Media Language and Representation: Intertextuality- Big Issue Essay

Intertextuality- the shaping of a text's meaning by another text- literacy device that creates an 'interrelationship between texts' and generates related understanding in separate works. These references are made to influence the reader and add layers of depth to a text, based on the readers prior knowledge and understanding. 



The Big Issue uses references from a Swedish pop group called Abba from the 70s. They have the bodies of the members of Abba with the faces of Nicolas Sturgeon, David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, who are well known members of Parliament. They included speech bubbles near the Parliament members' faces, which are lyrics of a song by Abba which is called 'Knowing me, Knowing You'. The Big Issue also added bold text, which says 'THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL', which is a song by the Swedish group Abba.
Nicolas Sturgeon- 'Breaking up is never easy, I know'.
David Cameron- 'Knowing me, knowing EU'- The Big Issue decided to make a pun about Brexit by adding 'EU', instead of 'You'.
Boris Johnson- 'This time we're through'.
Nigel Farage- 'Take a chan-chance'.

Comparing Editorial Comments

Similarities:

• small masthead
• column style- text based (no images)
• authoritative, persuasive tone 
• subheading = outlines opinion 
• based on current affairs 
• 2-3 different comment articles 

Differences:

• vocabulary range 
• Daily Mail audience- less intelligent people/ The Guardian audience- intelligent people
• Daily Mail- easy to read and easy to understand/ The Guardian- hard to read and difficult to understand what the writer is trying to inform the reader. 
• The Daily Mail- easy to persuade the reader/ The Guardian- might be hard to persuade the reader 
• Formal and opinionated

                         

Uses and Gratification theory- a popular approach to understanding mass communication. Audiences choose what type of media they would like to consume, which shows that they are active. Audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs.

• Basic model- identify- being able to recognise the product or person in front of you, tole models that reflect similar values to yours. 
• Educate- being able to acquire information, knowledge and understanding. 
• Entertain- what you are consuming should give you enjoyment. 

                      

Representational issues surrounding "street life"

Corinne Bailey Rae- stop where you are (music video)


Bailey Rae was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, to a Kittitian father and an English mother, as the oldest of three daughters, including her siblings, Candice Bailey and actress Rhea Bailey, who is in Coronation Street. Bailey Rae began her musical career at school, where she studied classical violin before she turned her attention to singing: "I started off singing in church, I suppose, but people think it must have been a gospel church because of the whole, you know, black assumption," she said in reference to her multi-racial background.

• Narrative- telling a story, about how you should enjoy your life, and how you should make the most of what you are and what you have. 
• Characters- teenage girl on the stairs, who looks isolated.  Group of girls, who look like they are part of a gang, the song says "stop, make the most of who you are".    Homeless man who is asking for money, then a man who is in a suit comes down and sits next to him and starts talking to him.   Man and dog, the man looks vicious, but when he goes around the corner with his dog he shows the audience a different side to him. A teenage boy, who looks like he is about to jump of a building but then he stops. A man with dreadlocks.  (Elements of poverty and aggression) 
• The woman who is singing, wears a bright red dress to make her stand out. This shows that she is the person who is going to help the people with their problems.
• Setting- concrete/grey, unattractive place to live, city/urban, monochrome 

Massive Attack- unfinished sympathy


Shara Nelson is a British singer and songwriter. She worked with Massive Attack in the early 1990s, and as a solo artist garnered five UK Top 40 hit singles. Her 1993 debut album, What Silence Knows, was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize.

• tracking shot- one woman walking through (down) a street, it is just one shot through the whole song. 
• Setting- urban- America?

Emeli Sande- heaven 


Adele Emily Sande, MBE, known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish recording artist and songwriter. She first became prominent after she was featured on the track "Diamond Rings" by the rapper Chipmunk.

