Sunday, November 15, 2020

ASSASSINS CREED 4 : Black Flag : Case study

 Complete a written case study of the game focusing on all of these elements, using the information from the  video links and websites.


INDUSTRY AND AUDIENCE


Ownership and Franchise


Give summary of company who owns the product and a summary of the  history of the Assassins Creed franchise : focus on key narrative elements, genre, recurring themes and USP of franchise as well as range of consoles and individual games in franchise. 


Maximising income

Other ways the franchise  has to maximise income for the producers and increase the audience ?
 Links to other media e.g film/TV and any physical merchandise ?




Production/Distribution

When was the game released in different formats  and was it a global release ? Was it released in physical and online form ? 



Marketing and Advertising 


How was game advertised ( trailers,posters, articles etc.) and what elements of the game/format were featured and focused upon and why ?



Maintaining and developing the audience

Are there methods to allow audiences to be more active , such as online multiplayer, in game purchases,  choice of avator , fan communities and other interactive features ?


Reception

Summarise the sales of the game , the critical reception on different formats and audience/fan responses and feedback.


Regulation

Summarise the role of the organisation responsible for regulating the game's content and giving it a relevant age rating.







TEXT

Summarise genre, avator ( including personas) , world( setting, era etc.) controls, rules  and goals of game,  multiplayer options and limitations . Any representaation issues in terms of gender,ethnicity,nationality,religion ? 






KEY SEQUENCE : We need to understand the game elements and technical codes of one sequence from the game in detail. 

e.g    Long battle and escape ( first 5 minutes )


Summarise the following :

Use and control of avator, display e.g first/third person, graphics, camera movement, gameplay, controls, menus and inventories, use of sound, goals and narrative purpose of sequence. 

How sequence demonstrates changes in technology e.g quality of graphics and sound, size of world, cut scenes, narrative and representation, as well as which computer game elements and audience pleasures have remained the same for decades. 

Monday, November 9, 2020

COMPUTER GAME INDUSTRY : initial research

 



Research the history of video games and answer the questions below.




1 How have video games and consoles  changed through history? 

Create a timeline highlighting major changes of each 

decade from 1970s-2020 



Consider:


  which consoles/devices were available

  the important and influential games of the time

  the advances in technology and playability

  main audiences

and links to other media e.g film,social media







2.  What do the following terms mean?



MMORPG



AUGMENTED
REALITY



PERSISTENT
WORLDS


CRPG


AVATOR



3. List and summarise the various audience pleasures and experiences that computer games can provide  ( e.g completing levels , making  money , competition with others etc. swapping tips and watching other gamers etc. ) 

Monday, November 2, 2020

PAPER 1 SECTION A Practice Exam question

 Analyse the representation of gender in the music videos for "The Man " by Taylor Swift and 
"Riptide " by Vance Joy      ( 30 marks / 800 words minimum)



POINTS ( several relevant effective and detailed points )

e.g The main ways the videos represent gender  e.g women as victim , man as bully

The use of and any ways of challenging stereotypes

Challenging or following audience expectations about genre, the artist , narrative etc.


EVIDENCE

Specific and relevant examples from the videos , focusing on technical codes such as camera shots, lighting and colour ,costume and body language , conventions of music video such as artist performance and the  artist's star profile or persona  


EXPLAIN

Develop your point , contrast to other video or other points you've made, link to relevant theory e.g binary opposites, Hall's stereotypes.


Sunday, November 1, 2020

music video unseen text

watch this video

And make notes about how it represents gender and follows or challenges stereotypes using the technical codes such as costume, props, body language, expression, camera framing, lighting, shot types and the performance and persona of the artist

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Analyse the   music video for Riptide by Vance Joy  focusing on the following elements. Refer to contextual information and technical codes to support your points.



GENRE AND AUDIENCE

Research and summarise the indie genre : conventions, influences, audience  and key artists.
What is the definition of " indie " and does the artist, video fit into this category ?


NARRATIVE AND ICONOGRAPHY

Linear , clear and resolved narrative , or fragmented montage based on the lyrics of the song ?
Analyse scenes for symbolic objects and the meaning they contain .


REPRESENTATION

How is gender represented in the video ? Look at stereotypes, repetitive motifs and how women and men are  framed narratively and through iconography.



POSTMODERNISM

Which of the following postmodernist techniques are used in the video ?


Consider  these in particular :

Intertextuality ( including pastiche and parody of other media texts e.g  films by cool alternative directors such as Wes Anderson and David Lynch)

Ironic non -judgemental tone  ( particularly when referencing  dark subject matter )

Reflexivity ( the text showing awareness of its artificial constructed nature ) 


How does this change how  the audience responds to the messages, representations and other elements of the video ? Does it change the meaning ?






Sunday, October 11, 2020

KEY TEXT : Dizzee Rascal ( Dream) Music video

VIDEO



Analyse  the content of the music video for Dream , using the technical codes ( use of camera, lighting, props , costume, iconography etc )and the narrative of the video  to focus on the following areas :





Narrative

What is the main narrative and message  of the song  , and how is this  added to or altered by the visual elements of  the video ( e.g lighting and colour ,camera framing ) and the techniques used, such as the use of puppets  ? 

Does the video  subvert or confirm the messages and content of the song ?  How ? 

What might the video be saying about Dizzee Rascal's relationship with the pop and grime genres , their audiences and the music industry ? 


Representation 

How is ethnicity, age , gender and class represented in the video ? 
How is the extent of  power and freedom  enjoyed by these characters shown visually ? 
What binary oppositions are created or shown in the video between different stereotypes or characters ? 

Are there any characters that subvert or challenge stereotypes about their social or ethnic group ?  



Intertextuality : What cultural or media references does the video and song make and why ?


      Muffin the Mule

           golliwogs



THEORY  :  Postcolonialism( Gilroy) : Summarise the theory  and how it can be linked to content in the video.  Does the video refer to "traditional white Empire  " UK culture  and create a binary opposition with modern multicultural postcolonial Britain ? How ?