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Magazine Advert Research

Apologies for the poor quality i had to screenshot a online PDF i created

Magazine Examples - Billboard

Billboard is an entertainment media brand owned by The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group. It publishes a variety of media forms for example: news, videos, music videos, reviews, as well as organising events. It is most popularly known for music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, tracking the most popular songs and albums of different genres. It is visible from the magazine that it covers one celebrity in specific detail every edition, this weeks version covers Drake, most likely as he has just released a new album and is attempting to promote it. A typical edition covers: Hot 100: The top 100 most popular songs that week Topline: News from the week
The Beat: Interviews, gossip and trends in the music industry
Style: Fashion and accessories
Features: In-depth interviews, profiles and photography
Reviews: Reviews of new albums and songs
Backstage pass: information about events and concerts.

   Everything related to the music industry and predominantly popular culture, making it one of the most popular magazines around today! Magazines, have perhaps become out of date in the recent technological renaissance, however this has been countered as magazines have become on-line hits which can be accessed from anywhere, therefore in the future if i was to create a band magazine in the business, i would make it website compatible.

Pegi Facts: Postmodern Video Games

1.      The Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system was established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games.

2. It was launched in spring 2003 and replaced a number of national age rating systems with a single system

3. Used throughout most of Europe, in 30 countries (Austria Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Slovenia, Belgium, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden, Cyprus, France, Israel, Malta, Romania, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovak Republic and the United Kingdom)

4. Computer and video games are now enjoyed by millions of players throughout Europe.

5. In the UK, 37 % of the population aged between 16 and 49 describe themselves as ‘active gamers’ (defined as currently playing games on a console, handheld or PC). In comparison, in Spain and Finland 28% of the population aged 16 and 49 are defined as ‘active gamers’(Nielsen report 2008).

6. While most games (49%) are suitable for players of all ages there are many that are only suitable for older children and young teenagers.

7. There are also some games (4%) that are made for adults only (over the age of 18).

8. The rating on a game confirms that it is suitable for players over a certain age. PEGI is used and recognised throughout Europe and has the enthusiastic support of the European Commission. It is considered to be a model of European harmonisation in the field of the protection of children.

9. Descriptors shown on the back of the packaging indicate the main reasons why a game has received a particular age rating.

10. There are eight such descriptors: violence, bad language, fear, drugs, sexual, discrimination, gambling and online gameplay with other people.

11. The PEGI labels appear on front and back of the packaging indicating one of the following age levels: 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18.

12. They provide a reliable indication of the suitability of the game content in terms of protection of minors. The age rating does not take into account the difficulty level or skills required to play a game.

13. The system is supported by the major console manufacturers, including Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, as well as by publishers and developers of interactive games throughout Europe. The age rating system was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE).

14. In 2008 the total number of ratings was 9847

15. 423 games are 18+ which is 4% of the number of games rated


16. Many websites and online services contain small games and in order to cover this rapidly growing segment, the PEGI OK label was devised.

17. When a small online game on a website has been labelled ‘PEGI OK’, it means that the game can comfortably be played by players of all age groups because it does not contain any potentially unsuitable game content.


18. A PEGI OK label indicates that the strict PEGI rating criteria have been applied and it has been ascertained that there is nothing in the game that would lead to a higher rating than the standard 3+ category.

Is Sense8 a postmodern Television Production

Sense8 is an American science fiction drama web television series on Netflix created, written and executive-produced by Andy and Lana Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski. The basic plot revolves around eight unique strangers from different parts of the world who all of a sudden become mentally and emotionally linked. The show explores matters that the writers feel science fiction shows tend to ignore, such as politics, identity, sexuality, gender and religion.

Capheus is a bus driver in Nairobi with a passion for the famous actor Jean Claude Van Damme, he uses Van Damme's face to advertise his company therefore it is a pastiche as he show is relating to other texts. Capheus tries to earn money to buy AIDS medicine for his mother and by using Damme he gives the company a face which is relatable to anyone however he is renowned in the western world rather than the African Continent. There is also a strong sense of homosexuality within the text as Lito Rodriguez, a closeted actor struggles to prepare himself for a sexual scene, when help is offered in the way of Daniela Velazquez, Lito's fellow actress however he refuses this sexual offering. This is extremely ironic and unusual as a modern day single male would most likely relish this opportunity. The age barrier and religious beliefs is a postmodernist debate in Sense8 as Kala Dandekar is a university-educated pharmacist and devout Hindu living in Mumbai. She has just got engaged to a man she does not love. Despite her high level of education and attempt of breaking the mould she is still unable to escape the capture of tradition, it is interesting as different generations expect different traditions now, moreover it is obvious how traditions do change over time as in modern day reality it is more than acceptable for a woman to choose who she marries.

