Demographics and Psychographics

 1) What information do media companies use to create a demographic profile of their audience?

• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Social class
• Race/ethnicity
• Job/profession/earnings
• Home (city/village/countryside)

2) Why are media companies and advertisers increasingly using audience profiling and not just demographics?

Demographics are becoming outdated as the world evolves. For example, social class is becoming more difficult to classify as jobs are giving higher or lower salaries compared to before.

Furthermore, people in the same demographic do not enjoy the same media products, so profiling must be more detailed.

3) What are the seven different Psychographic groups? 

• The Aspirer
• The Explorer
• The Reformer
• The Mainstreamer
• The Succeeder
• The Struggler
• The Resigned

4) Write a brief summary of what each Psychographic group is seeking or motivated by.

• The Aspirer seeks status and may be motivated by luxury or celebrity endorsements.
• The Explorer seeks discovery and is motivated by innovative brands, products or experiences.
• The Reformer seeks enlightenment and is motivated by products that help the environment, other people or themselves. They are not materialistic.
• The Mainstreamer seeks security and is motivated by tried and trusted brands (e.g. Tesco)
• The Succeeder seeks control and believes they deserve the best. They choose the best brands and products for themselves based on reliability.
• The Struggler seeks escape and is motivated by instant gratification. They live day-to-day.
• The Resigned seeks survival and is motivated by their own built up attitudes over a long period of time. They believe in traditions and institutions they have grown to trust.

5) What psychographic group or groups do YOU belong in? Think about your own interests and lifestyle and explain your decision. Remember, you may fit into two or three different groups! 

I see myself mainly in the explorer. I enjoy being the first to try new products/experiences (although I rarely am). This also makes me somewhat similar to the succeeder, as I enjoy trying out the best of the best. However, I also partly see myself in the mainstream. While I do like new products, value for money is important, and sometimes, I would rather spend money on a brand I know will work then risk it on a brand that might not.

I would consider myself least similar to the resigned. Although I like nostalgia and looking back at the past, I would not consider myself as traditional. I think it is important that tradition is not put on a pedestal, as the world is constantly changing and we need new ideals and norms to fit the present.

Editing Introduction

 https://youtu.be/KEhPn6LC7U4

Camera Movement and Editing

1) Pick three aspects of camera movement in the Minority Report clip. Identify the type of camera movement and write about why the director chose to use that camera movement in the scene and what effect it has on the audience.

The zoom into the newspaper at 0.29 highlights the urgency of the situation as it tells us the fact he is wanted has become public. It signifies the beginning of the action sequence.

The whip pan at 1.02 creates a feeling of action and suspense as the main character tries to flee.

The handheld camera effect at 3.20 helps to further communicate the action genre as it evokes a feeling of urgency, conveying the urgency of the character in that he needs to escape.

2) Pick two aspects of editing in the Minority Report clip and write about what effect it has on the audience.

The eyeline match cut at 0.37 conveys the man's realisation that John Anderton (the man he is looking at) is a wanted criminal.

 

The use of rapid jump cutscuts from 2.10 onwards create chaos, urgency and energy, highlighting the chaos of the situation where John Anderton is trying to escape and the officers are scrambling to catch him. 

3) Finally, revise last week's work on camerawork by picking out two shots or camera angles in the clip that communicate meaning to the audience.

The low angle used at 1.12 makes the officers chasing the main character seem more powerful compared to him. It also makes him appear more vulnerable.

The high angle at 2.51 exaggerates the height of the fall, creating a sense of danger that communicates the action genre.

Blog Feedback and Learner Response

Feedback:

WWW: Your blog is an absolute joy to read – such an excellent start to GCSE Media! I totally agree with aiming for a Grade 9 and I’m delighted to hear you are looking forward to the creative side of media (Photoshop, editing). Your fruit bowls are stunning and your Stranger Things analysis not only goes the extra mile in terms of analysis and extension work but also shows a real understanding of the hybrid genre and cultural contexts of the show. Keep up the good work!

EBI: It’s very difficult to find fault with your work so far but in your Denotation and Connotation work ideally you want your analysis paragraph to be the most extensive element. This can examine the different possible meanings that are being communicated to the audience and deconstructing this is the hallmark of a top Media student.

LR Tasks:

1) What do you feel is your strongest piece of work so far?

I think my strongest piece of work so far is the 'Mise-en-scene: Stranger Things Analysis'

2) What is your weakest?

I think my weakest piece of work so far is 'Denotation and Connotation'.

3) What specific skills or knowledge do you need to develop over the rest of the course?

I need to develop my skills on analysis by including different interpretations and what they might mean instead of just one.

Camerawork Shots and Angles

1) Three camera shots:

- The sudden use of a close-up at 1.10 intensifies the scene and has the effect of making the audience wonder what the 'osterhagen' key is, and why it must not be used. It quickly makes the scene more serious and highlights that whatever they are doing is urgent, and they cannot waste time.

- The swap to an over-the-shoulder shot at 2.40 moves the focal point onto her typing and her computer. It emphasises that the situation is no longer about her and that they must focus on saving the world. It also changes from a close-up to a medium close-up, allowing us to see more of the background and symbolising their new focus, saving the world instead of only her.

- The long shot at 3.36 onwards allows us to see the full setting and emphasises the power of the signal, in that it needs to reach past the world in order to reach the doctor. 

2) Camera Angles:

- The extreme high-angle shot at 3.33 intensifies the strength of the machine compared to the person, as the person is made tiny compared to the machine, which takes up most of the frame. This illustrates how helpless and powerless humanity would be without the aid of the machine.

3) Mise-en-scene:

- The setting is full of machinery and technology, communicating the science-fiction genre. The costume of the man in the suit illustrates his power, in contrast to someone like the young boy with the blue shirt, which implies he has less authority,