• Setting- urban city area (streets)-outside
• London-cut-sitting in a meadow/park
• Characters- one woman- residents from the setting
• close ups

News: Analysing the Language of Newspapers

Daily Mail
Houses ripped to shreds, power lines toppled, and 15 people dead: How Hurricane Maria left Dominica looking like an apocalyptic wasteland

The Guardian 

The US National Hurricane Center has downgraded Maria to a category 2 storm after it devastated Puerto Rico. The weather service cautioned that the hurricane could strengthen and again become a major hurricane by Thursday.

Title Sequence Pitch

WhO wE aRe  - storyboard 

EVALUATION QUESTION

1. In our title sequence we have used non-diegetic sound, such as, music to create a tense atmosphere. We cut from one shot to another, this abrupt transition changes the one and gives more depth to the video. We also add close ups to show the characters, which we do to intensify the scene by showing close ups of the people crying. 
2.  The genre of our TV Drama is a mix of drama and mystery. This is made clear in the title sequence because of how the characters are crying, and it makes the audience think about why they are crying. Also the way the characters are being suffocated by the hands, this makes the audience think that the TV Drama will be mysterious, because they are dying to know why there are hands suffocated the characters.
3. Our title sequence will occur at the very start of every episode, this is so that the audience get more intrigued every time they watch an episode. 

News: An Evolving Media Product

Daily Mail
Layout-  the Mail Online has a toolbar where readers can select what kind of newspaper article they would like to read, for example sport. The Mail Online always has a breaking news for reader to see when they come on to the page, it will have a few picture and maybe a video. At the bottom of the pictures there will be a description about the breaking news.
This is something the headline will say: BREAKING NEWS:Two RAF fighter jets are scrambled to escort Ryanair plane 'with a suspect package onboard' to Stansted.

Format- the Mail Online will have a little main story on the top left hand corner, below the breaking news article. Then there are different stories that the readers can clip on and read. On the right hand side of the page, there is a search tool for readers to search specific stories. Below that there is a 'don't miss' section, which is filled with different stories, which is more about celebrities.

The Guardian
Layout- the Guardian also has a toolbar like the Mail Online, where the reader can choose what kind of newspaper article they would like to read, for example politics. The Guardian have videos, for the reader who dot like to read and they have live videos which will be taken place at the time the reader is on the page. This newspaper is different to the Daily Mail because this newspaper has more text than the Mail Online.

Format- the Guardian has sections where there is news about different things, such as headlines, spotlight, sport, news from the UK and news from around the world. There is also a thing called the guardian jobs, where people can find jobs there.

TV Drama Conventions: The Title Sequence

Sense of unease, the music informs the movement of the type as the letterforms slide together to form the title. The Stranger Things main title mimics an optical look which reflects the time period of the show, it also seems as if light is passing through the film, creating a lush haptic quality. 

Graphics: colours- red and black: which connotate danger and horror. 

while the letterforms slide together, we are shown the lead characters names, all the executive producers, the creators or the directors.

This title sequence is different to other ones. In this one there is a narrator telling us about the main character of the show, while the narrator is speaking there is music in the background, and this is the soundtrack of the show. It shows us the era that the TV Drama is set in, for example the men on the horses who are riding into battle with swords. At the end of the title sequence the narrator says "long may she reign", when he says 'reign' the title of show comes up with fire embers in the background and in front of the title.
Graphics: colours: red- blood and danger
There is fire which connotates with pain and death.

Dr Foster

1. Who is the main character and how are they being represented in the trailer?
2. How does this fit with your previous conceptions of female stereotypes? 
3. Research who produced and directed both shows and consider how this may alter the way the characters are constructed.

 
 DR. FOSTER

1. The main character is Dr. Gemma Foster. She is represented as a doctor with the perfect life; she is a trusted GP, has many friends and a settled family-- until her husband starts acting suspiciously. The doctor begins to think her husband is having an affair and decides to investigate, but the secrets she uncovers tear her world apart.
2. She is portrayed as a strong woman, who has a really good job. She is represented more like a man, because of the role that she has in the TV Drama. 
3. The TV Drama was produced by a woman called Jude Liknaitzky, but it was written by a man called Mike Bartlett. Maybe, because the producer is a woman, the women in the TV Drama might have more led roles, compared to the men.