Friday 26 February 2021
Sunday 7 February 2021
STATEMENT OF INTENT (FINALE?!?!?!?!?)
Statement of intent
How will you use media language and media representations in order to create your product, meet the requirements of the brief and the needs of the target audience and reflect the appropriate media industries for your chosen brief?
Be specific about the ways in which you will use aspects of media language, media representations, target your audience and reflect the appropriate media industry for your chosen brief and exploit opportunities for digital convergence.
In order to meet the brief, my chosen song, “I’m Sleepin’ In'' by King Gizzard and The lizard Wizard is exactly three minutes long. The genre of music is Psychedelic rock, a genre that became popular during the 1960s and 70s and has gained traction back into the mainstream by contemporary artists such as Tame Impala. King Gizzard aims to follow in the expanding of the genre into the mainstream by appealing to younger audiences who would be unfamiliar with the genre, although will also connect with older fans who grew up with similar music such as The Beatles. Similarly, King Gizzard explores multiple genres and has a distinct sound that will appeal to a range of audiences.
My target audience will primarily be males aged 18-26, be a part of the ABC1 social class, and lean left politically. As for lifestyle, music is a large part of their life - they are bound to indulge in live concerts, collect records and enjoy experimenting in different musical genres. They will have a vast media literacy, using the internet and social media every day and will commonly interact on twitter with music artists. They are likely to read the NME online, as well as engage with independent music magazines. They best fit the "Explorer" psychographic group.
The headphone sponsorship will be purposefully on the nose, lamp-shading the product placement yet engaging with the audience's tastes in order to create a connection between the audience and the lead (our masked individual.) The use of a modern headphone brand sponsorship will help in both engaging mainstream audiences, as well as creating more juxtaposition including between the 70s aesthetic and the modern world. Specifically, "Marshall" headphones will appeal to the target demographic, a popular brand of headphones evoking a vintage rock feel.
The music magazine is named HAZE. Due to the rise of digital media, the music magazine engages with the target demographic primarily through its online presence, hosting a popular website that branches out into various genres of music and pop culture. Despite this, the magazine still circulates around 190,000 physical issues weekly, partly due to its aesthetic visual design appealing to psychedelic rock audiences. It’s design is modern yet quirky - the front covers are artistic and host hand-drawn stylisations reminiscent of psychedelic album covers from the 70s, managing to engage with the mainstream audience while appealing to a niche one. Similar to magazines like NME, HAZE is heading in the direction of becoming an online-only publication, and thus their social media presence is plentiful and influential.
The video will be uploaded to YouTube and be available for viewing on the band's website. Social media will also be a key aspect in promoting the video, where a link will be cross-posted to the band's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages and be repeatedly advertised coming up to it's debut. The magazine issue will be promoted alongside the music video on the band's website, as well as on all the band's social media platforms. HAZE will also feature exclusive articles promoting King Gizzard’s tour. Furthermore, building an audience on newer social media like Tik-Tok will result in reaching the largest audience possible, as well as creating more opportunities for a strong participatory culture.
In my music video, I will incorporate the concept of juxtaposition; employing media language through Levi Straus' binary opposition theory, with one location being within the confounds of a bedroom and then contrasting it with vast beaches, cliffs and wooded areas. The camera work will be steady and unmoving inside, which will contrast with many panning long shots of the scenery and utilisation of hand-held camerawork. My main idea is to convey the concept of descending into madness while yearning for an unattainable fantasy life: Portraying a fantasy world, akin to a dream-scape, and contrasting it with a world more mundane, which then concludes in the eventual merging of the two as our masked individual wakes up on a mattress outside.
Applying codes and conventions, psychedelic rock elements I will use are Kitsch costumes and intentionally tacky composition of props, such as items not being where they should be for brief shots. Our main actor will be wearing a cheap Halloween mask, obscuring his face.
This will help enhance the psychedelic elements of the video, and make it more entertaining through its absurdity, thus marketable to a mainstream audience. My music video will also be heavily reliant on synchronisation between the music and sequencing of shots, and I will use a lower-quality, VHS styled camera or camera filter that can enhance the mood of the video and liken it to psychedelic music videos of the 70s-80s.
