Media Today

What is Brexit?

> Led by the conservative party - David Cameron and Theresa May.
> A term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
> Control immigration
> Keep the pound
> EU has too much power over UK (legislation)
> Economy = Euro

Difference between tabloid and broadsheet

Tabloid

• Tabloids are considered ‘popular press’

• Tabloids are aimed at lower social groupings (C2,D & E)

• Tabloids have a bold layout (there is colour on the masthead, they use a bold typeface and it is easy to read. Usually with large and dramatic typeface and large images)

• Shorter Articles

• Less in depth reporting

• The headline usually includes a pun or a joke

• Focus more on gossip stories to do with celebrities (‘stories of human interest’)

Broadsheets

• Broadsheets are considered ‘serious’ or ‘ ‘quality’ press

• Broadsheets are aimed at higher social groupings (A,B,C1)

• Plainer layout (Masthead: usually no colour or limited small and subtle images)

• Longer articles.

• More detailed and lengthy reports

• The headlines are more serious and focus on ‘shocking’ rather than making jokes.

• Focuses more on international news as well as politics

Tabloid newspapers use gimmicks such as bingo games, free travel tickets etc. whereas Broadsheets often include free magazines or pull-outs but they are usually of an educational nature.

Are the newspapers biased?

Most newspapers are biased depending on the political view that they hold. For example, newspapers that hold a right wing view will be biased when speaking about left wing politics and try to persuade the audiences to think in a right wing way. Additionally, left wing newspapers tend to give a more equal view but may be biased against right wing politics.

From the data explain the political bias/affiliation of The Telegraph, which political party are they likely to support, explain why.

> From the data, the telegraph are more likely to support a right wing group such as the conservatives. This is because the data states that most people would place the telegraph in a slightly and fairly right wing point of view, and some in a very right wing point of view.

From the data explain the political bias affiliation of the Mirror, which political party are they likely to support, explain why.

> From the data, the mirror is more likely to support a left wing party such as the labour party as the statistic shows that most people would place them in a fairly left-wing point of view, suggesting that they would lean towards a left wing politics party such as the labour party. 

•Working in groups you will identify the Splash (main story)

> The main story of both newspapers is about how Theresa May did not go to a brexit talk to go to a meeting with the DUP to negotiate a coalition due to the poor election results.

•You will identify the target audience for  each of these papers using the socio-economic model

> Daily Mirror: 

> Daily Telegraph

•Collectively you will discuss how the papers are representing Brexit, THE DUP and Theresa May.

> Daily Mirror: negative way and uses different language to suggest this e.g. scuppered = break.

> Daily Telegraph: portrays a better view of Theresa May and uses different language to suggest this e.g. salvage

•Discuss the possible political agendas of the Mirror and the Telegraph in what way do they seek to influence their audience?

Daily Telegraph

Discuss what aspects of the paper conform to Broadsheet expectations with regards to

–Longer articles.

–More detailed and lengthy reports

–The headlines are more serious and focus on ‘shocking’ rather than making jokes.

–Focuses more on international news as well as politic

Daily Mirror

Discuss what aspects of the paper conform to Tabloid expectations with regards to

–Tabloids have a bold layout (there is colour on the masthead, they use a bold typeface and it is easy to read. Usually with large and dramatic typeface)

–Shorter Articles

–Less in depth reporting

–The headline usually includes a pun or a joke

–Focus more on gossip stories to do with celebrities (‘stories of human interest’)

“Discuss the difference between Broadsheet and Tabloid papers through a comparison of the Telegraph and Mirror 05/12/2017”

Both broadsheet and tabloid newspapers have drastic differences that are shown through the different aspects of both newspapers. An example of two newspapers that are different from each other are The Telegraph and the Daily Mirror. The Telegraph is a broadsheet newspaper and The Daily Mirror is a tabloid newspaper. Each paper may report the same story, but will tell it and present it in a different way, using different language and pictures to convey the same story. Broadsheets tend to be a more fact based newspaper, reporting on hard news stories and are a more formal newspapers. Tabloid newspapers are more of an informal newspaper and tend to report on gossip stories and news about celebrities, and if they do report on a news article, they will use different language to show that they are not a formal newspaper, or will be biased against one side of politics.

