Life on Mars: Audience + Industry

Audience

Audience marketing

How did the marketing (trailers, advertising, etc) for Life on Mars target, identify and maximise its audience? This could also be by targeting an existing audience.

• Use of specific genres and their conventions
• Use of stars such as John Simm
• Use of characters
• Any other methods to target audiences e.g. enigmas, merchandise, links to other products or genres...

Life on Mars targets an older audience, given the 70s mis-en-scene, and this is exemplified through the trailer. The trailer's soundtrack, from a popular 70s rock band (Led Zeppelin), appeals to the older audience through familiarity. This is also achieved through the character of Gene Hunt, and the actor behind him, Philip Glenister, a familiar face for BBC audiences through previous series for the broadcaster. The press pack also makes it clear through sections like 'Do you remember the 70s, which aims at an audience that will play on the nostalgia factor. Nevertheless, the show does attempt to maximise its audience, the character of Sam Tyler being a prime example, as he's the antithesis of Gene Hunt, looking to bring a younger audience. The voiceover in the trailer clearly outlines the narrative in order to have a mainstream audience, along with the clearly established hybrid genre of crime and sci-fi. All this is achieved in less than a minute, with the quick paced editing. The posters all feature Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler, indicating they will be the main protagonist and side-kick, a common crime convention, and luring in the two audiences. The posters sell the star persona of John Simm, as he'd be a familiar face to BBC audiences due to Doctor Who.

Audience response

Audience pleasures:

• genres
• characters
• escapism e.g. enigma codes
• messages i.e. identity

Life on Mars found a cult following among fans, with a wiki page set up. This links to the sci-fi genre, from which there's a strong fandom. 

What could an oppositional reading of Life on Mars be, in particular in relation to how different types of audiences could respond to Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler? Any other examples?
An oppositional reading of Life

Critical response

The TV programme found success among fans and critics.
It won Best Drama twice on the International Emmy Awards (2006 and 2008) and the BAFTA Audience Award in 2007 (also nominated in other categories like Best Drama, Best Writer, Best Actor, etc). It was considered a good drama, with reviews from newspapers like The Telegraph claiming 'Theoretically, this should add up to a right old mess. In practice, it makes for [an] enjoyable piece of television' and The Guardian 'Once there in 1973, we find ourselves in a reasonably gripping police drama- yes, The Sweeney, perhaps, with better production values- [...]'. The critics acknowledge the success of the aims of the show, like hybridising crime and sci-fi and alluding to the audience's nostalgia with nods to the 70s.
Life on Mars found success among the audiences targeted, its mainstream aim highlighted through the transmission time, achieved an average audience of 6.8 million viewers. Despite rival shows like ITV1'S 'Northern Lights', the timing benefited the show, as it was scheduled post-watershed Monday nights at 9pm

Industry

Production and ownership

Produced by Kudos Film and Television for BBC Wales
Broadcast date: January 2006
Scheduling: Monday 9pm- peak viewing time post-watershed
Channel of original broadcast: BBC One (global producer; no money through ads but TV licenses)
Audience figures: S1 average audience of 6.8m
Spinoff: Ashes to Ashes - FRANCHISING
Different versions: USA, Spain, Russia, South Korea, Czetch Republic 

How does Life on Mars fit into BBC's remit of the kind of programmes it should be producing?

"To be the BBC's most popular mixed-genre television service across the UK, offering a wide range of high-quality programmes... the primary outlet for major UK and international events and it should reflect the whole of the UK in its output. A very high proportion of its programmes should be original productions." 

Life on Mars is targeted towards a mainstream audience despite its niche concept. The 1970s nostalgia appeal, with soundtracks and props that aim to reel in older audiences could have alienated younger audiences. Nevertheless, the programme seeks to "reflect the whole of the UK" through the protagonist, Sam Tyler, and other diverse characters like Annie, Nelson and Maya, nevertheless their minor roles could create an oppositional reading (as it can be argued that the 1970s was a less progressive time hence the predominancy of white characters) and claim that there's a lack of representation. Life on Mars is an original production, though, therefore BBC's remit is mostly met.

Regulation

Which bodies were in charge of producing the content of Life on Mars? What possible legal or ethical issues could have been raised by the content of S1 E1?

Kudos Film and Television were in charge of producing the content of Life on Mars. The regulation of all the UK television industry is by Ofcom, who's main duty is to "further the interests of citizens and consumers"

• Ensure TV television services are provided by a range of different organisations
• Ensure that a wide range of high-quality programmes are provided, which appeal to a range of tastes and interests
• Protect viewers from offensive or harmful material
• Protect people from unfair treatment and ensure their privacy is not invaded

Mainly accomplished by the operation of the Broadcasting Code

• Watershed 5.30am- 9pm = content deemed inappropriate for children
• Code deals with issues such as violence and dangerous behaviour, use of discriminatory language and portrayal of crime
• Code also ensures that any factual programming is not misleading to cause the audience harm or offence

The content of S1 E1 could have caused complaints to Ofcom due to...

Postmodernism on Life on Mars

To what extent can S1 episode 1 of Life on Mars be seen as a postmodernist text? [15]

Which of the following post-modernist techniques and attitudes does it use, refer to or follow in its narrative, mis-en-scene, performance, visual/ audio codes, etc?

Life on Mars utilises post-modernist techniques like intertextuality. Explicitly, the title references Bowie's 70s song which suggests the sci-fi part of the hybrid genre. More implicitly, there are references to 70s TV with the university challenge programme and news; Enoch Powell is referred to, a political figure which highlights the dark undertones the episode deals with such as racism.  These indicate a media awareness which raises the question of whether the events he's dealing with are his personal memories or the constructed media versions. The series makes Sam's confusion distinguishing reality and the artificial clear; the simulacra idea of Baudrillard is referenced throughout. Nevertheless, the audience is not engaged with hyper-reality, we are aware Sam isn't experiencing real life. Sam is engaged within his own world,
The parody and pastiche technique within post-modernism is used in the episode, with the 70s cop show The Sweeney being alluded to through bleak mis-en-scene and clothing and narrative like chasing and violent scenes. One could argue the text is closer to being parody as iconography like iPods and cassettes, Jeeps, batches are employed to emphasise the ancientness of the time he's been taken too to an extreme. The episode also utilises the technique of bricolage, as the episode is fragments of different texts in the same crime genre,
Life on Mars implies various dark social issues like gender and racial inequality, however it doesn't indulge in them, merely including them in its iconography like the newspaper with the Enoch Powell story. This follows the post-modernist value of ambiguity and no single meaning. It is also ironic in nature.

