Comp 1: Section A Exam Prep:ML

 

Media Theorists

Comp 1:Video Game

🎮The Evolution of Gaming🎮

💾Pong was one of the earliest arcade video games, made by Atari and released in 1972. although there were companies beforehand, they did not popularise arcade games like the Atari ones did; later releasing their Video Computer System (Atari 2600)and later available on the atari 2600 in 1977.

💾Pac-Man was released in 1980 and was later available on the Atari 2600, becoming the best-selling game of all time.

                

💾The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in 1985. It was an 8-bit home console.And was the console home to Super Mario Bros.-( a platform game) its best-selling game with over 40 million copies sold. The game is a single player and multiplayer, so both AI and a second controller are involved. 

💾Sega needed an iconic hero for their new Sega Genesis- a 16-bit console-so Sonic the Hedgehog was created in 1988

💾 Portability became the next development as the Nintendo Gameboy was released in 1989, the first hand-held system.

                           

💾Sony released the PlayStation in 1995 which was sold at a low price to
attract audiences.Tomb Raider introduced an RPG game with a female protagonist
 played in the first person.

  

💾The Nintendo 64 was released in 1996- with better graphics (64 bits- more data processed than ever before).

💾 And the best-selling game for this console was Super Mario 64 in 1997( with over 11 million sales).but it was still a single player, going up against Artificial Intellegence.

💾In 2000 the game The Sims was a life simulation game. released on Microsoft, Mac, PlayStation, 2 Xbox  and GameCube. As it was available on many consoles, this increased its profit; and the more realistic graphics and new style gameplay from a non-player view also aided its success

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💾The Xbox released in 2001 was the greatest advancement in gaming technology at the time- with 720p  visuals and 8GB of storing data, it was a great leap in consoles. And the game Halo:Combat Evolved was a first person shooter game with the ability to create an avatar, or play multiplayer.

💾Valve energised PC gaming with the introduction of Steam in 2003. Digital distribution platforms allowed players to download, play and update games. 

💾The Nintendo DS released in 2004 quickly took over as therein, portable, hand-held console; with two processors, two screens and multiplayer capabilities this device quickly popularised, especially with games like Super Mario Kart, a third person multiplayer game ( or single player with AI)

💾In 2005 the introduction of the next Xbox, the Xbox 360 brought realism and better graphics to home consoles. as well as a new video of online gaming- through Xbox Live.

💾Introduced in 2006, the Nintendo Wii was tasked with getting gamers out of their seat with a motion sensitive control, which not only helped gamers become more active but appealed to those who before weren't too interested in video games. it brought many different genres of games under one console, all to do with active motions, like sports, RPG's and even MMORPG's. 

💾Mobile games like Angry Birds (2009) shook up the gaming industry; many people who had previously never considered themselves "gamers" have become more interested in mobile games, spending hours on addictive games that can be downloaded onto their phones, and have updated graphics with unique styles and game-play.

💾Add caption The indie game movement began and was popularised by the brick building, low graphics game Minecraft in 2010. This first person MMORPG sold 144 million copies and was developed into a PC online game, as well as both single and multiplayer.

💾The introduction of the PlayStation 4 in early 2014, with 500 GB of storage- and cloud based background storage- with semi custom graphics of 1080p and the most powerful processing units of any gaming console.  The PlayStation 4 system software supports Blu-ray and DVD playback and 3D functionality.  It has sold over 73 million consoles.


💾The second most popular game on the PS4 was Grand Theft Auto V, released in late 2013, with an 18 rating by PEGI, this first or third person RPG has extreme violence, bad language and realism in depicting violent scenarios, causing controversy. There is also online multiplayer version. this sold almost 18 million copies.

💾The next development in gaming technology came with the introduction of Virtual Reality, the Oculus Rift in 2014. This was a major breakthrough in the interactivity of gaming, with a more realistic gaming experience, and, later on, the ability to interact online with other VR players.By 2016 there were at least 230 companies developing VR-related products.

💾In 2017 Nintendo released their newest portable console, the Nintendo Switch. This console has the capability to play at home- connecting it to a tv screen- or on the go- the portable version (above). also, the detachable joy-stick meant that one or two people could play one Switch in a multiplayer game. Although, its graphics were not at the same accelerated level as the PS4, its main purpose was to be a multi use console, with a touch-sensitive screen and ability to connect to online players. And has sold almost 15 million consoles.





