Welcome to Disasterville

TODAY IS POSTPONED! Due to events entirely outwith my control, I cannot get in to the school today. I will be in tomorrow, and I will be online later today (from 12)… in the meantime, I am unavoidably detained. I cannot overemphasise just how much this is stressing me out, so I can’t even begin to appreciate how it’s affecting you.

I’ll try to sort something out for Friday and/or Monday as well, though we may need to meet outwith the school (any suggestions?) I’m genuinely gutted.

I’ll post the Part 2 Guidance when I get back online in an hour or two, in the meantime, I’m really really sorry.

Finally, can you let anyone else who’s not on the blog know!

Wed/Thurs Pt 2

Just a quick update. I’ll be there about 10 as advertised, but can only stay till about 12 today. I will, however, be there from 9:30 till about 4 tomorrow… and possibly Friday as well. Apologies, but this is beyond my control.

Wed/Thurs

Hi y’all…
I’m returning to normal after getting my cast off on Monday.

Nearly Free!

Whit a mess!

Airport Beeper!

Hope to see plenty of you tomorrow or Thursday. I’ll be in from 10 till 3 and will have plenty of bits and bobs for you. 🙂

Protected: Easter Revision 05 – Audience

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Reminder: The Key Concepts

Just a wee reminder for you as you revise…

The Key Concepts

These are the areas we have been considering all year and can be summed up as follows…

When we look at media texts, we ask the following questions:

How are texts shaped to meet needs, influence behaviour and achieve a purpose?	The Role of the Media
What type of text is it?	Categories
How do we know what it means?	Language
What type of story does it tell?	Narrative
How does it present its subject?	Representation
Who has produced it, and what constraints did they face?	Institutions
Who receives it, and what sense do they make of it?	Audience
When are texts received?	Society

PQD Revised Slides

Just a quick update for you…

Here is a revised and updated set of slides giving an overview of PQD. In particular, I’ve added an expanded slide on the GENRE conventions of the road movie which is recommended for revision.

As we discussed this morning, it’s important you remember the Society side of PQD… consider what came before it (Mad Max/Crocodile Dundee), and how it may have been received. (It is Media in Context, after all!)

Finally, it’s a PDF, so you should be able to click on the URLs to see the clips. 🙂

Go on… click it! You know you want to! 😉

Today

Hi everybody! Hi Dr Nick!

I’m on course to be there for 10. Just a warning that I’ll need to finish at lunchtime today (between 12 and 1). If originally planned to stay till 3, but the real world has kicked in. 😦

If you had intended just coming in for the afternoon… DON’T! We won’t be there. What you can do is attempt the paper I posted last night. I’ll post a guide to answering it tomorrow (after I’ve spoken to those coming this morning). Cheers! 🙂

I will be there all day next Thursday! Guaranteed!

Protected: Easter Revision 04 – Representation

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Easter Revision 03 – Narrative

[Version 1]

A handful of files for you today…

Click on the images to download the three files. The ‘green’ one you should already have as a printout… and also the booklet Narrative one as well.

As you read through them, always be thinking about PQD, and also whether the narratives of any music videos you see fit them as well (I’ll give you a clue, they probably do!)

Be on the look out for examples to illustrate the concepts and theories… and keep your eyes peeled for a wee update on what you need to remember for the exam itself. 🙂

As ever, I am indebted to the work of Messrs Pikavance, Jewell and Instrell for the originals… My revamps are mainly so I can run them on my Mac!

Easter Revision 02 – Language

[Version 2]*

Next up is LANGUAGE. (Click the PDF icon to download)

Essentially, language looks at the techniques used in a medium (print, television, film, radio, internet,…) to create meaning.

This is Part 1 — UPDATE: Part 2 is further down the page. As you go through the slides, remember the discussions and work we did in class on this, and apply it to PQD (or any other text you read).

UPDATE – New Slides For You

Here are the slides covering camera angles, movement, framing, costume, lighting, and several other important concepts. As you go through them, remember I used a LOT of examples in class to illustrate them. I’ve left some of the grabs from them to remind you, but will be happy to go through them all again after the break.

What I would suggest is that you make sure you have examples of them that you can quote in your answer to Q1 (where relevant!). They are worth mentioning if they have been used by Stephan Elliott to help him convey his message. Anyway, here they are (you do know to click on the picture that follows, don’t you?)

As ever, I am indebted to the work of Messrs Pikavance, Jewell and Instrell for the originals… My revamps are mainly so I can run them on my Mac!

*Version 1a – Added tags/categories!
*Version 2 – Added Slides on camera work.