Sir Alan Sugar to run a series of 'The Apprentice' for teenagers!
-The show has more teenage viewers than that of any other age
-This would be a big step in involving teens in shows which are of real use
-Slight controversy associated with this years series since one of the candidates is the BBC Sports Reporter something.. -This has created rumours that the Reporter got an easy tickt into the show.
-This series will be the one most watched out of all 4 - with 20,000 candidates applying to be in the show.
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Using a comparison of two tests as a starting pint, consider the issues and debates they raise.
“The Guardian”, a broadsheet newspaper, and the “Daily Express” -by contrast a tabloid, are both national newspapers. “The Guardian” serves to educate it’s a, b, c1 target audience who are very much likely to be the intellectual middle/ working class, whereas the “Daily Express” attracts more of the lower middle class with their sensationalised, predominantly soft news coverage. Ultimately, the front covers of both newspapers aim to show a snapshot of the current newspaper industry ; broadsheets are becoming less hard news orientated, and tabloids are beginning to introduce hard news in the battle to find the perfect mix of news coverage to attract audience in a declining industry.
The main story of both newspapers focuses on politics. In “The Guardian”, the death of Benazir Bhutto - a Muslim presidential candidate is centrally positioned, taking up the vast majority of the space on the front cover. The size of an article is a generic convention in any newspaper to highlight the importance of a story and the bigger proportions awarded to both main stories reflects the importance of politics and Muslim related stories. In typical broadsheet style, “The Guardian” chooses to approach this story sympathetically. Its audience, who are likely to be politically active would find such a threat to terrorism, as posed by Bhutto’s death upsetting and so the broadsheet caters for this my using quotes from people who knew her. This represents “The Guardian” as being extremely reliable as a source in providing news coverage of this death. Unlike the “Daily Express”, whose main story is also concerning a “Muslim plot” to kill, does not sensationalise the story but rather presents facts. Whereas the “Daily Express” is concerned with style, it can be argued that “The Guardian” is more about substance. Furthermore, the way in which the main story of the “Daily Express” is represented - with all letters capitalised as if connoting a sense of urgency- creates the impression of a moral panic. In the case of tabloids, “all bad news is good news” seems to be the case. If we look at the structural composition of the title, it becomes clear that the word “Muslim” and “Briton” are in opposition with one another, representing these two cultures as being mutually exclusive from one another. The idea that it is possible to be a “Muslim” and not a “British Muslim” as implied by the headline represents the “Daily Express” as being highly patriotic and defensive in this nature. The St. Georges logo which bears the sign of a traditional soldier is a representation of the conservative ideologies of the paper where the representation of pure British ideologies surfaces through the main story. The audience for such stories, and for the tabloid must be a passive one who are not willing to question the fundamentals of their “fantantic” based story. This audience, compared to the one of “The Guardian” feeds off the hypodermic needle theory. The main stories of both newspapers, aim to represent the current furore surrounding terrorism, and the Islamic culture.
The presence of soft news is visible on both of the newspapers. In “The Guardian” this is shown through the images of “2007” through Amy Winehouse and the disappearance of Madeline McMann. Choosing Amy Winehouse as one of the mains stories of 2007 illustrates the current debate surrounding news values as ones which are ‘dumbing down’ its audiences. Similarly, soft news prevails in the tabloid with the story of “Holly’s cleavage” and one lottery winner. Evidently, both newspapers conform to the glammour surround the culture of the celebrity. With recent media developments and obsessions with the lives of other people, such as the emergence of “Big Brother” and “You are what you eat” that articles on Holly and Amy are simply depicting the type of society we live in; one that is far more concerned with the lives of others than our own, and one that thrives off gossip.
Furthermore, the ‘dumbing down’ process is made apparent through the ear piece which promotes a “new cartoon launching in the Comic.” The need to promote this comic on the front cover clearly displays the priorities of “The Guardian;” cartoon based stories are considered important in their selection of news. Whilst this does represent the paper as being one that caters for all its audiences, and in this case through providing a humour package for some of its liberal, young adult audience, it does create the impression that “The Guardian” can be best describes as a cross between a tabloid and a traditional broadsheet - a feature which further reinforces the point that broadsheet which do not specialise in a specific sector, such as “The Financial Times”, are becoming less hard news centered.