The tv show itself is postmodern as it represents globalisation, as the scenes are set all over the world it metaphysically reduces the size of the world. Therefore it enables the audience to gain extra knowledge about different religions; however we can also see how religions and morals are very similar despite the location. This also creates a lack of a clear narrative as the episode jumps from location to location allowing 4-6 minute narratives before moving on. This can be considered postmodern as it confuses the viewer and offers no sort of progression within one unified narrative; it is essentially eight different tv shows. On reflected show breaks the fourth wall as there are such unique locations the show will appeal to a larger audience and therefore the audience will have the ability to relate to the situations that the characters get into within the area. During the episode a White American police officer is given the duty of searching a premises where shots have been fired, his partner and himself search the area and come across a young black boy who is obviously been caught in the cross fire and from the area in which there is a black dominance. Knowing that most white police officers wouldn't care or help this boy, as he is presumed to grow up to become one of the trouble makers in of the neighbourhood, the officer completely contrasts the stereotype as he picks him up and tries to rush him to a hospital despite his partners advice not to help him. This is absolutely postmodern as it doesn't follow the normal proceedings that would occur in our reality today therefore it could be suggested that the producers have blurred the line between reality and fiction as they have created a situation that could occur in our modern society but the characters have dealt with it in a different way to how we would.

How can Grand Theft Auto V and Michael De Santa be considered an example of Postmodernism?

Postmodernism is a 20th century movement which recycles old forms of art, music and other types of media. It is principally a rejection of all traditional forms of media established in the modernist era. The theory primarily explains how postmodernists create a unique form or style of media and cultivates existing forms of art in a collaboration to produce an unorthodox end product or in GTAs case an open world in which anything is possible.

Grand Theft Auto is an action-adventure video game series; most games in the series are set in fictional locales sculpted along the basis of American cities, usually: Liberty City, Vice City, or San Andreas, which are the copy-write equivalent for New York City, Miami and California. In general gameplay focuses on an open world where the player can choose missions in a continuous story mode, as well as, engaging in side adventures and activities consisting of action-adventure, driving, third-person shooting, occasional role-playing, stealth, and racing to name a few. One postmodern technique that is seen in a previous game GTA 4 is parody. New York is known as 'Liberty City' in GTA 4. The Statue of Liberty holds the famous flame however in GTA it is holding a Starbucks Coffee. This is seen as parody and pastiche. This could also mean that Starbucks is taking over the world as GTA is a global game. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most recent version of the franchise; it is also ground breaking as it is possible the most postmodern game of this century, hence the five years it took in development. The game boasts the use of music from reality showing a massive intertextual influence but also sense of ‘Hyper reality’, what is real and what is not. Grand Theft Auto can be seen as a second life. There is a do it yourself attitude (Bricolage) used in this game, there is a narrative but it is jumbled. You do not follow a certain story, there are different missions with different people and it is your choice. Moreover there is no time limit in completing the game allowing users to take their time and enjoy the game instead of being frustrated by it. This can be seen as postmodern as people have their own choice, this game has no boundary’s! Gratification theory is a key feature within the game as players can experience the adrenaline pumping in threatening situations that they would never witness in their life time; such as a bank heist. However they don’t have to deal with the consequences in real life. It offers players a chance at seeing the criminal side of life through the eyes of the characters which is extremely postmodern. Moreover the creators have made the characters more relatable to a typical male target audience as all three antiheros adhere to stereotypes in the western world. Trevor is an out and out all American red neck who has a passionate hate for the US government and lives on the wild side of life. Franklin is an African American gangbanger who lives in ‘the hood.’ Michael who the story is based around, is a family man, living in witness protection, supposed dead by his friends, but living a secret life as a criminal.