As well as these differences, there are also strucutural differences to both forms of newspaper that are evident in both The Telegraph and The Daily Mirror. One of these examples is that tabloid and broadsheet newspapers are aimed at different target audiences. A tabloid newspaper tends to have a target audience of lower classes, such as C2, D and E and a broadsheet newspaper is mainly aimed at those in the classes A, B and C1. This is evident when looking at the language used and the length of the article in both papers. It is evident that the Daily Telegraph

Tabloid

• Tabloids are considered ‘popular press’

• Tabloids are aimed at lower social groupings (C2,D & E)

• Tabloids have a bold layout (there is colour on the masthead, they use a bold typeface and it is easy to read. Usually with large and dramatic typeface and large images)

• Shorter Articles

• Less in depth reporting

• The headline usually includes a pun or a joke

• Focus more on gossip stories to do with celebrities (‘stories of human interest’)

Broadsheets

• Broadsheets are considered ‘serious’ or ‘ ‘quality’ press

• Broadsheets are aimed at higher social groupings (A,B,C1)

• Plainer layout (Masthead: usually no colour or limited small and subtle images)

• Longer articles.

• More detailed and lengthy reports

• The headlines are more serious and focus on ‘shocking’ rather than making jokes.

• Focuses more on international news as well as politics

Revision

Conventions of Long Form TV Drama
> Plot twists
> Cliff hangers
> High production value
> Barthes open narrative theory (Narratives including Frank, Zoe and Peter)
> Halls - preferred reading theory
> Todorov - Equilibrium
> Semantic code
> 40-60 minutes long
> High production value ($100 million for 2, 13 episode seasons)
> Binge watching as they are available on multimedia platforms
> Genre hybridity - political drama/thriller
> Uses high profile actors to generate interest and popularity.

How does the Enigma code apply to The House of cards in the character Frank Underwood?
The enigma code applies to the character of Frank Underwood in House of Cards as his character at the start of the series is quite mysterious, and a lot of his actions and motives are not fully explained, allowing the audience to either make their own interpretation or keep them guessing about how his plot is going to develop.

Discuss why HOC uses enigma?
House of Cards uses enigma to keep the audience both interested and intrigued, as well as allowing them to make their own guesses about what is to come for the rest of the season. It is also something that is often used in long form TV drama, such as House of Cards, to keep the audience entertained and to keep them watching.

In what way does the long form drama conform to Todorov’s theory?

Long form TV drama conforms to Todorov's theory by following the basic structure of his theory, but doing so over a longer period of time and over multiple episodes.

Discuss Todorov’s theory through the central character Frank Underwood?

The equilibrium is that Frank Underwood expects that he is going to receive the position of Secretary of State at the beginning of the first episode. The disequilibrium is that he is told someone else is going to receive the position of Secretary of State. Frank acknowledges that it is unlikely he will receive the position as it is revealed Michael Kern will be nominated instead. In this acknowledgement, he consults with wife Claire and they devise a plan to get him to the top together. The solving is Frank creating links with Zoe Barnes to help take down other candidates and anyone that might get in the way of his position.

How does HOC subvert Todorov’s theory?
House of Cards subverts Todorov's theory by not having a general new equilibrium. This is because long form TV drama continues over multiple episodes and generally in long form drama, there is always a new disequilibrium at the end of the episode to make people want to watch the next episode and continue watching.

Neales Genre Theory

> Neale’s theory of repetition and difference in Genre.
> "Genres are instances of repetition and difference"
> "Difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre"

What That Means:
> Steve Neale is saying that a film and it's genre is defined by two things:
> How much it conforms with a genre's stereotypes and conventions.
> He says that a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.
> How much a film subverts the genre's stereotypes and conventions.
> He says that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a clone.

Neale states that:
> a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.
> How much a film subverts the genre's stereotypes and conventions?
> Neale states that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a clone.

How does House of Cards conform to genre expectations?
House of Cards conforms to these conventions as it contains real life situations involving politics and incorporating real life scenarios and characters that relate to real life people. There is audience interaction in House of Cards when Frank turns to the camera and talks directly to the audience. Additionally, it contains drama and controversy similar to that of real life American Politics. It does exhibit real life situations, it has realistic characters, settings and stories. It is set in Washington DC, which is most famous for being where the White House is situated, where the president lives and where main politics goes ahead. Also conforms as the protagonist of the story is male.

How does House of Cards subvert to the gender expectations of a political drama/thriller?
As well as having conventions that the TV drama conforms to, there are also some conventions that the TV drama subverts to. It does not contain too much exaggerated sound or music, and mainly contains dialogue. As well as this, there is no disorientation of time and space, as House of Cards is mainly a drama constructed chronologically. Due to the fact that this is a long form TV drama, there are not many happy endings as the story continues through the series and it is always left on some type of cliffhanger to keep the audience guessing and keeping them intrigued. Frank's character could also closely mirror the American politics currently (2016 to present) with the corruption and secrecy of the government. Anti-hero.