Applying Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory, Personal Identity and Escapism are the two main audience pleasures for my media products. Due to the masked individual being faceless, I believe it will be easier for all audiences to relate to and project their similar feelings of frustration about the unattainable outside world onto them (feelings that will be common amidst the Covid 19 pandemic.) This also plays into representation, as this masked individual represents more than just one gender or one race or one age. No women will be objectified or sexualised, as is common in the modern music industry, and the video will have no focus on gender dynamics or power. This perpetuates Butler's idea that gender is "performed", as disengaging with specific gendered acts in my media product will create unique gender representations. In doing this I will be challenging traditional gender conventions, preventing stereotypes and going against the patriarchy.
Friday 29 January 2021
PRINT PROGRESS
POSTER
>The format is weird??? Should probably just dedicate the bottom third to listing venue times and add flare at the sides some other way.
>Colours are. not very psychadelic, It looks like it's been greyscaled????
Probably something other than orange and green though
>Kind of hard to look at, weird flow with lack of focus for the eyes (mostly b/c of weird empty space) ..Had trouble writing the other venues at the sides anyway so I'll def just write them all at the bottom.
> The white outline would prob look better if it continued and acted as a border for the venues at the bottom.
>Still looks super sketchy. Either refine the lettering a lot or just use an existing font
>I stole copied the lettering of the band name from another king gizzard poster. That might be illegal
FRONT COVER
>Need to actually come up with words that arent placeholders
>Need more features on the side obviously
(and additional images?)
>I think I might just use a font for the "HAZE" title.
>I Like the colours and the layout
INTERVIEW
Friday 8 January 2021
Coursework: Print magazine research and planning
Coursework: Print magazine research and planning
The Print aspect to our coursework brief is as important as the video work have been focusing on so far.
It is crucial that you research, plan and design print work that could comfortably hold its own alongside professional examples. You will also need to include a short paragraph regarding your print magazine work in your redrafted Statement of Intent. A reminder of our coursework brief is here, with the key tasks as follows:
Print
You should create 4 pages from a music magazine. The magazine targets a mainstream music audience.
You should create a front cover, a two-page feature interview with your music artist and a one-page tour advert for your artist that would appear in the magazine.
You can choose the focus of the feature article but it needs to promote the tour and music video. It should also reinforce the brand image of the artist/band and integrate some reference to the headphone manufacturers who are sponsoring the band/artist.
What do you need to produce?
1) The front page (A4 portrait) for a new, original music magazine aimed at a mainstream audience that you have created:
2) A double-page spread feature interview with your artist (A3 landscape - i.e. two A4 pages next to each other):
Print brief - overall minimum requirements
Research and planning blog tasks
Create a blogpost called 'Print brief research and planning' and complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work:
1) Research music magazine cover key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and write which of these you will use for your magazine cover. (This is a film magazine example but the conventions still apply).
It is crucial that you research, plan and design print work that could comfortably hold its own alongside professional examples. You will also need to include a short paragraph regarding your print magazine work in your redrafted Statement of Intent. A reminder of our coursework brief is here, with the key tasks as follows:
You should create 4 pages from a music magazine. The magazine targets a mainstream music audience.
You should create a front cover, a two-page feature interview with your music artist and a one-page tour advert for your artist that would appear in the magazine.
You can choose the focus of the feature article but it needs to promote the tour and music video. It should also reinforce the brand image of the artist/band and integrate some reference to the headphone manufacturers who are sponsoring the band/artist.
What do you need to produce?
