Exam question - What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

Refer to Kill list, Ex Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road in your answer.

Media ownership is having an increasingly large influence on the range of products available to audiences. This may be due to the relationships between the conglomerates and the subsidiary companies which ultimately affects asmaller film companies ability to provide a range of products.The 'big six' dominate approximately 90% of American media which highlights the significant impact they have on what products are distributed. Films such as Mad Max:Fury Road (2015) which was produced by one of the 'big six' are able to provide a wide range of products (in relation to production values, distribution budgets, film products and entertainment super-texts).  In contrast to this, films produced by smaller companies such as Kill List (2011) and Ex Machina (2015) are limited in this area as they don't have the same span of control or money. 

Firstly, it is important to consider the fact that bigger production companies such as Warner Brothers, 20 first century fox etc will be able to financially support the range of products available in relation to a certain film because they have links with other companies. Mad Mad: Fury Road which was financially supported by Village roadshow pictures and RatPac Entertainment (budget of $150 million) is available to watch in the widest variety of formats of the 3 movies - DVD, blu ray,VOD, and 3D as well as being shown in IMAX cinemas and normal cinemas across the country. However, Ex machina (budget of $13 million) is available in dvd, blue ray, VOD, and was only shown in normal cinemas. Kill list (budget of $800,000) is available in dvd and blue ray and was shown in cinemas for a short period of time. The lower budget of Ex Machina and Kill List may be due to the fact they were both produced by smaller film companies - Kill list was produced by warp x films and film 4 productions and Ex Machina was produced by DNA films and also Film 4 productions. Consequently, as these films were produced by companies which don't have as many connections it will impact what they can release. Conglomerates such as Warner Brothers own subsidiary companies in nearly all aspects of media, this therefore means it's significantly easier for the films they release to have a variety of products as the company has many sections which would be beneficial. 

Bigger film companies are more likely to make a profit on their film. Mad Max: Fury road grossed $375.8 million which means they made over double their budget and therefore means they made a profit. This means that Warner brothers can use money made by the film to invest into other products related to the film. Mad Max:Fury road has a host of merchandise available to fans including an official Mad Max video game, Mad Max energy drinks, a mad max anthology etc. The wide variety of products related to the film is most likely due to the the production companies working on the film and the fact that bigger film companies usually make a profit. In contrast to this, Ex Machina does not have the same range of products when it come to merchandise. This may be due to the film production companies which worked with it not having to connections to make merchandise. Additionally, bigger companies tend to make mainstream movies which usually from popular genres such as science fiction and action movies, this means that they will most likely make money from products being released as they have an audience who will buy them. Smaller film companies may not have the budget to release big blockbusters so they may resort to production cult films which may not have to same popularity and therefore there may not be an audience for the products. 

It is also important to consider the collusion of release dates for films produced by bigger film companies. The 'big six' may schedule their film releases with each other so that they their films can be successful and not clash with each other meaning that big releases can make as much revenue as possible. This therefore makes it significantly harder for smaller film companies to release a film at the right time because the film schedule is filled by films with a bigger buzz surrounding. This may mean that smaller companies struggle to get their films on screens and therefore impacts on the range of products made available by smaller companies. Kill list was only shown on 2 screens on its opening weekend, whereas Mad Max: Fury road was shown on 3,702 screens on it's opening weekend. This highlights how it is significantly easier for films produced by larger companies to be shown. 

Media ownership allows films to have successful marketing and distribution campaigns. This made mean that a film is able to buy more products because there is a larger buzz surrounding the film, this will increase people interest in the film and mean that they may be interested in the range of products available. It could be argued Mad Max:fury road was marketed successfully as it had interesting trailers and was shown on the advert for the NBA playoff which would have been shown to millions of people etc. This may impact on the products available because it means that more people watch the film and therefore are interesting in the film. Similarly, Ex Machina had a successful marketing campaign which is possibly responsible for it's success as it was a small budget film. This means that Ex Machina had a larger audience due to people who had been attracted by advertisement however it doesn't have as wide a range of products as Mad Max:Fury road which may suggest that media ownership has a big impact on products because of the money and the links that they bigger companies have. 

It is also possible that media ownership has a significant impact on the range of products due to the fact that the bigger film companies tend to release sequels such as Mad Max:Fury road which was the 4th film in a series. Ex Machina and Kill list are both independent films. This suggests that because bigger film companies often produce films in a sequel they're able to expand the franchise for that perticular film because it collects a fan base.  For example the Harry Potter movies were produced by Warner Bros which now has a vast range of products averrable including a Harry Potter theme park. Ex machina was a success and made a profit but was not made available in as many products as Mad Max:fury road which may be due to the companies working with it. 

