Broadcaster, Producer, Director and Columnist Jasmine Dotiwala is visiting Greenford to give a talk on Friday 16 December at 11am.
Jasmine grew up in this area before going on to work across a variety of media roles in a 25-year career. The Speakers for Schools website introduction for Jasmine says the following:
"Jasmine Dotiwala has over 25 years of experience as a Head of department, manager, broadcaster, producer, director and columnist at brands like Netflix UK, Media Trust, Channel 4 News, MTV and more. In 2020 she moved into a role working with the Netflix UK Editorial & Publishing team. She continues to support Media Trust programmes.
"As a multi-media reporter and producer as well as a reputed D&I specialist, Jasmine developed the industry lauded, ground-breaking Media Trust broadcast trainee programme London360, whose (over 400 to date) diverse alumni have since taken up senior positions all across TV broadcasters and the creative industries in the UK. As Head of Youth Media at Media Trust Jasmine oversaw media training programming from TV Production, to radio podcasting, to vlogging and more, with thousands of young people all across the UK Nations & Regions. She leaves a legacy of diverse talent across the creative industries."
This is a brilliant opportunity for Media students to hear from and question a key media personality - and also ask about diversity in the cultural industries. Think about David Hesmondhalgh's work in this area and what impact a lack of diversity in the media can have on society.
This Twitter thread from Jasmine is a brilliant example of what we can expect:
Think about what my industry was like before diversity was a focus. I grew up never seeing people of different races, genders & sexualities on TV. I never saw disabled people on TV & ads. Look what happens when we empower women to play football...Paralympic athletes....Pride..
We're encouraging all Post-16 Media students to attend the talk but if you have another lesson at that time you will need to discuss this with your teacher in advance to ensure they are happy for you to attend. You will also need to catch up with any missed work.
Your January A Level Media mock exams are the real deal - the opportunity to put everything you have learned to the test. Students typically do better in the summer exams than the last set of mocks - but usually only by around a grade. This means you need to make sure you are fully prepared for these exams with the aim of achieving your target grade or just off it. The following will help you plan your revision: Media Paper 1 Section A will always focus on Media Language and Representations. This means the following CSPs could come up: Advertising & Marketing Score & Maybelline That Boss Life - Advertising index is here Music Video Letter to the Free & Ghost Town - Music Video index is here
Section B will always focus on Media Audiences and Industries. This means the following CSPs could come up:
Newspapers (not in January mock exam - we haven't covered this yet)
The Daily Mail and The i
Unseen question
The first question in Media Paper 1 Section A will always be an unseen media product.
The second question will also relate to the unseen while also bringing in a CSP. This means it is likely the unseen product will link to advertising and marketing or music promotion.
20-mark essays
There will be TWO 20-mark essays in Paper 1 – at the end of each section. AQA states for your extended response questions:
“You will be rewarded for your ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.” This means you need to write an essay that constructs an argument that answers the question you have been given. You can look through this AQA Specimen Paper 1 paper to familiarise yourself with the structure of the paper.
Media Paper 2
The first question in Media Paper 2 will always be a 9-mark question on an unseen media product.
Aside from Q1, Media Paper 2 tests your in-depth topic areas:
Tomb Raider Anniversary, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes & The Sims FreePlay - index is here.
Indeed, the majority of Paper 2 will be THREE 25-mark essays on your in-depth topics. AQA states for your extended response questions:
“You will be rewarded for your ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.” This means plan and write an essay with a clear and convincing argument!
The structure for the 25-mark questions in Paper 2 tends to be as follows:
Q2: evaluation of theory question
Q3: contexts question (e.g. social and cultural contexts)
Q4: synoptic question
Q4: Synoptic question
The final question in Paper 2 will always be the synoptic question – which requires you to demonstrate knowledge of the whole two-year course of study. AQA states:
“Question 4 is a synoptic question in which you will be rewarded for your ability to draw together different areas of knowledge and understanding from across the full course of study.”
