KEY TEXT SUMMARY : Water Aid " Rain for good "

 Media Representation of Gender:

 

In the media, gender is represented differently and one significant than the other. Throughout the years, men were perceived more seriously whereas women were pushed aside and seen as an inferior gender to men. For example, a common stereotype for women is that they shouldn’t be allowed to attain jobs and should just stay at home to be housewives. Nowadays, women are starting to make a stand influencing the media that they shouldn’t be underestimated. Furthermore, in the media, most of the time men have been represented as sexual predators and money-obsessed on the other hand women have represented as sexual objects to be controlled and used by men. An example is hip-hop and rap genre music videos where barely dressed women are seen pining over the man and flaunting their bodies like a sexual object. You hardly see men having to flaunt their bodies in music videos, it’s always women which proves the fact that the media uses the stereotype that women are sexual objects created to please men to symbolize how men are superior and are supposed to be the money makers.

  

Now in the 21^st century, women are starting to challenge stereotypes and are becoming more positively represented in media. For instance, the Olympic sport running is recognized as a male predominate sport but at the moment, female runners such as Laura Muir, Sophie Power, and many more have taken the world by storm by their incredible speed. However, another stereotype for women is that being tall and skinny is what makes a girl attractive. Due to the modelling world and magazines such as Vogue, Seventeen, and Elle, on the covers, women are always represented as slim.

 

 

This sets a narrative that unless a woman has a flat stomach, small waist and hips, and long legs then they should just give up ever making it as a model but plus-size models such as Ashley Graham and Tess Holiday are breaking that criteria and stereotype by being plastered on various magazines that usually showcase models that are slimmer. 

Tide / 1950s Adverts - Representation:

 

In the 1950s, a plague of sexist adverts stereotyping women came out. The adverts constantly pushed out the stereotype that women were only valuable when in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the man in the house otherwise they were a worthless wife. In the adverts, men were seen as the alpha and the gender that deserved the most praise and attention whereas the women were pushed aside. Women were displayed as weak and helpless in adverts. In that era, a woman was only born to serve men at their beck and call no matter otherwise they were shunned from society. Being a good wife depicted taking care of your husband, cooking, cleaning, housework, taking care of the kids, and looking presentable. A perfect household is what society aimed for.

In Tide, women usually had updo hairstyles that were away from their faces. Makeup often consisted of mascara and bright red lipstick. They were seen wearing dot-decorated frilly dresses or skirts. The clothing that women wore mostly consisted of dresses and skirts; trousers were for men. 

The adverts broadcasted the stereotypical lifestyle of a stay-at-home housewife mother with at least two children and a dependable, strong, and hard-working father who brings the money and food to the table whilst the women were made to cook, clean, and take care of their children. That was the lifestyle and ideology instilled in these adverts.

The narrative and role of the Tide adverts was to send out subliminal messages to society that women were nothing but housewives. 

Charity Adverts:

This charity is to raise awareness about third world problems that other countries that don't have sufficient resources to survive to suffer with, specifically hunger. To enlighten the world that there are countries out there that aren't able to feed themselves every day or go to school without paying a fee that they can't afford. To spread awareness and to raise money for the people in need so that they're able to at least eat and go to school. The charity tries to achieve their goal through empathy and guilt by displaying small children who are suffering from malnutrition, targeting parents who have children, and wouldn't ever want their children to be put in the same situation. The guilt that they feel would make them feel the need to do something such as donating money and also spreading awareness.

CHARITY ADVERT Analysis 1 MOST SHOCKING SECOND A DAY:

General Conventions:

The campaign name is shown at the end of the advert for emphasised effect. The name is SAVESYRIASCHILDREN. The direct mode of address is shown at the end when the little girl blows the candle and the woman, who we assume is her mother, tells her to make a wish and the girl's eyes flicker towards the camera staring straight at the audience. This could be ambiguous and be interpreted in many different ways but one of the ways it could be interpreted is that she stares at the camera to show that her wish is for the audience to send in donations to help her, the small smile that she gives is used to create guilt from the audience because she looks hopeful. 

Use of Camera & Editing:

There's only one shot that is used throughout the video which is the medium close-up shot where the main character, which is the little girl, takes up most of the shot and it's almost as if she's holding the camera. The cuts throughout the video only last up to at least two seconds, they're short and abrupt. The abrupt cuts of the happy moments in her life leading to the worst moments to show everything can change in a split second. It takes the audience through a journey of the girl's life almost from her point of view, evoking empathy and guilt from the audience.

Lighting & Colour:

At the beginning of the advert, the lighting consisted of a warm undertone to symbolize the liveliness of her family home and the neighborhood she lives in. Slowly, as the mood of the adverts starts to darken; the colours get dimmer and have more shadowy effects to show how she's constantly living in fear having to look over her shoulder now that her country is being bombed. At some points in the advert, the girl is sitting in the pitch black and staring into space blankly; this symbolizes how her life has become depressing and dark. 

