Media Awards 2019: The Nominations

The nominations are in for the Media Awards 2019!

It's one week until the Media Awards and we've had an incredibly difficult job narrowing down some amazing work to finalise the nominations for 2019. This year, we'll be awarding prizes for last year's GCSE music videos as well as this year's GCSE and A Level coursework. The quality level at both GCSE and A Level is just remarkable and there has been a lot of very good work that hasn't made the cut.

If you haven't been before, the Media Awards is our Oscars-style ceremony where we award trophies for the best Media coursework at GCSE and A Level. It's a major event in the Greenford calendar and tickets have completely sold out for each of the last FIVE years. The details for this year's awards:

Date: Tuesday 26 March
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Tickets: £5

Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday 19 March (with exclusive presale for Media students on Monday 18 March).

Remember - you need to be quick. The event sold out in just four days last year!

A Level nominations

BEST A LEVEL SOUND DESIGN
Aranjit Panesar: Above and Beyond
Ricardo McCalla: No Civilians
Mariam Ahmadyar: Lola

BEST A LEVEL CINEMATOGRAPHY
Shivam Sorathia: Fear
Nickholi Drummond: Truth Be Told
Jagraj Sanghera: Impulsive

BEST A LEVEL PRODUCTION DESIGN
Gurpreet Hakim: High School Teen
Saira Abubacker: Emily
Shareen Rauf: Bookworm

BEST A LEVEL EDITING
Riki Verma: Rock and a Hard Place
Krissah Rolle: The Section
Areej Mehdi: A Sight For Sore Eyes

BEST A LEVEL COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA CONCEPT
Harkiran Dhaliwal
Riki Verma: Rock and a Hard Place
Natasha Bantleman: Deceit

BEST A LEVEL HORROR CONCEPT
Shivam Sorathia: Fear
Krissah Rolle: The Section
Areej Mehdi: A Sight For Sore Eyes


GCSE nominations

BEST GCSE MUSIC VIDEO CONCEPT
Anosha Usman: Scars To Your Beautiful
Tayvon St Louis: My Story
Rio Davis: Play That Funky Music
Kamarl McIntosh-Gordon: Changes 
Mandeep Gruvar: Sing Me To Sleep

BEST GCSE MUSIC VIDEO EDITING
Kyle McLeod: 1-800-277-8255
Daniel Dakoli: Revenge
Lakshana Susinthiran: BB
Hassan Barreh: Silence
Tharshana Manivannan: New Person, Same Old Mistakes

BEST GCSE MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION DESIGN
Dalia Kerim: Finders Keepers
Kian Upfold: Can’t Hold Us
Lud Daniel-Abrha: Where Is The Love?
Sajin Miah: Location
Sufyan Aziz: Sun Comes Up

BEST GCSE TV DRAMA CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ayham Shawish: Man on the Run
Silver Bholar-Harford: It’s Time
Taranpreet Dhaliwal: Hybrid
Cerys McNeil: Flashback
Barbara Chrzanowska: Blue Castle

BEST GCSE TV DRAMA ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Meer Rahim: Institutionalised
William Wagon-Horrix: The Strange Case of Professor Noble
Lola Heath: Girl of the Sun
Rhea Vargawal: Lifeless
Savannah Charles: Break the System

BEST GCSE TV DRAMA EDITING
Aishwarya Odedra: A5H
Jenny Ramos Silva:  Machina
Karan Juneja: Control
Mathusan Thevathasan: New Life
Aidan Kapasiawala: Experiment 101

BEST ACTOR 2019
Meer Rahim
Riki Verma
Karan Juneja
Cameron Nanco

BEST ACTRESS 2019
Lola Heath
Aishwarya Odedra
Areej Mehdi
Annya Ranshi

Congratulations to all our nominees and we look forward to seeing you at the Media Awards on Tuesday 26 March!

Revision: CSPs final index

It is a huge achievement to complete all the content for the new specification A Level Media Studies - well done!

We've covered 18 CSPs across nine different types of media in a little over 12 months - that's impressive! 

The task now is to revise and make links between the CSPs, media types, theories and debates we've studied over the whole course. This is what's coming up in the exams:

Media One: Targeted CSPs

Section A: Language & Representations

• Unseen text
• Advertising & Marketing; Music Video

Section B: Industries and Audiences

• Radio; Newspapers; Film Industry

Media Two: In-depth CSPs

• Unseen text
• Television; Magazines; Online, Social & Participatory media; Videogames

Blog task: CSPs final index

We now need to create a final index of all our indexes - one for each of the nine media types. This needs to link to YOUR index for each of these media types and means you can look over all your work for each topic.