Michael is a postmodern character as he is running from the aftermath of the "GTA lifestyle;" a man who has risen from the bottom and done it all in the criminal world, done some terrible things in the past and is trying very hard to change his ways only to find that things aren't always so easy. He is relatable to the white American audience. He looks after his family and will do anything for them despite the threatening consequences. Michael however they take the stereotype of an antihero therefore users can play as him, committing dangerous deeds such as killing, robbing and speeding which our real society doesn’t deem acceptable, however the users route for him and want him to progress and continue to commit these terrible acts as they don’t want to be caught. Michael is a very muddled person and is defiantly confused by the real life struggles of "good and evil" . This makes him even more relatable to the audience members playing him as he struggles to make the right decisions. Michael has an obsession for materialistic appearance and images therefore as you may presume he has the money to attain sports cars, a big Vinewood (Hollywood) mansion and other expensive materialistic objects, therefore consumers who don’t have this amount of money can live ‘the good life’ through the character of Michael. Also in Michaels mansion there is the availability to watch television programs and listen to music that is up to date with the current music scene therefore it blurs the lines between reality and fiction. Michael lives in an open world therefore no day is the same and nothing is ever predictable which relates to our society, moreover the open world gives access to Michael to adventure through, “Sand Shores,” “Vine wood” and the national park therefore giving him lots of opportunities to experience. Moreover you are able to change Michaels outfits as you would be able to do in everyday life, you can change his clothes glasses and shoes as well as giving him the option to wear a hat therefore your character will be unique to another’s in the game adhering to the general idea that everyone is different. Moreover throughout the game you can get his hair cut however your have to go into the barbers and then you get the option of the cut which is extremely close reality which is quite concerning; I will digress later. Moreover Michaels features and the graphics required to produce such an in depth game are so acute that he actually looks like a real living human, moreover the way in which he runs and complete actions are as close to reality as possible therefore the producers have achieved their goal of creating a postmodern game.

In conclusion having a game that is so postmodern may be a good thing however it has its pitfalls as with all the different scenarios within the game, users may become addicted as they have this urge to complete every single mission, more so new missions pop up every time you play the game. This is a concerning problem as by playing GTA users may try and escape from the problems of everyday life by playing in a “new life” as Michael therefore ruining their own sanity and quality of life. This is a ground-breaking product with such in depth details and characters however the satirical way in which has been produced to oppose the ideologies of a basic Americans life is concerning as it could give people ideas that the life in which they actually live in, is substandard in comparison to the life of a GTA character.

Subverting Genres - The Prodigy - Smack my Bitch up

The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" contains excessive expletives and foul language which has numerous sexual references these characteristics are stereotypical of the rap genre. The video predominantly is shown through a point of view shot,  depicting the male gaze, displaying the characters actions throughout the night. They go out out to a nightclub and become intoxicated, moreover they start behaving aggressively and inappropriately feeling women. Finally the character takes a stripper home to penultimately  the night with sexual activities. The music video concludes with a mid shot facing a mirror where it is revealed shockingly that the antagonist character is actually a woman. This plays on the audience's stereotype that typically men behave in a rowdy fashion and , and also subverts one of the most prominent and controversial themes of rap music which is violence against women. The Prodigy has obviously played on the stereotypes of genders contrasting the characteristic with each other.

78% of parents value age ratings for online music videos

After having a talk from the BBFC I was entruiged to find out more about what they do. While i was searching through the website i came across this interesting statement that "78% of parents value age ratings for online music videos."As i had previsouly done a post about this i thought i could back up my thoughts using this informaition below, therfore displaying the big companies in the industry are taking notice of this.

"Parents would like to calibrate parental controls to filter out inappropriate music video content for their children and we look forward to working with the Digital Service Providers to incorporate these findings into the way age ratings and BBFCinsight is presented on their platforms. Non-UK label artists wanting to submit music videos for an age rating and further digital service providers wishing to display them are also welcome to help broaden the coverage of age ratings for online music video content in the UK."

BBFC Talk

Yesterday we attended a talk at FACT in Liverpool, the talk consisted of general information about the BBFC as well as a brake down of how they protect children from unsuitable and even harmful content in films and videos by classification. We found out that they watch films and videos all the way through and award an age rating and insight to each one. (BBFC webpage) "We reach an age rating by applying the standards and criteria contained in our Classification Guidelines." They look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence when making decisions. The theme of the work is also an important consideration.  The talk was very interesting as it opened my eyes to the wide ranges of work within the industry that are not just in front or behind the camera.

