never grow up, thus their men never grow up.

The idea that women that are young, slim and overwhelmingly white stereotyping beauty. It is also sees that the body is seen as a 'project', in need to improvement. (Naomi Wolf)

The idea that women only feel successful, if they obey media representations (Germaine Greer)

Convergence of femininity and masculinity (e.g. handling weapons and retaining a sex appeal) (Hilary Radner) (Psychofemmes)