Sound:

In the advert, apart from her family singing her happy birthday, there is no music only background sounds of an average's humans everyday life such as cars in the road, conversations, and laughter. However, the sounds start to become more explosive and loud. The harsh sounds of bombs, planes, and screams of people filling the background. There are a few words exchanged in the advert but they're mostly shouts for her family or the news playing in the background on the television at her family house talking about the bombing. These are used to show the audience how her life gradually went from a normal middle-class life to a life filled with the bombing, war, and screams. At one point in the advert, there is silence which emphasizes the loneliness that she feels after being separated from the rest of her family. It's used to deliver a message that you shouldn't take things for granted because in a moment that could all be taken away.

Language:

There's only a scarce amount of dialogue in the advert. The only important and significant dialogue is when the girl is screaming for her family or the phrase 'make a wish' and 'happy birthday.' The first time 'Happy birthday and make a wish,' was said was during a happy moment in her life when her cake is full of the correct number of candles for her age then the last time that 'Make a wish' could be heard symbolises that instead of wishing for what an average child her age would wish for an example dolls or toys, she has to wish for her situation to get better or to see the rest of her family again. 

KEY TEXT SUMMARY: Tide Print Advert

The stereotypes that are conveyed in the Tide Adverts is the misogynistic remarks about how women are only useful when doing the washing and cleaning which is why all the Tide Adverts plaster women as the face of the adverts because it pushes the stereotypical propaganda that women should stay as housewives and let the men do all the work. These stereotypes aren't the exaggeration of something real because, during that era, women were seen as only housewives and a weak gender compared to men. 

The inequalities that could have led to the creation of this stereotype is women being treated as lesser than men and being advertised as housewives who should submit submissiveness to men. The Tide Adverts support Gauntlett's claim that in the past media representations offered singular straightforward messages about male and female identities, this is shown by the stereotypical message that women are nothing but maids for men. Now, adverts aren't sexist and don't share one narrative of women. 

Feminism is the oppression and lack of equality of women compared to men. The representation of women is culturally specific by Western media. To a large extent, women are relegated to a passive role as objects of men. 

KEY TEXT SUMMARY : Water Aid " Rain for good "

At the beginning of the advert, the first camera shot is a middle shot of what looks like a middle-class living room near a window where it's raining and then the camera pans to Africa, the dry land coming into view. It symbolizes how whilst in the UK people usually stay in their homes if it starts raining heavily but in Africa, they use it as a golden opportunity to gather water around the village. The UK is presented as privileged compared to Africa because it shows how the UK has the luxury to have bottled water but in Africa, they have to walk miles just to get water in a bucket. 

The target audience for this advert is people who live in privileged countries so that they could donate, it's also hinted at the beginning of the advert when the first camera shot is of a middle-class home. At first, the landscape of Africa is shown as brittle, dry, and sandy which is a stereotypical landscape that is used in adverts to symbolize how Africa is lacking as a country filled with poverty but gradually brighter colours start to move into the frame every time the girl gets closer to the water fountain where the other villagers are gathering water too, this symbolizes how despite how dreary their country is, being able to finally collect water after walking miles makes her happy and also the other villagers and this is represented when she has a small smile on her face and starts singing. Despite the advert still having a few stereotypical camera shots of Africa, it breaks the convention by showing the brighter side wi of Africa at the end with the sun shining behind the villagers and vivid bright colours that normally wouldn't be shown in Africa.

In this advert, Africa is represented as a third world country struggling to have water but even though there's not enough water, everyone is still lively and happy and everyone is one big community. It's also represented as a dreary and a country filled with poverty. The sunshine could symbolise hope. During the beginning of the advert, the girl's face holds a sombre expression until she starts to sing and gradually a smile dawns on her face.

The Water Aid charity advert uses a warm undertone of blue at the beginning of the advertisement to represent the rain. Blue is known for being a primary colour for the ocean and sky. It could also have connotations of faith which represents why the girl is still smiling and singing despite going through the struggle of having to walk a long mile to retrieve a bucket of water. Before the other villagers start to fill the frame, the land is seen as dry and sandy with hardly any sunlight until bright colours start to pop into the advert and the sun beams through the video representing the togetherness of the community and the hope they share that when the rain. This charity advert subverts the stereotypical adverts of Africa because usually adverts of Africa show starving children and the bleak side of Africa and how much they're struggling to find food and water whilst in this advert it subverts the expectations of what a donation advert is usually like and shows the brighter side of Africa and the community. The music/singing represents how at peace she feels even with the current situation. The camera shots/angles are mostly of her, the other villagers, the buckets' bright colours and the sunshine. Instead of focusing on the landscape, the girl singing and carrying the bucket to the water source takes up most of the frame throughout the duration of the advert. Apart from the singing, there isn't any other dialogue in the advertisement which could symbolise how the girl singing is enough to portray the message that's been sent through the advert. The target audience is the working class so that they can donate money. 

