You will have received your Media PPE results (for Autumn 2021) and now we need to analyse our performance in those exams and identify areas to revise and improve for future exams.
The most important aspect of any mock exam is making mistakes and learning from them.
Here, we need to closely analyse our performance across each question in the paper. Complete the following learner response tasks in a new blogpost on your personal blog called 'Autumn 2021- PPE learner response':
1) First, copy down the teacher's comments from your paper. Next, did you succeed in meeting or exceeding your target grade for GCSE Media? If not, how many additional marks do you need to achieve your target grade in this paper? Write this in a full answer.
My target grade is...
My mark for this paper was...
To achieve my target grade of a ___, I would need to get ____ more marks
We don't know exactly what grade boundaries AQA will set in the real exams. These are the boundaries we've used (out of 40)
2) Write a question-by-question analysis of your performance. For each question, write how many marks you got from the number available and identify any points that you missed by carefully studying the 'possible content' part of the mark scheme:
Example:
Q3: 3/8 marks
Additional points: I didn't mention Peer to Peer or My Space when talking about how Arctic Monkeys used social media so I was too vague. I need to give more specific examples.
3) Based on the whole of your learner response and my comments, choose one of the below LRs that you need to do, going forward (there may be more than one but please copy down just one to focus on for now):
LR1- Revise the CSP content so that I know facts about them such as names, dates which show I know the content well.
LR2- Improve my use of media terminology so that I am using media specific words from the glossary and not just general words.
LR3- Written English. Make sure my answers make sense and my SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) are accurate so the reader can understand my work.
LR4- Learn my Media theory so that I can apply it when it appears in questions (e.g. Blumler and Katz' Uses and Gratifications)
LR5- Read the questions and make sure I am answering / engaging with the question and constructing an argument in the essay questions.
In your own words, say HOW you are going to try and complete that learner response (e.g. read my glossary and make flash cards of key terms, go back over Glo Words in my book before the next assessment, summarise my CSPs in revision notes, complete my missing blog posts, challenge myself by doing more of the extension tasks...)
Extension task: Focus on the 20-mark question (Q9). Write a full essay plan for this question using the indicative content in the mark scheme and with enough content to meet the criteria for the top level. This will be somewhere between 4-5 well-developed paragraphs planned in some detail.
Our new media topic is called Online, Social, Participatory media and Videogames - an in-depth area of study on new and digital media with three Close-Study Products. Over the next few weeks, we need to study the following CSPs: Lara Croft GO Kim Kardashian: Hollywood
We need to study these products using all four key concepts: Language, Industry, Audience and Representation. Both Lara Croft GO and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood are good examples of the changing nature of the videogames industry.
A brief history of videogames: blog task
Watch the YouTube video outlining the history of the videogames industry from the 1970s to the 2010s. Now answer the following questions: 1) What were the first videogames like? 2) How have videogames changed over time? 3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames? 4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames? Extension task: read this news story reporting that Prince Harry has called for Fortnite to be banned. Why does the Prince think Fortnite producer Epic Games is irresponsible? You will have lesson time to work on this but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Our second music video CSP is BLACKPINK - How You Like That.
This 2020 video promoted the lead single from Blackpink’s first Korean-language studio album, The Album. The video, released on 26th June 2020, was premiered on Blackpink's YouTube channel at the same time as the single was released.
The video broke many YouTube records, including most-watched premiere (1.66 million concurrent viewers), most views within 24 hours for a music video (86 million views) and fastest video to achieve 100, 200 and 600 million views. It was the 3rd most viewed music video of 2020. As of Autumn 2021, the video has had over 1 BILLION views.
BLACKPINK: How You Like That
K-pop: global phenomenon
The K-pop genre reflects the global nature of the media and music industries. Over the last 20 years, K-pop has become a cultural sensation as groups like BTS and BLACKPINK enjoyed global success. This has also resulted in Korean culture becoming mainstream in the West.
Audience
BLACKPINK’s audience: Blinks
BLACKPINK fans are known as ‘Blinks’ and are largely teenage girls and young women. Their fans are worldwide but they are particularly big in the Philippines and Indonesia as well as western countries such as the UK and USA.
Avril, a 16-year-old Blink (Blackpink’s fandom name) from Peru discovered them in 2018. “Everything about them made me become a fan,” she tells Vogue over Twitter. “The way they perform, their iconic songs and choreos, their friendship, even the way they dress. Blackpink were on a whole new level.”