1) Advertising & Marketing
2) Music Video
3) Radio
4) Newspapers
5) Film Industry
6) Television
7) Magazines
8) Online, Social and Participatory media
9) Videogames

Note: the index above is in order of where they come up in the exams, not the order we studied them.

You may also want to look over the two introductory units from the start of Year 12:

1) MIGRAIN Introduction to Media
2) Film & TV Language

Take this opportunity to look over your work from the last 18 months and make sure there is nothing incomplete or missing - that could really disadvantage you in the exam. You have your exam lessons this week to get this index done and revise the content - make the most of this time!

Videogames: Final index

We are now at the end of our final unit: Videogames.

You need to complete a final exam blog index to ensure you have completed all the work for our in-depth Videogame CSPs. 

This process is clearly excellent revision for the Media PPEs coming up in the next couple of weeks as well as the summer exams in June. It will highlight if you've missed anything through absence or trips and allow you to catch up if you have fallen behind with anything this half-term. 

Your Videogames index should include the following:

1) Videogames: Women in videogames
2) Videogames: Further feminist theory
3) Learner response: OSP assessment
4) Videogames: Tomb Raider Anniversary
5) Videogames - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
6) Videogames: Henry Jenkins - fandom and participatory culture
7) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 1 - Language & Audience
8) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Industries
9) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 3 - Representations

For your index, the text should link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each aspect of the case study quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in PPEs or exams due to gaps in your knowledge.

Full Media PPEs: revise now!

Your Media PPEs are coming up in the next fortnight. Look out for other blogposts with exam content, revision tips and guidance.   

Index due date: Friday 15 March

Radio: Final index

We are now at the end of our final targeted CSPs unit: Radio. This means the content is complete!

You now need to complete a short Radio index to ensure you have completed the three tasks for this unit. 

As ever, this will highlight if you've missed anything through absence or trips and allow you to catch up if you have fallen behind with anything in the last fortnight. 

Your Radio index should include the following three tasks:

1) Radio: Introduction to Radio
2) Radio: The Surgery / Life Hacks
3) Radio: War of the Worlds

For your index, the text should link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each aspect of the case study quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in PPEs or exams due to gaps in your knowledge.

Full Media PPEs: revise now!

Your Media PPEs are coming up in the next fortnight. Look out for other blogposts with exam content, revision tips and guidance.   

Index due date: Friday 15 March

Radio: War of the Worlds (1938)

Our second CSP for radio is the 1938 CBS broadcast of War of the Worlds.

This is a famous broadcast of Orson Welles's radio play - an adaptation of HG Wells's science-fiction novel of the same name. It is a text of historical significance due to a long-running debate over the effect the broadcast had over audiences at the time.

Narrative and background

War of the Worlds, a science-fiction novel by author HG Wells, was first published in 1898. It is a story of alien invasion and war between mankind and an extra-terrestrial race from Mars.

The original 1938 Orson Welles broadcast is available here:

Hybrid genre

Orson Welles was initially reluctant to adapt War of the Worlds, describing it as 'boring'. He was persuaded by the prospect of using recent developments in radio news reporting to create a hybrid-form radio play designed to sound like a real breaking news story. The broadcast begins with a music performance that is increasingly interrupted by breaking news of martians invading New Jersey.


Historical context

In 1938, the world was on edge as Germany mobilised to invade Europe and populations feared gas attacks from another world war. In the weeks leading up to the 1938 broadcast, American radio stations had increasingly cut into scheduled programming to bring news updates from Europe on the chances of war. This meant Welles's use of radio news conventions had more of an impact on listeners who were unaware that it was a fictional radio play.

Media effects theories

The War of the Worlds radio play has become a much-studied text with regards to media effects theories. The initial reported reaction from audiences provided evidence for the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory - that suggests people believe whatever they see or hear in the media. However, later studies suggest the audience reaction was exaggerated by the newspaper industry (under threat from radio at the time) and that audiences are more sophisticated consumers of media than first thought.

You can also apply Gerbner's Cultivation Theory, the two-step flow model and Stuart Hall's Reception Theory to Orson Welles's War of the Worlds broadcast.

Radiolab podcast on War of the Worlds

The American podcast Radiolab looked back on the significance of the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds and later attempts to recreate the effect. It's a brilliant summary of the context and reaction from the audience alongside clips from the broadcast and transcripts from interviews at the time.

War of the Worlds: Blog tasks

Media Factsheet

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #176: CSP Radio - War of the Worlds. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?

2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?

3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?

4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the the broadcast and its reaction?

5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?