How do we do this? Answer: Key concepts and CSPs. Try and answer the question by linking it to other key concepts (Language/Industries/ Audiences/Representations) and by mentioning other relevant CSPs that link to the question. This will demonstrate your knowledge of the whole course - but make sure you do stay focused the question! You can look through this AQA Specimen Paper 2 paper to familiarise yourself with the structure of the paper.
How to revise
Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Here's a video on YouTube with top tips for A* A Level revision:
Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. I have spare flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some.
Revision example and useful resources - thank you Assia!
One of our former Year 13 Media students, Assia, very kindly shared some of her revision resources with us when she left Greenford. These are notes on CSPs which you may find useful but I'd also recommend creating your own similar resources for the CSPs to help you remember the key details. By the way, this is what an A grade student looks like! You'll need your Greenford Google login to access these:
How to plan and answer A Level Media exam questions
One of the key skills you need to practice with the mock exams is exam technique. In order to help you, these 'walk and talk' videos go through a range of different A Level Media exam questions and cover the number of marks, how long to spend on the answer and what structure or points you could make in your answer. Not all of these question types or CSPs will come up in your mock exams (some CSPs have changed) but the videos will help with exam technique and revision regardless.
Paper 1 Section A - 9 mark question on Advertising and Marketing:
Paper 1 Section A - 20 mark question on Music Video:
Paper 1 Section B - 6 mark question on Film Industry (note: different CSP to ours):
Paper 1 Section B - 9 mark question on Film Industry (note: different CSP to ours):
Paper 2 - 25 mark TV question:
Finally, revise EVERYTHING you have learned over the last 18 months for A Level Media in preparing for these exams - terminology, theory and CSPs. Good luck!
Our final videogames CSP is The Sims FreePlay (2011). This is another in-depth CSP so will require significant work and research across three blogposts to complete your case study. Background: mobile gaming
The videogames industry has changed massively since the emergence of the smart phone and app store distribution model.
Mobile gaming has changed the audience demographics for gaming and brought the industry into the mainstream.
The app store model means tech giants such as Apple and Google are making significant sums from mobile gaming but mobile hits can still earn developers millions.
Angry Birds made developer Rovio $200m in 2012 and broke 2 billion downloads in 2014.
The Sims FreePlay
The Sims FreePlay is a spin-off from the hugely successful Sims franchise first published by Electronic Arts (EA) in 2000.
The game is a strategic life simulation game (also known as the sandbox genre).
The Sims FreePlay takes the game on to phones and tablets and uses the ‘freemium’ model that makes money via in-app purchases.
The game has seen more than 200 million downloads since 2011 – remarkable success.
The Sims FreePlay: Audience
The Sims franchise has demonstrated there is a strong and lucrative market in female gamers.
When The Sims was first pitched by creator Will Wright he described it as a ‘doll house’.
The development company Maxis weren’t keen because ‘doll houses were for girls, and girls didn’t play videogames’. EA then bought Maxis, saw potential in the idea and one of the most successful ever videogame franchises was born.
Expansion packs available for The Sims FreePlay reinforce the view that the target audience is predominantly female.
Participatory culture
The Sims franchise is one of the best examples of Henry Jenkins’ concept of participatory culture.
Since the very first game in the franchise, online communities have created, suggested and shared content for the game.
‘Modding’ – short for modifications – is a huge part of the appeal of the game. Modding changes aspects of the gameplay – anything from the strength of coffee to incorporating ghosts or even sexual content.
The Sims FreePlay - Language & Audience blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 1 - Language & Audience' and complete the following in-depth tasks.
Language / Gameplay analysis
Watch The Sims: FreePlay trailer and answer the following
questions:
1) What elements of gameplay are shown?
2) What audience is the trailer targeting?
3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?
Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following
questions:
2) Why does James Paul Gee see The Sims as an important
game?