1) The front page (A4 portrait) for a new, original music magazine aimed at a mainstream audience that you have created:
- Title and masthead
- Selling line (slogan)
- Cover price
- Dateline
- Main cover image and at least two further smaller images related to the content of the magazine (all original images)
- At least 5 cover lines
2) A double-page spread feature interview with your artist (A3 landscape - i.e. two A4 pages next to each other):
- Content that is appropriate to the conventions of the genre of magazine being created
- Original copy (at least 400 words)
- Each page to use original images as illustrations (the main cover image must not be repeated but can come from the same photoshoot)
- Internal pages should reflect the design codes and conventions of the genre of magazine being created
3) A single-page advert for the artist/band's tour (A4 portrait):
- Original photography - NOT from the same photoshoot as the other pages
- Link/reference to headphone manufacturer sponsorship
- Tour dates and other conventions of tour posters must be included
- A clear house style should be used in the presentation of the magazine pages with a separate house style and branding for the tour poster.
- A minimum of 7 original images should be included in the submission.
- All copy should be original and a minimum of 400 words should be submitted
- Work should be presented on pages that are an appropriate size or in proportion to the size of paper used by magazines
Research and planning blog tasks
Create a blogpost called 'Print brief research and planning' and complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work:
1) Research music magazine cover key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and write which of these you will use for your magazine cover. (This is a film magazine example but the conventions still apply).
Title of publication
Slogan
Central image - the cover is anchored by an image.
Central image - the cover is anchored by an image.
2) Find at least five music magazine front covers (either current or former magazines as many have stopped their print editions) aimed at a similar target audience to your project (mainstream music audience). For each one, pick out one design idea or convention that you could use in your own print work. A few examples to start you off:
The NME magazine features
The Q magazine cover staring Tinie Tempah employs a two-tone contrast using neon pink/red and blue, invoking a hyperpop aesthetic whilst being attention grabbing yet remaining classy and stylish through the musician's wardrobe. The unique font his name is written in further brings attention to the artist.
most magazines tend to employ a single, strong central image which serves to‘anchor’ the cover i.e. provide it with weight and focus, and help establish the magazine’s core values and identity. When using human models, the designer will be careful not to obscure the mouth or eyes, as they are the most expressive part of the face. It is interesting to note that magazines aimed at both males and female audiences commonly use female cover models – the difference will usually lie in the way in which the model is ‘addressing’ the gaze of the camera.
These double page spreads are designed with a balance between text and images in mind. The pages bring attention to specific quotes from the interview, often in large slanted bold letters. The pages also use colour and font to dictate who is speaking and to emphasise certain words and phrases in the interview. Often a bright colour is used in contrast with the more saturated colours of the spread.
4) Find at least five band/artist tour posters on Google images. How are they designed? What conventions do they all feature? How are text and images displayed? What design tricks can you borrow from your examples?
5) Read at least three example music interview features from newspapers and magazines to learn the format, writing style and content for a music magazine interview. You may wish to use the following to help you:
Tom Vek tells us about his surprise album ‘New Symbols’ (1,300 words)
1) Plan a title and slogan (sell line) for your new, original music magazine. Sketch out possible designs for the masthead - font, style, colour etc.
HAZE
Psychedelic Resurgence
2) Plan the content for your magazine front cover. Your double-page spread interview will be the main story and image but what other cover lines and smaller images will you include on the cover?
3) Plan the content for your tour poster. What image will you use? (Remember it needs to be from a different photoshoot). What cities and venues will your artist play in the UK? This may take some research into venues that are associated with your chosen genre and the right size for your artist.
5) Write the text for your double-page spread feature. This needs to be a minimum of 400 words and be completely original and include reference to the music video, tour and headphone sponsorship. Make sure you include a headline, subheading and any pullout quotes or sidebar contents.
6) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing magazines and then planned in planning task 1 above.
7) Produce an A4 landscape sketch of your double page spread design now you have chosen the subject matter and planned the photoshoot.
8) Produce an A4 sketch of your tour poster including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing tour posters and then planned in planning task 3 above.
Photoshoot
1) Who do you need to photograph from your artist/band that will appear on the front cover of your magazine? This is vital for planning the location and time for your photoshoot (note: if it is you or someone in the class it will make things a lot easier in terms of running the photoshoot)
Photoshoot
1) Who do you need to photograph from your artist/band that will appear on the front cover of your magazine? This is vital for planning the location and time for your photoshoot (note: if it is you or someone in the class it will make things a lot easier in terms of running the photoshoot)
>The star of the music video, lead singer
>Breaks traditional conventions, having a masked character appear on a magazine cover.