Does it also use more traditional established techniques to connect with its audience, such as follow established genre conventions, create original characters, follow a linear narrative, etc? Briefly summarise these.

hyper-reality?
It follows genre conventions like crime narratives of catching the criminal and sci-fi utilisations of music and audio codes. Bowie's song 'Life on Mars' plays at the start of the episode, and could be argued to be part of the reflexivity in post-modernism, as we are aware this is a constructed reality. Furthermore, the character of the psychologist could be argued that to an extent it breaks the 4th wall, nevertheless its appearance is explainable within the show's established rules (enigma as to whether he's unconscious or actually time-travelled).
Life on Mars isn't necessarily ambiguous and meaning can be denoted. It has the overarching theme of finding your identity, as the narrative of the episode, according to Todorov's narratology, sees him on the equilibrium being questioned by Maya who claims "you used to believe in gut feeling", indicating he's too cautious instead of being daring, and by the disruption he has to learn to find himself whilst being in the past.
Despite the two different eras (starting in the modern 2000s and going back to the 1970s), the text follows traditional techniques like the linear narrative, instead of a fragmented narrative. This allows the audience to follow Sam's strange journey in a more conventional and straightforward way.

Case study: TV Life on Mars

Life on Mars

Genre

Use of conventions in sci-fi and crime (characters, iconography, settings, narrative, etc) and how they are followed or subverted. Link to Neale's genre theory and how the text is a combination of familiar and different genre elements

The characters are conventions of the crime-genre as there's a detective, a side-kick, boss, villain (a.k.a. criminals), the storylines are influenced by these, with two partners who don't get along working their issues out over the course of the episode. The setting is urban, set in a big city like Manchester to enhance the narrative as there's a bigger scope for crimes. The narrative is overall influenced by sci-fi, as he apparently time-travels, and music and audio codes exemplify this. Nevertheless, the show belongs to a hybrid genre, given the narrative also contains typical crime storylines, Sam is concerned with catching criminals in his work as a detective.

Narrative

Structure: Does the episode follow Todorov's narrative stages?

Todorov's narratology theory claims the pattern of Equilibrium (2006: normal murder case)- Disruption (Maya's disappearance- car crash- 2006 to 1973) - Resolution. Life on Mars loosely complies with the theory as there's a disruption to the normality established at the beginning, once he gets into a car crash. There's no clear resolution however as the episode ends on a cliffhanger. 

Barthes' narrative codes: what enigmas remain unsolved by the end of the episode? Are any solved?

There are various enigmas presented in the episode. Only a few minor ones are resolved (crime) like whether Maya is dead and the first suspect's connection to the killer. Regarding as to whether he's actually time-travelled or he's imagining it there's unclarity; sci-fi influences the enigmas as there are bigger questions posed such as has he changed the future? how did he end up in the past? is it his imagination or is everything real?

Is the episode a restricted or unrestricted narrative?

It is unrestricted narrative as the audience is learning with the protagonist

Representations

How are genre, ethnicity, the police and wider society represented in both the 1970s and modern-day narratives of the episode?

Representations of gender are heavily contrasted with the characters of Annie and Maya. Annie isn't listened to at the start, and is the target of misogynistic jokes. She belongs to the "women's department" demonstrating the different status of people according to gender. Therefore, through the narrative, and the clothing (which sets her apart from the men) the inequality of women in the 1970s is established. Whilst Maya belongs to a more modern era, the fact she's placed as a side-kick and love interest to Sam suggests the status of women.
Representations of ethnicity are established through the character of Nelson. His change from a Jamaican to a British accent when speaking to Sam is underlying the status of minorities in the 1970s when race riots were occurring. It critiques a society who finds stereotypes comfortable.

The police are represented differently in the two eras presented. The more methodological forensic way of the modern-day police is contrasted with the dodgy, apathetic cops of the 1970s. This is aided by iconography like cigarettes, alcohol and gum in the scene that introduces Sam to the old police station, along with close-ups. It links to 1970s cop shows as the cops from the older time favour violent and corrupt, as the narrative codes demonstrate them destroying evidence.

The differences from wider society are evident from the representations of gender, ethnicity, police, etc. Nevertheless, iconography like iPods and cassettes, batches, Jeeps... establishes the 1970s and modern times as binary opposites.

Case study: TV The Bridge

The Bridge

Character archetypes

Investigator- Saga, she complies with the main traits of a crime drama protagonist: good at her job (methodical, committed) yet bad at relationships (apathetic? unfiltered?)

Sidekick- In the episode, the Danish woman, Hanne, follows the archetype of the sidekick. For instance, when Saga is about to show the victim's wife a picture of the crime scene she has to stop her.

Boss- above investigator, so imposing, but  high regard for the investigator

Villain- criminals, suspects, etc

Crime TV tends to use enigma codes (mysteries to be solved by the investigator/ audience). Explain what enigmas are used in the episode and if any are resolved. What questions does the audience have at the end of the episode? 

The main enigma is the actual case and finding who is responsible for the murder of Helle Anker. Various characters are presented as suspects such as the victim's son, a Danish vlogger, etc. This enigma isn't resolved at the end of the episode and such open ending means the audience is left to question. Therefore Barthes' action and enigma codes are actively engaged with; there are further questions raised e.g. will Saga's Danish partner survive? Why does the Danish policeman want to partner with Saga? etc.
Another enigma code is presented through the array of newly- introduced characters as we don't know their backstory or their possible influence in the story.

What is Nordic Noir? Summarise its key elements and texts. 

A sub-genre of crime fiction, often written from a police PoV (character-led) and set in Scandinavian/ Nordic countries. Characterised by a dark mood, as well as complex morality (social issues and Scandi identity)

• Bleak landscapes, dimly-lit aesthetic, slow melancholic pace (Scandinavian climate)
• "realistic, simple and precise... and stripped of unnecessary words"— Direct writing style, without metaphors; often morose detectives/ worn down and far from heroic
• Often a murder mystery linked with several storylines and themes analysing modern society
• Hidden profound social issues themes, national anxieties- shows the hidden underbelly of society which contrasts with the outside image of Sweden/ Denmark as perfect, prosperous and wealthy

Neale's genre theory plays a major role in displaying the conventions of Nordic Noir to the audience so that the elements convey the expectations of the genre to the viewers in order to appeal, they also set the genre so that when conventions are subverted it is clear in what way they are doing so.

The Bridge follows the usual conventions of Nordic Noir within the crime genre, as for instance, the establishing shot not only simply follows the dark aspect of the sub-genre with the dim lighting, but also, according to Barthes' semiotics, hints at the Denmark-Sweden relations through the bridge that connects them. Furthermore, the opening murder scene follows the conventions of stylised murder that characterise the dark sub-genre of Nordic Noir.