Audience pleasures
Applying Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:
Diversion: music video conventions – performance, effects, fast pace etc.
Personal relationships: Fan interaction online through social media is a key element of K-pop’s global success. Fans feel like they ‘know’ the band members.
Personal identity: K-pop fandom often involves copying the look of band members and seeing their own style reflected on screen.
Surveillance: Western audiences gain knowledge of Korean music and culture.
Marketing and promotion to the audience
The video’s release was preceded by a series of teasers on the band’s social media accounts (including posters, photos focusing on individual band members and videos) and a reality show (24/365 with Blackpink, available on YouTube).
A “dance performance” video including the choreography for the music video was released in July 2020; by March 2021 this had achieved over 600 million views and was placed in the top 20 videos of the year by Billboard magazine.
Dance performance:
BLACKPINK 24/365 - Behind the scenes of the How You Like It music video shoot:
Industries
BLACKPINK: manufactured by YG Entertainment
Blackpink was formed in 2016 by Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment and by 2020 was one of the most successful K-Pop bands in the world. As of 2021, the band was the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group, female act, and Asian act on YouTube.
The changing nature of the music industry
How You Like That demonstrates the changing nature of the music industry and how important YouTube and social media has become for music artists.
The way people consume music videos has changed – now phones, tablets and YouTube are the primary ways audiences engage with music videos (known as technological convergence). It shows music video has become a media form in its own right, not just a way to sell an album.
BLACKPINK’s billions of YouTube views also bring in money through advertising.
Music: a global industry
K-pop demonstrates the global nature of the industry with BLACKPINK selling out arenas across the UK and USA as well as in the East. They played Wembley Arena in 2019 as well as huge US music festival Coachella.
Music videos: regulation
With music videos now largely consumed on YouTube, regulating the content of music videos is very difficult. Some UK-based record companies get their music videos rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
The kinds of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include bad language, dangerous behaviour presented as safe, drug misuse, sexual behaviour and nudity, and threatening behaviour and violence.
Audience 1) What are BLACKPINK fans known as - and what would the demographics / psychographics be for the BLACKPINK audience? 2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for How You Like That? 3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to BLACKPINK fans. Why did you choose those moments? 4) How was the How You Like That music video marketed and promoted to the audience?
5) Why is K-pop a global phenomenon and what has helped it to become so popular?
Industry 1) How were BLACKPINK formed and what records have they broken? 2) What other successful artists have YG Entertainment created? You may need to Google this.
3) How has technology and the internet (known as technological convergence) changed the way audiences consume music videos?
4) How do BLACKPINK and K-pop show that the media and music industries are now global?
Our first music video CSP is Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from Sheffield. The lead singer is called Alex Turner. Since forming in 2002, they have released six albums and won seven Brit Awards. They were one of the first bands to come to the public’s attention due to the internet, heralding a new way that bands are produced and marketed. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is their first single from debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not released with niche, independent record label Domino. It was released in 2005 and went straight to number 1 on the singles chart. Unlike manufactured pop acts, Arctic Monkeys weren’t put together by a record label, they were all friends from school. They formed in 2002 and wrote songs based on their lives and what they saw on nights out in Sheffield. They played pubs and small venues in and around Sheffield, and built up a huge following online using Myspace. Video analysis and audience appeal The power of the internet
Social Media was only starting to be introduced in the early 2000s.
You could chat to people with similar interests on chatroom or forums
You used AOL or MSN Messenger to talk to your friends, send emojis and share pictures and music
Myspace was released in 2003 and was one of the first major social networking sites. Myspace was used by bands and artists to gain fans without the need for a record company.
Arctic Monkeys' music was shared on P2P sites, though this wasn’t known by the band or promoted when they found out. It allowed their music to be heard by their audience
The sharing of their music encouraged people to talk about and share their music, which created a buzz about the band.
Their fan base moved online, creating online communities where they could share songs and information
Convergence and technology
‘Convergence’ is the process of combining different, often old and new, technologies to create a new or better product.
Technological convergence is the development of technology (such as phones and tablets) that allows us to access all types of media through one device. This has fundamentally changed the way music videos are produced, consumed and shared.
Technological convergence has created both challenges and opportunities for the music industry - both artists and record companies.