💾 In 2018 the newest First Person Shooter, Fortnite swept the internet and the gaming industry. 


















Gaming Regulation  
PEGI- the Pan-European Game Information. It gives video games age restrictions. 
3-  The content of games given this rating is considered suitable for all age groups. Some violence in a comical context (typically Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry cartoon-like forms of violence) is acceptable.
7- contains scenes or sounds that may be frightening to young children.
12- contains graphic violence
16- contains bad language, violence, sexual activity or drug use
18- contains gross depictions of violence, it is difficult to define as it is subjective.


 Animal Crossing: Lets' go to the City                                              


Wii Sports- contains violence ( Boxing)








  Star Wars: BattleFront 







Call of Duty: World at War, Final Fronts











  Grand Theft Auto V

                                                                                                             

PEGI notes from JessicaJohn20

Assassin's creed-3-liberation-2 power point from JessicaJohn20

Comp 1:Radio

Key terms: The Radio Industry

·         Emerging media- refers to communication through digital technology and new platforms with interactive elements, for example podcasts, social media, etc.

·         Public Service Broadcaster- a radio or television broadcaster that is seen to offer a public service by catering for a range of tastes and audiences. The main public service broadcasters in the UK are the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and S4C.

·         Profile- for radio stations this refers to how they are defined to their target audience through their brand identity, which may be defined by, for example, the presenters or programme style. This includes their aims and their ethos.

·         Cross-platform marketing- where one form in advertised on another media platform. For example, BBC 1 will broadcast promotional advertisements for its radio stations; these will also b on the BBC website.

·         Syndicated output- when radio stations make and sell a programme to other stations, or buy a programme that may be available to other radio stations.

·         Stripping- a technique used in radio and television whereby a certain programme is broadcast at the same time every day. In radio this attracts an audience who associate a particular programme with their daily routine, for example driving home from working.

·         Audio streaming- where listeners can click on a link to play the radio programme instantly. This has increased the global reach of BBC radio, as listeners abroad can tune in to hear the live programme.  

Explore Lauren Laverne’s other broadcasting work

Lauren Laverne is a multi-award-winning broadcaster with twenty years’ experience working in broadcasting and the music industry. She has hosted on every major British television network and on BBC Radios 1,2,3,4,5 Live and 6Music, where she currently hosts the morning show.

Lauren began her career in music. As a teenager a record deal for her band Kenickie brought her to London. Guest spots on shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks brought offers of television work on music shows She then discovered her passion for radio through a highly acclaimed stint as a DJ for leading London radio station XFM. This was followed by a move to BBC 6Music, where she now hosts a daily show with over 1 million listeners. She also presents on BBC Radio 4, both as a documentary maker and as part of the team on the iconic Woman’s Hour.

Laverne’s successful and varied career includes a specialism in presenting live – on radio, at events. She has hosted The Mercury Prize, The Turner Prize and The British Fashion Awards numerous times. She has presented a diverse range of arts and culture shows on television, from BBC 2’s Glastonbury coverage to BBC 1’s Film 2017. She hosted Channel 4 music show Transmission, BBC 2’s The Culture Show and Channel 4’s satirical news programme 10 o’clock Live for several seasons. She is a regular host of world premieres in London’s Leicester Square, working at the London Film Festival for over half a decade.

Consider the extent to which Late Night Woman’s Hour has been designed specifically to suit Laverne’s persona rather than being a broadcast she has been asked to present?

Late Night Woman’s Hour has, to a partial extent, been designed to suit Laverne’s persona and discusses topics that she would be interested in as to legitimise the conversations on the podcast that bring in different women’s views and since Laverne does some of the research behind the programme this means that she most likely would have an interest in the subjects she is choosing for the podcast to talk about.

 Some other radio presenters (often white males) have carried a status that means their personalities dominate broadcasts (Chris Evans, Chris Moyles et al.) might Laverne be considered in the same way?

She has dominated many broadcasts across BBC radio programmes however, she has worked for a shorter amount of time in radio than the two other presenters and they are both known for successful radio shows like “Too much gravy” on Radio 1(Chris Evans) and the Longest Radio 1 show (Chris Moyles) which broke the Guinness world record.