3) What does the designer of The Sims, Will Wright, want players
to do with the game?
4) Do you agree with the view that The Sims is not a game –
but something else entirely?
5) How do you see the future of gaming? Do you agree with James
Paul Gee that all games in the future will have the flexibility and
interactivity of The Sims?
Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Henry Jenkins is a key audience theorist – an expert in fandom and participatory culture. We need to apply Jenkins's ideas to our videogame CSPs but also think back to where his ideas are relevant with other media texts we have studied. His work on participatory culture links with Clay Shirky in places and the concept of fandom is important to many media texts - from TV drama to magazines. Notes Henry Jenkins is an expert in fandom and participatory culture. Key to this idea is the concept of the ‘prosumer’ – audiences that create as well as consume media. This culture has revolutionised fan communities with the opportunity to create and share content. It also links to Clay Shirky’s work on ‘mass amateurisation’. Fandom is now big business – with Comic-Con events making millions. More importantly, the internet has demonstrated the size of fan communities so it is no longer a minority of ‘geek’ stereotypes but mainstream popular culture (such as Marvel, Harry Potter or Doctor Who). Jenkins defends fan cultures and argues that fans are often stereotyped negatively in the media because they value popular culture (e.g. films or games) over traditional cultural capital (high brow culture or knowledge). The irony is fan culture is often dominated by middle class, educated audiences. Jenkins discusses ‘textual poaching’ – when fans take texts and re-edit or develop their meanings, a process called semiotic productivity. Fan communities are also quick to criticise if they feel a text or character is developing in a way they don’t support. EU copyright law: a threat to participatory culture? A new copyright law currently moving through the European Parliament has been described as a potential 'meme-ban'. It would place the responsibility for the distribution of copyrighted material with the platform rather than the user or copyright holder - and therefore could lead to huge amounts of content being removed. If implemented in full, it could end textual poaching, fan-made texts and re-edits and many more examples of fandom and participatory culture. You can read more on the potential implications in this Wired feature.
Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following: Factsheet #107 - Fandom Read Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or log into your Greenford Google account to access the link. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of a fan? 2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet? 3) What makes a ‘fandom’? 4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom? 5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet? 6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
1) What types of content are on offer in this fansite?
2) What does the number of links and content suggest about the size of the online fan community for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft? Pick out some examples from this site that you find interesting.
1) Look at the Community Spotlight page. What does this suggest about the types of people who enjoy and participate in fan culture?
2) There is a specific feature on Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. What do the questions from fans tell you about the level of engagement and interest in the game and franchise from the fan community?
A/A* optional extension: Henry Jenkins - degree-level reading
Read the final chapter of ‘Fandom’ – written by Henry Jenkins (note: link may be blocked in school - try this Google Drive link if you need it.) This will give you an excellent introduction to the level of reading required for seminars and essays at university as well as degree-level insight into our current work on fandom and participatory culture. Answer the following questions:
1) There is an important quote on the first page: “It’s not an audience, it’s a community”. What does this mean?
2) Jenkins quotes Clay Shirky in the second page of the chapter. Pick out a single sentence of the extended quote that you think is particularly relevant to our work on participatory culture and the ‘end of audience’ (clue – look towards the end!)
3) What are the different names Jenkins discusses for these active consumers that are replacing the traditional audience?
4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?
5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?
6) Look at the quote from Andrew Blau in which he discusses the importance of grassroots creativity. Pick out a sentence from the longer quote and decide whether you agree that audiences will ‘reshape the media landscape from the bottom up’.
7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?
8) Why is fandom 'the future'?
9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?
10) Read through to the end of the chapter. What do you think the future of fandom is? Are we all fans now? Is fandom mainstream or are real fan communities still an example of a niche media audience?
Optional extension: EU copyright law - is a meme ban really being considered? Read this Wired feature on the upcoming EU copyright law(Article 13 and Article 11) and discuss the potential implications for participatory culture and fandom. How might this impact on fans' 'textual poaching'?