>A couple images of other students representing band members
>Drawn element, incorporating the psychedelic / alternative indie rock aesthetic, blended into the cover.
2) What image or images do you need for the double-page spread interview feature?
3) What image or images will you use for the tour poster? Remember, you need seven different original images across the print brief in total and the tour poster images(s) need to come from a different photoshoot.
4) Write a shot list for your photoshoots. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.
3) What image or images will you use for the tour poster? Remember, you need seven different original images across the print brief in total and the tour poster images(s) need to come from a different photoshoot.
4) Write a shot list for your photoshoots. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.
5) What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoots?
>masks that appear in the music video
..........................................#
Thursday 5 November 2020
TREATMENT + STATEMENT OF INTENT
Treatment:
Masked man asleep in a bed, follows him performing conventional bedtime rituals, such as brushing teeth, washing face, tucking self in, turning lights off. Shots change in time with the music, (synchronisation).
When “I’m sleeping in...in” is repeated, it shows the same scene from a different angle.
Cuts to outside to a beach location, splashing around in water, running from the waves etc. Lots of establishing shots, panning shots to show scope of outside compared to inside, but also focus on following the masked man. He’s jogging skipping, having fun.
Back and forth editing between man sleeping in bed and outside activities. The shots become more unsettling with props showing up where they shouldn't be, his mask changing briefly, and our masked actor becoming more and more violent in his actions.
During harmonica parts, masked man is playing harmonica as camera circles around him at a low angle, looking from below at him as if spiralling into madness.
Editing becomes more chaotic and fast paced as we begin cutting to and from the inside world and outside world more frequently, until the climax at the end where he wakes up outside on a mattress in the woods.
Statement of intent
How will you use media language and media representations in order to create your product, meet the requirements of the brief and the needs of the target audience and reflect the appropriate media industries for your chosen brief? (Maximum 500 words)
Be specific about the ways in which you will use aspects of media language, media representations, target your audience and reflect the appropriate media industry for your chosen brief and exploit opportunities for digital convergence.
In order to meet the brief, my chosen song, “I’m Sleepin’ In'' by King Gizzard and The lizard Wizard is exactly three minutes long. The genre of music is Psychedelic rock, a genre that became popular during the 1960s and 70s and has gained traction back into the mainstream by contemporary artists such as Tame Impala. King Gizzard aims to follow in the expanding of the genre into the mainstream by appealing to younger audiences who would be unfamiliar with the genre, although will also connect with older fans who grew up with similar music such as The Beatles. Similarly, King Gizzard explores multiple genres and has a distinct sound that will appeal to a range of audiences.
My target audience will primarily be males aged 18-26, be a part of the ABC1 social class, and lean left politically. As for lifestyle, music is a large part of their life - they are bound to indulge in live concerts, collect records and enjoy experimenting in different musical genres. They will have a vast media literacy, using the internet and social media every day and will commonly interact on twitter with music artists. They are likely to read the NME online, as well as engage with independent music magazines. They best fit the "Explorer" psychographic group.
The headphone sponsorship will be purposefully on the nose, lamp-shading the product placement yet engaging with the audience's tastes in order to create a connection between the audience and the lead (our masked individual.) The use of a modern headphone brand sponsorship will help in both engaging mainstream audiences, as well as creating more juxtaposition including between the 70s aesthetic and the modern world. Specifically, "Marshall" headphones will appeal to the target demographic, a popular brand of headphones evoking a vintage rock feel.
The music magazine is named HAZE. Due to the rise of digital media, the music magazine engages with the target demographic primarily through its online presence, hosting a popular website that branches out into various genres of music and pop culture. Despite this, the magazine still circulates around 190,000 physical issues weekly, partly due to its aesthetic visual design appealing to psychedelic rock audiences. It’s design is modern yet quirky - the front covers are artistic and host hand-drawn stylisations reminiscent of psychedelic album covers from the 70s, managing to engage with the mainstream audience while appealing to a niche one. Similar to magazines like NME, HAZE is heading in the direction of becoming an online-only publication, and thus their social media presence is plentiful and influential.