Decoding Tide-Code and Connotations:

Code	Connotations
The gesture code of the woman hugging the Tide product.	This has connotations of love and relationships and presents the product as having an important role in her life.
The use of superlatives, for example in ‘World’s cleanest wash’	This has connotations of superiority and conveys a sense of excitement.
The use of overexaggerated happy expressions of the women displayed in the adverts.	This has connotations of how women were supposed to be submissive and have no complaints about doing the housework and because they were in love with the product.
The use of clothing of the women wore were what were seen as a trend and fashionable at that time.	This has connotations of how women were only allowed to wear dresses or skirts because trousers were an article of clothing for men and it was a typical fashion for women during the 1950s.
The use of colour used primarily in the advert is red.	This has connotations of how the women were passionately in love with the Tide product and that it was the only laundry detergent that they used.
The text ‘Tide’s got what women wants.’	This has connotations of how buying Tide is an essential need on becoming the perfect housewife.

KEY TEXT: Dizzee Rascal (Dream) Music Video:

The music video begins with a camera shot of pastel coloured alphabet blocks which is a reference to childhood and also subverts the stereotypical expectations of a hip-hop/rap and grime music video that mostly showcase money and sexualise women and their bodies. The second shot is of an old woman seated at the piano who could be viewed as someone who is from the upper class. Next, Dizzee is seen emerging from the music box as a miniature figure which could imply that the old woman views black people as inferior to her. The old lady is also seen making uncomfortable facial expressions which symbolises how on edge she is upon witnessing Dizzee and the puppets rowdy behaviour which is an inference on how the older generation disapprove and look down on the newer generation and their actions. A stereotypical scene is shown when a camera shot of the puppets graffitiing the wall and causing trouble for the police which implies how reckless the younger generation is. Dizzee is also seen wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, loose clothing, which is usually what hip-hop/rap artists tend to wear. When Dizzee raps, "Not knowing for reality that I'd have to prepare 'cause money don't grow on no stick," this emphasises how despite reaching a high status of fame, money never lasts forever. The music video has a grey undertone which creates an old-fashioned theme. 

The main narrative and message of the song is the battle between the hierarchy between black and white people and how the older woman is clearly seen as bigger as Dizzee which refers to how black people are viewed as lesser than white people. The woman is seen staring down at the puppets, who are representations of the youth, and Dizzee with distaste. At the end, cohesion is created as Dizzee returns back to the box the same way he was brought out which was by the woman using her authority to snatch back his power. It's an inference that no matter how successful Dizzee gets, people will always try and strip away his success and take it for themselves. 

In the music video, it's emphasized that the older woman is someone from the upper class whilst Dizzee is of the lower class. It's shown by the difference in their outfits and the way they carry themselves. The woman is seen using dainty and delicate gestures whilst Dizzee's gestures are flashy and wild. Dizzee can also be viewed as defying authority and doing, wearing, and saying as he pleases. This is evident when he says at the beginning of the video, "This is too sensible for me man," suggests how he's not used to being subservient and it doesn't fit him. The estate/neighborhood in the music video represents a stereotypical view of the youth. When the two female puppets walk past with babies in the pram, it references to the single teen mothers who get impregnated at a young age and aren't able to properly provide for themselves and the baby due to dropping out of school and not being able to sustain a job and look after the child at the same time. Also in the music video, Dizzee is the only one seen without any strings which imply how he is rebellious and defiant.

When Dizzee has a microphone in his hand, it indicates that he's retained back the authority and power that the woman took from him. The woman is seen then appearing in a subtle state of panic at the sight of Dizzee rapping into the microphone because she isn't able to preserve the authority. 

There is one main racist and stereotypical culture reference that is evident in the video which links to Gilroy's theory, black facing; the dark skin, big lips and eyes. Features that the media used to mock black people and make fun of them for comedic purposes. The black puppets that are featured in Dizzee's music video are replicas of golliwog dolls, named after a racist blackface character in a show made in 1895, an era where a lot of black face characters were surfacing on the media and viewed as a comedic act for white people who thought it was funny. The upper class old lady that is playing the piano in the music video is a reference to a children's British television programme made in 1933. Despite the lady being viewed as bigger and superior than Dizzee, he subverts the expectations of a black person in society with his success which is implied when he takes back the microphone which emphasizes how he's taken back control from the old woman or the white upper class. 

Now in the 21st century, Britain is a multicultural society with a lot of diversity and different cultures embedded in society however there is still racism that lingers in society more subtly now. There's a scene in the music video where the old woman raises Dizzee's previous album which infers how to get by in society, having connections with white people and conforming to their standards is a must do. It can also be linked to Stuart Hall's representation of media theory when he explains how the audience acknowledge the producer's views but still holds onto their own beliefs which is what is inferred with Dizzee, he is aware that there is still racism but doesn't let that get in the way of him being successful.

