Week 4

Audience analysis of media text focuses on how media texts use language, signs, and images to position audiences to adopt certain desired responses, beliefs, or practices (Beach, p.34). Audience analysis seeks to discover the audience’s identification by attempting to associate them with a group of activities. It is important to understand that audience analysis views audiences not as passive participants, but as active consumers. The media tries to socialize these consumers to think their consumption will lead them to a route of popularity and status. Students can relate to this concept if they think about their consumption of brand name clothes. Consuming expensive brand name clothes allow students the opportunity to gain popularity among their peers in school. This popularity means that they can identify with a particular group of people and are actively participating in this activity because of their own desire. Unfortunately, the critical analysis of students’ actions may show that they may or may not be admitted agency to these desires.

Semiotic theory places focus on the social and cultural meanings of sign and codes. Semiotic theory is similar to the aspect of assigning stereotypes or preconceived consumptions to signs, codes, and possibly people. For example, the display of two painting in two different colors would have different meanings depending on the perception of the person. A solid white picture and a solid black picture can be interpreted with several meanings. The solid white picture might represent purity to one person while representing mediocrity to another. An all black picture might represent fear to one individual while representing beauty to another. People decode the meaning of objects and people in daily life by utilizing the social and cultural beliefs that have been instilled in them.

I like the use of narrative analysis to analyze the narrative structures in texts and television shows. These narratives can also be used to analyze how media texts reflect cultural values. The idea of using television shows that reflect the persistent problem of crime to discuss bigger ideas is an excellent way to discuss cultural values.

The poststructuralist analysis focuses on how language categories in media texts influence the perceptions of characters and audience. Media tends to define the meaning of binaries along definite terms while also blurring the meanings at the same time. This analysis would serve as a great tool to discuss the issues of identity that so many students cope with on a daily basis. Media texts and multicultural literature that focus on GLBT issues can be analyzed using this analysis tool.

Critical discourse analysis focuses on what lens or perspective people use to interpret the world. I think this is a great way for students to think about their cultural values and belief systems influence how they perceive the world. Students will interpret media texts and life experiences using critical discourse. Although each student will use their own critical discourse when interpreting media texts, it is important that they are open-minded in engaging with alternative perspectives.

The psychoanalytic theories include the feminist analysis, postmodern analysis, and the postcolonial analysis. The feminist analysis points to sexist portrayals of both men and women. This analysis could be used in conjunction with the poststructuralist analysis to discuss gender and language categories. Postmodern analysis questions the modernists’ beliefs about truth, progress, human improvement, art, and science that are supposed to lead happiness and fulfillment. This analysis forces the individual to think about multiple realities and what is possibly authentic and what is possibly not. Finally, the postcolonial analysis explores ways in which colonial conceptions of the world are depicted in media texts. This analysis allows for the examination of colonial conceptions of Third World places and culture to be viewed around the idea of their fears of the “other”

Week 3 Response/ Analysis

Response
Film can be viewed at: mins 96:48-99:02
website: http://www.videosinhd.com/mega.html?file=H129RQTC
One of my favorite movies is the Spiderman Collection, especially Spiderman 3. There is this one scene where Parker (Spiderman) loses his mind that makes me laugh over and over again. In this particular scene, Parker takes another woman to the jazz club where his ex-girlfriend, Mary Jane, works as a singer. This scene employs the use of backlighting that sets the romantic mood of the jazz club. This effect of lighting is displayed throughout the entire jazz club scene. The introduction of Parker and his new companion is also accompanied by soft light jazz music that also assists in establishing the mood for the scene. The producer uses several medium shots of Parker and his companion to introduce the audience to the couple. After the audience has familiarized themselves with Parker’s new companion, there is the use of an establishing shot to present the jazz club as the setting of all the action. As the scene progresses and Parker and his companion have been assigned a table, the mood of the scene begins to change. This change is signified by introduction of an up tempo jazz song called You Give Me Fever. The director uses this section within scene to portray the character’s alter egos. As Mary Jane begins to sing, Parker decides to accompany her by playing the piano. Parker remixes the song and then starts on a series of ludicrous acts. He jumps on top of the piano and then the camera incorporates several pan and tracking shots that engage the audience as a participant in Parker’s escapade. These particular shots force the viewer’s eyes to move back and forth in order to follow the main character in these series of actions. The director’s use of these shots exemplifies his ability to demand and focus attention on the main character. The elements of setting, music, lighting, and film shots all assist in understanding the dilemma that is plaguing Parker. Parker fulfills his desire to become his alter ego in this scene, but discovers that he hurts others by becoming this person.