The video will be uploaded to YouTube and be available for viewing on the band's website. Social media will also be a key aspect in promoting the video, where a link will be cross-posted to the band's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages and be repeatedly advertised coming up to it's debut. The magazine issue will be promoted alongside the music video on the band's website, as well as on all the band's social media platforms. HAZE will also feature exclusive articles promoting King Gizzard’s tour. Furthermore, building an audience on newer social media like Tik-Tok will result in reaching the largest audience possible, as well as creating more opportunities for a strong participatory culture.
In my music video, I will incorporate the concept of juxtaposition; employing media language through Levi Straus' binary opposition theory, with one location being within the confounds of a bedroom and then contrasting it with vast beaches, cliffs and wooded areas. The camera work will be steady and unmoving inside, which will contrast with many panning long shots of the scenery and utilisation of hand-held camerawork. My main idea is to convey the concept of descending into madness while yearning for an unattainable fantasy life: Portraying a fantasy world, akin to a dream-scape, and contrasting it with a world more mundane, which then concludes in the eventual merging of the two as our masked individual wakes up on a mattress outside.
Applying codes and conventions, psychedelic rock elements I will use are Kitsch costumes and intentionally tacky composition of props, such as items not being where they should be for brief shots. Our main actor will be wearing a cheap Halloween mask, obscuring his face.
This will help enhance the psychedelic elements of the video, and make it more entertaining through its absurdity, thus marketable to a mainstream audience. My music video will also be heavily reliant on synchronisation between the music and sequencing of shots, and I will use a lower-quality, VHS styled camera or camera filter that can enhance the mood of the video and liken it to psychedelic music videos of the 70s-80s.
Applying Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory, Personal Identity and Escapism are the two main audience pleasures for my media products. Due to the masked individual being faceless, I believe it will be easier for all audiences to relate to and project their similar feelings of frustration about the unattainable outside world onto them (feelings that will be common amidst the Covid 19 pandemic.) This also plays into representation, as this masked individual represents more than just one gender or one race or one age. No women will be objectified or sexualised, as is common in the modern music industry, and the video will have no focus on gender dynamics or power. This perpetuates Butler's idea that gender is "performed", as disengaging with specific gendered acts in my media product will create unique gender representations. In doing this I will be challenging traditional gender conventions, preventing stereotypes and going against the patriarchy.
How would your audience engage with your music video and music magazine? Where would
they watch the video or read the magazine?
How can you exploit opportunities for digital convergence in promoting your artist? The
brief specifically requires the two products to interlink so think about how you can achieve
this synergy across both the video and magazine.
What record company is your artist signed with? What magazine publisher will publish your
music magazine? Will it be a large mainstream publisher like Hearst UK or a small,
independent publisher like Iceberg Press? These are important decisions to ensure your
products don’t look out of place in the modern media landscape.
Monday 28 September 2020
Wednesday 23 September 2020
Radio: War of the Worlds CSP (1938)
Radio: War of the Worlds CSP (1938)
Our second CSP for radio is the 1938 CBS broadcast of War of the Worlds.
This is a famous broadcast of Orson Welles's radio play - an adaptation of HG Wells's science-fiction novel of the same name. It is a text of historical significance due to a long-running debate over the effect the broadcast had over audiences at the time. Here's a lesson video taking you through some of the key ideas around War of the Worlds:
Narrative and background
War of the Worlds, a science-fiction novel by author HG Wells, was first published in 1898. It is a story of alien invasion and war between mankind and an extra-terrestrial race from Mars.
