Research Investigation - Introductory paragraph

Learning Outcome:
To write an interesting introduction for my Research Investigation.

Key Terms:
Quotations are phrases taken from your research texts and are used to support your points.
(They must be enclosed within quotation marks and the source acknowledged).

Structure for your essay to consider:

• Introduction – say what are you exploring and hoping to find out
• Carry out textual analysis and state what you find out.
• Discuss focus groups and other primary research and state what you found out.
• Academic research and tying this into what has been found out already
• Tying it all together.
• Overall conclusion.

Your introduction should get you off 'to a flyer' with the examiner. 

The opening of an essay is important. 

It should capture the reader's attention in some way or another. 

It should avoid being bland or dull. 
You should invite the reader to read on and create a sense of interest. 
If the beginning is flat, it will not inspire your audience.

You need to inspire your audience if you are to gain the grade you are capable of.

We have discussed different approaches to writing an introduction choose one approach:

Provocative

e.g."It is difficult to see how anyone can approve of fox hunting."

Balanced

e.g."Fox hunting is a subject about which people hold strongly contrasting views."

Quotation

e.g."Oscar Wilde once described fox hunting as 'The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable.'."

Illustration

e.g."On a glorious autumn morning a terrified, exhausted animal is savaged to death by a pack of baying dogs while a group of expensively dressed humans encourage the dogs in their bloody work."

Anecdote

e.g."I have always detested fox hunting since I was almost physically sick while watching a television film of the kill at the end of a hunt."

Within your introduction you must set the following:

An introduction to your area of study (film, magazines etc)

An introduction to your research focus. For example the representation of women.

Be clear about the reasons for your investigation and choice of texts.

A good way to reinforce your ideas is through the use of a quotation from a relevant theorist.

____________________________________________________________________

Example of title and opening of a research investigation.

Are women represented in a sexualised way in music videos? 

With close reference to Snoop Dogg; sexual seduction, Rihanna; Umberella and Beyonce; If I were a boy.

The title here is appropriate and focused it contains the concept and the main texts.

My area of study is representation in music videos and my investigation will focus on women being constructed and mediated by the text and represented in a sexual way when they are a primary or secondary artist. In my view there is a very significant sexual theme regardless of the role played in the video. In order to discuss this issue further, it is useful to consider the function of a music video.

The opening paragraph clearly sets out the aims of the investigation and the subject area. Relevant media terminology is employed which relates to the concept of representation.

The main function is to act as advertising for the record. It also serves and contributes to the image of the artist or band and to maintain a visibility of performances in the absence of personal appearances.

The student does not rush straight into their key texts but establishes the industry context first.

This is a useful quote as it refers to the image of the artist and I believe it is a widely held view that, in the case of women, this image is mainly sexual and this prompts us to ask if the use of women's sexuality is justified in order to achieve an artist's high profile. Having discussed this issue with a focus group, the typical views can be summed up with this response:

'Generally I feel women are shown as an add on to the main artist to provide sex appeal, they are seen as sex objects, especially in rap videos. When they are the main female artist they can choose how they want to be represented and the portrayal can be different, almost seen as powerful but in a risky way.'

The first secondary source is clearly related to the point they want to make about the construction and it is used to support this view.

Audience research in the form of a focus group has been used effectively here without taking up too much of the word count. The findings have been summarised in one pertinent quote selected because it relates to the points being made.

Task 1: 
Write your research investigation introductory paragraph and e-mail it to Mr Ealey for feedback by the end of the lesson.

Discursive Writing

Learning Outcome: 

To continue to work on your research project and make notes on discursive aspects.

Key Terms:

Discursive EssayThis means that you are expected to discuss a given topic and to present an argument related to it.

Organising a discursive essay

There are three basic structures (ways of organising) for the discursive essay -

• you argue strongly for a given discussion topic
• you argue strongly against a given discussion topic
• you argue about a given discussion topic in a balanced way.

Planning a discursive essay

The following basic structure should be employed for writing this essay.