Arctic Monkeys: performance video
This is a performance video designed to look like a 1980s TV performance on programmes such as Top of the Pops or The Old Grey Whistle Test'. It was filmed using old 1980s Ikegami 3-tube colour TV cameras to give it an authentic, nostalgic effect.
The simple performance video subverts music video conventions that became steadily more complicated and narrative-based in the 1980s and 1990s.
It opens with the singer introducing the song and adding the words 'Don't believe the hype'. This could be a reference to the online following the band built up using Myspace.
Audience
Arctic Monkeys' audience are likely to be white, middle class and reasonably young. Psychographic groups might include Reformers and Explorers. Recent global success pushed the band into bigger psychographic groups such as Mainstreamers.
Audience pleasures would include diversion - the song is upbeat and fast-paced. Fans who followed the band from the early days might find a sense of personal relationship while many young people would get a sense of personal identity from the lyrics to the song (about going out to a club and drinking).
Older fans would enjoy a sense of nostalgia from the 1980s-style performance video.
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor: Blog tasks
Impact of new/digital media on music industry You'll need to read our music video introduction and notes blogpost to answer some of these questions. 1) How do audiences generally watch music videos these days? 2) What opportunities has the growth of digital technology and YouTube created for new music artists? 3) What is P2P and why did it cause huge problems for the music industry? 4) Do you think the internet has given audiences more power over who becomes successful in the music industry? Why? 5) How has Fortnite demonstrated the potential future for music videos and promotional opportunities for the music industry? You can read more on this event in this Verge feature. Arctic Monkeys: Industry 1) How did the Arctic Monkeys first achieve success and build up their fanbase? 2) Why was P2P file sharing an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success? 3) How did Arctic Monkeys first form as a band and become famous? 4) How has YouTube and the internet changed the music industry? 5) Has the internet been a positive or negative development for traditional record companies? Why? Arctic Monkeys: Audience 1) What is the main Arctic Monkeys audience - demographics and psychographics? 2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor? 3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to Arctic Monkeys fans. Why did you choose those moments? 4) What is nostalgia and why is it a key audience pleasure for the Arctic Monkeys music video? 5) How are fans positioned to respond to the video? What does the artist want fans to take from their video? Grade 7+ extension tasks Read this excellent Guardian feature on the Arctic Monkeys on the 10th anniversary of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. What key statistics can you take from the article concerning developments in the industry and the Arctic Monkeys' role in these changes? Read this short blog on how the social media website Myspace helped the Arctic Monkeys make it big. What did the website allow the band to do? You'll need to finish this case study for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Our next media topic is Music Video. We will be studying the industry and audience contexts for this topic and need to cover two CSPs: BLACKPINK: How You Like That
Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor We need to study the industry and audience contexts for these products: Industry: how music video is produced and marketed and how this has changed over time. Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. How the internet has changed the position of the audience. PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the music videos and the impact of the internet on the music industry.
Music video: introduction and history
Music video key conventions
Music videos typically feature movement – often fast paced either in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many contain a performance element or narrative. Music videos can also feature visual effects and intertextuality.
Music videos were originally designed as a promotional device to sell the band or artist’s music but have developed over time to become a recognised artform or product in their own right. Modern music videos no longer have the huge budgets of the 1980s and 1990s but digital media means they are now more accessible than ever. Videos such as Psy’s Gangnam Style have received over 3 billion views on YouTube. Intertextuality Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references. Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.
Music video history
Originally, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis)
MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. Programs such as BBC show Top of The Pops also showcased music videos from the charts alongside ‘live’ stage performances.
In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films).
Music video in the digital age
In 2005 the launch of Youtube changed the way that consumers access and enjoy music video. Now self-promotion is more common.
The rise of new and digital media paved the way for bands such as One Direction - ‘manufactured’ by the industry and increasingly promoted through convergence on social media to maximise profits for the record companies. Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth: Problems with piracy
Piracy became a huge problem for the music industry as they could not keep up with illegal downloading and streaming services where fans shared content for free therefore… The 2000s saw the rise of streaming services with subscriptions such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beats Music and YouTube Music.
New platforms and music apps on smart phones mean that listeners are now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access. This is called media convergence.
Introduction to Music Video: Blog tasks Answer the questions below to complete your introduction to the Music Video topic: 1) What are the key conventions of music video? 2) What is intertextuality? 3) When did music videos first become a major part of the music industry? 4) What launched in 1981 and why were music videos an important part of the music industry in the 1980s and 1990s?