The original 1938 Orson Welles broadcast is available here:
In particular, focus on the following extracts:
Opening: 0.00 – 4.00
Development: 10.00 – 13.00
Emergence of alien: 17.00 – 19.00
Middle section: 39.00 – 41.00
Ending: 57.00 – end
Think about these questions while you listen:
Orson Welles was initially reluctant to adapt War of the Worlds, describing it as 'boring'. He was persuaded by the prospect of using recent developments in radio news reporting to create a hybrid-form radio play designed to sound like a real breaking news story. The broadcast begins with a music performance that is increasingly interrupted by breaking news of martians invading New Jersey.
Historical context
Media effects theories
The War of the Worlds radio play has become a much-studied text with regards to media effects theories. The initial reported reaction from audiences provided evidence for the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory - that suggests people believe whatever they see or hear in the media. However, later studies suggest the audience reaction was exaggerated by the newspaper industry (under threat from radio at the time) and that audiences are more sophisticated consumers of media than first thought.
You can also apply Gerbner's Cultivation Theory, the two-step flow model and Stuart Hall's Reception Theory to Orson Welles's War of the Worlds broadcast.
Radiolab podcast on War of the Worlds
The American podcast Radiolab looked back on the significance of the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds and later attempts to recreate the effect. It's a brilliant summary of the context and reaction from the audience alongside clips from the broadcast and transcripts from interviews at the time.
You can listen to the Radiolab podcast here.
War of the Worlds: Blog tasks
1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?
A radio adaption of H.G. Wells’ novel first published in 1898, War of the Worlds was adapted by Orson Welles (director of citizen kane) in 1938.
2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?
The New York Times headline was "MANY FLEE HOMES TO ESCAPE ‘GAS RAID FROM MARS’ – PHONE CALLS SWAMP POLICE AT BROADCAST OF WELLES FANTASY"
4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the the broadcast and its reaction?
6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?
>Hitler signed the Munich Agreement annexing portions of Czechoslovakia and creating the ‘Sudetenland’.
>At this time, radio networks frequently interrupted programmes to issue news bulletins with updates on the situation in Europe
>As a result, audiences became familiar with such interruptions and were thus more accepting of Welles’ faux newscasts at the beginning of the play. Indeed, for the listeners, it didn’t sound like a play.
It can be interpreted as a passive audience believing whatever they hear, however there were many other factors that could make an audience of the time believe something like war of the world:
"The theory states that audiences consume and respond to media texts in an unquestioning way, believing what they read, see or hear.
10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?
It seems to be one of the first instances of mass hysteria caused due to a piece of fictional media, which brings up questions about the morality of blurring the line between fiction and reality and the way audiences respond to media such as this. It likely caused discussions about how passive audiences are in the consuming of media and how global events can obscure our perception of it.
Well, War of the Worlds was presented as a piece of fiction from the beginning. The objective wasn't to trick the audience into believing that this was a real alien invasion. The newspapers however, purposefully exaggerated the audience reaction in order to discredit radio. Since the newspapers presented this as fact, surely the greater example of fake news is the newspapers.
3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?
I think people are much more cautious of news and messages they see online. The digital media age allows for more "normal" people's viewpoints to be shared around easier, and thus a user of social media isn't going to believe everything they see as they are bound to agree with some things and disagree with others. The age allows for critical thinking and for people to make their own viewpoints and share their views.
5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on audience's views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.
I think this theory can be true in some cases, especially with children, however I don't think the media can completely desensitise people when it comes to certain topics.
6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?
This is a famous broadcast of Orson Welles's radio play - an adaptation of HG Wells's science-fiction novel of the same name. It is a text of historical significance due to a long-running debate over the effect the broadcast had over audiences at the time. Here's a lesson video taking you through some of the key ideas around War of the Worlds:
Narrative and background
War of the Worlds, a science-fiction novel by author HG Wells, was first published in 1898. It is a story of alien invasion and war between mankind and an extra-terrestrial race from Mars.
The original 1938 Orson Welles broadcast is available here:
In particular, focus on the following extracts:
Opening: 0.00 – 4.00
Development: 10.00 – 13.00
Emergence of alien: 17.00 – 19.00
Middle section: 39.00 – 41.00
Ending: 57.00 – end
Think about these questions while you listen:
- How does the radio play seek to engage the audience?
