A2 Media Studies: Mad Men: The Evolution of Peggy Olsen

A2 Media Studies: Mad Men: The Evolution of Peggy Olsen

How global is the appeal of your three texts?

My first text, 'Born This Way' by Lady Gaga is arguably the most global of my three texts. Rising to mainstream fame in 2009 after drastically changing her image to fit the industries requirements and scoring herself a major label, Interscope records. Interscope records is one third of Universal Music allowing her a huge marketing budget. As her second album, released in 2011, Lady Gaga already had a large fan base, established via social media for example Twitter where she currently has 41 million followers. This allows her a large platform for free promotion as the parasocial relationship she has built up with her fans has provided her a huge cult following, particularly in the LGBT community. By representing the minority, Lady Gaga has managed to cultivate an audience to believe that she is one of them, and this leads to a massive loyal following unlikely to illegally download her music. 'Born This Way' was the first song with 'transgender' in the lyrics to get to number one in both America and the UK. By giving the audience something that may have previously been considered 'taboo', Lady Gaga gets attention which is a free way of promoting her music. By television appearances, Lady Gaga uses her fashion sense to put her in the public eye and keep people watching to see what she is wearing. She also became largely involved in politics in America and Russia, which also puts her on mainstream news channels, globally. Speaking out in Russia also parallels her further to Madonna who the star is said to be styled after, as both these artists faced lawsuits after performing 'gay propaganda' shows in Russia. 

Secondly, I have looked at Radiohead and their album 'Kings Of Limbs' (2011). This album was released following 'In Rainbows' (2007), which via their Pay What You Want scheme, was a massive success, due to creating commercial interest. Previous to the albums release, a video was produced and put online to a song from the album 'Lotus Flower' which was a low budget video of Radiohead's lead singer 'Thom Yorke' dancing alone. This created publicity via word of mouth and online sharing. 

Finally, Nirvana's 'Nevermind' (1991) has a massive mainstream following to today. T-Shirts with the band name on are sold in many mainstream clothing outlets and

BLAH BLAH BLAH BYE X

Trailers :

Plan for production Number 2

1-4 Seconds - Animation // Photographs
4-5 Seconds - Close up protagonist
5-7 Seconds - Midshot/Longshot Montage Scene
7-8 Seconds - 2 character mid shot
8-9 Seconds - Close up
9-9.5 Seconds - Close up of hands
9.5-10 Seconds - Close up of mouth blowing smoke
10-12 - Midshot with background animation of colour
12-13 Same scene, close up different character
13-14 - Stop motion clip of guns
14-16 - Underwater clip with sound
16-17 - Kidnapping action longshot
17-17.5 - Close up Nancy
17.5-18 - Close up Estaban
18-21 - Long shot car scene
21-21.5 - Gun midshot
21.5-22 - Midshot result of former (Man hiding behind fridge)
22-23 - Close up
23-24 - Longshot followed by mid shot
24-26 - Midshot 2 characters
27-28 - Long shot woman dancing on table
29-30 - Ex Long shot
30-31 - Midshot
31-32 - Ex Close up
32-33 - Midshot
33-35 - Midshot with dialogue
35-36 - Midshot
36-37 - Animation from photo to video ( Same theme as title Seq. )
TONE OF MUSIC CHANGE -- SLOWS DOWN
37-38 - Close up to mid shot Nancy and Esteban
40-43 - 3 Mid Shots with VOICE OVER
43-49 - Long Shots with VOICE OVER
49-49.5 - Sniper shot ??
49.5-50 - Image of gun
50-52 - Animation
52 - 55 - Long shots
55 - 1.00 - Animation gun w/ text
1.00 - 1.04 - End credits w/ 0.5 second clip at end

Plan for Production Number 1

Basis : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml_kgDr0au0

0-1 seconds - Text Intro : This Season On ...
1-2 second - Close up
2-3 seconds - Text
3-7 second - Long shot with speech
8-9 second  - Text
10-20 second - Montage video
21 second - Text
22-23 second - Mid shot with speech
24 second - Text
25-41 - Video Montage
42-45 - End Credits

Fish Tank Analysis - Clip 4

How typical is your chosen text of its genre?

Social Realism as a genre is usually a form of allowing an audience to feel empathy for a protagonist that is underrepresented by contemporary mainstream media, due to her being a underclass teenage female. In Fish Tank, we are led to feel empathy for our protagonist Mia by the way technical and narrative conventions are used to portray her situation. 

In this scene, the narrative is essential to it's contribution to the Social Realist genre as it presents taboo themes in a completely real and unglamourised way; the shots are not cut to avoid taboos in the slightest and we see every second as somebody in the room actually would, leading us to feel uncomfortable having to face the realities of taboos in a way that is normally avoided. 

Technical codes such as the lighting contribute to this as the slightly darker atmosphere (as opposed to the rest of the film), from the beginning of the clip foreshadows the coming taboo scene positioning the audience in a state of anxiety and dread during her dance routine. 

However, in the rest of the film, Mia subverts the traditional role of a Social Realist protagonist, by being represented in a negative light. Mia is masculinised by her actions, showing aggression towards both strangers and close friends and family. She would not be considered a 'hero' by a passive audience due to this, but, as Social Realism is a genre aimed at a niche audience primarily, it is possible to see past this as an active audience.

The stereotype that Social Realist films present women negatively is accurate to this film as although they dominate the cast, they are reliant on the lead male antagonist and unable to escape this, despite his actions towards them.

'Most texts today mix genres' How true is this of your three main texts?

Commercially, genre mixing is a common and well used process throughout prominently mainstream contemporary media today. Accordingly, my three texts are shown to diverge to conform to either mainstream or niche media standards. The use of a polysemic narrative allows for the text to reach a much larger audience as it can appeal to both a passive and active audience. Most obviously, this is clear in District 9 due to the obvious parallel to apartheid in South Africa. This is shown throughout the mise-en-scence and iconography that parallels historical elements such as the 'HUMANS ONLY' signs, that could be read by a passive audience as meaning little or by an active audience as maintaining a deeper level of empathetic parallels, furthermore allowing the text to appeal to two audiences. The merging of sci-fi and documentary genres also allows the text to reach a larger audience as it allows for social integration between fans of both genres as opposed to segregating one. 
Another clear example of genre mixing in District 9 is shown within the integration of real footage and stock footage that is shown in the film. Stock footage is a typical documentary style convention that clearly indicates the constant surveillance of society that could lead to the dystopian view presented to us. Revolution occurs due to the lack of hegemony provided by the dictators disallowing a equal democracy for all citizens on the basis of race. This could also be shown as a warning to the contemporary audience of the cruelty and immorality of faceless corporations that influence society. A clear example of the influence of these corporations is the constant referencing to MNU, in a 6 second shot that appears to be focusing on Wilkus, there is four logos in the foreground and background of the scene. The camera puts them slightly out of focus so although they do no immediately meet your eye it is clear they are always there. This is a subtle indication of the power possessed by media in western culture that is relatable to the films audience as it is something that is constantly occurrent and relevant in terms of mass influence. District 9 could also be seen as a parody of a marxist-capitalist society where the aliens represent the underclass and the white male middle class maintain control, just as they always appear to have done throughout history. It shows that the naturally advantaged will take advantage of their power and this is something that will never change.