On the other hand, the “Daily Express” has shown a higher frequency in presenting political news since the war on terrorism began. In this area, strong comparisons between the “Daily Express” and “The Mirror” can be made; whilst both are well established tabloids, they are beginning to realise the importance of current affairs and do a better job in providing them than they once did. For example, an instant glance at the front cover of the “Daily Express” reveals only one soft news story and that is of Holly. Even then, the caption below her picture reads “Did Holly really show too much on family TV?” representing a concern for their family readers (thought it is also arguable that such a caption would attract the male gaze.)
In conclusion, it can be argued that a cross examination across both the front covers provide a glimpse of each of the institution’s main priorities; the “Daily Express” is starting to borrow the conventions of a broadsheet to compensate for the arrival of other mediums which cater for similar audiences of tabloids (for example, pornographic magazines which also attract the same audiences as “The Sun,”) and that broadsheets are becoming the mix between formal news and informal entertainment. -”The Guardian’s” Berliner size is a symbol of its change.
“The Guardian”, a broadsheet newspaper, and the “Daily Express” -by contrast a tabloid, are both national newspapers. “The Guardian” serves to educate it’s a, b, c1 target audience who are very much likely to be the intellectual middle/ working class, whereas the “Daily Express” attracts more of the lower middle class with their sensationalised, predominantly soft news coverage. Ultimately, the front covers of both newspapers aim to show a snapshot of the current newspaper industry ; broadsheets are becoming less hard news orientated, and tabloids are beginning to introduce hard news in the battle to find the perfect mix of news coverage to attract audience in a declining industry.
The main story of both newspapers focuses on politics. In “The Guardian”, the death of Benazir Bhutto - a Muslim presidential candidate is centrally positioned, taking up the vast majority of the space on the front cover. The size of an article is a generic convention in any newspaper to highlight the importance of a story and the bigger proportions awarded to both main stories reflects the importance of politics and Muslim related stories. In typical broadsheet style, “The Guardian” chooses to approach this story sympathetically. Its audience, who are likely to be politically active would find such a threat to terrorism, as posed by Bhutto’s death upsetting and so the broadsheet caters for this my using quotes from people who knew her. This represents “The Guardian” as being extremely reliable as a source in providing news coverage of this death. Unlike the “Daily Express”, whose main story is also concerning a “Muslim plot” to kill, does not sensationalise the story but rather presents facts. Whereas the “Daily Express” is concerned with style, it can be argued that “The Guardian” is more about substance. Furthermore, the way in which the main story of the “Daily Express” is represented - with all letters capitalised as if connoting a sense of urgency- creates the impression of a moral panic. In the case of tabloids, “all bad news is good news” seems to be the case. If we look at the structural composition of the title, it becomes clear that the word “Muslim” and “Briton” are in opposition with one another, representing these two cultures as being mutually exclusive from one another. The idea that it is possible to be a “Muslim” and not a “British Muslim” as implied by the headline represents the “Daily Express” as being highly patriotic and defensive in this nature. The St. Georges logo which bears the sign of a traditional soldier is a representation of the conservative ideologies of the paper where the representation of pure British ideologies surfaces through the main story. The audience for such stories, and for the tabloid must be a passive one who are not willing to question the fundamentals of their “fantantic” based story. This audience, compared to the one of “The Guardian” feeds off the hypodermic needle theory. The main stories of both newspapers, aim to represent the current furore surrounding terrorism, and the Islamic culture.
The presence of soft news is visible on both of the newspapers. In “The Guardian” this is shown through the images of “2007” through Amy Winehouse and the disappearance of Madeline McMann. Choosing Amy Winehouse as one of the mains stories of 2007 illustrates the current debate surrounding news values as ones which are ‘dumbing down’ its audiences. Similarly, soft news prevails in the tabloid with the story of “Holly’s cleavage” and one lottery winner. Evidently, both newspapers conform to the glammour surround the culture of the celebrity. With recent media developments and obsessions with the lives of other people, such as the emergence of “Big Brother” and “You are what you eat” that articles on Holly and Amy are simply depicting the type of society we live in; one that is far more concerned with the lives of others than our own, and one that thrives off gossip.