Our second Radio CSP is the KISS FM Breakfast show. Remember, our Radio products are targeted CSPs and need to be studied with reference to two elements of the theoretical framework - Audiences and Industries as well as Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts. This means we need to study the way radio audiences and industries have changed over time and what impact this may have on society.
Notes from the lesson: KISS FM Breakfast show You'll find the notes from our lessons on KISS FM below.
Background and history
Kiss FM first broadcast on 7 October 1985 as a pirate radio station, initially to South London then across the whole city. Transmitting seven-days from the start, it would be regularly taken off-air by the authorities and so became a weekend operation shortly afterwards. This means that it has its origins in common with radio in the 1960s (such as Tony Blackburn’s Radio Caroline show) as KISS was originally an illegal station that became legitimate as it grew in popularity. KISS FM is now seen as more mainstream and less controversial and has been operating legally since 1990.
The station developed a committed following across London of mostly young people with figures in the press at the time stating that the station attracted some 500,000 listeners while operating as an unlicensed pirate station.
Gordon Mac approached a successful London club promoter, Guy Wingate, to discuss ways of improving the KISS FM profile. As a result, Wingate launched the very successful Kiss nights at the Wag Club where DJs from the station would DJ night club nights. These nights increased the station's reputation as a young person’s music radio station.
KISS has tried to move with the times by engaging on social media with its listeners and by bringing in DJs who they think will appeal to a younger target audience.
KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri
KISS has tried to move with the times by engaging on social media with its listeners and by bringing in DJs who they think will appeal to a younger target audience. Jordan and Perri took over the KISS FM Breakfast show in summer 2020 after previous hosts Rickie, Melvin and Charlie left for BBC Radio 1.
KISS FM deliberately chose younger replacements who have a big social media following (Perri has over one million followers on TikTok).
Personal relationships: important for breakfast radio
Applying Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, a key aspect of the KISS FM Breakfast show is the personal relationship the audience feel they have with the presenters Jordan and Perri. They took over the KISS FM Breakfast show in July 2020 after finding fame as part of the dance group Diversity and also presenting a weekend show on the station. The two are good friends who have worked together for over 10 years and KISS hope that natural chemistry will appeal to their listeners.
Here's just one of the ways KISS FM first introduced their Breakfast show team:
KISS FM deliberately chose breakfast show hosts who are:
Members of a dance troupe called Diversity who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent (watch their first performance below)
Friends in real life and have a natural 'chemistry' which is so important for breakfast radio and connecting with audiences. They are known for their 'banter' and personality.
Connected to political movements such as Black Lives Matter (see clip below)
Diversity - Britain's Got Talent audition:
Diversity - Black Lives Matter:
Active v passive audience
What opportunities are there on KISS FM for audiences to actively engage?
Listeners can send in requests or shout outs to friends via social media platforms (KISS FM are particularly active across Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok).
Audience interaction and involvement is a key aspect to the Breakfast show and Perri has over a million followers on TikTok.
Audiences can download the KISS Kube app to stream shows at a time convenient to them.
KISS runs over 100 events every summer that helps them connect with 300,000+ listeners. They also host an annual Halloween event at Wembley Arena for 11,000 fans.
Industry contexts
KISS is part of Bauer Radio, a subsidiary of the Bauer Media Group (BMG). This multinational cross-media group owns numerous magazine and radio brands but also has interests in digital media, TV streaming and event organisation, mostly linked to its radio and magazine properties.
The KISS Network is made up of KISS, KISSTORY and KISS Fresh alongside recently launched online stations KISS Bliss (chilled out music), KISS Dance and KISS Garage. Each of these targets its own audience within the 15–34 age group with different styles and types of content. All are available on a number of different platforms, but the range is not the same for each of the brands.
All are available on the KISS website and the KISS Kube app, but only KISS is available on FM radio. In contrast, only KISS and KISSTORY can be received on DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).
KISS listening figures
Like most traditional media brands, KISS FM is struggling to maintain its audience in the digital age. The previous breakfast show hosted by Rickie, Melvin and Charlie had over 2 million listeners but by the time Jordan and Perri took over it was already down to 1.4m. The most recent figures have Jordan and Perri at 980,000 listeners so less than half the 2m figure the KISS FM Breakfast show used to enjoy.