• Provide an interesting introduction.
• Provide a clear indication of your position, your stance in relation to the topic (are you 'for' or 'against' ?).
• Present your first argument, with supporting evidence.
• Present your second argument, with supporting evidence.
• Present your third argument, with supporting evidence.
• Present your fourth argument, with supporting evidence, and so on (the number of paragraphs like this will depend on the number of arguments you can offer).
• Indicate, in a single paragraph, that there is another side to this argument, with some idea of the points likely to be made for the view(s) which are opposite to your own.
• Reiterate (state again) your position and conclude your essay.

Introducing a discursive essay

The opening of an essay is important. It should capture the reader's attention in some way or another. It should avoid being bland or dull. 
You should invite the reader to read on and create a sense of interest. 
If the beginning is flat, it will not inspire your audience.

Methods of Opening a Discursive Essay

The following methods are suggestions. It is up to you to decide which style suits your writing best.

Provocative

e.g."It is difficult to see how anyone can approve of fox hunting."

Balanced

e.g."Fox hunting is a subject about which people hold strongly contrasting views."

Quotation

e.g."Oscar Wilde once described fox hunting as 'The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable.'."

Illustration

e.g."On a glorious autumn morning a terrified, exhausted animal is savaged to death by a pack of baying dogs while a group of expensively dressed humans encourage the dogs in their bloody work."

Anecdote

e.g."I have always detested fox hunting since I was almost physically sick while watching a television film of the kill at the end of a hunt."

Linking ideas in a discursive essay

Any well-written piece of discursive writing will flow as one continuous piece despite being made up of three or four different arguments. One of the techniques which can help you to achieve this effectively is the use of linking words. These words are usually used at the beginning of a new paragraph but can also be used to link ideas within a paragraph.

Same line of thought

e.g. - and, firstly, secondly etc., next, furthermore, likewise, in addition, similarly, also, moreover.

Conclusion/summary

e.g. - thus, therefore, consequently, accordingly, in retrospect, hence, in conclusion, in brief, as a result.

Definite statement

e.g. - without question, without doubt, unquestionably, absolutely.

Contrasting idea

e.g. - yet, on the other hand, nevertheless, however, although, conversely, otherwise, on the contrary.

Further examples

because, for instance, since, for example, so that, despite the fact that, accordingly, although, if, though, unless.

Formal tone in a discursive essay

It is important when you write a discursive essay to write in a proper formal way.

You should not use an informal style to write a discursive essay.

In simple terms, this means the following -

Do	Do not use
Write in proper, complete sentences	Abbreviations (i.e./e.g./etc./UK/&)
Use complete words and expressions	Contractions (isn't/don't/won't)
Use proper, standard English	Slang (e.g. bloke/geezer etc)
	Colloquial language (mate/bolshy etc.)

On a slightly different note, you should also try to make sure that you use a decent standard of vocabulary in any formal essay you write.

In particular, try to avoid weak vocabulary such as 'get', 'got' and 'getting'. Relying on this level of vocabulary too often suggests that your power of expression is weak. Build up your word power!

Task 1:
Watch the video about Mount Snowden and make notes on how the presenter offers 
his own and the opposite side of an argument. 
Do this in your orange books.
Bullet points are fine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/english/writing/discursive_writing/revision/5/

__________________________________________________________________

You need to begin you primary research for Research Investigations.
Stay focussed on the title of your investigation.
What information are you looking for from participants of surveys, focus groups, questionnaires?

The clearer you are about this, the clearer your responses will be.
In your Investigations, write using percentages when indicating answers.

Focus group information

Planning for Research Investigations

Learning Outcome: To continue to work on coursework research projects and receive feedback.

Key Terms: 
Feedback - The only way to score highly with your RI is to communicate with your teacher each time you complete a new draft.
Written communication - It is important that you write discursively using PEE to make your points

Mind maps are really useful for getting your ideas down before giving them some kind of structure.

Example of a mind map:

Task 1:

Put all the ideas you have for your R.I. down with the main texts in the central position.

Consider adding 'branches' for the following:

• Introduction
• Primary research you will do
• Secondary research 
• Narrative theorists
• Audience targeting
• Audience responses
• Representation
• Quotes
• Conclusion

When you have this in place. Get feedback from Mr. Ealey.

Task 2:
Create a loose structure for your R. I.