Minecraft

> Sandbox video game
> Digitally convergent - can play on different devices
> Uses Youtube to create parodies and gameplay to create popularity and interest on youtube.
>Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPaPP2ClKNo&index=102&list=PLPAfbDwaG4UF7fWeNyKbEZCuP2oNcVngv
>Minecraft Youtubers: CaptainSparklez, LDShadowLady
> People that play Minecraft are able to create their own mods and interact with the development of the game when it stilled used JAVA code.
> Minecraft education version helps children to interact whilst using it for education. May also help to generate interest in the original minecraft game.
> Different versions of the same game such as Minecraft Story Mode to generate interest.
> Twitch livestreams

Million Reasons

> The music video shows the stereotypical view that women are usually damsels in distress and emotional. Her hands are on her head and she is lying on the floor, which connotes vulnerability and distress. It also shows the fragility of some women, which is another stereotype of women.

> Having an all female crew is a counter-stereotype representation of the media industry as traditionally, people would usually have a predominantly male crew in order to maximise the safety of the individual in the music industry. However, Lady Gaga is breaking that stereotype and demonstrating a counter-stereotype by portraying a group of women protecting her and keeping her safe, which is not the norm within the music and media industry.

> Lady Gaga uses the iconic representation of the cowboy as a counter-stereotype representation of femininity due to the fact that traditionally, the premise of a cowboy is a powerful and strong individual, who is able to be independent. Lady Gaga dressed in a way similar to a cowboy suggest that she is also a powerful and strong individual who has her own independence. This shows a counter-stereotype in which females are equivalent in strength, power and independence to that of males. A cowboy is also a symbol of America, which when thought about, is predominantly male. She is challenging this stereotype by dressing similarly to a cowboy to suggest that females are also able to become a symbol of a strong America.

> The music video shows the stereotypical view that all women need makeup to look beautiful and that all women need to conform to the stereotype where all women need to wear makeup. This could also hint at the sexualisation of women in the music industry and in the media. The costume that she is wearing is not too revealing, but shows femininity.

New theory 15/05/18

Cultivation Theory – Gerbner Exposure to television over long periods of time cultivates standardised roles and behaviours. Gerbner used content analysis to analyse repeated media messages and values, then found that heavy users of television were more likely, for example, to develop ‘mean world syndrome’ – a cynical, mistrusting attitude towards others – following prolonged exposure to high levels of television violence. Gerbner found that heavy TV viewing led to ‘mainstreaming’ – a common outlook on the world based on the images and labels on TV. 

Reception Theory

The theory suggests that: When a producer constructs a text it is encoded with a meaning or message that the producer wishes to convey to the audience

In some instances audiences will correctly decode the message or meaning and understand what the producer was trying to say

In some instances the audience will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message

Reception Theory – Hall’s ‘encoding-decoding’ model argued that media producers encode ‘preferred meanings’ into texts, but these texts may be ‘read’ by their audiences in a number of different ways: 

 The dominant-hegemonic position: a ‘preferred reading’ that accepts the text’s messages and the ideological assumptions behind the messages 

 The negotiated position: the reader accepts the text’s ideological assumptions, but disagrees with aspects of the messages, so negotiates the meaning to fit with their ‘lived experience’ 

The oppositional reading: the reader rejects both the overt message and its underlying ideological assumptions.

Media Theory and Media Today

MEDIA FRAME WORK INCLUDE:

Media Language
> semiotics, including Barthes 

> narratology, including Todorov 
> genre theory, including Neale. 

Semiotics definition: the study of signs and their meaning in society. 

A sign is something which can stand for something else – in other words, a sign is anything that can convey meaning. So words can be signs, drawings can be signs, photographs can be signs, even street signs can be signs.

Roland Barthes

> Narratives like a ball of string
> Roland Barthes was a semiologist.

If you imagine a text is like a ball of string, can it be unravelled in one way or in many ways?

House of Cards - There are many different narratives in House of Cards and they include the story of a young journalist named Zoe Barnes, who works for the Washington Herald. She is determined to be a more well known journalist and for her stories to become a main part of the newspaper. Because of this, she approaches Frank Underwood with information about a scandal, regarding an education bill that could help both of their careers to excel. The first episode also includes the narrative of Peter Russo, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district, who is arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, solicitation and the use of controlled substances.

Why are dramas open narratives?
Dramas are usually open narratives as it keeps the audience interested in the shows content. Additionally to this, it allows the content of the show to relate to the audience in some way, as they are able to interpret it in whatever way that they want. Multiple narratives keeps the audience intrigued, and when one narrative ends, there are others to keep audience entertained.

Enigma Code

Enigma definition: a mystery or something that cannot be explained.

The Hermeneutic Code (enigma code) refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader. The purpose of the author in this is typically to keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma, until the final scenes when all is revealed and all loose ends are tied off and closure is achieved.

Action Code

The Proairetic Code also builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader guessing as to what will happen next. The Action Code applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. 

Semantic Code

This code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word. The semantic code is any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation.