How does KISS FM make money?
Bauer Media Group revenue was 1.5 BILLION euros in 2020 which demonstrates how much money is made across their many media brands.
KISS FM makes money through advertising, sponsorship and events (such as summer festivals and the Wembley Arena Halloween party). The KISS FM Breakfast show is one of the most popular slots for the radio station so losing around one million listeners over the last few years means Bauer Media cannot make as much money from the KISS brand as it used to. Indeed, Bauer Media Group's revenue is down from 2.3bn euros - in part due to the increasing pressure on traditional media such as magazines and radio.
The changing nature of radio
Young people tend to listen to radio much less as the media landscape is saturated with other products for them to consume (games, apps, numerous TV channels, streaming services, etc). Also, people now expect to consume media products not in a linear fashion (you turn on the radio and hear what’s currently broadcast) but on-demand (streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer). This means Kiss FM is attempting to target an audience of 15-34 year olds who are consuming media in a totally different way compared to radio in the 1960s.
Radio in the 1960s v radio today
There are many differences in the radio industry between the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 and the global online marketplace we see today:
More radio stations broadcasting (There are around 600 licensed radio stations in the country) and thousands of online broadcasters.
Improved quality as radio moved from AM to FM and now to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).
Radio stations have become increasingly specialised (look at KISS, KISSTORY and KISS FRESH or rivals Absolute Radio, Absolute 60s, 70s, 80s, etc.)
Many shows are downloadable on-demand (e.g. as podcasts), on a range of devices (e.g. using iPlayer on TV) and streaming-only ‘stations’ (e.g. Spotify ‘stations with no DJs')
Regulation: how is KISS FM regulated?
KISS FM is regulated by Ofcom. This means the KISS FM Breakfast show must follow the Ofcom broadcasting code and not include anything inappropriate for children or younger listeners.
In 2006, KISS was fined a record fee for any UK commercial radio station of £175,000 by media regulator Ofcom. Ofcom punished KISS for "numerous and serious breaches" of broadcasting codes after receiving 10 complaints from April to November 2005. They involved prank calls on the Bam Bam breakfast show where consent was not sought from the "victims" and controversial material aired when children were likely to be listening. KISS said it accepted the findings and apologised for any offence. You can read more on that case here.
KISS FM Breakfast show CSP: blog tasks
Work through the following questions to complete your final Radio case study on the KISS FM Breakfast show CSP:
Audience
Look at the KISS media pack carefully. This will give you a brilliant background to the brand and how they target their audience. Answer the following questions:
1) Read page 2. What is KISS FM's mission?
2) Look at page 3. What is the target audience for KISS FM? As well as writing the key statistics from the media pack, try and suggest what psychographic groups would fit the KISS audience too. 3) Now look at page 5 - The KISS network. How does KISS use digital media and technology to reach its audience? 4) Now look at the other side of page 5. What content do KISS Fresh and KISSTORY offer and how can audiences access those stations? 5) Read page 6. What are the different ways audiences can engage with the KISS radio brand? 6) Now think about the clips you've watched or listened to of the KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri. What audience pleasures are offered by the KISS FM Breakfast show? Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory here.
7) How does the KISS FM Breakfast show contrast with Tony Blackburn's 1967 Radio 1 Breakfast show and the launch of BBC Radio 1?
8) Use Stuart Hall's Reception theory to offer a preferred and oppositional reading of the KISS FM Breakfast show. For the preferred reading, why do fans love the show? On the oppositional side, why might someone criticise the show or not want to listen?
Industry 1) How have audiences changed in terms of how they listen to music since the 1960s? 2) When did KISS FM first launch and what type of station was it then? 3) Look at the Bauer Media Group's list of brands. How many different types of media can you find on there? What brands do you recognise?
4) How does KISS FM make money and how much revenue did Bauer Media Group make in 2020?
5) Who regulates KISS FM and what can happen if they break the rules?
Finally, try this exam question on Radio: How successful have radio stations like KISS FM been in attracting a young audience to traditional radio? Due date on Google Classroom
Work through the following questions to complete your first Radio case study on the launch of BBC Radio 1 and radio in general:
Radio
1.When was the last time you listened to anything on the radio? Do you remember which station?
2.Why do you not listen to the radio?
3.Is there anything radio stations could do that would attract young people like you?