What are demographic and psychographic profiling?	Psychographic profiling is the buyers spending habits, hobbies and values. Demographic profiling is population based on age and gender.
What are the four psychographic profiles?	Opinions, attitudes, beliefs and lifestyle.
What are three or four key these facts about the context to the Tide advert?	The Tide advert is for a brand that sells laundry
What are the three ways in which Stuart Hall argues audiences respond to media products?	The three ways in which Stuart Hall argues about the audience's response to media products is how to the producer wants the audience to view the media text, when the audience creates a new meaning for the product, when the audience acknowledges the producer’s views but still holds onto their own beliefs.
What are the two main principles of Gerbner’s cultivation theory?	Repeated exposure to the media resulted in the messages that the media are trying to portray start to become reality and that the media heavily influences the world.
How was the audience of the time targeted by the Tide advert?	During the time that the Tide adverts came out, it was an era where men and women weren’t seen as equals and women were viewed as subservient to men. Since all women were housewives at that time, it was a good opportunity to sell their product because all the housewives would buy it.
Which of these psychographic groups do you think Tide was aimed at? How do you know?	The psychographic group that Tide was aimed at was aspirers because during that time it was a brand that was a must have for housewives to define their place in society as the perfect stay at home wife.
What ideas does Tide aim to cultivate?	The ideas that Tide aim to cultivate are being the perfect wife and having perfect cleaning products.
How do you think a modern aspirer audience would respond to the Tide advert? Why? (Refer to Hall’s reception theory in your answer).	I think a modern aspirer audience would respond to the Tide advert in a positive way especially if the brand is already popular and well known in society because just as in Hall’s reception theory says, the audience still acknowledges the producer’s views but holds their own beliefs. Despite the product not conveying a good message, the modern aspirers would brush it aside due to the popularity of the product.
Think of a media product (tv show/advert/film/magazine/music video) that has been aimed at people like you. (Your age, sex etc).  A Netflix film called Cuties.
What messages did the product cultivate?	The message that the show cultivated was that despite being a minor that it was okay to be oversexualized and wear clothes that are inappropriate for my age group and younger.
Did you accept those messages? Completely? In part?	I didn’t accept the messages because I didn’t agree with the message it was trying to portray in the show and the wrong approach it took.
Describe a product aimed at you whose messages you rejected.	A product aimed at my age group that I rejected because of its message was the snickers advert because the message it was trying to convey was that food is the answer to everyone’s problems which can be triggering to people who struggle with eating disorders or weight.

Riptide by Vance Joy:

Genre & Audience:

Indie music, which is a shorter wording for Independent Music, is when an artist/band who aren't or isn't under any commercial record labels produces music independently and without any management and doesn't fall into just one genre of music. A few examples of well-known established indie artists/bands are Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons, MGMT and Twenty One Pilots. The artist Vance Joy fits into this category of indie music because he produces his own songs and he doesn't only just fall into one genre or musical style. Indie pop music is usually targeted at the age group 16-22, appealing to the younger generation.

Narrative & Iconography:

In the lyrics, the phrase 'Let me be your left man,' is used frequently. Usually, the phrase right hand man is more logical but in these lyrics he sings left hand man. The left hand symbolizes how the girl he's in love with already has someone by her side, her right hand man, he is so desperate to be with her that he wants to be her left hand man even if she's already in a relationship. In the music video, the main singer Vance Joy, is covered by shadows which suggests that he was blinded by his love for the girl and didn't want to see her for who she really was. At the end of the video, the shot of the lady with her makeup smudged is a symbolisation of how their relationship is botched. 

Representation:

Gender, in this video, is represented using a stereotypical concept of women being objectified and gratified. Often in movies or shows, women are the bullseye for being sexualised which is shown in the scene when the lady slowly peels off her swimsuit. This emphasises the sexualisation that women receive which she is trying to portray by removing her swimsuit. Women are also always at the receiving end of violence especially in movies and shows. In the music video, a gun is being shot at her whilst two cameramen are trying to record the scene. This implies how women are treated as objects only used to satisfy the male gaze. The ocean could be a symbolisation for her soul and emotions being crashed together repeatedly not just by society but by the people that were supposed to love and care for her. The lyric in the song, 'I love when you're singing that song' signify that despite her loving when the person she loves sings that song, the person isn't singing the lyrics that she wants to hear. The tarot cards are a symbolisation of the relationship she shared with that person. The fool tarot card means you're taking your first steps and how joyful and excited you are when falling in love. Then the moon depicts our animalistic nature and a path leading off into the distance. The hanged man suggests how she's sacrificing the love that she felt for that person and trying to move on. It also infers how unhappy she was in the relationship and felt bound and helpless. When the woman is hypnotised it emphasises the hold that the person has on her and how he's able to control her no matter what. The scene that follows after is a hand plucking a fresh lime which could symbolise how after the person hypnotises the woman, the relationships starts again.

Post Modernism:

The postmodern techniques used in this music video are Bricolage and Parody & Pastiche. Iconography and conventions are constructed to create a new meaning. Pastiche is used as a form of imitation especially in the scenes where they're pretending to record a film scene. The music video makes a lot of inferences to other movies such as Midnight Cowboy; a movie directed by John Schlesinger. The dark subjects such as violence and death are displayed in a satire and ironic way to imitate society and the media especially the way society and media portray women. It makes the audience look deeper into the lyrics and the music video. Despite it being about a toxic and broken relationship, the lyrics and music video portray the relationship in a way to create a new meaning to the song. 