To conclude, media ownership has a significant impact on the range or products available. This may be due to the fact that bigger companies have connections and more money in order to expand and smaller companies don't have the same control which means they have to work hard to get their films recognized and making a profit.  

Exam question - Class and status

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of class and status.

Binary opposites are presented in the extract from Downton Abbey. The upper class are presented as being wealthy, well ‘bread’, well-spoken and arrogant. However, in contrast to this, the working class are presented as having little money, cheap/uniformed clothing and regional accents. The extract deconstructs the divide between the classes and highlights common stereotypes of the groups.

Mise-en-scene

In the opening scene of the extract, the audience is presented with two female characters. The characters are dressed in expensive looking clothing which suggests that they are from the upper class. The directer may have decided to dress them in this way to conform to the stereotype that people from the upper class are wealthy and 'well bread' because dressing in this way alludes wealth. It also suggests that these women have money to spend on luxury items and looking 'good' which indicates that people from the upper class care about keeping up appearances. 
The director uses symbolic codes in the opening scene to highlight the wealth of the women. The colour gold is used in the furniture scheme to exaggerate the expensive home that the women are in. Gold connotes riches and money which supports the stereotype that people from the upper class are wealthy and can afford luxury items/decor.
In contrast to this, the women who comes into the room in the first scene is presented as being from a lower class. Her clothing is significantly less expensive looking and she's also in what appears to be a maids uniform. This supports the stereotype that people from the working class have little money as they work in either domestic/manual jobs and cannot afford to buy expensive clothing. 

Camera shots, angels, movement and composition.

In first scene the two women are presented using a mid shot. They are both shown from the same angel which could suggest that the women have the same authority as each other and are in the same class. 
In the second scene from the extract, when the maid is stood in the bathroom, the camera zooms in on her facial expression. The women (who it is suggested to be from the lower class) has an angry/plotting look on her face. When the camera zooms in on this is emphasises a stereotype of the lower classes that they are always 'up to no good' as her facial expression is a semic code for her doing something she shouldn't. 
The clip is then cut and the audience is presented with a shallow focus shot of some flowers which then refocuses to the man playing the piano behind him. This camera shot highlights that the family that live in this house want to make the house look pretty and also that they have the money to spend on buying decorative items such as flowers. Here, the director is depicting how the upper class are able to spend money on nice things which suggests that they are wealthy. 
In the opening scene for part two of the extract, the audience is presented with an establishing shot of stately home where the extract is set. It may be interpreted that the people who live in this house have inherited it as this used to happen regularly in the past. This highlights a common stereotype that people from the upper class are rich due to inheriting money and not by earning it themselves. 

Sound

Sound is another way that class and status is represented. At around 2 minutes into the clip, along side the closeup shot of the maid, we are presented with non-diegetic music. In the opening scene, non diegetic sound is played which sounds like birds tweeting which suggests that the house is in the countryside. This implies that the house is owned by the upper classes as a common stereotype for the upper classes is to live in big stately homes in the rural areas. It could be interpreted that the music has been added in to add tension and highlight how the working class women is behaving in a way she shouldn't. This suggests that working class people are sneaky which may be linked to that fact they don't have much money so it may imply that they are plotting to get more money. It also suggests that people from working classes has low/no morals in comparison the the upper classes who stereotypically do. 

Editing 

The representation of the classes can be deconstructed further by the use of editing. This extract uses continuity editing to keep the drama moving and the audience engaged. In the fight scene near the end of the extract, the editing is very fast paced (fast-paced editing) and the shot is cut quickly to emphasize the action taking place. This fight appears to take place between two men from middle-working classes which contributes to their representation as it suggests that they are easier to anger and less rational then those from the upper classes. It also suggests that they are more violents which leads to the stereotype of working class people being criminals.

 To conclude, camera shots, editing, sound and mise-en-scene all contribute significantly to how the different classes are presented as the upper classes are presented more positively whereas the lower classes are presented in a more negative light.  

Representation of class and status

Upper class


Downton Abbey - (Lady  Mary Crawly) I chose this clip to demonstrate the representation of class and status in TV drama as all the members of the upper class in this clip are presented as being well educated, speaking using formal language and dressing in expensive clothing.