4.Do you (or members of your family) have a subscription to any music streaming services like Spotify or Apple music? Which ones?
5.Why does the digital age (internet) mean that people do not listen to music on the radio anymore?
Historical, social and cultural context
1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967? Name the radio stations and then say a little bit about what content (what was on each station).
The radio stations offered by the BBC before 1967 were...
2) How was the BBC reorganised in September 1967? (Have a look at Slide 14)
3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular? (Remember that the ‘pirate’ part refers to the fact that DJs had to illegally broadcast from boats)
4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?
5) How did the BBC try to attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down? (Think of the ‘popular’ pop music that younger people wanted to listen to)
6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio when they wanted to offer more music to young people?
7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations?
8) Who was the first presenter for BBC Radio 1 and why did these new Radio 1 DJs disrupt the traditional BBC? (Think about why they didn’t seem to ‘fit’ the BBC reputation in 60s)
9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners? (Think about what he talks about and what is played)
10) What things did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different to previous BBC radio content?
Audience and industry
1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967?
2) Why did Radio 1 initially struggle to attract young listeners?
3) What audience pleasures did Radio 1 offer listeners in 1967? (Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory - if you cannot remember this it is on your media glossary and is also on slide).
4) How is the BBC funded? (Clue - we, the public, pay a L______ f_______)
5) The BBC has a remit (duty) to ‘inform, educate and entertain’. What do you think Radio 1 was trying to do to meet this remit (duty)? Is it mostly information based or educational or entertaining?
There are some important contexts we need to learn for the Industry and Audience key concepts for His Dark Materials.
His Dark Materials is an example of contemporary family TV drama. The series is based on the
trilogy of books of the same name by Philip Pullman. The second series is based on the book,
The Subtle Knife.
Industries
The CSP episode is the opening episode of Season 2, The City of Magpies, and was first broadcast in the UK on Sunday 8 November 2020 on BBC1 at 8.10pm. It was made available on iPlayer on the same
day, and on DVD from 28 December 2020.
It is significant because it was co-commissioned for an international audience by the BBC and the
American television network HBO, and was always intended to be distributed on a number of
platforms: as a scheduled, broadcast programme (BBC1), on cable (HBO), as well as on demand
(iPlayer) and on DVD. It was created for these platforms by an independent company, Bad Wolf.
His Dark Materials marketing and promotion As His Dark Materials was aimed at an international audience, the show features both British and American star names such as Brits Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy and American Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the smash hit musical Hamilton.
There were a range of videos and promotional events designed to create a buzz around the new season of His Dark Materials:
His Dark Materials Season 1 recap
His Dark Materials Comic-Con panel:
Bad Wolf: outstanding TV drama production company based in Wales
Bad Wolf was founded in 2015 to create ambitious, imaginative and relevant drama for the global TV marketplace. From its headquarters in South Wales the company has built up an international reputation as one of the foremost independent production companies in the UK, producing over 50 hours of high-end drama for broadcasters and networks including HBO, BBC, AMC and Sky.
HBO is an American pay-TV company that is known for producing some of the greatest TV shows of all time from The Sopranos to The Wire to Succession. As a co-commission with the BBC, His Dark Materials had two hugely respected media giants behind it - and in HBO's case a huge amount of money. HBO has over 40 million subscribers and brought in $6.8 BILLION in subscription revenue. To put this into perspective, the whole BBC budget (for everything - TV, radio, online etc.) was £3.7 billion.
BBC: Industry notes reminder
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a public service organisation and the oldest national broadcaster and the biggest in terms of employees [over 20,000]. It is different from other TV broadcasters in that funding comes from us all as BBC licence fee payers whereas other channels rely on advertising and sponsorship. The BBC has 3 key purposes: To Inform, Educate & Entertain. This means:
To provide information (that is supposed to be balanced)
To support learning for people of all ages
To produce creative output
To have diverse content (such as with its representations)
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world
Where does His Dark Materials fit into these objectives and the BBC mission statement? BBC regulation reminder
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has a board of governing members and is independent of government intervention. This means that it can produce content free impartially.
Since 2017, The BBC is now regulated by OfCOM (the Office of Communications). OfCOM oversees all media channels and produces a code of conduct that all media channels must follow or have their licence to make content removed and/or be fined heavily.
This includes suitable programmes before the 9pm watershed and various other quality standards.