Women in the crime genre are often represented as victims, and in the drama, women tend to be represented as overly emotional and family-orientated.
How does this episode of The Bridge follow or subvert the stereotypical representation of women?

This episode of The Bridge subverts the stereotypical representation of women. Significantly, the protagonist is a female investigator, demonstrating women in power, enhanced by her straightforward personality, far from overly emotional. On the other hand, the victim of the crime being investigated is a woman, therefore there's a sense of compliance with the stereotype. There are elements of the family-orientated stereotype, as the victim's wife is represented as family-orientated.
Butler's gender performativity theory supports the depiction of Saga as not empathetic or emotionally-led, as usual with female characters, as she states gender has an element of performance due to gender stereotypes e.g. men- cold women- emotional. Furthermore, The Bridge subverts any kind of sexualisation of the women in this episode and thus, Van Zoonen's feminist theory, as for instance, Saga changes her top at work without being bothered, and the mid-shot without any kind of 'seductive' audio except the dialogue being exchanged, reinforces the fact the scene isn't coded to sexualise her character.

Identify some examples of how the narrative and themes of the episode are highlighted for the audience through technical codes (e.g. lighting, camera shots such as close-ups, use of sounds...)

As usual with Nordic Noir, the bleak lightning and dimly-lit aesthetic suggest the dark mood and narrative of the TV series. 

Sounds are utilised to imply ominousness, for instance when Saga and her Danish partner come to question the victim's son and sinister music starts to play on the background.
Levi- Strauss' binary opposites theory applies to the Saga and her work partners as the importance of work-life balance is brought up, and binary opposition of the prioritisation of work against personal life is indicated through the narrative of Saga staying up the whole night to attempt to uncover the case, as opposed to her co-worker who arrives late because he's been with his wife.

Newspapers Exam Q.

How has the newspaper industry maximised profits in response to technological change? Refer to The Mirror+ The Times in your answer (12 marks)

Technological change has affected the newspaper industry due to the impact of the internet. Whilst for audiences it has been a positive change, allowing more availability, choice and feedback, the industry has struggled to deal with the minimising profit and control and constantly drifting audiences.
Newspapers have attempted to adapt by moving their content to the internet through websites, however they manage their finances differently. The Times has a paywall, meaning the audience has to subscribe in order to be able to consume more content. In this way the newspaper has tried to adapt to the changing landscape by being aware of the different ways news are consumed nowadays, through phones, tablets and computers and not just by print anymore. This is why the cheapest subscription at £1 per week includes the newspaper app whereas if you include the physical paper copies it rises to £10. They are able to price their content due to their audience, middle class people. The Mirror chooses to maximise profits solely through advertising, which fits due to less serious, sensationalist tone. Furthermore, there are comments sections on The Mirror's news articles which allow the audience to respond to the product, as per Shirky's end of audience theory, due to people being able to voice their opinions back to the media through the internet. Even though The Times doesn't do it in the same way, this theory applies due to the opportunities to share the articles on social media. Therefore, the websites are effective and well-designed for the newspapers different audiences in order to maximise their financial gain.
The audiences are constructed and targeted in order to maximise profits. The specific content of the newspapers appeal to different people. The Mirror constantly includes images throughout the coverage of their news, appealing visually with fairly large images. On the other hand, The Times only uses them sparingly, as the focus as a broadsheet is on high-quality news. The story values for a spreadsheet like The Times therefore are more informed and unambiguous than the reliance on shock value through headlines by The Mirror. The 'elite persons' in a tabloid aren't limited to politicians, but also celebrities as there's a chance for gossip and appeal to the wider audience. The lifestyle and entertainment-based news stories in The Mirror contrast with the political and business focus of The Times. Audiences are constructed as outlined by Hall's representation theory; the often monosyllabic headlines of the labour working class- targetted newspaper juxtapose the more elaborated ones by the middle class- focused newspaper, suggesting media language and codes are being used to contribute to classism, reinforcing the idea that the middle class is more educated and the working class won't read as many politics articles. Nevertheless, profit is ensured as the structuring and choice of news stories persuades the audience to consume.
The newspaper industry has mainly maximised profits through vertical and horizontal integration. Through wider ownership, conglomerates like News UK, are able to have a higher market share, and so finance their newspaper. In this way, newspapers like the Times are able to be sustain themselves without the need of too many advertisements, unlike The Mirror. Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Times and News UK, has effectively maximised profits by horizontal integration as he owns a fair share of the newspaper industry.

Newspapers: Ownership & Audience

INDUSTRY+ AUDIENCE FACTS

Tabloid (Red Top, popular press): Sensationalist, gossip and scandals, patriotic, concerned with national 'British' issues 

Broadsheet: Educated, middle to upper class, serious news, politics, more likely to have informed opinions and an open mind, international and not just national issues

Middle Market: Conservative, traditional 2.4 children, Pro-Brexit, anti-immigration, white and older age bracket, upper working to lower middle class, concerned with national 'British' issues

Key terminology

A large business corporation that is comprised of a range of different parts or smaller businesses	Conglomerate
This is when a Media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.	Vertical integration
This literally means ‘to work together’ and is where one form of media product ‘cross sells’ another form of media product to their mutual advantage of increasing sales/audiences.	Convergence
This means  that there is a diversity of viewpoints available and consumed across and within the media industries and prevents any one media owner or voice having too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda.	Plurality
This is the process of how the media product gets to its audience after production	Distribution
This is when a sector of the media industry such as newspapers is dominated by one or a small number of large organisations.	Monopoly
This is where a media company tries to maximise its power and profit by combining elements of its business into a more concentrated and more effective model.	Consolidation/ synergy
This is the process of a company expanding its media production in the same area of media. For example, one newspaper company buying another newspaper company. This can happen by internal expansion, merger or takeover and can lead to a monopoly.	Horizontal integration
This is where two or more companies, usually of similar size, combine to form a larger single company.	Merger
This is where a larger company buys a smaller company	Takeover
This is the combination of different areas of the media coming together to maximise profit	Synergy

1. Trinity Mirror plc is the largest British newspaper, magazine and digital publisher after purchasing rival Local World for £220 million, in October 2015. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Since purchasing Local World, it has gained 83 print publications.
Consolidation; Takeover; horizontal integration

2. News UK is a British newspaper publisher, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the American mass media conglomerate News Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch. It is the current publisher of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and The Sun on Sunday newspapers as well as the Times Literary Supplement and Times Educational Supplement. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc.
Conglomerate; horizontal integration; monopoly

3. Trinity Mirror, the UK’s largest local newspaper group and publisher of the Daily Mirror, is eyeing further consolidation, as the industry races to tackle the long-term decline of print publishing. “We see ourselves as a consolidator in the newspaper industry and will continue to do so subject to tight financial returns,” said chief executive Simon Fox, as the group reported like-for-like print advertising revenues fell 18 per cent in 2016. Trinity is in early stage talks with Northern & Shell, the parent company of the Express newspaper titles and OK Magazine, which could lead to it taking a stake in some of the Richard Desmond-owned assets. The move is part of a wider shake-up in the UK newspaper industry, as media owners face steep drops in print advertising combined with the existential threat from digital groups like Google and Facebook, who are taking the vast majority of new digital advertising revenues.