There is plenty of work here but you will have the Christmas holiday to complete it. Exploring Jenkins will also give you a high-level academic theorist to employ in your upcoming mock exams.
Our second videogames CSP is Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004). This is another in-depth CSP so will require a decent amount of work and research for an extensive blog case study. The basics
First-person action-adventure game produced for Nintendo GameCube (2004)
Part of Metroid franchise – 7th game in series, sequel to Metroid Prime (original Metroid was 1986 on NES; latest release was Metroid: Samus Returns in 2017 on 3DS)
Sold around 800,000 copies worldwide (quite low based on Nintendo franchises and previous Metroid games)
Game follows bounty hunter Samus Aran as she is sent to rescue Galactic Federation Marines
She must battle the Ing (a destructive race from another dimension) and a mysterious version of herself called Dark Samus
The game’s head-up display simulates the inside of Samus’s helmet and features map, radar, health bar, weapons and more
Prime 2 Echoes is the first Metroid title to feature a 4-player multiplayer element
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'Metroid Prime 2: Echoes case study' and complete the following in-depth tasks. Language
Analyse the game cover for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (above).
1) How does the cover communicate the genre of the game?
2) What does the cover suggest regarding gameplay and audience pleasures? 3) Does the cover sexualise the character of Samus Aran? Why/why not? Trailer analysis
Watch the trailer for the game: 1) What do you notice about genre? 2) How is the character introduced? Is Samus Aran's gender clear? Why? 3) How can we apply Steve Neale’s genre theory that discusses “repetition and difference”?
Gameplay analysis
Watch the following gameplay clips again:
1) What does the gameplay for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes involve? 2) Write an analysis of the media language choices in the construction of the game: e.g. genre, narrative, mise-en-scene, camera shots etc. 3) Analyse the clips for audience pleasures, applying audience theory and considering media effects. You can use bullet points here and/or type up your notes from the analysis in class. 4) Choose one other theory to evaluate using the gameplay in Metroid e.g. gender theories or postmodernism. Again, use the notes from class to help you.
1) Who might the target audience be for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, based on your research? Discuss demographics and psychographics. 2) How has Nintendo’s audience changed since the original Metroid game in 1986? 3) What audience pleasures are offered by Metroid Prime 2: Echoes or the wider Metroid franchise? 4) What effects might Metroid have on audiences? Apply media effects theories (e.g. Bandura’s social learning theory, Gerbner’s cultivation theory).
1) Who is considered to be the stereotypical gamer? 2) What has changed this? 3) What role do women play in the videogames market? Quote statistics from the article here. 4) Why are older gamers becoming a particularly important market for videogames producers? How can you link this to the Metroid franchise? 5) What does the article suggest regarding audience pleasures and expectations for different generations of gamer? Industries Read this Destructoid blog on the Metroid franchise. Answer the following:
1) Why has Metroid never quite fitted with the Nintendo brand? 2) What franchises have overtaken Metroid in the sci-fi hyper-realism genre in recent years? 3) Why does the writer link old boy bands from the music industry to the Metroid franchise? Do you agree with this reading of the brand? 4) What is an ‘AAA’ or ‘triple-A game’ in the videogames industry? 5) Do you think there will be further Metroid games featuring Samus Aran? Should there be? Representations Read this BBC3 feature on Samus Aran and answer the questions below: 1) What was notable about the original Metroid game in 1986? 2) What were the inspirations behind the gameplay and construction of Metroid? 3) Why are the endings to the original Metroid considered controversial? 4) What reaction do you think the reveal of Samus Aran in a bikini would have got when the game was first released in 1986? Have attitudes towards women changed? 5) How have later versions of the Metroid franchise sexualised the character of Samus Aran? 6) How can we apply Liesbet van Zoonen’s work to Samus Aran and Metroid? 7) What did Brianna Wu suggest regarding the character of Samus Aran? 8) Do you see Samus Aran as a feminist icon or simply another exploited female character? Read this Houston Press feature on Samus Aran and entitled male gamers. Answer the following questions: 1) What does Anita Sarkeesian suggest regarding Samus Aran? 2) Why does Brianna Wu (and others) suggest Samus Aran may be transgender? 3) Why is Samus Aran useful for male gamers trying to argue videogames are not sexist? 4) Why are Lara Croft, Zelda and Peach not ideal examples to argue for female equality in videogames? 5) What does the ‘SJW’ in ‘SJW-gender politics’ refer to? 6) How can we apply Gerbner’s Cultivation theory to representations of women in videogames as discussed in the article? How might this lead to ‘entitled male gamers’? 7) Does the videogame industry have a problem with gender? Explain your opinion on this question and provide evidence for your argument.
