Creative media

• Stuart Hall - Representation Theory

  Media products are a 're-presentation' of reality from the producer's point of view. Media constructions of 'truth' through cultural and technical codes.

  Understanding mediated representations to challenging and accepting representations.
• Richard Dyer


  Stereotypes are always about power; those with power stereotype those with less power. Stereotypes are an oversimplification (homogeny) of people and social groups constructed through the

  use of a few immediately recognisable and defining traits. Stereotypes are used as shorthand and shortcuts to meaning.
• Laura Mulvey - Male Gaze


  The media is created by and for men so attractive women are used to gain Male attention. The male gaze explored voyeurism, scopophilia and exhibitionism.
• Stuart Hall (Audience Theory)


  Audience Positioning and Dominant, Negotiated, Oppositional Readings: "Some texts may have a number of readings, dependent on audience.
• Katz and Blumler


  uses and gratifications theory - Audience consume media products to gain pleasure. This has been segmented as the following 4 categories: Escapism, personal identity, personal relationships, information and education.
• Intertextuality


  the relationship between texts, especially literary ones.When a text is referenced within another text.
• Hypodermic Needle Model


  an early model in mass communication research that attempted to explain media effects by arguing that the media figuratively shoot their powerful effects into unsuspecting or weak audiences; sometimes called the effects model - audiences are passive.
• Encoding


  the producers encode messages within a media text
• Decoding


  The audience decode the messages from a media text
• Polysemic


  capable of being understood in more than one way. When it contains more than one meaning
• Connotation


  All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a text suggests. The implied meaning
• Denotation


  the literal meaning of a word
• Passive Audience


  The assumption that audiences passively accept the messages that media give them
• Active Audience


  the idea that people are not simply passive recipients of media messages; they respond to content based on their personal backgrounds, interests, and interpersonal relationships
• Semiotics Theory


  the study of signs, designed to explain ways of seeing to examine the social meanings of visual images or objects
• Conventions


  generic codes which you expect to see - content, theme, settings, props, costume, layout, characters etc
• subgenre


  a subcategory within a particular genre
• hybrid genres


  mixed forms produced by the interaction of different genres, such as musical horror films. Contains conventions of more than one genre.
• Mise-en-scene


  All of the elements placed in front of the camera to be photographed: the settings and props, lighting, costumes and makeup, and figure behavior.
• Objectification


  the action of degrading someone to the status of a mere object.
• dominant ideology


  a set of cultural beliefs and practices that legitimates existing powerful social, economic, and political interests. A cluster of stereotypes.
• conform


  to follow rules or customs - in agreement with
• subvert


  To upset; to overthrow; to go against
• representation


  a person or group acting on behalf of another person or group - re - presentation
• Dominant ideology of men

  -Strength - physical and intellectual and power

  -Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)

  -Independence (of thought, action

  -The Lone Hero: as independent and not needing to rely on others
• Dominant ideology of women


  Often presented as weak, vulnerable, inferior, and dependent. They are also often sexualised and sold as bodies to the audiences.
• Dominant ideology of asian decent

  Intelligent, Martial artist, Obsessed with electronics, Quirky or weak, Lack emotion, Women can be seen as ditzy in some cases.
• Dominant ideology of latino decent

  Ugly, uneducated, silly/not taken seriously, Involved in drugs (dealing/taking), sex symbols examples: (Antonio Banderez, Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek).
• Dominant ideology of middle eastern decent


  Terrorists/violent, Very religious, Physically strong, Strict/stern/not a push over, Serious, Villains/rarely seen as heroes, powerful: physical/intellectual, Serial killer, Leaders, in charge (dominant race), lead role.
• Sectors


  The different industries creating media products
• Synergy


  The way media can link between sectors (e.g. movie soundtracks or making a movie from a game)
• Analogue products


  Traditional media using physical data, e.g. vinyl records, old television broadcasts
• Digital products


  Media that is stored digitally (on a computer). This could be a film, music, game etc.
• Immediacy


  A feature of digital media: it is usually very quick to access/download
• Convenience


  A feature of digital media: it is normally easier to use than analogue media (because it is portable, immediate etc.)
• Access


  A feature of digital media: lots of people have access because of advancements in technology. (But remember that some people might not have access!)
• Portability


  A feature of digital media: we can carry it around with us thanks to mobile devices like smartphones or laptops
• Connectivity


  A feature of digital media: it lets us connect with each other, e.g. sharing comments or liking each other's online activity
• Interactivity


  A feature of digital media: audiences can interact with the media, e.g. clicking links, pausing
• Personalisation


  A feature of digital media: Consumers can make media personal to them, e.g. e.g. making playlists, creating accounts, getting recommendations