Research Kirsty Young, the female presenter of Desert Island Discs on Radio 4.

Kirsty Young is a Scottish television and radio presenter best known as one of the original newsreaders of 5 News on Channel 5, particularly because of its unique presentation style for the time that featured newsreaders standing up, or sitting on a desk rather than behind it. She presented 5 News from its launch in 1997 until 2007, leaving briefly in 2000 for ITV News before returning in 2002. Since 2006 she has been the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and previously presented Crimewatch on BBC One from 2008-2015.

•       What are the similarities and differences between them?

Similarities- both have worked in television and radio programmes, having their own sense of style that differentiates them from others. Also, they are both prominent figures in radio programmes and are popular among a middle aged to older audience.

Differences- Kirsty Young has been on fewer tv and radio programmes than Lauren Laverne, but Laverne has a shorter media career as she is younger(1994- present). Also, Lauren has worked on a wider variety of networks and radio channels whereas Kirsty has only worker with the BBC, Channel 5 and ITV.

•       Who might appeal to a wider range of listeners? What reasons do you have for your conclusion?

Lauren Laverne will appeal to a wider range of audiences and she already discusses topics that interest older generations but her radio show “Late Night Woman’s Hour” is trying to draw in the millennial audiences due to its later broadcasting. Also, the topics that Laverne proposes are more modern and younger audiences can understand and relate to them.

Comp 1:Film Industry

“I, Daniel Blake”

PRODUCT CONTEXT

I, Daniel Blake is an independent social realist film directed by renowned filmmaker Ken Loach (Kes, Raining Stones, Sweet Sixteen etc.).

A UK/French co-production, it received funding from the BFI and BBC Films.

It became Ken Loach’s largest grossing film at the box office (taking over $8 million), was highly critically acclaimed and generated much debate due to the contemporary social and political issues addressed in the film.

I, Daniel Blake was exhibited at many film festivals, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and was nominated for many awards including several BAFTAs.

1.        What issues does I, Daniel Blake address in the film? Consider both economic and political issues, as well as social.

It addresses the economic issues of the British benefits system and the flaws it has. Also, the politics behind the benefits cuts because of the government caused political outrage amongst those who need benefit payments.

2. Who do you think is the intended audience for this film?
Those in Britain that want change to the benefits system, most likely those who politically favour the labour party and are of a lower social class , with a lower income.
3. How much did the film cost to make?

4. What kept the costs down?

It was an independent production working with a smaller budget on a smaller range of locations and necessary editing requirement. Also it is not using well known actors that would want higher wages for each performance role they star as.

5. How can you tell that Straight Outta Compton was made by a major Hollywood studio and that I, Daniel Blake was not? Make a list of differences
Straight outta Compton includes many conventions knowingly used in trailers, whereas I, Daniel Blake has more of an emotional connection only to the British public and not worldwide.

	I, Daniel Blake	Straight Outta Compton
Domestic Release Date	Jun 2, 2017	Aug 14, 2015
Production Budget		$28,000,000
Opening Weekend Theaters		2,757
Maximum Theaters	45	3,142
Theatrical Engagements	147	17,941
Domestic Opening Weekend		$60,200,180
Domestic Box Office	$260,354	$161,197,785
Inflation Adjusted Domestic Box Office	$260,354	$171,375,608
International Box Office	$8,930,966	$40,985,196
Worldwide Box Office	$9,191,320	$202,182,981

6. Economic factors including funding are extremely significant to this independent British co production. The funding bodies are the BFI (through National Lottery Funding) and the BBC. Consider the ways in which this film is funded differently from many mainstream films.

7. Exploring Public Service Broadcasting and the respective remits of the BBC and the BFI.

8. Discuss why vast financial profits might be less important for practitioners working in this genre of film

Activity 1

The domestic total gross is $260,354 according to box office mojo, and it also says that there is no foreign.

Domestic Box Office	$260,354
International Box Office	$8,930,966
Worldwide Box Office	$9,191,320

How is Straight outta Compton is a mainstream, high-concept film

Actors and crew involved-

·         Well-known actors like O’Shea Jackson, and the director F. Gary Grey who is known after winning Best Video of the year for Directing.