Furthermore, the ‘dumbing down’ process is made apparent through the ear piece which promotes a “new cartoon launching in the Comic.” The need to promote this comic on the front cover clearly displays the priorities of “The Guardian;” cartoon based stories are considered important in their selection of news. Whilst this does represent the paper as being one that caters for all its audiences, and in this case through providing a humour package for some of its liberal, young adult audience, it does create the impression that “The Guardian” can be best describes as a cross between a tabloid and a traditional broadsheet - a feature which further reinforces the point that broadsheet which do not specialise in a specific sector, such as “The Financial Times”, are becoming less hard news centered.
On the other hand, the “Daily Express” has shown a higher frequency in presenting political news since the war on terrorism began. In this area, strong comparisons between the “Daily Express” and “The Mirror” can be made; whilst both are well established tabloids, they are beginning to realise the importance of current affairs and do a better job in providing them than they once did. For example, an instant glance at the front cover of the “Daily Express” reveals only one soft news story and that is of Holly. Even then, the caption below her picture reads “Did Holly really show too much on family TV?” representing a concern for their family readers (thought it is also arguable that such a caption would attract the male gaze.)
In conclusion, it can be argued that a cross examination across both the front covers provide a glimpse of each of the institution’s main priorities; the “Daily Express” is starting to borrow the conventions of a broadsheet to compensate for the arrival of other mediums which cater for similar audiences of tabloids (for example, pornographic magazines which also attract the same audiences as “The Sun,”) and that broadsheets are becoming the mix between formal news and informal entertainment. -”The Guardian’s” Berliner size is a symbol of its change.
The trailers for ‘Halloween’ (1978) and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (2003) promote both films and capture the attention of their primary teenage audience who are targeted through the use of a predominant teenage cast. The issues explored through the narrative show how 'Halloween' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' are used as a tool to discuss issues that exist within the American society, particularly amongst teenagers.
The openings of both trailers adopt technques which carry shock value and in essence, subvert the audience's expectations of the slasher genre. In the trailer for 'Halloween,' the killer's identity is kept concealed from the audience to generate tension and excitement -the two necessary criteria's for a film trailer. In a typical point of view shot, where the audience can only see the film through two round cirlces depcting the eyes on a mask, the audience is confronted with an unexpected scene of a child with the dagger and the mask. Similarly, the opening of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' completely employs the characteristics of the romance genre; the string music in the background plays softly whilst the sun begins to set, and the characters inside the van are shown in relationships. This immediately represents the film as being atypical of the slasher genre where, as seen in 'Halloween,' the opening of the trailer features a brutal stabbing scene. Again, there are similarities with the 'Halloween' trailer in that the cast used are teenagers. If one attempts to merge a teenage cast with the glory and violently fanatic slasher genre, it becomes clear why there are current issues debating the influence of media, and especially media which depicts violent as "cool" on children. For example, older children are likely to interpret the trailer of 'Halloween' as fun; the child is placed in a powerful position through the killings he can commit but also through the fact that the act of killing puts you in a position where adults become scared of you. Furthermore, it can also be argued that the romantic opening of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ represents these acts of killing as an act of art - another threat indicating the influence the media is capable of exerting onto its audiences.