Paper 1 Section A Practice Exam Question:

In the music video of Riptide by Vance Joy, the woman 

Music Video Unseen Text:

The main message of Taylor Swift's song and music video is about the double standards between men and women. In the music video, Taylor Swift plays the role of a successful rich businessman who also has a daughter. In the opening frame of the music video, the first shot coming into view is of the main character, the man, standing in his office staring out at the windows in between the words 'THE MAN.' This emphasises his dominance and power as man. The symbolisation of him standing in between the words 'THE MAN' is to show that he's the man that everyone wants or wants to be which implies how arrogant and conceited he is. Also it's seen that the man has his hands in his pockets and usually when someone has their hands in their pockets it gives off a sense of arrogance and high confidence. The second shot is of him giving orders to his employees and getting praise from them which shows that his employees admire him and uphold him to high standards. The third shot is really significant because it emphasises on the double standards in this society. The man is boarding the train and is sitting in between passengers whilst smoking and with his legs spread wide. For women it seen as unladylike to sit with your legs wide open but hardly anyone bats an eye when a man does it. The passengers keeping silent represents how society overlook a lot of the bad and dishonourable things that men have done. To add on, on the front of the newspaper the headline says 'FOR MEN WITH REAL THIRST' which talks about some men who don't know how to stop and can't take no for an answer. 

COMPUTER HAME INDUSTRY: Initial Research:

Throughout history, video games and consoles have developed whilst technology has been upgrading. 

MMORPG: A massive multiplayer online roleplaying game.

Augmented Reality: An enhanced version of reality by the use of a VR.

 

Persistent Worlds: A virtual world that functions independently without any user interaction.

CRPG: A computer role playing game where the player controls the actions of a character in a well-defined world.

Avatar: An icon or figure representing a particular person in a video game or etc.

1970s:

This year was the first decade in the history of video games. The first generation consoles were the Magnavox Odyssey which was the first commercial console game to be released in history and was designed by a small team led by Ralph H. Baer at Sanders Associates, Telstar  is a series of dedicated first generation consoles produced, released and marketed by Coleco. Home Pong is a table tennis themed arcade video game manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. The Color-TV Game is a series of five dedicated home video game consoles created by Nintendo and released in Japan only. 

1980s:

This year was the second decade in the industry's history. It was a year with highs and lows. this generation began with the Japanese release of the Family Computer later known as the Nintendo Entertainment system. 1987 started with the PC Engine, a fourth-generation home video game console.

1990s:

The 1990s was the third decade in the industry's history. 2D video games evolved into 3D video games. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16 bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea. The Neo Geo was an arcade system board and home video game released in 1991. Nintendo's Gameboy was the most popular series of handheld gaming systems during the 1990s.

2000s:

This was the fourth decade in the industry's history. It was mostly dominated by well known companies such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. The home video game console Dreamcast, released on 1998 in Japan, was short-lived. The PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and became the best selling video game console of all time. Microsoft rode on the wave and released the Xbox. The Nintendo GameCube was launched in 2001.

2010s:

Being the fifth decade in the industry's history, it was notable for the first 3D games and consoles also introducing cloud gaming, online gaming that runs games on remote servers and streams them directly to a user's device, and virtual reality and the rising influence of mobile games. The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii were released in the mid 2000s. 

2020s:

Currently, the consoles Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 have been released. Due to COVID-19, the pandemic has impacted the video gaming industry and a lot of video games and consoles have been delayed release. 

ASSASSIN CREED 4 Black Flag: Case Study

Industry & Audience:

Assassin Creed Black Flag is a pirate-themed action-adventure video game created by the Canadian video game developer, Ubisoft Montreal. It is a part of the Assassin Creed series and is the sixth installment. It was first released in October 2013 for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and WII U and a month later for the new console release of Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Assassin Creed targets an audience of teenagers above the age of 13 and above as it is PG rated. Ubisoft is the company that creates the Assassin Creed Franchise. It is a French video game company with several development studios across the world. Also, it is the fifth-largest publicly traded game company in America and Europe.

Ownership & Franchise:

Assassin's Creed, a video game franchise published by Ubisoft, is an open-world action world adventure game. It follows a story of a struggle between the Assassins who fight peace with the realism of free will and the Templars who want peace through the idealism of order and control. It's a mix of science fiction and historical fiction with real-life historical events and figures. Whilst playing as Desmond Miles or an Assassin Initiate in the present day who hunt down their Templar targets, for the majority of the time players control an Assassin in the past history. 

Production & Distribution: 

 

The game was released in different formats such as a film, art books, spin-off games, mobile games, comics, and novels have been published. It was released in both online and physical form as a global release. 
 

 

Marketing & Advertising: 

 

The game was advertised by YouTube adverts, TV adverts, posters in public, gaming reviews, pre-released reviews and articles about the upcoming release of the game to increase the excitement for the continuation of the series. The game format that was mostly advertised was the physical release of the game on consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation due to the popularity of the consoles. The elements of the game that the adverts focused on was the storyline of the game to spike the audience’s interest. A good storyline makes a good game. 

 
 

Maintaining and Developing the Audience: 

 

The video game has received numerous awards and nominations including Game of the Year awards. The game and series are commercially successful selling over 155 million copies becoming Ubisoft’s best-selling franchise and one of the highest video game franchises of all time. Overall, on Rotten Tomatoes, a popular review website, Assassin Creed has an approval rating of 18% based on 216 reviews and an average rating of 3.9 out of 10. A lot of fans reviewed the series as the best game in the franchise whilst the others were disappointed with the direction the other games in the series decided to go. 

