& Media Department Film &?Film Media Department BTEC First Diploma in Media Assessment Task Assignment Title: Unit 3 Introduction to Media Audiences and Products Interim deadline: 25th November 2011 (KS4) Final deadline: 30th January 2012 (KS4) Assignment Objectives: 1 Understand how media industries identify audiences for media products 2 Understand how media products are created for audiences 3 Be able to show how audiences make sense of media products. Task Introduction An understanding of how the media creates products for specific audiences is vital to working effectively in the media industry. In this unit you will gain an understanding of how the industry thinks about its audiences and how this affects the way anything created for those audiences is produced. You will also think critically about how audiences understand and make sense of media products. The unit focuses on the ways in which media industries gather information about their audiences and categorise them, how the media products the industries make are constructed and addressed to particular audiences, and how those audiences make sense of the products offered to them. Task 1: Understand how media industries identify audiences for media products (P1) Produce a Bubbl mind map illustrating your own media consumption – breaking them down into different media platforms – TV, Film, Magazines, Interactive Media, Music, Internet, Computer Games, Newspapers and so on. Task 2: Understand how media industries identify audiences for media products (P1, M1 & D1) Produce a Mind Map / Diagram illustrating the ways that Audiences are categorised according to the CARGEL groupings: • • •
Annotate the categories with some critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each Provide examples – of TV programmes, magazines, newspapers & films to help you explain the use of the different categories to target audiences Create collage of images for each of the major lifestyle definitions - Mainstreamers, Aspirers, Succeeders & Reformers with some explanation of how an why these categories are used – make this on Stixy or on Powerpoint
Task 3: Understand how media industries identify audiences for media products (P1, M1 & D1) Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) •
•
•
•
Research how the media industry uses focus groups, questionnaires, and ratings (BARB) to define their target audience and to make content (programmes & films) that appeals to the specific target audiences that they define. Create a presentation that shows an understanding of what focus groups, questionnaires, and ratings (BARB) are - why they are important and how the information is used. Focus on “Test Screenings” for Hollywood & UK films; how are these carried out and why? Give at least 3 examples of “Test Screenings” that have resulted in changes to films that were screened. Give examples of BARB ratings for UK television channels and programmes - and how this might affect what programmes are made, the budgets for them, and when they are shown
Task 4: Understand how media industries identify audiences for media products (P1, M1 & D1) Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) Be able to show how audiences make sense of media products (P1, M1 & D1) Make a presentation (Stixy, Popplet, Powerpoint or Keynote) that shows your understanding of target audiences: • Add examples of four film posters • Explain and analyse the Target Audience for each poster • Define the Genre, explain how you know what the genre of the film is • Explain how Genre helps the Industry to target their Audience. Task 5: Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) Be able to show how audiences make sense of media products (P1, M1 & D1) Explain and analyse the target audience of two of the previous four film posters in more depth – focusing on: • • • • • • •
Title of the film Font/Typeface used on the poster Tag-line Colours used on the poster Characters – facial expression & body language, and clothing Props & Settings Lighting
Remember to keep focused on defining the genre of the film - explaining how you can tell the genre of the film and explain in detail how this helps the industry to target their audience.
Task 6: Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) Create a Presentation on Hybrid Genres - show an understanding of Hybrid Genres and why the film industry uses them to target audiences: • Illustrate your analysis with examples • Explain the genres involved in your hybrid examples – and how you know this • Explain how & why Hybrid Genres will appeal to audiences. Task 7: Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) Be able to show how audiences make sense of media products (P1, M1 & D1) Add ONE trailer and ONE poster of a Hybrid Genre film to your presentation – with detailed notes explaining: • The genres involved in each film, • How you can tell what these genres are • How the film industry uses the notion of hybrid genres to appeal to a variety of audiences • Attempt to show a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid genres films. Task 8: Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) CODES OF PRACTICE AND LEGAL RESTRICTIONS: OFCOM AND THE BBFC are both ‘media regulators’ – regulate is another word for control or supervise. If the media was not regulated then what would happen? Make a presentation about OFCOM & the BBFC • •
•
•
Explain what OFCOM & the BBFC do and why they need to do this Look up the BBFC DECISION for one or two of the films you have analysed – explaining how the film and the trailer have different BBFC certificates and WHY this is Research the section in OFCOM’s “Broadcasting Code” concerned with “Protecting the under 18s” - read through and make notes on a couple of sections, explaining why they need to do this Talk about the “Watershed” and link this to one of the film trailers you have analysed - for example if it was for a violent film they could not show the violence before 9pm and so might make the trailer a 12 certificate, whereas the film – which is only shown in cinemas – might be an 18 certificate
Task 9: Understand how media products are created for audiences (P1, M1 & D1) Define, and show an understanding of, the concepts of “narrowcasting” and “niche” audiences. • Analyse 3 UKTV channels (Dave, Yesterday, Alibi, Home and the like) on a presentation • Define the target audience for each channel and how you know this • Explain how these channels “narrowcast” to “niche” audiences – using examples of the programmes they show to illustrate your point • You must also show an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of niche TV channels – it will help here to define them in terms of how they are different from TV channels that “broadcast” programmes to a wide (mostly mainstream) audience.