Sofia's GCSE Media Blog

  Language 1. What is the primary objective for the player in Blackpink: The Game? To play the bands manager 2. What is an "Alternate Reality" narrative? How is this used to frame the storyline of the game? You get moved to their pre-debut era and move along with them  3. Where is the game set? Identify at least two different types of locations the player interacts with. Blank version of the company building. 4. What is the difference between the playable characters and the NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) like "Blinky"? NPCs provide tutorials and navigation and the playable characters follow them. 5. What specific activities and mini-games does the player perform to progress the band’s career? Schedule events, bingo & puzzle events etc Representations 1. What representations of women and femininity can be found in the avatars in BLACKPINK: The Game? It has been criticised due to Avatars often portraying unrealistic stereotypes for women, featuring identical body ...

 Video Games: Introduction 1) What were the first videogames like? most video games were created by researchers to test programming or demonstrate computer potential 2) How have videogames changed over time? major shits include the move to 3D graphics in the 90s , online multiplayer dominance , mobile gaming and the rise of digital distribution over physical media 3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames? Successful games share a core foundation of engaging ' flow ' ,immersive worlds and a strong sense of achievement or mastery. they often feature deep , emergent narratives and provide a high level of autonomy 4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames? many criticisms have been made towards videogames such as violence and aggression , gaming addiction , gender and stereotypes , sexual themes and many more  1) At the time of the article,...

  The Times - Language and Representations Language 1) What is the main story on the front cover of the Times CSP edition and why does it appeal to Times readers? The main story was about the Post Office scandal and how the Post Office Chief to give up her CBE over the scandal. 2) How is the presentation of this story different to how the Daily Mirror presents it?  The Time provides more information on the scandal whilst the Daily Mirror has more images and focuses on multiple different stories. 3)  How is the Times front page designed to reflect  broadsheet  newspaper conventions? Highlights the longvity of this case still being discussed/resolved 4 years later. Apologies from the CEO hints at their right wing political views. 4) How can you tell the inside pages of the Times are a broadsheet newspaper?  Appealing to their preffered higher class and higher educated audience and shifting blame away from the conservative party moving it onto the IT workers. ...

 Newspapers: The Times - Introduction 1) What year was  The Times  founded and when did it start using the  Times  name? The Times was founded in 1785 and was renamed in 1788. 2) What content did John Walter suggest the paper would offer in the first edition? He suggested politics, foreign affairs, matters of trade, legal trials, advertisements and "amusements". 3) What does the page say about the political views in  The Times ?  Walter reserved the right of the newspaper to applaud either political party and to cover contending issue with respectful and fair arguments. 4) Who owns  The Times  today and how is editorial integrity protected? The Times is owned by News UK and the editorial integrity is theoretically protected through a combination of legal undertakings established at the time of purchase.  5) What did  The Times  introduce in 2010 and why? The Times introduced digital subscriptions in 2010 to help ensure a sustai...

 Newspapers: Daily Mirror- Language and Representations. Language 1) Write the definition of the following key language for newspaper front pages (you may want to add an example for each from our Daily Mirror CSP): Masthead:The title block of the newspaper Pug:Something to catch reader's eye Splash Head:The lead story Slogan: Sums up ethos of newspaper Dateline: Date the newspaper was published  Byline: Gives the name of the writer Standfirst: Introductory paragraphy usually in bold. 2) What is the main story on the CSP edition of the Daily Mirror (see above)? Make sure you learn the headline and what the story is about. The Post Office Scandal and how Post Office owners had to pay back thousands of £s. 3) What is the 'pug' or smaller celebrity story on the front cover? Why might it appeal to Daily Mirror readers? Eddie the Eagle Olympic Story. 4) Why is the choice of news stories, content and page design on the  Mirror  CSP front page typical of a  tabloid...

 Newspapers:Daily Mirror-Audience and Industries Audience 1) What is the Daily Mirror's audience? List the key statistics here. The Daily Mirror audience is older with almost half the audience aged 65+. In terms of social class, most are in the C1, C2 DE social classes. They are likely to be in the Struggler, Resigned or Mainstream psychographic groups.  2) Why do the Mirror stories on the CSP pages appeal to the Daily Mirror audience? Because it provides entertainment to the audience. 3) Why might a reader enjoy the Daily Mirror? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory to add detail to your answer. Surveillance  – The main reason we read newspapers is to find out what is going on in the world around us.  We find out news, different opinions and catch up with the latest gossip and scandal.  Diversion/Entertainment  – One of the main reasons we read newspapers is for entertainment.  Whether it’s enjoying reading the opinions of o...

 1. Introduction to Newspapers 2. Newspapers: Daily Mirror- Language and Representations. 3. Newspapers:Daily Mirror-Audience and Industries

  Introdcution to Newspapers 1) What type of news can you typically find in a tabloid newspaper? blurs line between information and entertainment so may be centred more on gossip, celebrities or lifestyle issues. 2)  What type of news can you typically find in a broadsheet newspaper? information on topics like business, politics and international affairs. 3) If someone is left-wing, which political party in the UK are they most likely to support? Which newspapers would they be likely to read? The Labour Party 4) If someone is right-wing, which political party in the UK are they most likely to support? Which newspaper would they be most likely to read? Conservative. 5) Why has there been a decline in newspaper sales in the last 50 years? Because of social media. 6) Why is a free press important in a democracy like the UK? Because a democracy is when everyone has a say so it is important when journalists express their views.