Signs in House of Cards
> White house and collective shots of Washington indicates that it is a political drama as this is where the US government is based. Symbolises power and politics. Could symbolise Frank's desire to come into power.
> American flag indicates it is an American drama. Symbolises liberty, democracy and freedom. Frank subverts these ideals by portraying the possibility that US politics and government is corrupted.
> Lincoln memorial symbolises previous presidents, government, death of a leader. This could reflect when Frank did not get the position of Secretary of State, and a possibly indication that his career is over.

How does the Enigma code apply to The House of cards in the character Frank Underwood?
The enigma code applies to the character of Frank Underwood in House of Cards as his character at the start of the series is quite mysterious, and a lot of his actions and motives are not fully explained, allowing the audience to either make their own interpretation or keep them guessing about how his plot is going to develop.


Discuss why HOC uses enigma?
House of Cards uses enigma to keep the audience both interested and intrigued, as well as allowing them to make their own guesses about what is to come for the rest of the season. It is also something that is often used in long form TV drama, such as House of Cards, to keep the audience entertained and to keep them watching.

How does the enigma code apply to Telegraph Headline “Who are the Brexit Mutineers”?
The enigma code applies to this headline as it is likely a lot of people are unaware of what the headline of this newspaper means, and they may have to read about it to find out more information. Newspapers may use enigma code so that if people do not understand the headline, they will have to buy the newspaper to find out more information, which is a selling advantage.

Todorov Narrative

> Narrative = story
> The primary function of most films is to tell a story..  The mise en scene, cinematography, editing and sound are entirely subservient to the narrative, creating a seamless flow that centres the viewer within the story.

Equilibrium
Disruption
Resolution of the disruption
New equilibrium

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages:

> the equilibrium, 
> disequilibrium, 
> acknowledgement, 
> solving 
> and again equilibrium.

Narrative conventions

Film narratives share a number of features that audiences expect:
> The role of the protagonist
> The problems faced by the protagonist
> The resolution of these problems

The narratives of most films are centred on one or two main protagonists:
> Their lives are disrupted by an outside event, or presence of an unfulfilled desire.
> The plot is then about removing that disruption or fulfilling that desire.
> The rest of the events in the plot are usually initiated by the protagonist and have a clear cause and effect relationship to other events.

Captain Phillips

Role of Protagonist: Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) is the captain of a cargo ship transporting goods from one location to another.
Problems faced by the protagonist: During their trip, armed pirates board the ship and hold him and the ship in a hostage situation in hopes to take over the captain position.
Resolution of the problems: SEALs follow the lifeboat they have taken Phillips hostage in, and are able to get three clear shots, killing all 3 pirates simultaneously.

Anti-Hero - A major character, usually the protagonist, who lacks conventional nobility of mind, and who struggles for values not deemed universally admirable. 

In what way does the long form drama conform to Todorov’s theory?

Long form TV drama conforms to Todorov's theory by following the basic structure of his theory, but doing so over a longer period of time and over multiple episodes.

Discuss Todorov’s theory through the central character Frank Underwood?

The equilibrium is that Frank Underwood expects that he is going to receive the position of Secretary of State at the beginning of the first episode. The disequilibrium is that he is told someone else is going to receive the position of Secretary of State. Frank acknowledges that it is unlikely he will receive the position as it is revealed Michael Kern will be nominated instead. In this acknowledgement, he consults with wife Claire and they devise a plan to get him to the top together. The solving is Frank creating links with Zoe Barnes to help take down other candidates and anyone that might get in the way of his position.

How does HOC subvert Todorov’s theory?
House of Cards subverts Todorov's theory by not having a general new equilibrium. This is because long form TV drama continues over multiple episodes and generally in long form drama, there is always a new disequilibrium at the end of the episode to make people want to watch the next episode and continue watching.

In what way does Todorov’s theory apply to the following News stories?

Equilibrium: Salisbury is a relatively quiet town and it is possibly that they do not centre around many national news stories.
Disequilibrium: Nerve poison attack on individual living in Salisbury, people living in Salisbury have their lives disrupted due to possibly being in an unsafe environment.
Acknowledgement: News coverage confirms the attack on the individual is an ex Russian spy and that it is possible that the Russian government had something to do with the poisoning used on the individual.
Solving: Daughter, who is awake and talking, when she is physically well she will be given a safe haven to live and a new identity to use so that she will be safe from further harm.
New equilibrium: Life for her will continue, but not as normal and a lot of aspects in her life are different and will never be the same.

Neale's Genre Theory

> Neale’s theory of repetition and difference in Genre.
> "Genres are instances of repetition and difference"
> "Difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre"

What That Means:
> Steve Neale is saying that a film and it's genre is defined by two things:
> How much it conforms with a genre's stereotypes and conventions.
> He says that a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.
> How much a film subverts the genre's stereotypes and conventions.
> He says that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a clone.