Task 3:
Read and discuss the introductory paragraphs of this R. I. that scored highly:
Consider the way the candidate doesn't hang around, they start to score marks quickly and keep the moderator interested. Make notes - orange books.

__________________________________________________________

Possible Structure for Research Investigation

Structure for your essay to consider:

• Introduction – say what are you exploring and hoping to find out
• Carry out textual analysis and state what you find out.
• Discuss focus groups and other primary research and state what you found out.
• Academic research and tying this into what has been found out already
• Tying it all together.
• Overall conclusion.

* Maintain focus on the title of your investigation, it may help to even repeat it a couple of times within the main body of the text.
Write discursively. Use PEE.

Research:

The work you are undertaking is an academic, research based study allowing you to explore an area of media of your own choice in detail.
Your research should be taken from a range of primary and secondary sources and must be properly referenced.
This is an investigation and the assumption is that you will reach some conclusions that will inform your production coursework.


Here are some examples of research carried out which informed successful submissions at MS3:

Well organised questions to a focus group

 Student conducted an interview.

Task 1: 
Design questionnaires and questions for asking within focus groups. Use this opportunity to find out about audience responses to the texts you are investigating. 
The research should be based primarily around the concept you have chosen. Genre Narrative or Representation.

Student Research Investigations 2015-16

Research Investigations.

Learning Outcome:
To explore the purpose of research into secondary texts for my research investigation.

The research into secondary texts allows you to broaden your understanding of the concept you have chosen; genre, narrative or representation in addition to your area of interest. 
The expectation is that you engage in relevant academic research into a range of different texts including books, articles and websites.
This then means that you can apply your secondary research to support the analysis of your primary texts, thus producing a more informed investigation and demonstrating a greater level of understanding.

Titles  for Research Investigations

Liam Sears:
How are youth represented at music festivals?
Good idea Liam but you need to refer to two specific texts within your title, preferably one which conforms and one which challenges the genre conventions. 

• (This is England 90 for example).
• http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/6-movies-that-show-the-music-festival-experience.html/?a=viewall

Kieran Carnall:
How is narrative constructed in prison break films with specific reference to escape from Alcatraz and The Shawshank redemption.
Good idea but a popular one amongst media studies students. Research exemplar work and make notes.

• http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/07/prison-break-escape-el-chapo-clinton-correctional/398546/
• http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-prison-break-films

Robert Frost:
The representation of gender in music videos.
This is too broad Robert. 
Narrow the investigation down by referring to specific texts (what music genre will you focus on?) Choose one gender to explore. 1400-1800 words may seem a lot but is not substantial enough for the title you have suggested.
The representation of women in Pop music videos with specific reference to, Lily Allen's 'Hard out Here', Pink's 'Stupid Girls'/'U + Ur Hand' and Jessie J's 'Do it like a Dude'.

1. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/sexualised-music-videos-only-teach-women-how-to-sell-out/story-fni0cwl5-1227070613498

2. http://theboar.org/2014/01/15/music-industry-hard/

3. http://madebyparker.com/blog/2009/01/pinks-stupid-girl-the-relationship-between-popular-media-and-popular-society/​

Dean Conder:
An analysis of the representation of women in television with specific reference to The Walking Dead and 2 Broke Girls.
Good, if broad, idea Dean. Consider who is in control of the texts (who owns the TV stations?) Who is the target audience of the text? How would different audiences respond to the texts and what are the messages contained within the texts?

• http://www.ibtimes.com/sexist-portrayals-women-still-dominate-prime-time-tv-study-880498
• http://www.btchflcks.com/2013/05/nothing-can-save-the-walking-deads-sexist-woman-problem.html

Adam Foley:
An analysis of how the youth are represented in television with specific reference to 'Veronica Mars' and 'Waterloo Road'.
Good idea but this is a week trodden path. Try an angle such as exploring how representations have evolved as media has become more fragmented.

• http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-media-conference-2013-changing-representations-in-the-media.pdf
• http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/237129/How-Waterloo-Road-betrays-our-children

Benn Shannon:
Is the narrative structure in past and present suspense films reliant on the formula created by Alfred Hitchcock.
Refer to specific texts and you will need to research Hitchcock's work in depth. Reading, reading, reading Benn.