Student will learn the various films techniques by also choosing their favorite films to analyze. The first step of the process will consist of students familiarizing (not memorizing) themselves with the various types of shots that directors use to convey the message within a film. The students will view examples of the various shots and then use this acquired knowledge to analyze their favorite scene from a film. The class will choose 3 of their favorite films that are recommended by MovieLens to use for choosing films to view. I will select 4 crucial events from the film and allow students to vote for the scene they would like to view. The selected scene will be used to teach the various camera shots. After acquiring this skill, students will identify the use and purpose of other elements (e.g. music, lighting, etc.) in the film. I think students will understand these concepts more thoroughly when they realize that a favorite movie is enjoyable because of these essential elements. The idea in teaching film literacy concepts is to engage students while they are actively learning.

Shot-By-Shot Analysis
Funny Levi’s Commercial
View Commercial At: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1198960/funny_commercial/


This link includes a shot-by-shot analysis of a Levi’s blue jeans commercial. I found this commercial listed under the topic of funny commercials. The word chart provides a non visual analysis of 9 crucial shots in the commercial. The type of shot is identified and then an analysis is provided for why the shot was filmed in the particular way.




Shot # Type of Shot Explanation
Shot 1:
Car Pulls intogas station
Establishing Shot Identifies setting of the commercial
Shot 2:
Woman concealed in coat, sunglasses, and wig frantically enters restroom and stands in corner Medium Shot Identifies main character

Shot 3:
Blind man sitting on bench drops stick Extreme Long Shot Identifies blind man as an additional main character

Shot 4:
Woman removing clothing and accessories Medium Shot Focuses on the woman undressing and revealing her true identity. This shot evokes some sexuality by portraying woman in undergarments

Shot 5:
Camera shifts back and forth the between blind man and woman Wide-Angle Lens
Point-Of-View Shot Shows the relationship of blind man and woman, presented from blind man’s point-of-view

Shot 6:
Woman walks towards blind man and slowly buttons blue jeans Close-Up Shot Direct shot of woman’s stomach, seductive, invites audience as passive participant along with blind man

Shot 7:
Shot of man’s hand flushing toilet Close-Up shot Signifies shame and disgust of the woman and her actions, director does not reveal identity of other person in restroom

Shot 8:
Woman runs out of restroom while staring back at blind man Long Shot Reestablishes main characters and ends the relationship between the man and the woman

Shot 9:
Man walks out of bathroom stall and blind man gives him the stick

Close-Up Shot Nonverbal exchange reveals that the blind man is not blind and comically reveals what has really occurred in the commercial

Week 2

The DeKalb County School System has recently reconstructed the language arts curriculum in an effort to improve reading scores on the state’s standardized test. The rationale for this new literacy curriculum is based on a scientifically-based research instructional program called SpringBoard. The purpose of this curriculum is to actively engage all students through meaningful, content based, student centered, inquiry based, differentiated instruction by requiring the application of higher level thinking skills across the curriculum to demonstrate greater literacy. SpringBoard is expected to be used on a daily basis in teaching while utilizing the school’s basal series reading textbook as supplemental material. Fortunately, unlike many language arts curriculums, SpringBoard incorporates film viewing in many of its lessons. Students are given the opportunity to view Lion King, Anne of Green Gables, and The Mighty to name a few. Although these films are included in the SpringBoard curriculum, they tend not to extend students learning beyond media participation and introducing communication in multimodal ways. Parents usually perceive media studies as being a waste of time- a waste of very important instructional time. Parents were accepting of the films that were viewed in the SpringBoard literacy curriculum because students took lesson instructions and worksheets home with the SpringBoard stamp of approval. Material that was not prescribed by the researched-based curriculum would be considered irrelevant and a distraction from teaching students the necessary basic skills.