  December Mock Exam: Learner Response 1) Type up any feedback on your paper  (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). If you only have marks and a grade on the paper, write a WWW/Next Steps yourself based on your scores. WWW: Able to give definitions and produce well developed answers for 8 and 12 markers. Next Steps: Consider the other side. How does this relate to freedom of speech/expression. 2) Use the mark scheme for this Paper 2 mock (posted on GC) to read the answers AQA were looking for. First, write down a definition and example of non-diegetic sound (Q1.1 and 1.2).  Non-diegetic sound: sound that the audience can hear but the characters cannot. 3) Next, identify three points you could have made in Q1.3 - camerawork and the extract. Look for the indicative content in the mark scheme - these are the suggested answers from AQA. I could've mentioned power dynamics camera angles and closeness in Will and...

OSP: Rashford & Kardashian - Audience and Industry  Audience 1) Who are the potential target audiences for Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's online content? Try and cover both  demographics and psychographics . Kim Kardashian: Age: Teenagers and young adults Gender: Females Race: All races Marcus Rashford: Age: Teenagers and children Gender: Males Race: All races 2) Marcus Rashford’s online presence is partly driven by his excellent use of social media. How does he use social media to engage with his fans and make them feel part of his brand? He uses social media to promote authentic social causes, providing a voice for others and interacting directly with fans 3) What is Instagram engagement rate and what engagement rates do Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian have?  An Instagram engagement rate is a measure of how much audiences engage with posts.Rashford's engagement rate 6% and Kim's engagement rate is 0.33%. 4) Go to Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's X or ...

 Real Statement of Intent The title of my music video is called "Headphones on, Books closed". My music video will explore the fact that fans can find music as comforting but also as a distraction from important things like work and studying. The lyrics acknowledge how fans procrastinate their studies and continue to watch their favourite singers.The song I am using is in perspective of the singers, using the song as a playful warning to tell their fans to prioritize more important things. The lyrics, "Stop, now and study for your test" and "Your parents and boss hate me" shows how both artists and family feel about how people are slacking off. The storyline consists of a GCSE student who is falling behind on schoolwork and is constantly being told off by her family.The song I will be using is "Pied Piper" by BTS. The intended audience for this music video is younger girl around the age 15-16. It could also be targeted to 17–18-year-olds since t...

 OSP: Introduction to influencers 1) What years did YouTube, Twitter and Instagram launch? Instagram launched in 2010 and YouTube launched in 2005. 2) What is the definition of an influencer? An person who has become well known through regular social media posts and is able to promote a product or service by recommending or using it online. 3) Give an example of an influencer and how many followers they have. Try and add some additional information, brand associations or other statistics if you can. Kim Kardashian has 221 million followers on Instagram and she owns a multi-billion brand Skims (shapewear, loungewear and now beauty) 4) How big is the influencer industry according to the article? The marketing industry was worth $8 billion a year  5) What are the problems associated with being an influencer? Problems associated include: many hours spent behind the scenes in photo shoots and editing; demanding clients; negotiating payment with businesses in the overcrowded market....

OSP: Rashford & Kardashian - Language and Representation  Language 1) Make two lists - one of website  conventions  used on Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's official website and one of social media conventions found on their Instagram pages.  Marcus Rashford- Profile Picture, cenral image Kim Kardashian- Link to her business, profile picture 2) How does Marcus Rashford's website and social media promote his brand? Give at least  three  examples of different pages / posts / images from his website or social media.  Showing the charity work he has done, books he has written and his football career. 3) How does Kim Kardashian's website and social media promote her brand? Give at least  three  examples of different pages / posts / images from her brand websites or social media.  Wearing her SKIMS shapewear, wearing her SKKN makeup and selling her own clothing. 4) How does Marcus Rashford's online presence use the narrative of his ch...

Preliminary Exercise Feedback and Learner Response  1) WWW:  The overall positive and lively tone of the video clips matches the happy and energetic tone of the song. Given your choice of a non-English song, I believe that the inclusion of the lyrics at the bottom of the video is a good one for overall inclusivity. You’ve used a range of different camera shots and angles throughout which all add a different sense/feeling to the video as a whole. Next Steps:  Whilst incredibly positive, I’m not getting a clear message running throughout as asked for in the brief. Consider what your changes that you want to see are, and how these can be completed within a wider community, as this is the aim. I think you could do with a few more ‘stable’ shots that feel calmer and more collected to even out the more high-energy running shots. 2) I could also contain more camera shots and have more narrative codes included. 3)I have learnt how to use different camera shot and use narrative co...

  Accountability Check: Coursework Checklist  Item Progress Statement of Intent (Max. 300 Words)                                Min. Two Filming Locations                                A Clear Narrative/Story                                Min. Two Characters (Including a Protagonist)                                Variety of Camera Shots, Angles and Movements                                Diegetic sound (which could include but is not restricted to dialogue, Foley sound and ambience /atmosphere).                         ...