 
 

Reception: 

 

The role of the organization responsible for regulating the game’s content and giving it a relevant age rating belongs to The Games Rating Authority which is part of the Video Standards Council which rates games using the PEGI system, a logo that is commonly known with video games. Games which carry a PEGI 12, 16 or 18 rating cannot be sold or hired to persons below the respective age bar. 

 

Assassin Creed’s is an open world action-adventure stealth video game and portrays fictional millennia old struggle between the Assassins who fight for peace with free will and the Templars who desire peace through order and control. The series is mixed with science fiction and real-world historical events and figures to bring the story to life. The story is presented from a third-person perspective which is the main character that you play as who is an Assassin. The protagonist uses their stealth and combat skills to take down the targets in the game. The game uses diegetic interface which is a style of fiction storytelling that presents an interior view of a world through narration. If the player is to die or fail a mission, then it is rectified as a loss of memories, and the player is allowed to start again. The main mission of the player is to complete an assassination of public figures. The game uses active moves such as running, climbing buildings or jumping between rooftops. The Assassin is given a ray of unique weapons including the use of a hidden blade set. In the game, it's presented that both male and female characters are strong. An example of this is the female character is Kassandra who is a character in Assassin Creed’s Odyssey. She can fight and hold her own without needing a male lead.  

 

KEY SEQUENCE:

 

In the video, the character’s movements are fluid and match with the motion of the camera to create a sense of realism and an experience coming exactly from a third-person perspective. The graphics are sharp and match the fraps of the screen especially during the boat scene for example the swaying of the boat and ocean overlapping together whilst explosions are being sent either side. The sound of the waves, boat driving, the other characters, and the explosions mixing make the gameplay more dynamic and realistic-like. Even the fact that as the character gets closer then the volume of the characters' voices increases portrays a sense of realistic gameplay. The fighting scenes are fluid and keep the player hooked to the screen with the dramatic dialogue.  

Mainstream and Independent Films:

The difference between a mainstream and independent film is that mainstream films are made with big budgets and promoted a lot whereas independent films are more lowkey and low budget produced. An independent film mostly centres around realism and slice of life whilst mainstream films are flashy.  Mainstream films are controlled by Hollywood, the centre of the entertainment business. The big six are the six most famous and known film studios for example 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios. Mainstream films focus on making a lot of money and is advertised in a lot of cinemas. Independent films aren't really showcased in cinemas because they're not well known or not a lot of people watch it. 

Black Panther is defined as a mainstream film because it's produced by Marvel studios and is part of the Marvel Franchise. Mainstream movies are usually made with a big budget and Black Panther, being directed by Marvel Studios, was made with a big budget. 

PAPER 1 SECTION B FILM MARKETING: Mainstream and Independent Films 

 

The main differences between a mainstream film and independent film are that an independent film makes you think, makes you ask questions, is associated with critical success, the film is usually approached in an artistic and cultural expression. A mainstream film makes you laugh, makes you cry and is associated with commercial success and the film is used as an escape from reality whilst independent films focus on social problems and the factors that society face as of today. An example of a social problem that an independent film can focus on is racism that society still faces even to this day.  

When it comes to audience and access, mainstream films are usually advertised with big budgets and work with popular advertising businesses to broadcast the release of their movies. Mainstream films use the advantage of entertaining themes making a lot of money. Mainstream films also hire a lot of popular and trending actors to gain the audience’s attention as everyone wants to see their favorite actor or actress on big screen. It has higher production values and mostly targets the younger audience. Mainstream films are known for famous film companies producing the movie for example Walt Disney. Whilst independent films explore different cultures, mainstream films stick with the same cultural stereotype being the lead of the movie almost as though they’re playing it safe. 

Independent films are rarely broadcasted or shown at cinemas due its low budget advertising. The less people that know about the movies means that the movie will have a smaller audience. Usually, independent films narrow its focus to social issues which is why they usually target an older audience. Independent films are usually found unusual due to the different ways it portrays the theme of the story and sometimes uses media codes that the audience must look very hard to distinguish. They usually have low production values and have limited star marketing which means they hire actors or actresses that are still coming up into the industry and are unknown by the public.  

BLACK PANTHER: 

Black Panther is defined as a mainstream film because it was produced by a famous big film company called Marvel Studios, a film company that is known for releasing the Avengers series. It has actors and actresses that are famous and loved by the public which is why it gained a lot of fame and love by the audience. It was advertised a lot and shown at different cinemas. Since it’s an action film, it uses a higher production budget and has a lot of flashy CGI that is commonly used in action films to excite the audience. It also captured the public’s attention because people of color are the main actors and actresses of the movie. The film is part of the ongoing Avengers franchise which already has a large pre-existing audience. The film has a clear ending and doesn’t leave the audience to their imagination. The film has themes such as heroism that appeal to the audience. Kevin Feige and David J Grant produced Black Panther. The budget for Black Panther is 200 million USD. Black Panther is one of Marvel Studios financially successful movie. Black Panther fits into the Marvel Franchise and Universe as Black Panther is a character that is a part of the Avengers and is set in the same universe and time. The factors that made Black Panther successful are the pre-existing audience as everyone who was already interested in the Avengers franchise decided to watch Black Panther whilst also boosting its popularity, the cultural theme in Black Panther, the actors and actresses and also the action-packed scenes. What makes the movie different already is the story narrated by a person of color, also the movie got a large mass of positive critical responses and the movie was culturally different from usual Marvel movies. 