Convergence;

Ownership and Control

Explain how ownership shapes media products. Refer to EITHER The Daily Mirror OR The Times to support your points                                                                                                                         (12 marks)

• Key relevant facts about newspaper ownership
• The impact of technological change and vertical integration
• The impact of ownership on content and how different audiences respond
• Relevant theory to support points (Hesmondhalgh, Curran and Seaton, Hall, etc)

Ownership = news agenda
News UK (Rupert Murdoch)- The Sun, The Times, The Financial Times...
Daily Mail group, Northern& Shell...

political bias

Ownership affects media products as it directly affects the news agenda due to gatekeeping. The people in charge of media products like newspapers will decide what headlines make the front cover depending on their own perception of news values.

Digital online websites: Audience research

The Times: Times+ subscription - paywall (subscription to continue reading £1 a week for 8 weeks)

attempt to personalise content (how do you like to read the news? 3 mediums are technological advances i.e. phone, computer, tablet; which sections do you read first?) 

e.g. Digital pack- Ultimate pack £10 per week 

• An ultimate pack includes all of the digital pack (full website access and smartphone+ tablet app) and The Sunday Times, The Times mon-sat

Advertising on the background

The Mirror: "Advertisement"- "promoted stories"- "sponsored"- reason why The Mirror is more accessible as there are numerous ads that allow the newspaper to monetise its website.

Jenkins' Fandom and Shirky's End of Audience theories: The Mirror's newspaper website offer opportunities and encourage audiences to respond to it, by including sharing links to various social media, as well as encouragement to like the newspaper's pages on Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, there are comments sections so that the audience formulate their own opinions. Even though The Times doesn't contain comment sections or sharing links, they do utilize pop-up notifications to encourage audiences to subscribe to the newspaper just like The Mirror encourages viewers to subscribe to the newsletters.

Hall's Reception theory: The dominant messages differ in the two websites. Encoding allows the audience to decipher The Times' more serious tone, conveyed by the headlines and advertisements, and The Mirror's more sensationalist focus.

Negotiated and oppositional readings?

The Mirror and The Times: Analysis

Analyse the following covers in terms of how the technical codes (main image, headline, pull quote, etc) persuade the audience to buy the newspaper and how the audience is being persuaded to respond to the main news story. Consider issues of iconography, binary depositions and semiotics. 

Daily Mirror- The newspaper has chosen to tie its main close-up image to iconography that represents American values through the Statue of Liberty. In this way, along with the mono-syllabic headline "What have they done?" the Daily Mirror emphasises the negative consequences of Trump's election. There's a contrast between what the image represents, bold liberty and how it is being represented, despaired. As according to Barthes' semiotics, the audience will be able to form meaning from their associations with the main image, which accompanied with the dark and shadowy background suggests an apocalyptic future. The subheading invites the reader to look inside as the readers are directly addressed ("what it means for you and the world") In this way the issue of importance is brought up, as the second headline, continuing the same bleak theme, is an accident that occurred in Britain, therefore in more proximity to the readers in Britain than an American news story, however as the sub-heading suggests the election will have consequences even to non-Americans ("you and the world") Therefore, readers are more likely to respond to the jump line and read on. 

The Times- The Times has iconography in the background of its main medium-shot image, with the American flag representing the country's values once again, however, in this front cover it is represented in a less negative way. The body language, with Trump's fist up and the vice-president's clap, suggest an emotive response, which along with the headline "the new world" shows a contrasting view of the consequences of the US election, as this 'new world' could be either good or bad. The pull-quote "You will be so proud of your President, you will be so proud" shows the recently elected Trump appealing to Americans. The repeated statement evokes patriotism, a value expected due to who they represent, Conservatives; the patriotism is not only suggested through the language of Trump's words but also his clothing, a red tie that along with Pence's blue tie lead back to the American flag. The constant utilisation of this iconography will capture the reader's attention as they will engage with the image as it holds cultural significance and it will have meaning to them through associations they make (semiotics).
Headlines, strapline, stand-first, by-line, stand-alone, slogan, central image, NIB/ sidebars, jump line, masthead, pull-quotes, adverts, puffs

Analyse which factors make up the news agenda (threshold, unexpectedness, elite nations/ persons, negativity, unambiguous, personalisation, proximity, continuity) are being considered in the choice of the cover story. 

Despite the different angle of coverage of the news story both newspapers take the same factors into consideration (1965 Galtung and Ruge's news values)

The Daily Mirror's front cover enhances the negativity through its two stories, a tram crash and the US 2016 election results. Given the unexpectedness of the results the news value of proximity is ignored, so even though the tram happened in the UK America's news story is given preference in order to maximise sales. Furthermore, the newspaper makes sure the audience doesn't feel ignored by directly addressing them ("what it means for you") including the threshold value.

Basic industry information

Tabloid or broadsheet? Tabloids generally contain more images, and its headlines often play on shock value and sensationalisation for a wider audience. Broadsheets generally tend to be more informative (covering more political and international news unlike tabloids) and have a more serious tone.

Tabloid (Red Top, popular press): Sensationalist, gossip and scandals, patriotic, concerned with national 'British' issues 

Broadsheet: Educated, middle to upper class, serious news, politics, more likely to have informed opinions and an open mind, international and not just national issues
Ownership? The Mirror: Reach plc (one of Britain's biggest newspaper companies) 

The Times: News UK, Times Newspapers Ltd. (British newspaper publisher + subsidiary of American mass media conglomerate News Corp)

Political bias? The Mirror- left-wing; The Times- right-wing. It means the newspaper is likely to hold values similar to its end on the political spectrum and not support political leaders from the opposite party.

IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) is responsible for the regulation of the content of British newspapers. It considers complains from newspapers and magazines with IPSO membership. Also, complains made under the Editor's code. 

Radio Industry

1. LNWH is no longer broadcast by the BBC but it's still available online. Summarise the differences between broadcasting and podcasting for the audience and how it may affect the content and structure of a programme.