6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?

7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?

8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?

9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?

10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?

11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?

12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?


Analysis and opinion

1) Why do you think the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds has become such a significant moment in media history?

2) War of the Worlds feels like a 1938 version of 'fake news'. But which is the greater example of fake news - Orson Welles's use of radio conventions to create realism or the newspapers exaggerating the audience reaction to discredit radio?

3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?

4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?

5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on audience's views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.

6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?


Complete for homework - due for your first A Level Media PPE.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 3 - Representation

The final aspect of our in-depth case study on The Sims FreePlay focuses on Representation.

There is a lot to explore with representation in the Sims FreePlay - everything from gender, race and ethnicity to capitalism, reality and postmodernism. 

Notes from the lesson

The Sims franchise offers range of representations on gender, age, race/ethnicity, sexuality, capitalism and even reality itself.


One aspect of The Sims is the values and ideologies that the game reinforces. Although it has been praised for its liberal values over, for example, LGBTQ+ representation, it could also be argued that the game reinforces dominant American capitalist ideologies.


Expansion pack trailers

A useful way to analyse representations in The Sims FreePlay is to study the trailers produced by EA to promote expansion pack DLC. For example:





Using these expansion pack trailers, we can study the representation of gender, age, race/ethnicity and much more.

The Sims and postmodernism

Watch this introduction to Baudrillard from 8-Bit Philosophy:




Baudrillard argued that our culture now perceives the ‘copy’ (media representation) as more real than the ‘original’ and stated that we live in a culture where the ‘fake’ is more readily accepted than the ‘real’ – therefore creating hyperreality. This blurs the line between fiction and reality.

The Sims franchise is a perfect study in hyperreality as it allows players to create an entirely constructed life through the game.

The Sims FreePlay social media channels also provide an example of simulacra – they are situated in the real world and interact with real players but feature entirely constructed fictional content from the game. Here, they also make intertextual references to real celebrities. Where is the line between fiction and reality?

The Sims FreePlay - Representation blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 3 - Representations' and complete the following tasks.

Textual analysis

Re-watch some of the expansion pack trailers and answer the following questions:

1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?

2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?

3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?


Representation reading

Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:

1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?

2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?

3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?

4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?


5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?

Read this New Normative feature on LGBTQ representation in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:

1) How did same-sex relationships unexpectedly help the original Sims game to be a success?

2) How is sexuality now represented in The Sims?

3) Why have fans praised the inclusion of LGBTQ relationships in The Sims franchise?

4) Why did the Sims run into regulatory difficulties with American regulator the ESRB? How did EA respond?

5) How is sexuality represented in the wider videogames industry today?

Reality, postmodernism and The Sims

Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?

2) What audience pleasures did the writer used to find in The Sims franchise?

3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?

4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?

5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?


The Sims FreePlay social media analysis

Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:

1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?

2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.

3) Scroll down the Facebook feed briefly. How many requests for new content can you find from players? Why is this such as an important part of the appeal for The Sims FreePlay?

4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?

5) Linking to our work on postmodernism, how could The Sims FreePlay social media presence be an example of Baudrillard’s hyperreality and simulacra?


Extension: Postmodernism academic reading

If you're interested (or planning on studying Media or Cultural Studies at university), read this highly academic and challenging summary of hyperreality, implosion and postmodern theory from the University of Chicago. Consider how these approaches apply to the digital media landscape we’ve been studying and in particular the videogame industry and franchises like The Sims and Tomb Raider.

Complete for homework: due Monday 18 March.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Industries

The second aspect of our in-depth case study on The Sims FreePlay focuses on industries.

We need to know how videogames are regulated and also the companies behind the game. However, the most significant aspect of this concept is the 'freemium' model that The Sims FreePlay uses.

Notes from the lesson

Regulation: PEGI

• The videogames industry is regulated by PEGI – Pan European Game Information.
• In the UK, the Video Standards Council is responsible for regulating game content. In 2012, PEGI was introduced to UK law to make the age ratings legally enforceable.
• It is illegal to sell games to people below the age of the rating.
• The Sims FreePlay is rated 12+ due to mild references to alcohol, sexual content and similar adult themes.

Electronic Arts

• The Sims franchise is owned by Electronic Arts (EA), a huge name in the videogames industry.
• The Sims FreePlay was developed by Firemonkeys Studios, EA’s Australian subsidiary.
• The franchise was originally developed by Maxis after EA acquired the company.
• EA is famous for big-budget console games such as the FIFA series but has moved more into mobile gaming in recent years.

