How are different social groups represented in the sequence you have analysed?

Two different groups of teenagers are represented as a social group in the the first episode of Stranger Things: this includes the boy group who are seen as pre-teens and the high school teens including Nancy, Jonathon and Steve. The difference between the two groups are evident in the way they are portrayed. The first time we are introduced to the boys ( Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas) they are playing Dungeons and Dragons in Mikes cellar. The scene consists of lots of quick changing long shots of the boys as they speak very loudly and overlap each other. This highlights to the audience the boys age if they are playing board games, especially due to them taking it so seriously highlighted by the concentration in all of there faces and the stress expressed. This is supported when Mikes mum interrupts to tell them to go home showing they are still kids and not old enough to be able to do what they want. The omnipresent narrative allows us to view the narrative from all the boys point of view and see their individual outlook which supports their characteristics therefore helping the audience understand from a broader range. This therefore shows the audience what the boys are like from the nature and maturity of their age and helps them understand through the use of omnipresent narrative the social groups represented in Stranger Things.
Whereas, the high school teens are shown from a different perspective to that of the boys as they are much older and more mature in the world. The scene in which Nancy and Barb are walking along the school corridor talking about how Nancy and Steve's 'date' went foreshadows the next scene in which we are shown a close up shot of Nancy and Steve kissing in the bathroom. The way Nancy is dressed in a long skirt and cardigan shows her to be a conservative type of character in comparison to Steve who is presented as the popular, charming player of the school through his language stating about "going on a long drive" and his body language. Their characters are pushed through in Stranger Things through the use of 'beyond the binary' in which our opinions on Steve especially is constantly changing as we start with thinking he is bad but slowly begin to see he is actually interested in Nancy. This presents a stereotypical story line of the popular boy going for the 'nerdy' girl and representing the high school teens in a classic American way.

Another social group represented in Stranger Things episode one is the government and how the people we are supposed to 'trust' we do not. The scene in which the social worker arrives and shoots Benny highlights the distrust the audience have for the government. The softness of the camera shots between Benny and Eleven just before the shooting highlights the innocence of the characters especially Elevens yellow top which represents happiness and purity in contrast to the harsh outfit of the 'social worker'. The quick tracking shot of Eleven escaping the diner shows the fear the government have put Eleven in and how calculated and ready they are. The producers have used constructive realism to allow the audience to instantly be wary of the government due to the way they have been portrayed so quickly into the beginning of the sequence. Therefore, the government are represented as a untrustworthy social group which keeps the audience grip as to why they are acting so erratically.

Corinne Bailey Rae- Stop where you are

Stop where you are presentation

David Guetta- Titanium

Titanium music video essay

Explain how representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artist. Refer to one of the music videos you have studied to support your answer.

List B: David Guetta- Titanium

The music video for Titanium by David Guetta promotes the artist by telling the story through someone else. Throughout the video neither Sia or David Guetta make any appearance however their lyrics are heard and portrayed through a young boy representing their journey and message- Titanium portrays a clear message of inner strength and being strong in ourselves. Titanium has a very pop techno type of sound with vocals by Sia: the music and beats shown in this song take away the fact the song is meant to be a ballad with a strong, important message. The music video starts in what appears to be a destroyed middle school hallway with the young boy (the main star) curled up in a ball almost protecting himself. The shot starts close up but moves backwards to reveal all the damage he has caused- the shot focus on the boy who is alone and in the middle of the shot showing he may have caused the destruction. The boy being alone may represent the artists feeling alone and trapped when people try to bring them, down. The boy is wearing a typical school boy outfit (jeans, check shirt, trainers) however these are ragged and dirty showing they may have been ruined. The shot follows the boy walking down the corridor however the main focus is drawn towards the women on the phone who shows a facial expression suggesting she is scared of the boy (supporting that he may have caused the damage). The women is wearing a bright yellow jumper and is clean and well-kept showing a different end of the spectrum of being tidy in comparison to the boy- representing different types of characters. The artists promote this due to the different types of people they have come across in live and how they may have judged them wrongly. The boy is then faced with a police man which restricts the theme of freedom and differentiating characteristics.
The sped up scene of the boy cycling away from the destruction represents him almost being chased from the police he has just passed at the school. The music’s main target group is young people due to the energy and pace of the song especially the build up to the chorus- this target audience allows Guetta to convey a strong message to today’s youth who are constantly judged and belittled to. The song states we must be “Titanium” which is to be strong hearted and strong willed which is why the bullets “ricochet” and bounce off us. A mid shot of the boy throwing his teddy’s behind him representing him throwing away his childhood as he feels he needs to grow up (due to the police involvement). The bedroom is extremely dull with little color and no signs of other family members indicating the boy is used to being alone showing the theme of adult vs children and how children can easily feel isolated, this is ironic due to the child representing Guetta and Sia who are both adults and wanting their message to be told through a child. This then cuts over to a tilted mid shot of the teddy’s floating and spinning- the tilt shows the boys has power and a form of authority over the police officer.
When the boy is shortly caught he is shown to be in the center of the shot at a low level representing the views of society and how those would look down on someone like him. The lighting is very dark and shows the end of his journey and escape to freedom- almost like a thriller-horror film. The boy resorts to his beginning position of him curled up in a ball which results in a bright light and explosion which explains what may have happened at the beginning of the video suggesting he may have been targeted or venerable at school due to kids not always being accepting of others especially those who are ‘different’.

The moral message Guetta promotes throughout is the importance of resilience and even if you are ‘different’ it is not a bad thing and you should stand up for what you believe in. It is shown through a narrative styled video which is not glamorizing individuality and portrays it in a realistic manor which the target audience feel they will be able to relate with.

Music video analysis

Charity campaign

The Big Issue powerpoint

ASA and charity adverts

Lucozade sport drink advertisment

The big Issue analysis

Jungle Book presentation

News and online language

Representation and audience homework

Categorising stereotypes

Disability
Regionalism
Class
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
Sexuality

GENDER:

• Women are nurses, not doctors 
• Women are not as strong as men 
• Women are supposed to make less money than men 
• The best women are stay at home moms
• Women are supposed to look pretty
• Men do "dirty jobs" such as construction and mechanics; they are not secretaries, teachers, or cosmetologists 
• Men do not do housework 
• Men play sports 
• Men enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, and hiking 
• Men are in charge; they are always at the top 
• As husbands, men tell their wives what to do

Stereotypical media texts:

• Mean girls: This film portrays a stereotypical American high school which is run by a group of 'mean girls'. They are typical pretty popular girls everyone bows down to and is scared of in order for them to gain the power to run the school.
• Mens Fitness: The magazine cover shows a stereotypical picture of a 'ripped' man with a perfect body and physique to show men 'how they should look'. The writing around the image consists of phrases such as "rock hard abs" and "how to loose body fat fast" implying these are all steps men need to do in order to have the 'perfect' body.
• All about that bass- Meghan Trainer: This music video is all about how everyone should embrace being over weight and in some way shaming skinny people. The video consists of all plus size women who are against how the media embraces skinny people.

Countertypical:

An example of a piece of media that goes against classic stereotyping is the MoneySuperMarket advert with Dave strutting in a pair of heels and hot pants down the street. This is the complete opposite to the typical image of a man portrayed through the media usually shown as masculine and tough whereas this advert takes a completely different approach and shows a man showing his feminine side.

Media Collage

This post consists of my favourite type of media, I have included TV, film, radio, news, social media, music, YouTube and video games. I watch/listen/use these formats often and enjoy doing so.