• Podcasts are digital audio files that can be downloaded on your device to be listened to anytime. Broadcasts are transmissions via terrestrial audio (AM/ FM) and/ or online
• Broadcasting covers various topics via talk shows, covering events e.g. festivals, interviews, music... In contrast, podcasts are usually utilised for news updates, features or interviews
• Broadcasting brings the opportunity for live interaction (typically controlled from a studio by a no. of DJs), but podcasting is also interactive in the sense that the listener is able to choose what they will listen to.  
• The audience of broadcasts is wider as it doesn't create a specific niche audience like podcasts do (due to the programmes being tailored to a specific audience)

The content and structure of programmes would be affected due to the live aspect of broadcasts (opportunity for interaction with the audience, hence they can have a say in the music being played, engage in talks through social media...)

2. Define and give an example of a commercial and a public service radio broadcaster, explaining the key differences.


3. Explain the identity and purpose of the BBC based on its origins, history  and how it is funded
BBC (British Broadcasting Company) was founded in 1922 and John Reith was appointed General Manager. It originally was a private company and became a public service corporation. 
1927: established by Royal Charter as the BBC, defining objectives, powers and obligations (Reithian directive to "inform, educate and entertain") 
The 1930s brought TV and the BBC was the first broadcaster to begin a regularly scheduled TV service in 1936. The company continued its radio service.
1946- Woman's Hour (1947 managers worried about the topic of menopause being discussed so after the 60s topics like 'keeping house' and childcare were featured less)
Muffin the Mule- first children's programme in new studies at Lime Grove
1948- news + first televised Olympic Games 
1950- The Archers- longest-running soap opera and 1958- Blue Peter second TV debut
1960s- Radio 1 goes live, youth market

4. How does the BBC broadcast or provide content nationally, locally and globally? 
(give examples)
BBC was the first broadcaster to attempt a programme that involved satellite broadcasts (end of 60s)
BBC World Service- globally
BBC Arabic and Persian Television (news and youth and current affairs respectively)


5. Content  and style of BBC Radio 4    
Based on the types of programmes available, the branding of the station, the choice of presenters and listening to the content, explain the general content, identity and audience of Radio 4 give some examples of speech-based radio programmes from the station.

key text: late night woman's hour

CONTEXT

History and background of BBC:

Supposed to create content that satisfies all its audiences.

History and background of LNWH:

Late-night edition of Woman's Hour (a radio program from BBC Radio 4) on air since 1946, created by Norman Collins & originally presented by Allan Ivimey (Radio Times: specialist in "writing for and talking to women").

Weekly podcast format (+ modern, similar purpose as the re-branding from BBC iPlayer Radio to BBC Sounds).

Summary of content and audience of Radio 4:

• Spoken word
• Middle class, 40-60 women

TEXT

Themes and subjects covered:

From older feminist issues such as the pill to recent ones like makeup on public transport. Plus notable attempts to reach out to a modern audience and be more on-trend with 'James Charles/ Tati Westbrook' and 'Love Island'.

Structure and content of typical episodes (interviews, feature pieces, discussion, phone-in, etc)

Interviews conducted with various female professionals of different backgrounds e.g. 'Love Island' had a Danish comedian and body positivity campaigner Sofie Hagen and journalists Zing Tsjeng and Yomi Adegoke. Formal audio code-wise with the BBC Sounds intro but informal in tone as there's swearing and conversational language. Mode of address isn't necessarily direct as it's a light-hearted discussion between the women present.

However, there's an attempt to reach out to its audience, e.g. in 'Makeup on Public Transport' they lead listeners to their Instagram poll (Opportunities for audience feedback)

Most episodes have adverts at the end of the podcast. 'Makeup on Public Transport' had a 30sec advert for BBC Sounds podcast Planet Puffin. It seems to be only BBC content that is advertised as in 'Home' Lauren refers to 'one popular book website' without naming it.

LAUREN LAVERNE: 2015-18

• 41
• Sunderland; criticised for regional accent
• English radio DJ, model, TV, presenter, author, singer (pop-punk band Kineckie at 16), comedian

EMMA BARNETT: 2018- present

• 34
• Surrey
• British broadcaster and journalist, The Telegraph editor and BBC Radio presenter
• Previously on 5 Live

The target audience of LNWH (age, gender, class, use of media, etc.)

35 to middle-aged women, middle class, various interests but aware of current issues of mostly progressive views, technically-savvy due to text format (not radio programme but podcast)

THEORIES

Hall's reception theory: 

A male audience, part of Radio 4, might respond negatively

A young audience might not resonate with episodes like 'Love Island' and the podcast in general

White middle class

Curran and Seaton's media industries and power theory:

Giant corporations= less creative, imaginative and interesting content

No pressure to make money- publicly funded

Giant corporation

COURSEWORK: Statement of Aims

For my project, I will be focusing on music marketing for the pop-rock artist B.M. Bloomfield, with the established record label Interscope Records.

When shooting the music video, I will be including a wide range of locations to capture the wanderlust aspect of the product. It will satisfy the 30-49 mainstream audience as travel is popular among this demographic. Additionally, the general conventions of fast-pacing in pop-rock music videos will be enhanced. Certain shots will visually interpret the lyrics literally, to convey the artist's care-free attitude. However, I will also include symbolism such as a key to highlight the rise of “latchkey children” in the demographic’s childhood years. There will be a range of close-up shots to show the artist's vulnerability, as well as mid-shots and wide shots for other purposes. These will help outline the narrative of an unbalanced relationship (in line with the original artist, Jade Bird, whose songs often include themes of disillusionment, divorce, cheating...), linked to divorce rates increasing in the 1960s before peaking in 1980. Also, the performance shots will aid to establish her identity as a live artist, an important aspect in pop-rock artists as the performance ability is key. Besides, it will appeal to the audience due to the authenticity in instrumental ability found in genres like punk and alternative rock emerging in the 1980s/90s. Additionally, binary oppositions through lighting, camera movement and facial expressions will be utilised, to develop the artist's persona. Furthermore, the opening's graphics will inform the audience of the artist and song due to the necessity of standing out as she’s signed to an established record label.

The magazine I will be making is called 'Tempo', an Italian music term for sophistication and to determine the fact it is a music magazine; given the 30-49 audience, it'll match their expectations of maturity. The strapline will be connected to the title and help explain it further: "Establishing the tempo of today's music since 1980". The masthead will be in pastel tones, not too bright or dark in order to set up a minimal theme, with a colour palette of browns and corals for neutralness. The cover lines on the magazine will continue the minimal theme with a main focus on the artist, and sections like "music around the world" to appeal to the adventurous nature of the demographic. The magazine will cost £6.99, a fair price given the target audience are adults and the product will be an established quality magazine. The main image will be a close-up shot of the artist; however, she will have her eyes closed to appear mysterious, increasing the audience's interest.