Michael Long:
How are minorities represented in Straight Outta Compton and Boyz N the Hood?
A good idea but are the two texts contrasting enough? You need to explore convention breakers as well as conformers. Which minorities are you interested in exploring? Be specific.

Task 1: 
Identify three more sources for secondary research and paste the URL or book title to Mr Ealey.

Andrew Goodwin’s Music Video Theory/How to analyse a music video

Learning Outcome: 
To be able to analyse music videos through the application of Andrew Goodwin's theory.

Key terms:
Motif: A dominant or recurring idea in an artistic work.

We will be looking at this theory for music video, you should research this today and complete the task at the bottom of the post. Post your answers to your own blogs and send me the link when finished.

Andrew Goodwin’s Music Video Theory/How to analyse a music video

Key Points;

1 - Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.

- Themes, mise-en-scene and events of the video match with lyrics of the song, to help to portray the message of the song.

2 - Relationship between the music and the visuals.

- The cuts and edits of the video are in sync with the rhythm and beat of the song matching cuts or effects to specific drum beats or notes.

3 - Music videos have genre characteristics

- Certain features are expected out of a video depending on the genre of the music, for example a girl band/girl artists are expected to have dancers and close ups of the singers, whilst an Indi band are expected to have performance shots of the band cut to a fast beat.

4 - Often due to the demands of the record label, artists' videos will include many close ups of the artist and will often develop motifs that recur across multiple videos

Music Video Motif 

- This allows the record label to promote a set image for the band, which will help target audiences to empathise with the band.

5 - Emphasis on 'looking'

- The 'male gaze' is often used to attract a male audience. The male gaze is a focus on presenting things that appeal to men. This often means a voyeuristic view of, and an objectification, of women. The emphasis on looking also includes the artist looking directly into the camera helping the audience connect with the artist.

6 - Intertexual references.

- Music videos reference other forms of media, most commonly film, but can also be television and other music videos.

How to analyse music videos;

Andrew Goodwin identifies 5 key aspects of music videos that we, the audience, should look out for;

- Thought beats – Where you ‘see’ in the sound

- Narrative and Performance

- The Star Image

- Relation of visuals to song

- Technical aspects of a music video

‘Thought Beats – ‘Seeing’ the soundStep 1. To look at the music itself. We must take into account the structure of the song.

Step 2. The voice of the song. The artists voice is extremely unique and can form indentification or trademarks that work well with the star image. 

Step 3. Goodwin points out the artists mode of address. Songs can be seen as stories and the artist the storyteller, making the music video a two communication device – them telling us a story and we listening.

Narrative & Performance
Songs fail to give us the complete narrative.

We only tend to get a gist of the meaning of the song and then tend to make up our own idea of what is being told – A negotiated view of a text. (Stuart Hall theory).

Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore common narrative. 
It is important in their role of advertising.

Music videos should include coherent repeatability. 
Narrative and performance work hand in hand its make it easier for the audience to watch over and over without loosing interest.

The artist acting as both narrator & participant helps to increase the authenticity however the lip sync and other mimed actions remains the heart of music videos. 
The audience need to believe this is real.

‘Star Image’The star image is another vital aspect of music videos. Meta narrative which is a big story that describes the development of the star over time, it has an important part to play in the music video production process.

• Andrew Goodwin stated that there were three different ways in which the music video can connect back to the song itself . 
• These are: Illustration - Amplification - Disjuncture

• Illustration- 
• Commonly used. 
• Images illustrate the lyrics of the song.
• • Illustration is the simplest and easiest concept to base amusic video around as it is just a literal meaning to the song’s lyrics in visual form. Owl City have used illustrative ideas in their videos before, for example inFireflies’ when the artist is singing and as he says‘fireflies’ the word fireflies comes up on the screen to alittle toy gadget.
• Amplification-
• Amplification is second. The conventions demonstrated by the music video creative director. They may use both performance and narrative, connotations of the meanings. An example of this is Kanye West's Homecoming where it does clearly show his home but the audience can work out that the song is homecoming and it is him walking around a city that he knows.
• Disjuncture 
• - Intentionally ignores the content of the song and genre of the music and tries to create a whole new set of meanings. These music videos dont tend to make a lot of sense and can often use abstract imagery. In fat boy slims “praise you” there is no relation from the video to the lyrics.