The 'freemium' model

• The Sims FreePlay uses the ‘freemium’ model – free to download and play but with in-app purchases. 
• Although initially more popular with smaller, independent game developers, the freemium model is now a huge revenue generator for major publishers like EA.

The Sims FreePlay - Language & Audience blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 2 - Industries' and complete the following tasks.

Regulation – PEGI

Research the following using the PEGI website.

1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law?

2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.

3) What is the purpose of PEGI?

4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?

5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?

The ‘Freemium’ gaming model

Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) How does the freemium model work?

2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?

3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?

Now read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:

1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.

2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?

3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?

Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?

2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?

3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?

Electronic Arts

Read this Pocket Gamer interview with EA’s Amanda Schofield, Senior Producer on The Sims FreePlay at EA's Melbourne-based Firemonkeys studio. Answer the following questions:

1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?

2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?

3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?

4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?

5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? These could be great introductory statistics in an exam essay on this topic.

Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:

1) What audience pleasures for The Sims are discussed at the beginning of the blog?

2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?

3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?

4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?

5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?

Complete for homework: due on Monday 11 March.

Media Awards 2019: submit your work!

Submit your work for the 2019 Media Awards!

You can now submit your work for the 2019 Media Awards – to be held on Tuesday 26 March 2019. The awards will cover the following in a variety of categories:

• GCSE Music Video (last year’s coursework)
• GCSE Science Fiction TV Drama extracts (this year’s coursework)
• A Level Film Trailers (this year’s coursework)

There is a folder on the Media Shared drive called Media Awards submissions with a folder within it for GCSE and A Level. Make sure your name is in the video file and simply place a copy of your work in the right folder.

If you have any questions you can speak to our brilliant new Media/Art technician Mr Shepherd who will be happy to help you out.

Once we’ve looked through the submissions we will publish a full list of nominations and ticket details for this year's Awards.

Submission deadline: Monday 4 March

Radio: The Surgery & Life Hacks

Our first CSP for radio is the BBC Radio 1 show The Surgery.

Our key concepts for Radio are industries and audience so these are the contexts we need to consider when studying the texts.

The Surgery

The Surgery was an evening radio show on BBC Radio 1 that ran between 1999 and 2017. Most recently, it was on every Wednesday at 9pm and ran for 60 minutes. It featured presenter Katie Thistleton and advice from Dr Radha Modgil.

It worked like an agony aunt column in old teenage magazines and took on controversial subjects such as gender identity, sexuality, relationships and mental health. It featured texts and calls from listeners and the post-watershed slot meant adult topics could be discussed.

The Surgery > Life Hacks

In November 2017, The Surgery was merged into a new Sunday afternoon show called Life Hacks that runs between 4pm – 6pm presented by Cel Spellman and Katie Thistleton. This mostly plays music but offers advice segments with Dr Modgil covering similar topics to The Surgery.

Although both The Surgery and Life Hacks ran in scheduled broadcast slots, in recent years the programme has been available as a podcast and encourages digital consumption and interaction. 

The Surgery



Life Hacks: Stormzy interview



Life Hacks: debt advice feature on BBC Sounds

Listen to this debt advice feature on BBC Sounds.


BBC Radio 1: History

BBC Radio 1 launched in 1967 playing pop music and using jingles in the style of American radio. It was a significant change from previous BBC content and was hugely popular in the 1970s and 1980s (some shows had 10m+ listeners). 

It became available on DAB digital radio in 1995 but not promoted until digital radios were more popular in 2002. It is available via digital TV and online via BBC Sounds.

Radio 1 is famous for events as well as radio – summer Roadshows, Big Weekends and the annual Teen Awards. 


Industries: Radio in decline

Although the BBC still boasts impressive audience figures for BBC Radio 2 and 4, it has struggled to attract young listeners to BBC Radio 1 in recent years.

Since 2010 listeners have declined – and although BBC R1 targets 15-29 year olds the average listener in 2017 was aged 30. Radio 1 is increasingly focusing on digital and social media with 16m weekly YouTube views reached in 2018.

BBC Radio 1 - The Surgery & Life Hacks: Blog tasks

Analysis

Listen to the extracts from The Surgery and Life Hacks above and answer the following questions:

1) What do the titles The Surgery and Life Hacks suggest?

2) How are the programmes constructed to appeal to a youth audience?

3) What does the choice of presenter (e.g. Katie Thistleton) and Dr Modgil suggest about the BBC’s approach to diversity and representation?

4) Look at this promotional graphic produced by BBC for The Surgery. How does it construct a representation of a youth audience?

5) Now look at the graphic from a digital media perspective: how does it suggest audiences are listening to and interacting with BBC broadcasts in the digital media landscape?