Audience
His Dark Materials was pitched by the BBC as a family drama. The first episode of the first series of His Dark Materials series was watched by audiences of 7.2millon in the UK and 423,000 on HBO. The first broadcasts of the CSP episode had audiences of 4.4million on BBC1 and 227,000 on HBO. Target audience
Aimed at a contemporary family audience for the BBC Sunday night broadcast slot (8.10pm)
Targeted at fans of the fantasy genre along with fans of the original books by Philip Pullman.
Diverse representations of gender and race may appeal to a younger audience.
Rated for 14+ by HBO due to some scenes that may be frightening to younger children.
The UK DVD release of His Dark Materials season 2 is rated 12 by the BBFC.
The way audiences watch TV has changed
His Dark Materials provides an opportunity to study the contemporary television industry and audiences. The series was created at a time when the BBC’s role and finances were under question, and when on-demand streaming through sources such as Netflix and Amazon Prime had become normalised. These latter companies were creating big-budget series to attract and satisfy more subscribers. His Dark Materials was rumoured to be the BBC’s most expensive series to date, with HBO sharing the costs and guaranteeing an international audience. This helps the BBC to compete with their streaming rivals like Netflix.
Fans - the fandom reaction Watch this fan reaction video to His Dark Materials Season 2 trailer from TV fan YouTube channel Sesskasays:
His Dark Materials: Industry and Audience blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'His Dark Materials: Industry and Audience blog tasks' and answer the following questions:
Industries 1) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show. 2) How does His Dark Materials meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'? 3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important?
4) Why are streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime bad news for the BBC? 5) How does His Dark Materials help the BBC to take on the big streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon?
Audience
1) Read this audience rating guide for His Dark Materials. Based on the screening and this article, who do you think the target audience is for His Dark Materials and why? What about psychographic groups? You can revise Pyschographics here. 2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.
Personal Identity:
Personal Relationships: Diversion (Escapism): Surveillance (Information / Facts): 3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials?
4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materials and watch the fan reaction video above. 5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it?
Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child and His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies 1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2020 His Dark Materials (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)? 2) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of genre and narrative? 3) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of how they meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? 4) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows? 5) What similarities and differences can you find in terms of the audience pleasures for An Unearthly Child and The City of Magpies? Grade 8/9 extension tasks and readin
Our second television Close-Study Product is BBC and HBO co-production His Dark Materials from 2020. The CSP episode is Season 2, Episode 1 but don't worry if you haven't seen the first series - there are plenty of clips online to learn the background to the storyline.
Remember, TV is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the products in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. Television will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse - either from Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child or His Dark Materials. Notes from the lessons: His Dark Materials
Language
Key terminology for studying His Dark Materials:
Co-production: a media product produced by two separate companies or institutions. His Dark Materials is a big-budget co-production between the BBC (from the UK) and HBO (from America).
Brand Identity: how a business presents itself and wants to be perceived by the consumer.
Hybridity: Two genres or media types combined e.g. Stranger Things is a science fiction / horror television drama.
Multi-strand: when a narrative is made up of lots of different storylines.
Reminder - TV drama conventions:
Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called narrative arc.
Ensemble cast (a range of characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character than another.
Specific technical codes e.g. realistic lighting and editing for dramas set in the present day to keep it gritty.
Use of stereotypical characters to get messages across quickly.
Common use of flashback, point of view shots, dialogue and voice over, enigma and action codes throughout.
Fantasy TV genre codes and conventions
Emotive, often quest-based narratives
Occasional political narrative themes or social commentary
Iconography including magic, mystical creatures or similar
Often set in imagined worlds or time periods
In addition, the following often apply to fantasy TV series:
Younger target audience or family audience
Dedicated fanbase; fandom groups and online communities
His Dark Materials is a fantasy drama television series based on the novel series of the same name by Philip Pullman. It is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Productions for BBC One and HBO, with HBO handling international distribution.
Plot summary
His Dark Materials is set in a multi-world reality, with the action moving from one world to another. The series is based on Philip Pullman's trilogy of the same name. It begins in an alternative world where all humans' souls manifest as animal companions called daemons. The series follows the life of a young girl named Lyra who is an orphan living with the scholars at Jordan College, Oxford, in a world governed by the Magisterium, a religious and political body. Lyra discovers a dangerous secret that involves Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter, and is the subject of a witches prophecy that she will change the world. In her search for a missing friend, Lyra also uncovers a series of kidnappings and its link to a mysterious substance called Dust, which leads her on a journey of epic proportions and ultimately to other worlds. The witches' prophecy also links Lyra's destiny to Will, a teenager from our world, who is himself being pursued by mysterious figures connected to his vanished father.