Task 1: Analyse Lady Gaga's music video Judas using Andrew Goodwin's Music Theory.

 

Common Motifs In Music Videos from TheSaintsA2

LO: To Apply Auteur Theory to a director of your own choice

Auteur theory

In his 1954 essay "Une certaine tendance du cinéma français" ("A certain tendency in French cinema"), François Truffaut coined the phrase "la politique des Auteurs"

At first glance, auteur theory is deceptively simple; its basic premise is that a movie director, in certain circumstances, can be assigned the title of 'author'. Sadly, it is far more complex than that. It can perhaps be best explained by US film critic and leading proponent of the theory, Andrew Sarris:

The strong director imposes his own personality on a film; the weak director allows the personalities of others to run rampant.

So who is an auteur, and how might they be recognised from a 'normal' film director?

Case Study: Tim Burton

One example of a director that could be considered an auteur, Tim Burton's films have a very distinct style, and he often deals with similar themes in his work.

In general, the lead character is separated from the norm of society in some way - a misfit. In the character of Edward Scissorhands, this idea is taken to the very extreme: the main character cannot even touch another person.

Other examples of this character type include Batman, Beetlejuice, and to a certain extent, Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Burton's movies also have a distinct style, generally sporting a very Gothic feel. In addition, Burton is known for using stop-motion animation in his films, the prime examples being The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

He is also known for reusing actors and actresses, in particular Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Danny Elfman regularly provides the right music for the soundtrack.

Tim Burton has directed many movies, each of which can be examined and compared for similar styles and recurring themes.

Task 1: 
Apply Auteur Theory to a director of your own choice. Preferably to inform your Research Investigation.

• Key words: 

Ms3 booklet

The role of Mediation

Learning outcome: To explore the construction and mediation of representations in the media with consideration given to my research investigation.

Key words: Formal, direct, colloquial, hyperbole, imperative.

You will need to be familiar with the following media studies terms:

Representation

The role of selection, construction and anchorage in creating representations.

You will provide anchorage for given newspaper images within different texts.

Selection: 

The idea that producers and audiences are both selective, eg: editors select the news from that day's events and audiences select what to watch and remember.

Construction: 

The idea that a media text is not a window on the world but is  a product of individuals in organisations making decisions over the selection of content. In other words; we see what they want us to see.

Anchorage: 

A way of ‘tying down meaning’, without anchorage meaning could be polysemic – open to various interpretations, eg a caption anchors meaning to a photo, music anchors mood in a media text.

Task 1: Write the definitions above into your orange books.

The Construction and Mediation of Representations

A news photograph for example may appear to be presenting us with a factual image but before it goes to print it has been through a process of construction:

• The photographer has selected his/her position, lens, angle, exposure and framing before taking the picture.

• The picture editor will decide if the image needs to be cropped, enhanced or in any way altered before inclusion into the paper.

• An editor will choose which, of the many available photographs of the image, will be the one chosen for inclusion in the newspaper and, importantly at this stage, the images which do not meet the needs of the text will be rejected.

Even then, further mediation takes place:

• Will the photograph be large or small?  
• Will the photograph be on the front page or, less visible, on page 8?

Placement choices like this, along with cropping and framing, act to focus the attention of the reader in a certain way.

• What headline and text will be used to accompany the photograph?

• Will the photograph have a caption?

• Will it be positioned close to another photograph?

Anchorage is basically used in media to attach meaning to something through either the matching of words to images or the juxtaposition of two images which construct a meaning.

For example in advertising, an image alone is polysemic open to a range of interpretations. To clarify what the image means and so to make the image relevant to the purpose of the advert, text can be added. Thus the image serves as the 'hook' while the text anchors meaning. This can be said also for photographs attached to newspaper articles. The same photograph takes on different connotations with different accompanying texts.

Task 2: Produce a mind map illustrating the mediation process.

Media Bias

Omitting information

  700 women said this product made their skin softer!

-but didn’t tell you 20,000 tried it!

