Moral Panic

Daniel Shields

Resources, homework and revision for Mr Shields English and Media classes. Cover photo Kristina Alexanderson / CC BY-NC-SA

Showing all posts tagged "Media Studies"

Post 9/11 Theorists

Those of you analysing the effects of 9/11 on the media may want to consider the work of David Altheide, Terror Post 9/11 and the Media (Global Crises and the Media). Or Premediation: Affect and Mediality After 9/11 by Richard Grusin. John Markert's, Post – 9/11 Cinema: Through a Lens Darkly is intriguing.
Dean Moulder has an interesting thesis on Post 9/11 filmmaking and representations of the 'other'. Also these journal articles may be of interest Bragard, Véronique, Christophe Dony and Warren Rosenberg, eds. Portraying 9/11: Essays on representations in comics, literature, film and theatre. North Carolina: McFarland, 2011.

Gopal, Priyamvada and Neil Lazarus, eds. After Iraq: Reframing Postcolonial Studies. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 2006. Post-9/11 Horror in American Cinema Paperback – 24 May 2012 by Kevin J. Whetmore. Finally, Counter punch online may have some interesting things to say, although you may need your tin hat.

Parody of Blurred Lines

How is this video constructed to parody Blurred Lines and to satirise Robin Thicke and Pharell?

Proposed Investigation titles

  • To what extent does 'In the Flesh' subvert audience expectations and to what extent can it be described as a post 9/11 text and why has it proven to be so critically successful?
  • "Post 9/11 texts explore our fears and uncertainties about the governments protection". How far do you agree with this statement in relation to 'Source Code' and why do these texts continue to be successful?
  • Post 9/11 texts explore our unease with authoritarian government. To what extent can this be said of 'Source Code' and why did this prove to be critically successful?
  • Post modern texts explore our fears and uncertainties of an increasingly divergent society and the threats real and imagined from within our communities. To what extent can this be said of source code and why did this prove to be so popular?
  • Post post 9/11 texts often question authority and explore the individuals purpose in society. To what extent can this be said of Homeland and why did it prove so popular?
  • Postmodern texts explore our uncertainty over growing ecological problems in a post post 9/11 world. To what extent could this be said of Utopia and why did it prove to be so controversial?
  • Post-modern texts highlight our fear and uncertainty of a rapidly changing and interconnected technological world. To what extent can this be said of Len Wiseman's Total Recall and evaluate its continuing success.
  • Postmodernism subverts representation of traditional family values. How far could this be said to be true of Boyhood by Richard Linklater and why has this proved to be such a critical success?
  • Postmodern texts explore our uncertainty and fear of a crumbling social fabric in our increasingly socially divergent society. To what extent could this be said of In the Flesh and evaluate its continuing success.
  • Postmodern texts often subvert audience expectations. To what extent could this be said of Utopia and why did it prove to be so controversial?

Star Wars Rebels Extended Trailer Essay





How is the trailer constructed to appeal to a wider audience than Disney XD's target audience. What do Disney hope to achieve through the release of this trailer?

Consider the following:

Mise en scene A French phrase meaning ‘putting on the stage’. This term is used to mean ‘everything in the scene’. This includes the sets, location, costume, props and the period of the piece as well as shot size and the lighting and camera work.

Diegetic Sound

Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film:

  • voices of characters
  • sounds made by objects in the story
  • music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)

Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world

Diegetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame.)

Non-diegetic sound

Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action:

  • narrator's commentary
  • sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect
  • mood music

Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space.

The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play with diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or to surprise the audience (comedy).

Enigma

A question that is not immediately answered and thus draws an audience into a text


In the flesh


How does the clip use the audience's knowledge of the Zombie genre to engage their interest?

How does the clip represent terrorism?

How does the clip build the world of In the Flesh?

MEST 1 Section A: Star Wars Rebels



You are about to see a video clip that reveals a character for Star Wars Rebels an upcoming CGI animated series produced by Lucasfilm and Lucasfilm Animation.

The series is scheduled to premiere on Disney XD this October in the UK with a one-hour special.

Disney XD is an international digital cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the Disney Channels Worldwide unit of Disney-ABC Television Group, part of the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at male pre-teens and teenagers 6-14 years of age, its programming consists of original first-run television series, current and former original series and made-for-cable films from sister network Disney Channel, theatrically-released movies, and live-action and animated programs from other distributors.

Lucasfilm Limited is an American film and television production company. The studio is best known for its films, such as the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound and computer animation for film. The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm in 2012 at a valuation of $4.06 billion. Disney bought out Lucasfilm with the intention of creating a new trilogy of films. The first of which will be released in 2015.

Media Institution

What is Disney hoping to achieve by revealing this behind the scenes footage? (12 Marks)

Media Form

How is the video constructed to engage the audience? (12 Marks)

Media Representation

How is rebelliousness represented in the clip? (12 Marks)

Media Audience

How does the Disney Corporation appeal to a wide audience with this clip? (12 Marks)