Audience

1) What is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?

2) Who is the actual audience for BBC Radio 1?

3) What audience pleasures are offered by The Surgery and Life Hacks? Apply Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory.

4) Read these Guardian reviews of The Surgery and Life Hacks. What do the reviews praise the programmes for?

The Surgery Guardian review

Life Hacks Guardian review

5) Read this NME feature on Radio 1 listener figures. What are the key statistics to take from this article regarding the decline in Radio 1 audience ratings?

Industries

1) How does The Surgery and Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain? 

2) Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. Pick out three key points in the summary section.

3) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and The Surgery / Life Hacks?

4) What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?

5) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience? 

Read this Guardian interview with BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper.

6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?

7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?

8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?

9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?

10) In your opinion, should the BBC’s remit include targeting young audiences via Radio 1 or should this content be left to commercial broadcasters? Explain your answer.

Complete for homework - due for your first A Level Media PPE.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 1 - Language & Audience

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 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:

1) How is the game constructed?

2) What audience is this game targeting?

3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?

4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?

Audience

Read this App Store description and the customer reviews for The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:  

1) What critics reviews are included in the game information section?

2) What do the reviews suggest regarding the audience pleasures of The Sims FreePlay?

3) How do the reviews reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?

Participatory culture

Read this academic journal article - The Sims: A Participatory Culture 14 Years On. Answer the following questions:

1) What did The Sims designer Will Wright describe the game as?

2) Why was development company Maxis initially not interested in The Sims?

3) What is ‘modding’?

4) How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?

5) Look specifically at p136. Note down key quotes from Jenkins, Pearce and Wright on this page.

6) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)

7) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?

8) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?

9) Why have conflicts sometimes developed within The Sims online communities?

10) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?

Read this Henry Jenkins interview with James Paul Gee, writer of Woman as Gamers: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010).

1) How is ‘modding’ used in The Sims?

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 on Monday 11 March.

Radio: Introduction to radio

Our final media topic is radio.

We have two CSPs to study and also need to consider the place for radio in a digital media landscape.

Radio CSPS

War of the Worlds – Columbia Broadcasting Company (1938)

The Surgery – BBC Radio 1 (2017)

These are targeted CSPs and need to be studied with reference to two elements of the Theoretical Framework (Audiences and Industries) and all relevant contexts. 

Example exam questions

Briefly define public service broadcasting (PSB) [2 marks]

To what extent is War of the Worlds a historically significant media product? [20 marks]

Identify two strategies or techniques used by Radio 1 to attract a youth audience. Explain the reason for each. [4 marks]

Explain how regulatory contexts shape the output of media industries. You should refer to your radio Close Study Product, The Surgery. [9 marks]

Key question: Is radio still relevant in the digital age?

How does radio respond to the digital media landscape we now find ourselves in. Will younger audiences listen to the radio? Does it have influence? Are podcasts the future for younger listeners?


BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds is a new app designed to bring younger listeners to BBC Radio content. It aims to fulfil its requirements as a public service broadcaster while also responding to the demands of the digital media landscape.




The ShoutOut Network

The Shoutout Network is a London-based network of diverse podcasts designed to give a platform for BAME voices. It demonstrates the rise of independent media producers in the 21st century media landscape. The representation of minority voices also arguably provides an element of public service broadcasting.





Introduction to radio: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'Introduction to Radio' on your Media 2 Coursework blog and complete the following tasks:

BBC Sounds

Read this Guardian feature on the launch of BBC Sounds and answer the following questions:

1) Why does the article suggest that ‘on the face of it, BBC Radio is in rude health’?

2) What percentage of under-35s use the BBC iPlayer catch-up radio app?

3) What is BBC Sounds?

4) How do audiences listen to radio content in the digital age?

5) What does Jason Phipps suggest is important for radio and podcast content aimed at younger audiences?

6) Why does the BBC need to stay relevant?

Now read this review of the BBC Sounds app.

7) What content does the BBC Sounds app offer?

8) How does it link to BBC Radio?

9) What are the criticisms of the BBC Sounds app?

10) Two new podcasts were launched alongside the BBC Sounds app. What are they and why might they appeal to younger audiences?

ShoutOut Network

Read this Huffington Post feature on the Shout Out Network and answer the following questions:

1) What is the ShoutOut Network?

2) What podcasts are offered by the ShoutOut Network?

3) What audience do they reach?

4) What are the 2015 statistics on podcast listening in the UK?

5) The article suggests podcasts are ‘picking up more steam’. Do you think podcasts the future of radio?

Complete for homework - due first lesson after half-term.