Narrative-

·         The film is a high-concept film with a narrative that can be summed up easily with universal themes, which the audience can personally connect with.

Marketing-

·         There are easy elements of the film to promote, like the famous rap group the N.W.A that fans could recognise and be interested in. Also, the themes that are shown in the trailer, like issues with race and freedom of expression which modern audiences can get behind and relate to due to their own ideologies and personal contexts.

Visual appeal-

·         There are expensive action scenes that are glimpsed at during the trailer.

·         This shows that the film has a high budget due to the special effects used and the different settings and props. Also, the editing style conveys the conventions of mainstream trailers through short clips of the “best bits” which have a continuation of action scenes associated with a higher budget produced by a media conglomerate.

Media conglomerates-

·         New Line cinema

·         Legendary Entertainment

·         Cube Vision

·         The alignment of these three companies increases their domination in the market and the ability to distribute and exhibit their product, reaching a wider audience. This is an example of horizontal integration as these companies have teamed up to produce a high budget film. Furthermore, the involvement of Ice Cube and Dr Dre in the production means that the film will have global implications, and they are both associated with the rap genre, evoking that the film will cover the same conventional storyline of a “larger than life” protagonist.

Straight Outta Compton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyoew4T74_w

PRODUCT CONTEXT – Tell me the basics about the product (film)

Straight Outta Compton is a 2015 American biographical film directed by F. Gary Gray, depicting the career of gangsta rap group N.W.A. Titled after N.W.A's 1988 debut studio album, the film focuses on members Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre, and the rise and fall of the group.

 

PART 1: STARTING POINTS – Media Industries

Historical Context: N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizes and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and are widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music. They were active from 1986 to 1991. N.W.A released their debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988.

Cultural context: - N.W.A - Social issues - Straight Outta Compton, comes at a precarious time in the national conversation surrounding racial politics and police violence—one year almost to the day since 19-year-old Michael Brown was killed by an officer in Ferguson. One of their most well know songs “F**k Tha Police” was very open about police brutality. When four LAPD officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King on video in 1992, and riots broke out, the track became the unofficial motto, spray-painted on walls around South Central L.A.

Economic and Political Contexts: - who co-produced the film? Could that be significant?

Ice Cube and Dr Dre both co-produced the film. This is significant as they will have their own personal experiences of the N.W.A that the can bring to the film and since it is about them, the film would be accurate in portraying the events shown. Also, as the film is about them and their most famous album “ straight outta Compton” this will cause more people to be interested in buying their album too and listening to the songs behind the people in the film.

Consider the significance of patterns of ownership and control, including conglomerate ownership, vertical integration and diversification in relation to this film:

Straight Outta Compton was produced by Legendary Pictures who entered into partnership with Universal Pictures (the film’s distributor) in 2014. Universal is owned by NBC Universal, a Comcast company.

The fact that the film was produced and distributed by a major, vertically integrated film studio that is part of a media conglomerate is significant in terms of funding, possibilities for cross-promotion and reaching a global audience.

Consider other releases from Universal/ Legendary?

Universal pictures and legendary pictures have both been recognised for working on films like “Jurassic World” and “Steve Jobs”.

What are they famous for?

Both of these movies are famous for using well known actors and having a high production budget (Jurassic World- $150 million and Steve Jobs- $30 million)

Might audiences have a perceived sense of quality/expectation?

As the companies usually have high budgets for their films it would be expected by the audience that the next films would be the same. Also with this budget comes a sense of quality, as the money should be spent on better cast, props, setting and editing of the film.

The film was produced by a major studio and co-produced by two members of the band – this is significant in terms of the film and its marketing:

As the two band members would produce the narrative of the film, this meant a more historically accurate story and portrayal of events that fans of the N.W.A would recognise and agree with the way the event was presented in the film. When marketing the film, the inclusion of the two members of the band that co-produced the film would be necessary to market the film towards those that recognise their music and want to hear their story.    

Consider the politics of the band and the possible perceived glorification of the band as catalyst for social change.

It is significant that band members from N.W.A. were co-producers of the film and might be accused of downplaying or sanitising the more problematic aspects of their work (consider the “N” in the band name and some of their most famous tracks including “F*** tha Police” which are not referenced explicitly in the film’s marketing).