A/A* extension tasks
Read this journal article called Mapping Metroid - which looks at the Metroid franchise's use of maps and brings in elements of game construction, narrative and postmodernism. It's a great example of academic writing and university-level videogame analysis.
Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Our first videogames CSP is Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007). This is an in-depth CSP so will require significant work and research for an extensive blog case study. The basics
Released in 2007 on multiple consoles, PC and Mac.
The Wii version had active features; on Xbox it was the first game to be offered on Xbox Live Marketplace.
11th version of the Tomb Raider franchise.
Marked 10th anniversary of original 1996 Tomb Raider game.
Sold 1.3m copies – good but nowhere near original (7m+ copies).
Game was based on original (offering nostalgia) but with updated graphics and gameplay – faster and more agile; more realistic visuals.
Genre: Action adventure
Protagonist/avatar (character player controls): Lara Croft
Quest narrative driven by enigma and action codes and culminating in a final confrontation with antagonist. Lara Croft is dispatched to New Mexico to recover part of the Scion of Atlantis
Analyse the game cover for Tomb Raider Anniversary (above).
1) How does the cover communicate the genre of the game?
2) How does the pose and costume of the character appeal to primarily male audiences? 3) How might the cover be read as empowering for female gamers?
Gameplay analysis Watch the following gameplay clips again:
1) What does the gameplay for Tomb Raider Anniversary involve? 2) Write an analysis of the media language choices in the construction of the game: e.g. genre, narrative, mise-en-scene, camera shots etc. 3) Analyse the clips for audience pleasures, applying audience theory and considering media effects. Representations Read this NME feature on the evolution of the character of Lara Croft. Answer the following questions: 1) Note the statistics in the opening paragraph. 2) How does the article describe the cultural change in society and the media since the early 00s? 3) How was the original 1996 Lara Croft received by audiences and critics? 4) What did the 2013 re-launch do differently – and how successful was it? 5) How is ‘woke Lara’ defined in the conclusion of the feature? Now read this feature – Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft: feminist or femme fatale? 1) Why is Lara Croft considered a “polarising figure among gamers”? 2) How did the limitations of game construction in the 1990s help to establish the way female characters were animated? 3) Why were Lara Croft’s physical attributes emphasised in the original games? 4) How does Anita Sarkeesian describe Lara Croft? 5) Why has Lara Croft’s appearance and characterisation changed over time?
Industries 1) Why is Lara Croft such an iconic figure in the gaming industry? 2) What products and spin-offs have featured Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider brand? 3) Why might Lara Croft be considered a postmodern icon? 4) Why is Tomb Raider Anniversary a 'case study in conglomerate ownership'? Grade A/A* extension tasks Link Tomb Raider Anniversary to our work in the unit so far: 1) What examples from the Tomb Raider franchise are included in Anita Sarkeesian's video series 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'? 2) How can we apply Liesbet van Zoonen's work to Lara Croft and Tomb Raider? Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Our coursework projects are developing well with the filming almost finished and our rough cut edits coming soon. We now need to update our Statement of Intent with our projects fully planned. This week, we need to write and submit a second draft of our Statement of Intent that will be marked and given feedback in terms of a level and approximate grade. The Statement of Intent is worth 10 of the 60 marks so if we want A/A* we'll need something close to full marks on this component.