 Moreover we were indulged in information about the age ratings that are due to be added to music videos. You can find more about this in my previous blog post: http://paddybrennanalevelmedia.blogspot.com/2015/09/age-classification-on-music-videos.html

Target Audience - Pop, Rock, Rap, EDM/ House

Pop

Katy Perry - California Gurls

Pop music is a genre of increasingly popular music which originated from the Western world during the 1950s and 1960s, It's origins are derived from the rock and roll capital Memphis. Pop music became the prominent genre in the 1980's and has really lead the music front for over 30 years. There has been different variation within the genre as it moves from year to year. Michael Jackson and Madonna were the two icons of pop music and really drove through the theme to the 'tweenie' audience. Their upbeat music appealed to the teen audiences, especially female, as these celebrities became Idols instantly. Typically Music videos in this genre include a lot of bright colours and stereotypically contain a conceit of love throughout the video.

Slash - Guns & Roses

Rock

Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s' and 1950s' rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by blues, rhythm and blues and country music. The target audience for heavy metal music mostly concerns males as it is associated with aggression, moreover its suited to an older audience in their forties and fifties who grew up during the prime of the "big four" of thrash metal: Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth. The Beatles were the first group to really take hold of the rock and roll genre causing international chaos with their popularity known as “Beatlemania”. This type of rock is not the stereotype that springs to mind today, we picture heavy metal bands with face-paint and long dark hair. This was typical in music videos from bands such as “Kiss” and “Twisted Sister.” Typically rock music is associated with having legitimate music talent as musicians tend to perform live rathe than edit their music in a studio, therfore giving Rock an authenticity. This is opposed to the electric editing of pop and EDM music which has taken over the music scene of the 21st Century.

Rap

The target audience for rap or "hip-hop" music used to be predominantly male, as in the nineties when the movement began, most of the artists were male, such as Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. Back then the audience was predominantly african americans as well, as a lot of the artists were and the music reflected the struggles and injustices of the black community so it was something they played on in their rap. However in recent times artists as Nicki Minaj, Lil' Kim and Iggy Azalea, the genre is expanding encapsulating the female audiences. As rap was seen predominantly as ‘black’  music it was a great shock that white artists like Eminem and the Beastie Boys managed to merge into the the market and in Eminem's case, outsell most of the original rappers. It gained its popularity as it was advertised as protest music, or music for the rebels, therfore this particularly appealed to the teenage juvenile society. The conventions of rap are very vain and loud as rappers tend to  be drowned in gold as either: teeth, necklaces, rings, belts or bracelets signifying their uprising in society.  Moreover there is a considerable amount of expletive language and derogatory terms. 

EDM/ House

Electronic dance music is music club music, or simply dance is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres produced largely for nightclubs and festivals. Produced for playback by disc jockeys, such as Martin Garix, Avicci and Calvin Harris EDM is generally used in the context of a live mix, where a DJ creates a seamless selection of tracks by segueing from one recording to the next. The music videos for this genre tends to contain visions of nightclubs with fast switching scenes, or maybe a continues sequence of events from a night out.

Moral Hysteria and Audience

Moral Hysteria is defined as panic from an older generation concerning the choice of youths.


1950's No. 1 - Frankie Laine - I Believe

• Elvis Presley gyrating with hits such as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Jail-house Rock"
• Fear of Rock and Roll starting in Memphis - people believed rock was Satanic music 
• Clothing became more revealing after WW2
• The dancing style became much more provocative and women became sexualised.

1960's No.1 - The Beatles - She Loves You

• Rolling stones - Influence of the Beatles on Western Society - John Lennon aggravated many generations and religions saying the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus." 
• These big name bands influenced whats known as teenage girl hysteria.
• The availability of drugs became a huge problem in the 60's as many bands used them which also influenced their fans to. 
• The contraceptive pill was introduced.The public eye believed this would just mean teens sleeping around, therfore having a knock on effect in music videos as they became more sexualised.

1970's - No.1 - Boney M - Rivers of Babylon

The Beatles broke up leaving a gap open for a new hit band!

• Elvis pronounced dead - Really the end of country music for decades
• Metal Bands eg "Black Sabbath" started to embrace the music scene, this was a new kind of rock that no one had experienced before.
• Anarchy becomes the main threat to society
• US pulls out of Vietnam leading to many protests against the U.S government creating Punk music.

1980's No.1 - Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax

• The resurgence of hard rock music in a form of glam metal subgenre. 
• Bands: AC/DC, Queen, U2, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister,Were the most popular acts of the decade. 
• The 1980s saw the emergence of international hard rock band Guns N' Roses and the successful comeback of Aerosmith. The success of hard rock act Van Halen spanned throughout the entire decade.