 

NEWSPAPERS: 

• Circulation:

The number of copies it distributes on an average day. 

• Readership: 

The group of readers of a particular publication or writer meaning their target audience. 

• Left wing: 

Left wing politics support social equality and egalitarianism, an opposition to social hierarchy. 

• Right wing:

Someone who supports conservative or economic conservatism. 

• Tabloid:

A type of newspaper that has smaller pages, many pictures and short reports. 

• Broadsheet: 

A large piece of paper printed with information only on one side. 

 

 

1. By what percentage has circulation for the Sunday Mirror decreased? 

It decreased by 16.3 percent. 

 

2. Which UK paper had the highest circulation figures as of 2019? 

The UK paper that had the highest circulation figures as of 2019 was The Sun. 

 

 

3. Which paper had the highest circulation figures- The Times or The Mirror? 

The Daily Mirror. 

 

 

4. Which paper is more left-wing, The Mirror or The Times? 

The Mirror is more left wing than The Times. 

 

 

5. What is one of the ten most recognisably left-wing views? 

Believing that the minimum wage in the UK is too low. 

 

 

6. What is one of the ten most recognisably right-wing views? 

Believing the level of welfare benefits in the UK is too high. 

 

 

7. Most Mirror readers make up which age group? 

Women over 35 years old. 

 

 

8. Most Mirror readers make up which socio demographic group? 

Women make up the socio demographic group. 

 

 

9. Most Times readers make up which age group? 

Largely middle class over the age of 35. 

 

 

10. Most Times readers make up which socio demographic group? 

Men make up most of the socio demographic group. 

 

 

11. Which news values do you think were met by the Brexit story? Explain your answer. 

The news values that were met in the Brexit story are familiarity, continuity, and negativity. Familiarity because Brexit is culturally close to Britain and it’s what Britain is going through, and people want to read news that is relevant to the events currently occurring. Continuity because this isn’t the first newspaper to report on Brexit, many newspapers have also reported on Brexit. Negativity because of the headline ‘Brexit delay mayhem’ which means that Brexit has been delayed and the word mayhem has negative connotations and putting that in the headline only causes the audience to feel negative feelings such as stress and confusion.  

Radio Industry: Initial Research 

 

Radio 1 is a British National Radio operated by the BBC. It is widely known for its broadcasting of modern popular music and charting hits throughout the day. The hosts for Radio 1 are Joel Mitchell, Mollie Finn, Fee Mak who host Early Breakfast on Fridays. Sian Eleri hosts Radio 1’s Chillest Show and Gemma Bradley hosts BBC Music Introducing on Radio 1. The target audience is teens to young adults as the radio plays modern popular music which is what a lot of young people of this generation listen to. Radio 1’s spoken segments are documentaries and interviews.  

Radio 3 plays music solely with genres such as classical music, opera, jazz, world music, culture and the arts. The header image of the radio is of an old man which can imply that the radio’s target audience is adults and older. Adults tend to listen to mature music and elderly aged people might like to listen to music that is soothing and relates to their past because jazz was a big part of the 1900s which implies that the radio is trying to appeal to them and target that age group precisely. Radio 3’s spoken segments are a range of different topics such as news going on right now, interview, and musical education. 

Radio 4 is a station that targets an audience that is interested in intellectual speech and broadcasts journalism, witty comedy, features, drama and readings. This radio is a wide variety of spoken word programmes unlike the other Radios that also play music. Its segments are investigation stories, mental health documentaries, paranormal activities, and race. Radio 4’s target audience is adults aged over 35 and over as the radio talks about mature topics that young people of this generation might not really invest in or find interesting to listen to. 

Radio Industry Research Tasks: 

 

Podcasting is series of free episodes of digital audio files that that consist of a spoken style of radio that a user can download for listening on their devices. An example of an app that is podcast based is iPod. An app that is automatically installed on Apple devices. The differences between a Podcast and a Live Radio Broadcasting are that usually live radios must stick to a strict schedule-based format and are only allowed on air for a certain time of the day. Unlike Podcasts, with live radio you must inform your listeners of the schedule so that they are aware of when to tune in. With Podcasts, your audience can listen whenever and wherever. They also have the choice to start from the beginning of the Podcast or to skip to a certain part that they want. Your audience has a lot of control and freedom when it comes to Podcasts. Another one of the differences is that they both have target audiences. Live Radio stations try to appeal to large mass of an audience of all variety of age groups by playing trending popular music while Podcasts narrow on in a smaller audience by focusing on a specific topic. Live Radio Broadcasts are broadcasted live which means if anything happens it will not be able to be edited out as it is live. With a Podcast, you can re-record and edit out any mistakes and technical difficulties that happen whilst also cleaning and polishing up your Podcast. When it concerns Regulations and Licensing vs. Unregulated, with Radio when playing a lot of music, it comes with regulations and things like copyright. A Live Radio must have licensing for the music they play and there are regulations of how much you can play the song. On the other hand, you cannot play any music in Podcasts due to copyright issues. You are only able to play music if you have specific permission from the artist. Podcasts are unregulated. Live Radios have a short duration as since it is live it is only available to the listener in the present moment. Podcasts have a long duration and will be online forever which means that the listener is able to come back to listen at any time without any worries. Platforms that are used to promote and deliver Podcasts are computers, mobile phones and iPads. Examples of Podcasts hosting platform that runs on any device are Captivate and Transistor. 