Neale states that:
> a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.
> How much a film subverts the genre's stereotypes and conventions?
> Neale states that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a clone.

Star Wars conforms to genre expectations of a:
Sci – Fi film - special effects, hero and anti hero, epic struggle over good and evil
Action film – follows Stucture of Propp where the protagonist is sent on a quest

Subverts the action film genre:
> As the (main) protagonist is female.
> Plot twist focus on female empowerment.

In the newest episode of Star Wars (The Last Jedi), the roles have changed and rather than having a male protagonist throughout the film, we have now been introduced to female protagonists that lead the story. In the first episode of Star Wars and up until the most recent episode, there was a male protagonist throughout.

How does House of Cards conform to genre expectations?
House of Cards conforms to these conventions as it contains real life situations involving politics and incorporating real life scenarios and characters that relate to real life people. There is audience interaction in House of Cards when Frank turns to the camera and talks directly to the audience. Additionally, it contains drama and controversy similar to that of real life American Politics. It does exhibit real life situations, it has realistic characters, settings and stories. It is set in Washington DC, which is most famous for being where the White House is situated, where the president lives and where main politics goes ahead. Also conforms as the protagonist of the story is male.

How does House of Cards subvert to the gender expectations of a political drama/thriller?
As well as having conventions that the TV drama conforms to, there are also some conventions that the TV drama subverts to. It does not contain too much exaggerated sound or music, and mainly contains dialogue. As well as this, there is no disorientation of time and space, as House of Cards is mainly a drama constructed chronologically. Due to the fact that this is a long form TV drama, there are not many happy endings as the story continues through the series and it is always left on some type of cliffhanger to keep the audience guessing and keeping them intrigued. Frank's character could also closely mirror the American politics currently (2016 to present) with the corruption and secrecy of the government. Anti-hero.

House of Cards - How Audiences Consume and Interpret Long Form Television Dramas

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/ways-watching-technology-television

On demand and binge watching

> On demand - Watching with no advertisements or commercials.

> Netflix and other streaming sights encourage binge watching TV shows through the introduction of new TV shows and releasing all episodes at once, rather than one episode at a time.

> On demand - You are able to find something you actually want to watch, rather than watching what is on the TV channels.

> Binge watching certain TV shows allows Netflix to know what you like, so can show you similar shows that you may be interesting.

> On demand - You can watch TV shows long after they have premiered and can access shows whenever you want to.

> On demand - Netflix originals gives Netflix subscribers exclusive TV shows that people without a Netflix subscription do not have access to.

> Binge watching beneficial for immersive content - keeps audience interested.

> Binge watching can offer escapism for viewers.

> Long form binge-worthy dramas keep audience from cancelling subscription to the streaming sights.

> Multiplatform devices, you can watch on demand from your phone, tablet and laptop whenever you want to. 

House of Cards - The Influence of Technological Change

Differences between UK and US long form drama
- US long form dramas have a higher budget
- UK long form drama have a shorter duration and are on at a fixed time.
- UK long form drama are less formal e.g. Eastenders

Long form TV is an American concept which effectively is a hybrid of a serialised drama with the high production standards of film.

Drama
> A show that runs in a series over years.
> Starts with an intense beginning to grip their audience 
> They contain cliffhangers to maintain interest
> TV drama is very much dialogue led.
> Production values are lower than film (fuded by advertising revenue or PSB)

Long form TV Drama
> Drama that runs in a series
> they start with an intense beginning to grip their audience 
> They contain cliffhangers to maintain interest
> they conclude the episode until the end where they conclude the episode. 
> very much dialogue led.
> Production values are higher than TV drama (funded by subscribers)
> High budgets permit high end actors and high end production

Production

> Traditionally film was available in reel format.   

> Film Companies such as Pinewood? Disney would commission distributers to get their movies into Theatres 

> The logistics of getting film distributed worldwide was expensive however for many years film based media was to be high quality. 

> Over time the quality of digital film has improved, resulting in a revolution in how films/video content are produced and distributed. 

> Film is less relevant to the film and TV industry as it has been superseded by Digital content

> House of Cards was shot entireley in digital using “Red Epic” cameras.

> Production, editing and distribution are lower for digital enabling high  end outcomes at a lower price.

http://silverscreenmodes.com/the-end-of-film/

Identify 3 reasons why digital production is cheaper and a more convenient medium:

> A film print costs about $2000, a digital disk less than $100. 

> Cheaper shipping costs.

> You no longer have to stop “filming” to reload film magazines, you just keep on shooting.