Mad Men - Some characters (Roger sterling, Don Draper) in Men reperesent the upper class as they are very wealthy and have well paying jobs. 

Middle class

Desperate Housewives - Susan Mayer/Delfino is presented as a middle class character. For some of the series she is a single parent with only one income but still owns a house in the suburbs which suggests that she is in the middle.

Pretty Little Liars - Aria Montgomery and her family are presented as middle class. She goes to a state school but they appear to have some money as they live in a nice house.

Lower class


Skins - I chose this clip as Katie and Effy are both from middle - lower classes. Katie's family have just had their house repossessed. In the clip the stereotype that lower class people smoke and dress in a more grungy style.

Representation of ethnicity

Stereotypes of ethnicity - black people.  

Four key themes in racial representation:

• Exotic or other
• Dangerous
• Humorous
• Pitied

Stereotypes for black people:

• Drug related
• Gangsters
• Athletes
• Friendly
• Criminals

  Top Boy
In top boy, black people are presented as drug dealers and thief's. This is a common stereotype of black people.



  Skins
In skins tomas is presented as exotic which is a stereotype for black people.

Prison Break 

Benjamin franklin is presented in prison break as being a criminal.


White people

Stereotypes for white people:

• Arrogant
• Rational
• Well Educated
• Awkward

Gossip Girl 

In Gossip Girl the white people are presented as wealthy. I chose this clip because here their costumes highlight their wealth.

Dr Foster

Dr Foster is presented as a stereotypical white person as she is a doctor which means she will be intelligent and wealthy. She owns her own home in the countryside which may be a stereotype for white people.

Suits

In suits the white people are presented as business minded and educated.



East Asian 
Stereotypes for East Asians:

• Intelligent
• Emotionless
• Hard Working
• Determined
• Good with technology
• Martial arts



The Walking Dead

Glenn is presented as a stereotypical east Asian character as he is hard working and intelligent.

Gossip Girl

Nelly Yuki is presented stereotypically as an east Asian character. She is school-focused, intelligent and hard working which are common stereotypes of east Asian characters.

Prison Break

William Kim who is a character on Prison break, may be seen as a stereotypical east Asian character because he is seen as intelligent and hard working has he has a well paying job that involves a lot of thinking. Also he supports the stereotype or east Asians being emotionless as he in a antagonist in the programme.

South Asians

Stereotypes of South Asians:

• Educated
• Religious
• Villains
• Criminals
• Educated 

Skins

Anwar from skins is presented as a religious character which is stereotypical for him as he is from a South Asian background.

Lost
Sayid Jarrah is presented stereotypically as a criminal in lost.

Dr Foster
Dr Fosters college is presented as a stereotypical south Asian character as she is well educated and a doctor.

The extract presents many ethnicity stereotypes which is highlights through the use of sound. At the beginning of the clip, non diegetic sound is playing. The use of non diegetic sound is being used here to create a sense of curiosity for the audience. This suggests to the audience that the man may be doing something he shouldn't which contributes to a stereotype of black people being 'up to no good' or dangerous. The stereotype of black men being unapproachable is highlighted by the diegetic conversation between the man and the women. The woman tries to talk to the man, however he ignores her and walks away which suggests that the man is not friendly which may imply that he is dangerous.




Non diegetic sound is used again as a black man steps out of his car. The music creates an cold atmosphere which contributes to the stereotype that black people are dangerous as the sound creates a intimidating atmosphere. The stereotype of black people being dangerous is highlighted again by the diegetic sound when the man storms into the house with the women. He speaks to her in an angry tone which creates the image that the man is dangerous and violent. The white woman then tries to calm the man down which supports the stereotype of white people being upper class as upper class people are stereotypically less violent and calmer.
The man begins to shout at the women as she pleads at him to let her go. This indicates that the man is violent and the women is weaker. At the end of the clip the man is presented as an un -stereotypical black man as you can hear him crying and the non diegetic sound creates a sad atmosphere. This goes against a stereotype of black men being angry and violent as it shows the man as weak which is not a common stereotype.

Representation of disability

The stereotypes:

In his 1991 study, Paul Hunt found that there are 10 stereotypes of disabled people, used in the media:

1. The disabled person as pitiable or pathetic
2. An object of curiosity or violence
3. Sinister or evil
4. The super cripple
5. As atmosphere
6. Laughable
7. His/her own worst enemy (dixon from 90210) 

8. As a burden
9. As Non-sexual 
10. Being unable to participate in daily life

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7 Key Concepts