I will also be producing a double page article for my artist: "Side effects of the industry", the same title featured in the main cover line. It will consist of an introduction focused on her social and artistically aware side, as well as the fact that she likes travelling. In general, the initial questions will be about her new single and meaning behind it, and throughout the next column focus will shift to her as a person, with one of the answers, along the lines of “I’m here for the music” as a pull quote.

CASE STUDY: Tide Print Ad. (1950)

Analyse how the technical codes are used to persuade the specific audience at this specific time to buy the product.

The advert is aimed at women, therefore it uses them various times across it. The main image is of a woman hugging the Tide washing powder. It is an unusual image, suggesting exaggeration to an audience of the 21st century, however to a 1950s audience it would be appealing. This is mainly due to the glamorous aspect of the woman, with a costume that'd be trendy for the time, shaped after Hollywood movie stars, as fashion and celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe were on the rise. This suggests to women that you can be glamorous and do the domestic chores in the house, making Tide's main image an aspirational figure for its audience. The advert is very insisting, expressed by the constant utilisation of exclamation marks and capital letters. It enhances it with the red colour to highlight certain lexis and the tagline "tide's got what women want". It is informal and catchy due to the alliteration employed, making it marketable. In general, the advert indicates all women want is to clean and be a housewife, which follows Hall's theory of representation, as women are associated with domestic roles even in the media of today, due to their historical background. More specifically, they are associated with them as part of gender roles. Women are being used by Tide to sell the product by the glamorised image, which Van Zoonen's feminist theory condemns, as women are being somewhat objectified.
On the other hand, one could look at the advert as a less condescending but rather helpful one. Postwar American wealth meant money was actually available to buy products and Tide washing powder could have helped many women, hence the positive facial expression and the hugging. Furthermore the consumer and technological boom of the 1950s brought about plenty of brands, so a company like Tide would have had to set itself apart from the competition. It is effectively done here, with the target audience being aimed at through the the listing of "world's cleanest wash!", "world's whitest wash!" and "actually brightens colours!", developing a unique selling point to associate with the brand. This is stressed throughout, not only utilising language features like repetition (e.g. "no soap- no other 'suds'- no other...") but also imagery with positive facial expressions and speech bubbles with an illustration of two women hanging clothes, demonstrating they find the product helpful. Therefore the Tide box represents the positiveness of the 1950s consumer and technological boom through Barthes' theory of semiotics, as the women would have more time for recreational activities.
The advert is specifically targeted at white women, due to the rise of the suburbs. At the time black people and other minorities were not allowed to buy residences from the newly- created suburbs as they were racially segregated. This is why there's no wide representation in the advert. It is not really specific according to class though, as it employs the American dream of success and upward mobility to sell it. This is evoked by the choice of colour, with red, white and blue, (the colours of the American flag) being employed.

CASE STUDY: Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

Using the technical codes, explain how the film poster creates meaning about the following elements for its audience:

Genre conventions (horror and vampire sub-genre)
Representations of gender
Cultural contexts (e.g. social change, equality, 1960s pop culture)

Make sure you analyse the poster as it would appear to its 1960s audience and research the era carefully.

The poster for Kiss the Vampire is a product from the era, that acknowledges the 2nd wave feminism being developed through the main image. The woman at the middle of the frame is the only active one, mimicking a heroine due to her posture, (fighting off the bats). She's a direct juxtaposition from the woman at the left, representing the 'desired woman' of the early 1960s, submissive due to her body language and facial expressions. However they have a similarity, their clothing is the same, a dress, a symbol of tradition still ruling over the conventions of gender roles.
This poster may not be challenging the circumstances of equality in the 1960s society, but rather be evoking the fear of the loss of power by the males. This is conveyed through the binary oppositions of the brave woman and the weak male, indicated by the posture (kneeling) and the ripped shirt. It could be the poster's illustrator's way of representing theirs and the main audience's fear: social change.
The audience would be interested in the genre of horror, specifically the sub-genre of vampires and the supernatural. The poster effectively targets them due to the iconography of bats, a castle, blood... that is generally associated with vampires as they're linked to the darkness. The mis-en-scene in the background contains a bleak colour palette, with mostly greys and blacks along with some red. Furthermore there's more straightforward links like the lexis of "vampire", which immediately establishes the eerie mood the film will probably have. The formal clothing of the vampire, a black cape with buttoned shirt is very telling of the time, as in the 1960 vampires were conveyed that way, as wealthy supernaturally unreachable beings, not necessarily attractive (i.e. the "scary vampire" is scared himself). This is a representation which has evolved along with pop culture, with vampires being automatically linked to beauty and charm e.g. Twilight, The Vampire Diaries... Nevertheless, the myth has always been linked to sex, romance and desire, proved by the poster's predominance of red, colour imagery that symbolises those conventions.

CASE STUDY: WaterAid ad. (brief notes)

+ Effective as it doesn't comply with the general conventions of charity ads (e.g. creating guilt and shame on the audience)- Gerbner's theory of cultivation 

How does this charity advert use technical codes to provoke responses, emotions and connections with its target audience?

+ DIRECT- the typical voiceover of a man (part of target audience) is replaced with a song sung by the actual person the money is going to- stronger connection with audience as it is a 70s/80s melody.
Link to target audience: western middle-class
the wealthy- bleak connotations of establishing shot (cramped plant pot and radio + drizzle) is juxtaposed with the warm shot of the water that dominates the frame, shining as there's sunlight on the background (water for good)- Binary depositions
+ PERSONALISATION- "Claudia". Several close-ups of her, she's placed in the middle of the frame, turning her indirect mode of address into a more direct one. Shaky camera-shots- creates a more realistic and personal insight into her life, supported by the background ambiance (audio codes) with sound effects of grasshoppers.
+ POSITIVE- overall warm lighting and colour, an affectionate tone continued with the clothing and the body expressions- upbeat
iconography- crops growing represents health and growth, similar to water- Semiotics
Song- message of hope, evoking a heartening tone. Sound bridge- connection between both worlds

It does stick to some techniques in charity ads with the statistic "650 million people still don't have access to clean drinking water", however as it is not accompanied with negative visual elements it stands out. 