Terrestial TV

> Schedule content was fixed (reliant on analogue (radio wave technology as pre the internet)

> Viewing experience was communal (families watched the same/similar content) as content was transmitted via Radio waves.

> Dramas developed to encourage regular viewing

> Program content with high audience numbers secured revenue via advertising.

> Advertising revenue or PSB income (TV license) pays for drama for e.g. a typical Eastenders episode costs £141,000

Digital (streaming)

> In just a decade, Netflix has grown from a video service with seven million U.S. subscribers to one that reaches 93 million people worldwide.

> When Netflix first launched in the late 1990s, it distributed DVDs – mainly films – by mail. The convenience of the service disrupted the existing film rental industry and eventually led to its demise.

> During the early 2000s, advances in compression technology – coupled with more homes gaining access to high-speed internet services – allowed large video files to be easily streamed over the internet.

> Video streaming services such as Netflix (what I call “portals”) deliver programming “on demand” via the internet, viewers can choose what and when to watch instead of watching “what’s on.” 

> Subscription TV therefore offers significant benefits to terrestial TV.

> Netflix (originally a US company) provides services to 43% of the US market, it has developed its global market with a presence in 190 countries. 

> Its popularity is achieved by providing high production content in several TV serial genres.  This includes complicated serial dramas (“House of Cards”), action series (“Daredevil”), horror series (“Hemlock Grove”). 

What is the comparative production costs of a typical UK Soap e.g. Eastenders compared to an episode of House of Cards?

How is this reflected in the production values of the respective dramas?

The production cost of a typical UK soap such as Eastenders is around £141,000 per episode and the production cost for an episode of House of Cards is around $4.5million. This is reflected by the setting, as Eastenders is in a small studio and House of Cards is filmed in a number of locations, particularly Washington D.C.

House of Cards - Textual and Codal Analysis

The semantic code that is associated with this character from Grand Theft Auto is that he appears be sinister in some way. This connotation could come from the fact that he has a shadow on half of his face. He is also wearing gloves that could connote possible violence or crime. Additionally to this, he is also wearing clothing that could also be associated with strong and tough men, possibly also criminals as it is an informal costume. The dark clothing could also symbolise that he is a sinister character.

The semantic code that is associated with this character from Grand Theft Auto is that she appears to be sexualised. This is connoted through her clothing (the crop top and the strap hanging off of her shoulder) and the lollipop she is holding to her mouth. This character also uses body language such as the positioning of the arm and the movement of her eyes also shows that she could be promiscuous. The use of red in her costume represents danger but also passion, lust and sexual desire.



Construct a detailed codal/textual analysis of the text. Outline aspects of the drama, which conform to or subvert the media conventions of of a drama, political drama, thriller, political thriller.
Discuss whether you believe that the text is a drama/thriller or hybrid & explain your analysis.
As part of this analysis you will need to describe how various groups/individuals are represented  e.g. Politicians and the Press by identifying examples of sound, camera work, editing and mise-en-scene. Additionally you will take into account the three codes through which a media text can be decoded these are the technical code, Verbal code and the symbolic codes.

Within the analysis you will:
Discuss the values, attitudes and beliefs conveyed by representations.
You will need to discuss from your viewing of the drama 
How politicians and the press are portrayed (represented)? In what way does this representation link with the contemporary American Politics (2013 – present era)
and the social and cultural context of recent times (2013 – present era)?
Review the presentation links and prompts to help you in this analysis. 


House of Cards is an American political thriller drama TV series. It mainly follows the story of Frank Underwood, a Democratic congressman and house majority whip. As well as this, it follows many other different narratives of the individuals surrounding Frank within the government. House of Cards is a hybrid of a political drama and political thriller, which mostly conforms to the conventions that are typically associated with these genres. For example, House of Cards often conforms to the typical conventions of including tension and suspension in their episodes. This is evident through the use of fast paced editing and tense music, both of which creates further anxiety for the audience watching this long form TV drama. It also conforms to the media conventions such as cliffhangers, which are usually present at the end of every episode, urging the audience to watch the next episode to find out what happens. A dramatic storyline, character development and corruption are all present within the first episode of House of Cards, and these conventions are carried through the entirety of the series. Having a dramatic storyline and character development is a typical convention used with long form TV dramas as it entices the audience and keeps them invested in the TV show. As well as having conventions that the TV drama conforms to, there are also some conventions that the TV drama subverts to. It does not contain too much exaggerated sound or music, and mainly contains dialogue. As well as this, there is no disorientation of time and space, and House of Cards is mainly a drama constructed chronologically. Due to the fact that this is a long form TV drama, there are not many happy endings as the story continues through the series. Frank's character could also closely mirror the American politics currently (2016 to present) with the corruption and secrecy of the government