One important point to remember is that your Statement of Intent is what you are planning to do - so it must be written in the future tense ('I will...' rather than 'I have...') This is not an evaluation but instead a written account of what you intend to produce.
You need to submit the second draft of your Statement of Intent as a NEW blog post AND email or share a version from Microsoft Word / Google Docs with your coursework teacher. Statement of Intent guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to open these documents).
Finally, here's an example Statement of Intent from a previous year (different brief - TV drama trailer) to give you some ideas on how you can use layout and bullet points to include a large amount of information while keeping close to the 500-word limit.
Statement of Intent deadline: Week commencing Monday 28 November
Mark scheme
A few of you have requested the mark scheme for the Statement of Intent. You can find it in the A Level Media specification document here - on pages 21-22 (if you keep scrolling you can also find the mark scheme for the remaining 50 marks for your productions).
If you need a recap on the brief from AQA, you can find it here - Brief Three: Music Promo. Your statement of intent is a vital part of the project so make sure you are demonstrating your excellent knowledge of media concepts, terminology and theory.
As part of our study of women in videogames, we need to develop a deeper understanding of feminist theory. We have looked at a range of feminist ideas earlier in the course including Laura Mulvey, Judith Butler, Liesbet van Zoonen, the concept of post- or fourth-wave feminism and more. We now need to explore this further with a deeper understanding of bell hooks and van Zoonen. Notes from the lesson Watch this short extract from Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox interviewing bell hooks at The New School in New York: bell hooks is a highly influential radical black feminist. She sees feminism as a struggle to end patriarchal oppression - it should be a serious political commitment rather than a fashionable lifestyle choice: “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression”. bell hooks also points to the importance of race and class when studying oppression.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality is defined as the common point of two forms of oppression and how they work against a particular group of people. For example, black feminism addresses both gender and race discrimination.
bell hooks suggests that race is so significant that the experiences of gender, class or sexuality-based discrimination cannot be fully understood without also considering race.
This is important when analysing power in society. For example, men generally have more power then women – but white, middle class western women generally have much more power than women from non-white backgrounds.
Liesbet van Zoonen
Liesbet van Zoonen is an influential feminist academic and linked gender roles and the media explicitly in her 1994 book Feminist Media Studies. Some of her key ideas:
Gender is constructed through media language
These constructions reflect cultural and historical contexts
The objectification of the female body is a key construct of western culture (building on Mulvey – male gaze)
If women have to be like men to be treated equally, then equality itself is repressive
Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or here using your Greenford Google login. Find Media Factsheet #169 Further Feminist Theory, read the whole of the Factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What definitions are offered by the factsheet for ‘feminism ‘and ‘patriarchy’?
2) Why did bell hooks publish her 1984 book ‘Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center’?
3) What aspects of feminism and oppression are the focus for a lot of bell hooks’s work?
4) What is intersectionality and what does hooks argue regarding this?
5) What did Liesbet van Zoonen conclude regarding the relationship between gender roles and the mass media?
6) Liesbet van Zoonen sees gender as socially constructed. What does this mean and which other media theorist we have studied does this link to?
7) How do feminists view women’s lifestyle magazines in different ways? Which view do you agree with?
8) In looking at the history of the colours pink and blue, van Zoonen suggests ideas gender ideas can evolve over time. Which other media theorist we have studied argues this and do you agree that gender roles are in a process of constant change? Can you suggest examples to support your view?
9) What are the five aspects van Zoonen suggests are significant in determining the influence of the media?
10) What other media theorist can be linked to van Zoonen’s readings of the media?