How is Africa represented in the advert?
The representations in the charity advert AVOIDS CLICHES like pessimistic close-ups of sad children, melancholic stringed music... Instead, the positiveness is carried out through the clothing as there's a quick shot of a child running in a school uniform, indicating they are healthy and being educated.
In the end they're smiling, and the shot is blurred out by the sunlight (motif), so the positive theme is continued smoothly throughout - Semiotics
Active audience- it's up to them to imagine how the lives of the children would be without their donations

Extended Exam Q. (Section A Q1)

Compare the representations of gender and ethnicity in Beyonce's Run the World and Dizzie Rascal's Dream- (30 marks)

Beyonce and Dizzie Rascal both hold different focuses in their music videos through their narrative with Run the World overall being a women empowerment song through the war between women and men (gender) and Dream a musical work relating to the place of Black people in a white-dominated musical industry (ethnicity). 
Beyonce represents women in a way that doesn't comply with the status quo positively, showing them as strong warriors. There are various scenes which indicate so, like the establishing wide shot of a woman riding a horse and the wide shot of Beyonce holding two dogs with chains. In both instances, animals are used as iconography to represent control and toughness, often associated with males, therefore she's defying gender roles in her song due to the binary oppositions between the women and the men, which supports Levi-Strauss' theory. Dizzie has a dominant woman as a consistent figure throughout his music video as well, however, she's not represented positively. This is denoted through her robotic-ness with close-ups of her disapproving facial expressions and the narration "He's such a rascal". She's not supposed to be likeable but rather controlling and judging, as she plays the song by which Dizzie has to come out and perform, a metaphor with a similar nature to Beyonce's as the woman is in power as well but in this case, it holds negative connotations. 
On the other hand, you could argue both artists do stick to certain toxic expectations. Certain shots of Run the World appear to be sexualised, for instance, the various slow-motion close-ups of Beyonce's face and the quick shot of her hands, with jewellery. These denote seductiveness, through a very controlled fabricated image, signified by the jewellery on her hand, a prop to show the worry of society for acceptance through wealth and beauty which links to Barthes' theory of semiotics. Furthermore, this is hinted in 'Dream' as well, with the Dizzie saying : "This is too sensible for me man". It seems to be mimicking the idea of 'men don't cry', perhaps unintentionally as in the shots of violence there are only male puppets present, with female puppets only appearing in two shots, walking and strolling a baby, respectively. 
Overall, both music videos contain stereotypical aspects. Stereotypes are represented through both videos' interpretation of street life. Run the World has props like cars and bins on fire along with riot shields and chains to depict rebellion, in a video dominated by black people, which it could be argued doesn't defy but complies with their association with criminality. 'Dream' also contains props such as stolen TVs, graffiti, and police cars, portraying the same stereotype, demonstrating both music videos follow Gilroy's theory of post-colonialism as this made-up idea is still common in the media of today. Nevertheless, both music videos also tackle these stereotypes in a challenging way, defying social ones as well. Through the lyrics "Help me raise a glass for the college grads" and "try to keep school part of your plans" both Beyonce and Dizzie acknowledge the cliche of young people dropping out, challenging it.
Power is outlined differently in the texts, with Run the World showing a black woman in power positively, as she's free. This is indicated in the mid-shot of her breaking out into dance, which opposes the rest of the people standing still, and the two men next to her following her every move, as if they were her puppets. In Dream, the black person is not in power, as the song's undertones suggests that Dizzie's freedom by which he can perform and be 'string-less' unlike the rest of the puppets around him, is only an illusion as he's being allowed to take that position. The difference of scale between him and the white lady juxtaposes the same scale of Beyonce and her male dancers, demonstrating Dizzie's place could be being threatened in the music industry, unlike Beyonce's. This is developed by the initial and final shots of the music videos, with Dream's having mid-shots of the white woman both times, and Run the World going from a shot of Beyonce to one of all the women. In this way, it is suggested Dream has negative representations in general, as it is very tightly focused on the reactions of the white woman, following a circular narrative structure, whereas Run the World has a linear one. This is perhaps due to the different time periods, as the early 2000s wasn't an era as progressive as the successive decade. Therefore, there's a link to Gaunlett's theory of identity. Nowadays there's more social awareness, hence the increasing diversity in the industries, and artists being able to develop their star persona regardless of their musical genre, unlike Dizzie. 

Film marketing Project

Mean girls trailer:

KEY TEXT: Dream MV

Narrative:

The main message of the song is about Dizzie Rascal's dreams and how he got to the top. It is added to through the visual elements of the video and techniques employed. For example, the iconography of the microphone suggests that it is only once he gets successful that he starts to have a voice to be listened to by British society.

The video confirms the message and content of the song. The shots of the urban scene on top of the piano recreate a stereotypical version of the urban scene, with graffiti and skateboards being employed as props. There's a binary deposit of community vs police through some shots. It can also somewhat subvert the message due to the difference of scale from the white lady and Rascal, which evokes his place in Britain, a harmless artist only let into the British music scene once he changed his music from grime to a more pop sound. This also evokes the way some of his critics saw him, as a sellout. The positivity in the lyrics contrasts with the facial expressions of the woman, as she's very robotic and artificial, smiling and nodding when he says positive messages like "try and make school part of your plans". Furthermore, she frames the video, the initial and final shots being focused on her, indicating she controls Dizzie in some way and he hasn't really achieved success. This implies black people's place in the industry is threatened (or was threatened at the time) by the traditional British society.

Representation:

The video refers to 'traditional white' UK culture, creating a binary opposition with modern multicultural Britain. The female sitting at the piano represents the mainstream public's reaction to Grime when it first emerged from its underground beginnings in London. She is judging him on everything he says and does (polite disapproval), and is shocked by the violent nature of his words and actions. She's clearly wealthy, depicted by the piano, which also represents more classical genres of music. She never had to deal with the problems that Grime artists from cities did, therefore shocked and almost intimidated by what she saw, naturally pushing it away, just like the public did when Grime was on the rise.

The music video creates binary oppositions between different stereotypes. For example, the old wealthy white woman and the young less well-off black man. The 1950s sitting room has a mise en scene with a grand piano and a muted colour pallet to make it seem old fashioned, with reference to the black and white TV from the 1950s. It could also be to highlight Dizzee in his bright red hoodie which is a commonly used film technique. The room is made to look like it is in an upper class house, shown by the grand piano which implies wealth. There is another world that is constructed on top of the grand piano, a city setting with police brutality and graffiti. Because these worlds would usually be so far apart it creates a strong juxtaposition between the living room and the scene being acted out inside of it. It highlights that although the people in these expensive houses didn’t see the events in the city, it was still happening. The people in these houses would usually be very sheltered from violence, so to have it depicted on top of a grand piano which is a symbol of wealth, it creates a powerful message which targets the people who had this wealth but did nothing to help those being mistreated in the worse off parts of the country.

Intertextuality:

The lyrics "Happy talky talky happy talk, Talk about things you like to do, You got to have a dream, If you don't have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?" references to the musical South Pacific. The musical is about an US Navy nurse who falls for a French plantation owner, but leaves him once she finds out he's the father of two mixed-race children. She eventually comes around and leaves her prejudice aside. There's a sound clip at the beginning and Dizzee acknowledges it saying "This is too sensible for me man", which also references Captain Sensible's cover of "Happy Talk" in 1982. It is common for Grime to incorporate sound snippets from other media productions, so post-modernism is usual in Grime.