There are many different representations throughout House of Cards, some of the main representations depict Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire. For example, there is a wide use of low key lighting within this particular episode of House of Cards when they are present in scenes. For example, there is a scene when they have both woken up in the middle of the night and are talking about a plan they have made and the entirety of this scene is in a dark setting and uses low key lighting. This creates an element of mystery but also presents these two characters, both of which have a significant role in both politics and charity, as mysterious and devious. Frank Underwood is often presented as corrupt throughout the series House of Cards, but it starts to come to light from the first episode. The diegetic sound of the conversation that Frank and Zoe Barnes, a journalist, have about the leaking of the education bill shows that he has control and power over various people that he works with. He is the house majority whip, which means he ensures everyone is making their decision based on what would be best for the party at that time. He refers to it as 'keeping the sludge moving'. This also shows that he is powerful and possibly manipulative at times. He could also be presented as ruthless, as he blackmails Peter Russo when it is revealed that he was arrested for drunk driving and it was Frank who bailed him out. He could have also seemed ruthless for killing the dog at the beginning of the episode and claiming it was the 'necessary thing'. His wife, Claire, seems to be the only person that has an element of control over Frank and his plans within his job. This is evident through the scene at night in the dark setting, where she is encouraging him to devise a plan to gain power in Washington. 

Another representation throughout House of Cards is the representation of Washington Herald reporter Zoe Barnes. Zoe Barnes is one of the main characters within the first season of the long form TV drama and is involved in one of the main narratives throughout the entirety of the season. The way that she is represented is apparent through the media language of mise en scene, cinematography and sound. The way that Zoe dresses gives the audience an insight as to what type of character she is but also how she and other reporters are represented in media. She wears casual clothes which includes a hoodie, jeans and a cross body bag. She is not dressed in a formal way, which could connote that she is a young reporter but also that she is an inexperienced reporter, or that she is perceived to be an inexperienced reporter by her colleagues. The lack of formal clothing could also show that she is of a lower status than the rest of the colleagues working at the Washington Herald. When Zoe makes a visit to Frank Underwood's house, she is wearing a V-neck shirt, which could have sexual connotations but also suggests that she has a certain element of control over Frank's feelings and men overall. 

House of Cards

Glossary

Drama
What is TV drama? TV drama is a broad genre. At its simplest, it is fictionalised action in narrative form.

Long form TV drama
Long Form Drama is a term coined to describe the recent shift of interest towards television series of high quality that many consider to have replaced the cinema as a locus of serious adult entertainment. Unfolding over multiple episodes, hours, and even years, these TV shows are seen to provide a content, often dark and difficult, and an innovative style that strain against the conventions of cinema as well as network television. 

Media convention
A code is a system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can be loosely grouped into the following:technical codes - all to do with the way a text is technically constructed - camera angles, framing, typography etc. verbal codes ...

A code is a system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.

In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can be loosely grouped into the following:

technical codes – all to do with the way a text is technically constructed – camera angles, framing, typography etc

verbal codes – everything to do with language -either written or spoken

symbolic codes – codes that can be decoded on a mainly connotational level

Genre

A genre is basically the category of any type of art or literature, for example categories of movie would be comedy, horror, thriller etc.

Genre Hybridity

Some media texts are hybrid genres, which means they share the conventions of more than one genre. For example Dr. Who is a sci-fi action-adventure drama and Strictly Come Dancing is a talent, reality and entertainment show.

Synopsis 

A brief summary of the major points of a written work.

Subvert
To undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).

Barthes Narrative Code

Open or closed? 

texts may be

' open ' (i.e. unravelled in a lot of different ways) or

' closed ' (there is only one obvious thread to pull on). 

Barthes also decided that the threads that you pull on to try and unravel meaning are called narrative codes and that they could be categorised in the following five ways:

The Hermeneutic Code / ENIGMA CODE

The Hermeneutic Code refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader.

The purpose of the author in this is typically to keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma, until the final scenes when all is revealed and all loose ends are tied off and closure is achieved.

The Proairetic Code (ACTION CODE)

The Proairetic Code also builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader guessing as to what will happen next. 

Action code - applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. 

The Hermeneutic and Proairetic Codes work as a pair to develop the story's tensions and keep the reader interested. Barthes described them as:

 "...dependent on ... two sequential codes: the revelation of truth and the coordination of the actions represented….."

Semantic Code

Example: The connotations of a red rose could be love, romance, passion, proposals, 

House of Cards (S1 E1)

What genre is the media text?

Political Drama

What sub is the media text?

List the main characters

Garrett Walker - President elect 

Linda Vasquez - Chief of staff, woman, latino, tuff as a 2 dollar cheque.

Frank/Francis Underwood - House majority whip – keep the sludge moving.

Claire Underwood - Frank's wife, mysterious, CEO of charity, ruthless.