The ideal literacy curriculum that incorporates media studies beyond the SpringBoard curriculum and film viewing would focus on students developing literacy skills to make connections with texts via the use of several media tools. For example, after a viewing of The Mighty, students would extend their literacy connections by visiting the film’s website and accessing other digital texts. Students can explore the themes of friendship, bullying, and otherness by reading reviews and analyzing statistics. Students can discuss their thoughts in blogs that can be shared with classmates and with other students in the school or across the globe. The digital text of The Mighty can also be compared and contrasted with the print text of Bridge to Terabithia to develop the skill of making connections across different texts. Students would exemplify their understanding of the concepts by constructing their ideas in Inspiration created concept map that would include hypertext and visuals that would lead to further thinking.

In addition to focusing on the literacy of making connections, students would also acquire the literacies of problem solving and building social relationships in digital spaces. Students can create game simulations in which the characters from The Mighty and The Bridge of Terabithia join forces and share how friendship bonds cans be used to overcome bullying. Within this simulation, bullies, teachers, peers, and the media would play a role in how the problem of bullying is viewed and solved. Once these problem solving skills are developed, students can present their ideas and thoughts in the virtual space of Second Life. Second Life will provide students with a safe space in which they can alter their identities and comfortably voice their opinions without the hassle or judgment from others.

The value of acquiring the litearcies is that students are learning the necessary skills for literacy competency beyond textbooks and the simple engagement of a film. The curriculum that I propose for my school urges students to become active participants and critical thinkers. Students are reading and writing in multimodal ways while critically evaluating and engaging with texts. I think parents and others who may doubt the academic effects of media studies will be more accepting of this type of learning when it’s evident that students are responding to this type of learning. The use of multiple literacies in language arts curriculum does leave me with one lingering question. What does the implementation of media studies mean for standardized tests that may be unable to test the new level of knowledge that students have acquired. It seems that traditional testing will no longer work since students are no longer learning in traditional ways.

Week 1 Response

Chapter one of Teaching Media Literacy provided a framework for how media literacy should be implemented into the curriculum. It begins by acknowledging the difficulties that teachers will encounter when trying to justify teaching media studies. I think it is only practical that this issue will be viewed by some parents and school officials as being frill learning. The relevance of media studies in the classroom is found in students’ frequent interaction with media outside of the classroom. Students are constantly engaging in MySpace and Facebook websites, blogging, and DVD viewing, so the rationale for bringing media studies into the classroom is even more justifiable. The chapter clearly states that that media studies can teach students to learn in multimodal ways, how to engage and evaluate texts, understand how media constructs reality, and recognize the forces that help to shape media.

The animation cartoon relates to several of the ideas that are discussed in chapter 1 of Beach. The high school girl learns the negative aspects of the media through a personal experience she endures after an interview. It is important that students understand the forces that help shape how they perceive the media as consumers. The high school animation character unveils the some of the hidden truths about the media’s ability to tell the truth and the companies who own them. As teachers, I think it is important that we teach students to have appreciation for the media, but not to be naïve as to never question it.

The Battleground Minnesota video presents students as active participants in the media. The purpose of media is not only for consuming, but also for active participation. Shakademic uses the media to motivate young voters to become more involved in politics, while the animation character uses the media to broadcast the real side of her story. As teachers, we can show students how to consciously consume media.

I agree with Beach that parental involvement is necessary in order to incorporate media studies into the curriculum. It will take both teachers and parents to teach students how partake in meaningful engagement with all the media sources. Students should understand and have a reason for their use of media tools, especially the ones created by them. The personal blog does not have to be academically associated, but the student should have an established purpose. Parents can assist their children in developing their thinking process during media consumption. By providing homework prompt questions, teachers can ensure that parents understand the critical thinking that is trying to be fostered through media studies. Once parents understand the objectives of media studies, they will become more concerned about how the media is shaping the perceptions of their children. Both children and parents will be forced to think more critically about these ideas.

It is often difficult to think about routine daily tasks such as TV viewing, film watching, social networking, and even music listening beyond the means of leisure engagement. These simple activities offer a space for authentic learning about real world people and events. Media studies provide the opportunity to explore the truths and false realities of this constructed information. Students can continue to learn the basic skills through these more engaged methods instead of being confined to prescribed textbooks.