In both trailers the characters who kill are represented as “outsiders” of the community. In the ‘Halloween’ trailer, the child is shown wearing a clown’s costume. This suggests that the child is seen within the family circle as a humorous character who is not considered in a serious light. These acts of killing then are shown as a cry for attention, further reinforced through the psychiatric comment which creates a sympathetic view towards the child. This is a typical convention of the slather genre; these killers do not kill aimlessly and although not explored explicitly, both the trailers for ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ hint at psychological reasons for the killings. This is shown through two techniques; firstly, the costumes these killers wear and secondly, through the narrative which constructs an opposition between the “outside” world and the “normal” world; the differences between the two highlight the discrimination of the “outsiders.” This notion is more apparent in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ than in ‘Halloween;’ Texas, a state in the South is represented as having an entirely different culture to the norm. The house, and the killer family are shown in the trailer as “weird” - they have discoloured skin and posses strange abnormalities in their facial expressions. New Line Cinema, which manufactured ‘Texas…’ is evidently a big budget institution set in the northern district of the USA. If one uses a basic example of the conflict between the north and the south of the USA, in terms of which is considered more prosperous and the other with a disjointed sense of culture, then ‘Texas…’ most definitely illustrates the discrimination of south against the north. Representations of these killers as such, raises concerns that those who feel vulnerable ins society are not helped as much as they require; there is a sense in our society that children are placed under pressure. Similarly, the north and south divide of the American society are brought up through this trailer; of course, in this trailer and in the film, is a call more a more fragmented American society.
The openings of both trailers adopt technques which carry shock value and in essence, subvert the audience's expectations of the slasher genre. In the trailer for 'Halloween,' the killer's identity is kept concealed from the audience to generate tension and excitement -the two necessary criteria's for a film trailer. In a typical point of view shot, where the audience can only see the film through two round cirlces depcting the eyes on a mask, the audience is confronted with an unexpected scene of a child with the dagger and the mask. Similarly, the opening of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' completely employs the characteristics of the romance genre; the string music in the background plays softly whilst the sun begins to set, and the characters inside the van are shown in relationships. This immediately represents the film as being atypical of the slasher genre where, as seen in 'Halloween,' the opening of the trailer features a brutal stabbing scene. Again, there are similarities with the 'Halloween' trailer in that the cast used are teenagers. If one attempts to merge a teenage cast with the glory and violently fanatic slasher genre, it becomes clear why there are current issues debating the influence of media, and especially media which depicts violent as "cool" on children. For example, older children are likely to interpret the trailer of 'Halloween' as fun; the child is placed in a powerful position through the killings he can commit but also through the fact that the act of killing puts you in a position where adults become scared of you. Furthermore, it can also be argued that the romantic opening of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ represents these acts of killing as an act of art - another threat indicating the influence the media is capable of exerting onto its audiences.
In both trailers the characters who kill are represented as “outsiders” of the community. In the ‘Halloween’ trailer, the child is shown wearing a clown’s costume. This suggests that the child is seen within the family circle as a humorous character who is not considered in a serious light. These acts of killing then are shown as a cry for attention, further reinforced through the psychiatric comment which creates a sympathetic view towards the child. This is a typical convention of the slather genre; these killers do not kill aimlessly and although not explored explicitly, both the trailers for ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ hint at psychological reasons for the killings. This is shown through two techniques; firstly, the costumes these killers wear and secondly, through the narrative which constructs an opposition between the “outside” world and the “normal” world; the differences between the two highlight the discrimination of the “outsiders.” This notion is more apparent in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ than in ‘Halloween;’ Texas, a state in the South is represented as having an entirely different culture to the norm. The house, and the killer family are shown in the trailer as “weird” - they have discoloured skin and posses strange abnormalities in their facial expressions. New Line Cinema, which manufactured ‘Texas…’ is evidently a big budget institution set in the northern district of the USA. If one uses a basic example of the conflict between the north and the south of the USA, in terms of which is considered more prosperous and the other with a disjointed sense of culture, then ‘Texas…’ most definitely illustrates the discrimination of south against the north. Representations of these killers as such, raises concerns that those who feel vulnerable ins society are not helped as much as they require; there is a sense in our society that children are placed under pressure. Similarly, the north and south divide of the American society are brought up through this trailer; of course, in this trailer and in the film, is a call more a more fragmented American society.
Murdoch: I don't want to fight Microsoft.
Yahoo looking for an alternative to the Microsoft bid - don't know what for though..