Zoe Barnes - Washington Herald reporter.

Michael Kern – Recently elected secretary of state

Peter Rousseau - arrested for drink driving, solicitation, use of controlled substances.

Christina Gallagher - assistant to…

Jim Matthews

Donald Blythe - Educational secretary

Lucas Goodwin - Washington Herald

https://www.slideshare.net/naamah/thriller-conventions-65929544

What are the genre conventions of a thriller / political thriller?

> Uses suspension, tension and excitement as the main elements.

> Has many subgenres: mystery, crime, psychological, political and paranoid.

> Atmosphere of menace, violence, crime and murder.

> Literary devices like plot twist, red herrings and cliffhangers.

> Narrative techniques include: plot twists, multiple lines of action, flashbacks, red herrings, misdirection, deadlines, principle of concealment, chases/pursuits and making the audience work.

> Thriller characters include criminals, stalkers, assassins, psychotic individuals, escaped convicts, menaced women, innocent victims, cops, people involved in twisted relationships.

> Other techniques include POV, dramatic angles, tense music, off screen sound, low key lighting, strong directional lighting, over exposed / colour manipulation, fast paced editing, jump cuts, parallel editing, obtrusive editing, silence, exaggerated sound, disorientation of time/space.

> Political thriller conventions include corruption.

How does House of Cards conform/subvert these conventions?

House of Cards conforms to these conventions in the way in which it is produced and the literary techniques

https://www.slideshare.net/marija2703/genre-conventions-59310145

What are the genre conventions of a drama?

> Exhibits real life situations, realistic characters, settings and stories.

> Character development and journeys

> Intense social interaction

> move audience emotionally with a dramatic storyline

> Heart of drama is conflict

> Conflicts incude inner/outer realistic struggles depicting hardship, difficulty and pain

> Audience can relate to characters

> Structured with climaxes and anti climaxes

>  A form of realisation at end / happy ending

What are the genre conventions of a political drama? 

(http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html)

> Realistic ideas about politics

> Conflict between different characters

> Corruption

How does House of Cards conform/subvert these conventions?

House of Cards conforms to these conventions as it contains real life situations involving politics and incorporating real life scenarios and characters that relate to real life people. There is audience interaction in House of Cards when Frank turns to the camera and talks directly to the audience. Additionally, it contains drama and controversy similar to that of real life American Politics. It does exhibit real life situations, it has realistic characters, settings and stories. It is set in Washington DC, which is most famous for being where the White House is situated, where the president lives and where main politics goes ahead.

House of Card Synopsis (500 words)

House of Cards is an American political thriller drama TV series. It mainly follows the story of Frank Underwood, a Democratic congressman and house majority whip. In 'Chapter 1', the first episode of the first series, it is revealed that Frank ensured that Garrett Walker would become the President elect. In turn, it was promised that Walker would nominate Underwood as Secretary of State. It is then later revealed that Walker went against his promise and nominated Senator Michael Kern. From the start, Frank Underwood and his wife Claire, an environmental activist and CEO of a charity, make a plan together to ensure that Kern does acquire his position of Secretary of State. Frank tells Claire that they will have a lot of sleepless nights whilst the plan is in action and Claire says that it doesn’t matter to her and the pair agree on the plan. This is one of the main narratives throughout the first episode of the first season, but also throughout the entirety of the first season itself. Claire's non-profit organisation is called the Clean Water Initiative. This is the narrative that follows into many other episodes of the season and tells the story of how Frank Underwood intends to boost his career in office.

Another narrative within the first episode of House of Cards is the story of a young journalist named Zoe Barnes, who works for the Washington Herald. She is determined to be a more well known journalist and for her stories to become a main part of the newspaper. Because of this, she approaches Frank Underwood with information about a scandal, regarding an education bill that could help both of their careers to excel. This narrative shows how these characters would do anything it takes to boost their careers and make themselves a success, at the expense of others. Zoe and Frank cross their paths whilst he is avoiding people he knows at the symphony. This prompts them to meet again. Doug finds a shredded draft from Donald Blythe and Frank hands it to Zoe. After this, she begins writing an article for the Washington Herald without the knowledge of her editor. Eventually, her editor approves her article and it is published on the front page of the Washington Herald.

A third narrative within the first episode of House of Cards is the story of Peter Russo, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district, who is arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, solicitation and the use of controlled substances. Additionally to being arrested for a number of crimes, he is also having an affair with his assistant, Christina Gallagher. The two often use his work phone line to talk dirty to each other and in this episode, are seen in bed together. In this particular scene, Peter and Christina are talking and Christina decides to ask him about what their relationship will become. It is six months in and she says that she wants to take it more seriously. Peter agrees with her and says that he loves her.