• Pop became the main genre in the late 80's as Michael Jackson, the superstardom of Prince and the emergence of Madonna,Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson—who were all the most successful musicians during this time.
• Michael Jackson was the first African American artist to have his music video aired on MTV.
• First Wave of pop with many American Artists taking the British pop scene by storm however Duran Duran and Culture Club as well as Dexys Midnight Runners came up with some of the biggest hits of the year with classic songs such as "Karma Chameleon" and "Geno"
• Again drugs were widely available to the general public, however Aids became prevalent at this time and the most famous case would be Freddy Mercury as he died from this disease. 
• Cross dressing was a key theme during this time therfore in many music videos men would be seen wearing women clothing and vice versa - for example David Bowie and Elton John.

1990's No.1 - Bayside Boys - Macarena Bayside Boys Mix

• Pop music was still popular in this era however the movement of Rap threatened pops outright position.
• Rappers such as Dr Dre, Snoop Dog, Easy E, Tupac, Wu Tang Clan, Eminem, Ice Cube, Nelly and R Kelly pioneered this movement with other rappers coming in at the end of the 90's such as Jay Z, Kanye West and 50 Cent. 
• Rap is seen as protest music and it mainly concerns the rights of the African american race some of the stereotypes of this music would be gold chains and beautiful dancers therefore displaying how these rappers have come from nothing but worked for wealth. These rappers were predominantly black, however Eminem became a hit brining in an audience of white american and white British, however there was much controversy over his themes and his popularity. 
• Of course the 90's was a time of protest from many with events such as Mandela's release however there had no been any wars in recent times therefore this era was the safest to live in.  

2000's No.1 - Rihanna - Umbrella 

• The 2000's was the year that R&B really took off with songs such as "Candy Shop" "It Wasn't Me" leading the movement, R&B incorporated the two leading genres Rap and Pop and formed something of a super Genre. 
• However the 90's peace was desolated as on the 11th of September 2001 a terrorist attack shook the world. Which lead to music videos concerning peace and freedom as well as Rap taking a protest stance. 
• The invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan has also had an effect on our society as it is true that in our eyes of many any person resembling Muslim features is deemed a terrorist.
• Music videos suddenly took a turn from being the cute pop music kids were used to hearing to more violent and sexualised. 

         

Age Classification on Music Videos

From 2015 onward on-line music videos will now receive age ratings in the same manner as films do, following a new government scheme.

Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music will send videos to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) before  uploading them to YouTube and Vevo.

Of the 132 videos submitted to the BBFC; 56 are rated 12 and 53 are classified as 15. However...
Only one video got an 18 certificate - Dizzee Rascal's Couple Of Stack.

An example of videos with the 15 certificate includes Calvin Harris's Open Wide, which has "strong bloody violence", sexual references and very strong language.

These age ratings will only be applied to music videos produced in the UK. Making any international artists available to watch on YouTube. This means artists who cause controversy with their videos, such as Rihanna with Bitch Better Have My Money, won't be affected. The government states the scheme will "protect children from viewing inappropriate videos on the internet". Videos given an 18 rating won't automatically load in your browser window.

Todorov's Narrative Theory, Propps and Mise en Scene in Music Videos - Fat Boy Slim

Artist - Fat Boy Slim

Song - Weapon of Choice

Genre - Dance

Theme - You can still have fun when your old!

Todorov's Narrative Theory, Propps and Mise en Scene in Music Videos - Kanye West Monster

Artist - Kanye West

Song - Monster

Genre - Rap

Theme - Black rights movement, displays the stereotypical rapper with chains etc. But theme contains apartheid and segregation as it seems that black members of the public are superior to the white race, clearly displaying Kanyes anger to segregation etc in America

Todorov's Narrative Theory, Propps and Mise en Scene in Music Videos - Linkin Park

Artist - Linken Park  
                                          
Song - Castle of Glass

Genre - Pop/Rock

Theme - Service men and patriotism with a strong convention of duty.

Todorov's Narrative Theory, Propps and Mise en Scene in Music Videos - Taylor Swift Shake it Off

Artist     -    Taylor Swift

Song      -    Shake It Off

Genre    -     Pop

Main Theme - Women's rights, spend more time enjoying yourself and less time trying to fit in.

First Post

I am an A-Level Media student studying at St Anselms College. I am using blogger as a way of dating my media studies coursework. this is my first post.