The show is a fantasy television series based on fantasy novels. It was produced by BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation - same company who made Doctor Who) and HBO (American company). It is set in a multi-world reality with action moving between worlds. Lyra, the main character, has grown up an orphan who discovers that there is a prophecy that foretells that she will change the world. Will is a fugitive (runaway) from ‘our world’ where he killed someone in self-defence. They meet in a third world called Cittagazze which is run down and neglected. They learn from some kids there that all the adults (and kids when they come of age) are hunted and drained of their energy and basically changed into zombies by evil black clouds called ‘Spectres’. Meanwhile, an evil villain called Mrs Coulter is on board a ship with the Magisterium (male Priests in authority roles - like politicians.) She tortures a witch for information regarding Lyra and mysterious ‘dust’ but the witch is put out of her misery by her fellow witch Ruta Skardi who sets her free by killing her to stop the pain. Skardi also seriously injures the head of the Magisterium and Mrs Coulter offers a deal to his deputy: in exchange for more power and freedom, she will kill the head priest and say he died of his injuries from the witch.
Key names, words and spellings:
Magisterium: the authority group of male priests (religious men) from Lyra’s world. It is a patriarchal society (ruled by men).
Daemon: the name given to the shape-shifting animal that is part of your soul (in Lyra’s world). Everyone has one in her world.
Lyra Silvertongue: protagonist (main character, hero) who is on the run from her world due to being hunted. She is the subject of a prophecy (fortune) that says she will change the world.
Dust: magic particles that open portals to other worlds. Some people believe they represent sin.
Will Parry: a human child from ‘our world’ who has never seen a daemon before.
Mrs Coulter: an evil villain who wants to find Lyra and control the world. She tortures a witch nearly to death and then she prepares to kill the head of the Magisterium so she can gain more control.
Ruta Skardi: the witch who, when her fellow witches did not take action, saved the prisoner witch by killing her and attacked the members of the magisterium on her own, escaping afterwards.
Cittàgazze: the name of the city in the third world where Will and Lyra meet.
Alethiometer: the gadget that looks like a clock which Lyra consults and it gives her ‘truth’ answers to her questions.
Narrative: multi-strand narrative
There are a number of narrative strands running through this episode. They include:
Lyra and Will explore a new world and the city of Cittàgazze.
Mrs Coulter tries to find answers for the Magisterium then offers power to Father MacPhail by letting the head of the Magisterium die.
Lyra and Will meet abandoned children in the city of Cittàgazze and find that the adults have all left due to the Spectres stealing their souls.
Lee Scoresby goes on a mission for an object that can protect Lyra. The council of witches supports his plan.
Representations
His Dark Materials - Subverting stereotypes Men and women
Many characters in this episode of His Dark Materials subvert stereotypes. Lyra is a strong, independent female character who doesn't need or want help from anyone on her dangerous quest across different worlds. She can't cook, isn't bothered by her appearance and takes what she wants. Mrs Coulter also subverts female stereotypes as a cold hearted villain. She is actually Lyra's mother but displays none of the maternal stereotypes the media usually presents as typically female.
Meanwhile, Will subverts male or masculine stereotypes. He is kind, welcoming and wants to help Lyra. He cooks her food and makes up beds for them to sleep in. Not all characters subvert stereotypes though - Lee Scoresby is in many ways a classic masculine man on a mission to help Lyra.
Race, ethnicity and social class
The actors in His Dark Materials are from a range of ethnic and social class backgrounds and the character of Will subverts stereotypes of race and ethnicity as well as gender. However, some stereotypes are reinforced - the abandoned children in Cittàgazze are presented as working class in a very stereotypical way.
Age
Most of the main characters in this series and episode are children and they are shown not to need adults or help from older people. The abandoned children of Cittàgazze also demonstrate they can live without adults - which subverts typical stereotypes. Mrs Coulter also shows how stereotypes are subverted as a parent who does not care for her child.
His Dark Materials: Language and Representation blog tasks Create a new blogpost called 'His Dark Materials: Language and Representation blog tasks' and then answer the questions on this google document.