Post-colonialism (Gilroy): 

KEY TEXT: Riptide MV

Genre and audience:

Indie genre- 'indie' means 'independent', therefore the conventions of this genre are films that aren't produced by blockbuster companies, music record labels that don't sign global superstars...

, audience,

Vance Joy fits in the category due to similarities with shots of directors like Wes Anderson and David Lynch, two film directors which have deeply influenced the indie-genre with popular films (also influences).

Narrative and iconography:

No linear, clear narrative, as it's meant to be an interpretative video e.g. "Cowboy running from himself"- sounds meaningful but the shot literally plays out the line. It's more like a fragmented montage e.g. symbolic objects like guns which could signify crime motifs 

Representation:

There's a negative representation of women in the video. For instance, they are objectified through the initial image of a woman taking off her swimsuit, without showing her face, mirrored by following shots of women facing away from the camera. They are also portrayed as the victims and the damsels in distress through the repetitive "taken away to the dark side".

However, it could be argued there's also positive glimpses as the repetitive shots of women running away could represent freedom, and the low-angle shot which positions the woman in 1.15 as greater. 

Postmodernism: 

References to specific film directors like Wes Anderson and David Lynch, with similar shots and lightning and colour. For example, Anderson's iconic symmetrical shots like the opening of a case are copied in the video (1.57.: case for a holiday vacation), as well as his quick pans with 0.30.: the change of focus from the woman the other two people. Furthermore, the overall aesthetic through choice of colour-palette is mirrored throughout the music video. Lynch's dark undertones to his narrative seem to inspire the continued shots of the performer who becomes more visibly upset as the video goes on, with her makeup being smudged and her being shot in the neck. This part of the video links to Lynch's Blue Velvet as the same lightning and mood is created.

More postmodernist techniques are employed, such as intertextuality and parody+pastiche with references to horror films, (shots of women as damsels in distress). Also the pastiche is utilised, as this media text appears to have been done in the style of the previously mentioned indie directors. There's also reflexivity, as the media text is aware of itself, proved by the subtitles included as the woman sings, and the pan shot of the video being shot.

Overall, there's no grand single message, and it is up to the audience to reflect on the music video as the collage-style symbols included have to be deciphered due to the multi-layered nature of the text.

Film Marketing- CASE STUDY 2

Straight Outta Compton

Companies and brands responsible for the funding, production and marketing of the film

Production companies: 

Legendary Entertainment- produced movies like Interstellar, Jurassic World, Skyscraper (blockbusters)

New Line Cinema- produced movies like The Nun, IT, Creed II. An American film production studio of Warner Bros. Headquarters in Los Angeles, California (link to the setting of movie) 

Both co-funded by Universal Pictures and Legendary Entertainment- $28 million

+ links to to media industries that would help maximise income and audience. 

How were the members of NWA (Ice Cube, Easy E, Dr Dre) involved in production or marketing? 

Dr Dre and Ice Cube were attached to the project from the beginning as producers, becoming heavily involved in it. Other former members (DJ Yella, MC Ren) were creative consultants.

Identify target audience.

Given the setting is a known neighbourhood in Los Angeles, the audience is mainstream. It is not an independent film due to the budget, which is somewhat high. This is outlined through easily-identified iconography like the shot of the money, in the pool that is linked with a lavish rap-artist lifestyle. This could also mean they're targeting the movie to fans of rap and more closely, NWA, as it is a biopic of the group, with shots of their performances throughout. The names of the artists, Ice Cube, Easy E and Dr Dre, are employed as a mark of quality and promise of pleasure as they're well-known artists. This also plays on the marketability of the film as the names can be used to get more people talking about the film, especially as the actual artists being depicted worked behind the scenes in it (seems more accurate).

They're appealing not only to young black males (protagonists=representation) but to a wider audience like middle aged white people with empathetic characters featured in the trailer, and an era that relates to them. Furthermore, due to the binary deposits of police vs the people, and poverty vs success it appeals to the average viewer as they relate to current issues.

How the trailer has targeted its audience:
Shots: close-ups of stars; music throughout; mis-en-scene often contains police-cars and flashy cars which links to the drama storyline; dark and light lightning; dialogue- "our art is supposed to represent our reality"- theme of success from poverty + manager's sympathetic line of "you cannot harass my clients for what they look like"- theme of rights + glimpse of shots of protests
Reviews/ expert criticism: none
Stars: graphics of the names of NWA members as a promise of pleasure as they're well-known, so their names would attract movie-goers.

Straight Outta Marketing Campaign

Summer 2015, Universal Pictures partnered with Beats by Dre, the headphone company's founding father and billionaire.

The purpose of the campaign was to promote the film by targeting a global audience, allowing people to change "Compton" to their own hometowns, claiming the message is to be proud of where you're from. #Straightoutta became an universal statement for everyone to "rep [their] city". In this way, social media was used to maximise audiences by raising awareness of the origin of the hashtag, the film. (website: StraightOuttaSomewhere.com)

It went viral, after several famous celebrities like Ringo Starr from The Beatles, Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashians joined in without receiving any endorsement. In less than 24h it became the no.1 trending topic on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, the first brand in history to achieve this. Other brands joined in, creating their memes e.g. Snickers; even the White House created its own meme with "Straight Outta Uranium" posted on @TheIranDeal. Overall, there were over 6 million downloads generated before the film's release. Due to the massive success, the campaign was picked up by media outlets, helping to build excitement around the film a week prior to its release. 

Commercial reception of the film 

It was hugely successful, financially-wise, as it made £201,634,991 worldwide, 79.9% domestically and 20.1% globally. The budget was $28-50 million,so  the film was commercially successful.

Media products linked to the film- e.g. second global trailer was attached to with theatrical screenings of Universal's Furious 7 + in Ice Cube's concert in Sydney, Australia, he gave concertgoers a sneak peek of at a trailer for Straight Outta Compton. 

There was a synergy with Dr Dre's and Ice Cube's film production companies, which aided to the success of the film, as they were really involved, so it had a huge impact on the depiction and authenticity.

The film was nominated to one Oscar, for "Original Screenplay" by The Academy.
Genre-wise it was successful as it became the highest grossing musical biopic of all time (since August 2015 until Bohemian Rhapsody in December 2018).  The themes represented (e.g. police violence) were ones that even the average person in this era can relate to. This relates to the audience, as many would feel represented, therefore they'd be interested; the global-target the production took made the film commercially successful as well.

Extension: BBFC's regulation

The production company wanted an age certificate of 12A-15 for the film as it is better for financial success due to a wider demographic being able to watch it.

The BBFC granted Straight Outta Compton an age certificate of 15 due to 'strong language, violence, sex, drug use)