- What effect do you think this may have had on radio audiences in 1938?
Hybrid genre
Orson Welles was initially reluctant to adapt War of the Worlds, describing it as 'boring'. He was persuaded by the prospect of using recent developments in radio news reporting to create a hybrid-form radio play designed to sound like a real breaking news story. The broadcast begins with a music performance that is increasingly interrupted by breaking news of martians invading New Jersey.
Historical context
In 1938, the world was on edge as Germany mobilised to invade Europe and populations feared gas attacks from another world war. In the weeks leading up to the 1938 broadcast, American radio stations had increasingly cut into scheduled programming to bring news updates from Europe on the chances of war. This meant Welles's use of radio news conventions had more of an impact on listeners who were unaware that it was a fictional radio play.
The War of the Worlds radio play has become a much-studied text with regards to media effects theories. The initial reported reaction from audiences provided evidence for the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory - that suggests people believe whatever they see or hear in the media. However, later studies suggest the audience reaction was exaggerated by the newspaper industry (under threat from radio at the time) and that audiences are more sophisticated consumers of media than first thought.
You can also apply Gerbner's Cultivation Theory, the two-step flow model and Stuart Hall's Reception Theory to Orson Welles's War of the Worlds broadcast.
Radiolab podcast on War of the Worlds
The American podcast Radiolab looked back on the significance of the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds and later attempts to recreate the effect. It's a brilliant summary of the context and reaction from the audience alongside clips from the broadcast and transcripts from interviews at the time.
You can listen to the Radiolab podcast here.
War of the Worlds: Blog tasks
Media Factsheet
Read Media Factsheet #176: CSP Radio - War of the Worlds. You'll need your Greenford Google login to download it. Then answer the following questions:
Read Media Factsheet #176: CSP Radio - War of the Worlds. You'll need your Greenford Google login to download it. Then answer the following questions:
1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?
A radio adaption of H.G. Wells’ novel first published in 1898, War of the Worlds was adapted by Orson Welles (director of citizen kane) in 1938.
It tells the fictional event of an alien invasion and the ensuing conflict between mankind and an extra-terrestrial race from Mars in the vein similar to a news story.
The Trenton Police Department (close to the site of the fictional invasion) received over 2000 calls in less than two hours, while the New York Times switchboard received 875 calls from concerned listeners wanting to know where they would be safe.
The Trenton Police Department (close to the site of the fictional invasion) received over 2000 calls in less than two hours, while the New York Times switchboard received 875 calls from concerned listeners wanting to know where they would be safe.
2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?
30th October 1938. The myth is that there was mass panic and hysteria out on the streets.
3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?
3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?
The New York Times headline was "MANY FLEE HOMES TO ESCAPE ‘GAS RAID FROM MARS’ – PHONE CALLS SWAMP POLICE AT BROADCAST OF WELLES FANTASY"
It was said the broadcast disrupted households, interrupted religious services, created traffic jams and clogged communication systems, and that many began to flee their homes.
4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the the broadcast and its reaction?
He suggests that hysteria it caused was not entirely a myth. “Instead it was something decades ahead of its time: history’s first viral-media phenomenon.”
He argues that “the stories of those whom the show frightened offer a fascinating window onto how users engage with media content, spreading and reinterpreting it to suit their own world views.
But it’s even more important to understand how the press magnified and distorted those reactions, creating a story that terrified the nation all over again, so that we can recognise when the same thing happens today. Our news media still have a penchant for making us fear the wrong things, of inflating certain stories into false Armageddons, as they did with War of the Worlds.”
5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?
5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?
His version of War of the Worlds reworks a Victorian narrative about an alien invasion (which he considered “boring”) and turns it into an exciting radio play through his use of pastiche.
By borrowing the conventions of the radio newscast, he is able to create real moments of shock and awe, which almost certainly account for the strong reaction it received. By creating a hybrid form – mixing conventional storytelling with news conventions – Welles blurred the boundaries between fact and fiction in a way that audiences had never experienced.
