Media Theories

 Media Language

•semiotics, including Barthes

                        •narratology, including Todorov      

                        genre theory, including Neale:

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Barthes Theory

Semiotics definition:  Is the study of signs and their meaning in society, A sign is something which can stand for something else

Roland Barthes:

Narratives like a ball of string

Roland Barthes was a semiologist.

If you imagine a text is like a ball of string, can it be unravelled in one way or in many ways?

In house of cards two possible story lines can be if Frank gets his revenge and rises to the power, another would be Zoe Barnes and her power struggle when it comes to becoming a journalist and doing anything to get her way. 

Why are narratives open for long-form TV drama shows?

To keep the storyline interesting for the audience watching and as the long form dramas are 1 hour episodes long they would have to fill up the hour and keep the audience enticed throughout. 

Enigma Code 

The Hermeneutic Code (Enigma Code) refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader.

The purpose of the author in this is typically to keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma, until the final scenes when all is revealed and all loose ends are tied off and closure is achieved.

Action Code           

The Proairetic Code (Action Code) also builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader guessing as to what will happen next.

Signs in HoC

American Flag: Represents the states in America/ Liberty/ Democracy

White House: Represents he president and Democracy/ The  leader of the free world/ power/politics

In the character Frank Underwood, how discuss how HoC uses enigma?

HoC uses enigma code through Frank Underwood by showing a fierce, shady character who was promised to be the senator of state but what cheated by the president and the team he assembled. Enigma code applies as Frank uses people such as Russo and Zoe and e don't know what Frank is thinking. 

How does the enigma code apply apply to Telegraph Headline "Who are the Brexit Mutineers" 
The Telegraph uses the enigma code to get people to read their newspapers, Mutineers are people who against the government and Brexit has been a big topic throughout the whole nation. 

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Todorov Narrative

Narrative = story

The primary function of most films is to tell a story..  The mise en scene, cinematography, editing and sound are entirely subservient to the narrative, creating a seamless flow that centers the viewer within the story.

The narratives of most films are centered on one or two main protagonists

•Their lives are disrupted by an outside event, or presence of an unfulfilled desire

•The plot is then about removing that disruption or fulfilling that desire

•The rest of the events in the plot are usually initiated by the protagonist and have a clear cause

and effect relationship to other events

Film narratives share a number of features that audiences expect:

•The role of the protagonist

•The problems faced by the protagonist

•The resolution of these problems

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips is the captain of an unarmed freighter ship and is seen as the main protagonist. The anti hero are the Somali pirates who have just boarded the ship.

The role of the protagonist is to be the shining light and the saviour for people and is seen as a hero in this case the protagonist is Captain Phillips.  

The problems faced by the protagonist is to save the ship and to get rid of the Somali Pirates

The resolution can be fighting back against the pirates. 

Antagonist - The antagonist is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.

Anti-hero - A major character, usually the protagonist, who lacks conventional nobility of mind, and who struggles for values not deemed universally admirable. 

Todorov's Theory 

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages:

•the equilibrium,

•disequilibrium,

•acknowledgement,

•solving

•and again equilibrium.

How does HoC subvert Todorov's Theory

The theory applies to Frank's storyline. Frank is seen as the anti-hero in HoC.

First he helps the presidential elect to rise up to presidency and he put in certain people into power and helped them with their careers. The disruption occurs when Frank doesn't get the job he was promised and so to resolve this Frank is plotting and scheming to become president and uses his powers and manipulation for people to work for him. 

 News Topic: Russian Nerve Agent Attack 

Everything is fine in Salisbury and everyone is normal. The disruption occurs when a Russian spy, his daughter and police officer was poisoned and there was traces of poison left around.  The acknowledgement is that Russia caused this death and the chemical used was made by the Soviet Union. Resolution is that the daughter as recovered and is now talking however there is no news on the spy and the police officer. The new equilibrium will be tat once they have been recovered they would need protection and might have to be with a witness protection program. 

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Neale's Theory

Neale’s theory of repetition and differerence in Genre

• "Genres are instances of repetition and difference"

•"Difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre"

What That Means:

•Steve Neale is saying that a film and it's genre is defined by two things:

•How much it conforms with a genre's stereotypes and conventions.

•He says that a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.

•How much a film subverts the genre's stereotypes and conventions.

•He says that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a clone.

• emporal settings in the future, in alternative timelines, or in a historical past that contradicts known facts of history or the archaeological record.
• Spatial settings or scenes in outer space (e.g. spaceflight), on other worlds, or in subterranean earth.Characters that include aliens, mutants, robots, enhanced humans and other predicted or imagined beings.
• Speculative or predicted technology such as ray guns and other advanced weapons, teleportation, brain-computer interface, bioengineering, neuroprosthetics,superintelligent computers and others.Scientific principles that are new or that contradict accepted physical laws, for example time travel and faster-than-light travel or communication.
• New and different political and social systems and situations, 
• Future history and evolution of humans on earth or on other planets.
• Paranormal abilities such as mind control, telepathy, and telekinesis.
• Other universes or dimensions and travel between them.

To what extent does HOC conform to genre expectations of a

Political thriller/Drama

1) Has an open narrative and can have different story lines which all links to a political dram

2) Represents the power struggle throughout the show examples are frank who was falsely promised.

To what extent does HOC subvert the genre expectations of a political thriller/drama?

1) The audiences can't relate to the character as their dealings and jobs seems almost mysterious and unheard of. 

2) The use of Frank Underwood as the anti-hero shows no one can be trusted.

 Curran and Seaton A political economy approach to the media – arguing that patterns of ownership and control are the most significant factors in how the media operate. Media industries follow the normal capitalist pattern of increasing concentration of ownership in fewer and fewer hands. This leads to a narrowing of the range of opinions represented and a pursuit of profit at the expense of quality or creativity. The internet does not represent a rupture with the past in that it does not offer a level playing field for diverse voices to be heard. It is constrained by nationalism and state censorship. News is still controlled by powerful news organisations, who have successfully defended their oligarchy.