Murdoch does not want to stand as a competitor against Microsoft because "they have more money"
Murdoch says he's happy with being in the "Google camp" -and that Yahoo missed this opportunity.
Other alternatives for Yahoo include AOL
Yahoo looking for an alternative to the Microsoft bid - don't know what for though..
Murdoch does not want to stand as a competitor against Microsoft because "they have more money"
Murdoch says he's happy with being in the "Google camp" -and that Yahoo missed this opportunity.
Other alternatives for Yahoo include AOL
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Halloween 1978
Form and Function:
Trailer, to promote the film and persuade the audience to see the film.
M
Dark colours used to depict a night scene.
"Hole in the wall" - eyes of the mask.
Eerie music -like the "Jaws" theme.
Iconography -the symbolic dagger
Flashbacks from the past to the future.
Isolated, haunted house. -Lit in the dark
I
G
Slasher -expectations of the "final girl" fulfilled.
R
Child killer -shock value
Three teenage girls, of one who appears to have pre marital sex.
A
Teenagers who would identify with the Halloween culture.
Slasher -genre cinephiles
I
Those who commit "sinful" activites die.
The final girl is the hero, therefore crediting female characters with positive attributes.
Patriarchy - the final girl is saved by the psychatrist. (Those in powerful positions are men)
N
Voice over anchoring and controlling narrative development.
Flashback.
"The night he came home" -climax
E
Wider Context:
"Others have suggested the film is a social critique of the immorality of young people in 1970s America, pointing out that many of Myers' victims are sexually promiscuous substance abusers, while the lone heroine is depicted as chaste and innocent." (wikipedia)
Influenced by Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) seen at the Milan Film Festival, where independent film producer Irwin Yablans and financier Moustapha Akkad talked to Carpenter about producing a film about a stalker who killed babysitters. (film was first to be called "The Babysitter Murderers --Halloween.")
The opening title, featuring a jack-o'-lantern placed against a black backdrop, sets the mood for the entire movie. The camera slowly focuses on one of the jack-o'-lantern's eyes while the main music for Halloween plays in the background. Film historian J.P. Telotte says that this scene "clearly announces that [the film's] primary concern will be with the way in which we see ourselves and others and the consequences that often attend our usual manner of perception." (wikipedia)
Possible influence from the case of Myra Hindley?
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade70.html
Many of the books published in the 70's revolved around a general theme of man's alienation from his spiritual roots. John Updike portrayed characters trying to find meaning in a society spiritually empty and in a state of moral decay.
The Kent State massacre was the most devastating event, with four students gunned down by Ohio National Guardsmen attempting to stem the anti-war demonstrations.
The Vietnam War continued to divide the country even after the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973 put an end to U.S. military participation in the war.
Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
The sci-fi adventure and spectacular special effects of George Lucas's Star Wars made it one of the highest grossing films ever.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003
M
Opening is unconventional of a slasher trailer –romance, and peaceful music.
The first minute of the trailer romanticises the location and drive into Texas. =The sun shining, long roads...etc
Change in tone –“They’re all dead” / frames in time with the sound of a heartbeat/ lots of fades into black
Long pause 30 secs before the trailer finishes – all that is heard are breathing sounds on a black screen and trailer changes again in pace.
I
New Line Cinema = big budget.
“From producer Michael Bay” – selling the film on the producer’s name.
Transformers, Armageddon, The Rock, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys, and Bad Boys II.)
G
Slasher
Chainsaws and butcher’s knife.
Typicality’s of the slasher genre = isolated location (represented through the long, country road)
The “haunted house.”
The (interactive) “hole in the wall.”
R
Teenagers as sexually active engaged in relationships.
“Outsiders” –the tension between the northern and southern states.
A
Similar profile to the audience targeted by Bay. =Teenagers, older adults, mainly male.
I
N
Linear
Binary Oppositions between the outside world and the inside world.
Narrative is driven by the text on screen which guides the audience through the dates and locations of the film. –“Inspired by a true story”
E
Wider Context:
Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. Gein did wear human skin, but he acted alone and did not use a chainsaw.
War on Terrorism 2001
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