11) Van Zoonen discusses ‘transmission models of communication’. She suggests women are oppressed by the dominant culture and therefore take in representations that do not reflect their view of the world. What other theory and idea (that we have studied recently) can this be linked to?
12) Finally, van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks by exploring power and feminism. She suggests that power is not a binary male/female issue but reflects the “multiplicity of relations of subordination”. How does this link to bell hooks views on feminism and intersectionality?
Extension task
If you’re interested in some of these ideas, there is plenty more reading and watching you can do. For example, watch this TEDx talk by renowned Nigerian/American novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ‘We should all be feminists’:
The Factsheet questions must be completed for homework if you don't finish in the lesson - due date on Google Classroom.
With a Media trip next week giving the perfect opportunity for some additional filming or photoshoot work, we have extended the filming window by one week.
This means you now have until Monday 21 November to complete all your filming for the full three-minute promo. You may also wish to take photographs for your print work too.
This filming deadline is critical for the overall success of the project as we will need to complete a three-minute rough cut of the video production by Christmas. In class we will also be working on our Statement of Intent too.
LED ring light
If you are filming in interior locations at home then you may wish to borrow our LED ring light. Speak to Mr Harrison to find out more.
Good luck with your filming and let's aim for professional standards!
Our final in-depth media topic is Videogames. Our Videogames CSPs are Tomb Raider Anniversary, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and The Sims FreePlay. These are in-depth CSPs and need to be studied with reference to all four elements of the Theoretical Framework (Language, Representation, Industries, Audience) and all relevant contexts. This will be tested in the Media Two exam with a 25-mark essay question.
Videogames: an introduction
The videogames industry is a huge media market – bigger than video and music combined. It is worth £3.86bn – more than double its value in 2007. Remarkably, these figures do not include mobile and free games such as Fortnite (which has over 200 million players worldwide).
With games like FIFA, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 each selling more than 1m copies, it is important to consider the influence games can have on audiences and society.
Women in videogames
The representation of women in videogames has long been considered sexist. Female characters are rarely playable and usually reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. Games that did feature female characters presented them as damsels in distress or sex objects.
Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider series is one of the most iconic characters in videogame history. But while she is a strong, independent playable character, her appearance and costume turned her into a digital sex object.
Tropes vs Women in Video Games
Vlogger and gaming expert Anita Sarkeesian has produced two series of YouTube videos documenting the representation of women in videogames.
Vlogging as Feminist Frequency, the series are an important example of digital feminism (and a superb resource for Media students). However, as a result, she has been a target for online abuse and threats – most notably as part of the #gamergate controversy.
Women and videogames: blog tasks Work through the following blog tasks to complete this introduction to women in videogames. Part 1: Medium article - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing? Read this short Medium feature on whether female representation in videogames is finally changing. Answer the following questions: 1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames? 2) What percentage of the video game audience is female? 3) What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer? 4) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them? 5) What does the writer suggest has changed regarding recent versions of Lara Croft and who does she credit for this development? Part 2: Tropes vs Women in Video Games – further analysis Visit Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games Series 2’ YouTube playlist and watch ONE other video in the series (your choice - and feel free to choose a video from season 1 if you prefer). Write a 100 word summary of the video you watch: Title of video: 100 word summary: Part 3: Anita Sarkeesian Gamespot interview Finally, read this Gamespot interview with Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency and answer the following questions: 1) What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames? You can find more information on this on Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter fundraising page.
2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism? 3) Why do stories matter? 4) How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)? 5) How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women? 6) Why are Mirror’s Edge and Portal held up as examples of more progressive representations of women? 7) What are the qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on creating more positive female characters? 8) What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated? 9) What did Sarkeesian hope to achieve through her ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ series? 10) What media debates did Sarkeesian hope to spark with her video series? Optional extension task To find out more about the online backlash and #gamergate, this Guardian feature links the online abuse to the American alt-right movement also credited with electing Donald Trump.
Deadline: Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