___________________________________________________________

                                        Media Bias

Word Choice

Idiot pulls traffic stunt. 

______________________________________________________

Daredevil halts traffic

Both headlines are about the story of a man abseiling down the Forth Road Bridge

___________________________________________

Task 3: 
Open this image in Photoshop and using anchorage, give two captions that would represent the picture in different ways. Consider two different audiences the editor might target.
You will need to create a new layer and use the text tool to type with.

Selection

Whatever ends up on the screen or in the newspaper, much more will have been left out. Any news story has been selected from hundreds of others which the producers have decided were less interesting for you, any picture has been chosen from an enormous number of alternatives.

Omission is knowing about something but just refusing to focus on it or bring light to the facts.

In 2005, the New York Times knew about the Bush Administration using Telecom companies (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) to spy on Americans. The story was held back for over a year as the Times received pressure from Bush White House to kill the story. The Times didn't kill the story completely but they did wait until after the November 2006 elections before they actually reported on Bush Administration breaking the law

Mediation

Every time we encounter a media text, we are not seeing reality, but someone’s version of it. This may seem like an obvious point, but it is something that is easily forgotten when we get caught up in consuming a text. 
If you see a picture of a celebrity kissing her boyfriend, you may find it unsurprising that the picture has been altered and does not show the reality of the situation, but in fact we should bear this in mind whatever we encounter in the media. 
Media producers place us at one remove from reality: they take something that is real, a person or an event and they change its form to produce whatever text we end up with. 
This is called mediation. You should be looking for this with any media text.

What the BBC classified as ‘riots’ in London become ‘protests’ in Beitounya

_____________________________________________________________

The persistence of class and its visibility or invisibility

It used to be easy to signify through physical appearance that a figure stood for wealth or poverty. C19th charity pioneers like Dr Barnado used images of thin, ragged street urchins to appeal to the conscience of the wealthier.

One of the images Dr Barnado used in his ads

Third world charities still do this and until recently, cartoonists have often used large body size and decorative dress as an indicator of wealth. The fat capitalist or the greedy lord.

It is a kind of code.

Changes to this code help us glimpse the complex ways in which class divisions are now shown - or not shown.

It is more likely now that a well toned, slim or even thin body is the result of a careful diet and affluence (enough disposable income to shop for healthy food and a gym membership) rather than food shortage.  

However, aspirations to this appearance can lead to anorexia or bulimia. Of course poverty can still lead to rickets and thin bodies.

It is also possible that expensive looking clothes, jewelry, even cars may conceal people with huge levels of debt. Sometimes people want to conceal their economic position. This makes things complicated for the media studies student who is looking for clues to social class. Unlike researching for clues to gender or ethnicity.

Obesity in some cultures is prized as evidence of having plenty to eat. In the developed world it can have connotations of cultural and material deprivation or addictions. 

Genetics or a refusal to be a slave to fashion can be the reason.

The attitude to bodies is complicated and greed is often said to be the cause of being overweight.

Ideology shifts the blame away from the very addictions which which often result from the marketing practices of many junk food brands.

The 1980's saw celebrations of extreme wealth and justifications of corporate greed - at the time it was called growth and seen as virtuous. The word Yuppie was used to describe these young urban professionals.

This kind of wealth is hardly ever represented as directly related to the labour of those who mostly produce the wealth on display - working people.

In 2005 two moral panics surfaced which clearly involved class differences. Young people known as Chavs and Hoodies were accused in the media of anti social behaviour. Much of the media attack was conducted through a fascination with dress and other codes of appearance.

The website Popbitch.com circulates many of these abusive terms.

Task 4: 

Look at media images of stars, royalty and other outwardly wealthy people. Describe how huge wealth is signified visually in terms of body size and dress. Compare the representations to the large stomached, top hatted characters of the C19th.

200 words - orange books.

Task 5 Homework:

Moving on to ideological points, how often is extreme wealth discussed in relation to inequalty? View this article and then identify and discuss three media texts which can be said to illustrate the growing class divide.

200 words - orange books or blogs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29641109

Marxism understands class as the antagonistic social formations created and perpetuated in the process of production, between owners of and workers within industry.