6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?
>At this time, radio networks frequently interrupted programmes to issue news bulletins with updates on the situation in Europe
>As a result, audiences became familiar with such interruptions and were thus more accepting of Welles’ faux newscasts at the beginning of the play. Indeed, for the listeners, it didn’t sound like a play.
>The rise of fascism and Nazism in the 1930s during the build up to the second world war undoubtedly caused the public to be more on-edge and more likely to get panicked by a radio series like this.
7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?
7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?
CBS Radio network
8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?
1930s and 1940s were considered to be the ‘golden age of radio.’
During this era radio was still a relatively new medium but was widespread in homes across America. It was increasingly competing with newspapers for audiences and advertisers and, in 1938, was winning the battle.
Radio made money off advertising revenue from print during the Depression, badly damaging the newspaper industry.
Papers seized the opportunity to discredit radio as a source of news.
9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?
9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?
"The theory states that audiences consume and respond to media texts in an unquestioning way, believing what they read, see or hear.
This might be true of the audiences of the 1930s, unfamiliar with new media forms like radio, but in the modern age it carries less weight.
It is questionable as to how far most of the audience were actually duped by the broadcast. And, those who ‘bought into’ the idea of an invasion, may well have been influenced by external factors such as the social and political context of the time. It was not impossible to believe that a foreign power was invading American soil in 1938."
10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?
Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory emphasises the longer-term effects that media texts have upon audiences. Based on his research into television viewing, cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real.
Applied to War of the Worlds it could be argued that an audience familiar with the frequent interruptions to radio shows over the weeks leading up to the broadcast did not question the faux invasion broadcasts during Welles’ production.
11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?
11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?
The preferred reading may be to feel an initial shock from the presentation of the broadcast, however interpret it as a fictional story to enjoy as a piece of entertainment. Welles likely assumed the audience listening would have enough media literacy to realise, at least as the broadcast continued, that this wasn't real.
The oppositional reading would be to completely panic about it.
12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?
12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?
The factsheet mentions The Blair Witch Project, a film made up of 'found footage' which sparked debate among audiences as to whether the footage was real. However due to where they watch the media text, it is unlikely to have fooled the audience in the same way, or with the same authority as a series of radio news bulletins.
Analysis and opinion
1) Why do you think the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds has become such a significant moment in media history?
It also sheds light on the way newspapers and media can exaggerate events in order to fit their narrative, showing how powerful news outlets are in shaping society's worldview.
2) War of the Worlds feels like a 1938 version of 'fake news'. But which is the greater example of fake news - Orson Welles's use of radio conventions to create realism or the newspapers exaggerating the audience reaction to discredit radio?
3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?
I don't, as it suggests audiences are completely passive shells who will consume any ideology presented to them.
I think there was. For example, the film of a train that was shown to a group of people that caused them to dodge out of the way, due to never seeing a film before and not being able to comprehend it.
4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?
4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?
I think people are much more cautious of news and messages they see online. The digital media age allows for more "normal" people's viewpoints to be shared around easier, and thus a user of social media isn't going to believe everything they see as they are bound to agree with some things and disagree with others. The age allows for critical thinking and for people to make their own viewpoints and share their views.
5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on audience's views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.
If you are constantly exposed to one ideology, such as only getting your news from right leaning news outlets, you may easily develop right wing ideologies for example. In the same way a child may develop bigoted views from their parents.
An example that disagrees is the use of death in media texts. Media is saturated with death, with video games, movies and any piece of fictional writing showing and discussing death constantly. The average person has probably been exposed to hundreds of examples of death, murder etc in movies and TV, and so they are likely to be desensitised to the abundance of it in media. However, I don't think it would effect a person to the point that hearing or witnessing a death in real life would make them apathetic to it.
6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?
I think it's less valid, as in this digital age we have access to everybody's views and opinions through social media and can easily make judgements about if we agree or disagree or not. We don't only consume left wing media or right wing media, we consume both.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)