The key differences of a commercial and a public service radio broadcaster are that public service broadcasts are catered and designed to service the public and example of a public service broadcast is BBC, a British public service broadcasting. Also, it follows the Reithian principles which consists of educating, informing and entertaining. A commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media. The corporate media does not serve the public interest. The benefits for the producer are that when a listener subscribes to their podcast then they can advertise more of their works because the listener is now subscribed. For the audience when they become subscribed, they’re able to keep being informed about the Podcast and can listen to their other Podcasts. 

The mission for BBC is to educate, inform and entertain. Its vision is to be the most creative organization in the world. Their values are trust, the audience’s interest, quality over value for money, creativity, respect and working together. It is meant to inform the audience of current and political issues, reflect the communities that are in the UK, promoting education and learning, building a global understanding of international issues and engage the UK in diverse cultures, encouraging interest, engagement, and participation in cultural and creative sporting activities across the UK and aiding the UK to be updated with media technologies now and in the future.  

Examples of speech-based radio programs from BBC are Woman’s Hour, Homeschool History, Bad People and Podlitical. 

Paper 2 Section B Key Text: Late Night Woman’s Hour 

 

Late Night Woman’s Hour is a late-night edition podcast that features different female guests that talk about a range of subjects that concern women. Each episode focuses on a specific theme that is relevant to the female audience and relates to them. The podcast is a spin-off from Woman’s Hour. Woman’s Hour is a radio magazine programme that covers every topic relevant to women such as abortions, the Equality Act, and feminism. A few examples of the themes and subjects that Late Night Woman’s Hour has talked about are not wanting children, money, losing friends, and makeup on public transport. The podcast is mainly female-centric. The podcast features an introduction of the hosts and how the show works before beginning to discuss the main topic of the podcast of the day. Usually, female guests' phone in who have experiences relating to the topic and the hosts answer to give them insightful advice. 

The main host of Late Night Woman’s Hour is Emma Barnett with the founder of the podcast, Lauren Laverne, occasionally dropping in to help host Emma. Emma Barnett is a British broadcaster and journalist. She also presents BBC Two’s Newsnight and worked for BBC Radio 5 Live for six years. She is a thirty-five-year-old female born in Manchester. She attended Manchester Highschool for girls before going off to graduate from University of Nottingham with a degree of History and Politics. Lauren Laverne is an English Radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She is forty-two years old and was born in Sunderland in a large family. She studied at City of Sunderland College from 1994 to 1996. She has presented a variation of different programmes such as 10 O'clock Live, The Culture Show, Glastonbury Festival and BBC Radio 6 Music’s Breakfast Show. In 2015, she began hosting Late Night Woman’s Hour.  

The podcast’s use of spoken language consists of mode of address, informal and emotional language. The guests and hosts always refer to the audience listening and address them when discussing about a topic. They use the word “you” a lot to include the audience. The use of informal language is employed to make the audience feel comfortable and able to relate to the topic. It’s as if the guests and host are speaking to a best friend. Emotional language is used to stimulate an emotional reaction from the audience and to evoke an emotional response. The introduction plays a soft sound but other than that the rest of the podcast is void from any music so that the audience only focuses on their voices instead of being distracted by background noise. The ambience of the podcast is peaceful and calm. Late Night Woman’s Hour isn’t advertised or marketed as much as other popular radios or podcasts.  

The target audience of Late Night Woman’s Hour is the female audience although sometimes it does include topics that can be relevant to the male audience if they’re curious. It targets woman at the age of thirty-five years old and over. It’s fits with Radio 4’s target audience because the target audience for Radio 4 is also for thirty-five years old and over. 

Paper 1A Beyonce Music Videos: 

Hold Up:

Style of video: 

The video is primarily focused on a story telling narrative from Beyonce’s point of view. Despite being ambiguous, the music video has connotations of her broken relationship with rapper Jay Z. The beginning of the music video starts with Beyonce’s narration of her saying “I tried to change and closed my mouth more, tried to become soft,” this suggests that she tried to become a different person so that their relationship would be able to heal. This highlights how she was gaslighted by the person she loved to the point that she would change everything about herself just to return to how they used to be. It contrasts with her ending line, “Are you cheating on me?” She’s now self-aware of what’s really happening in the relationship and isn’t afraid to ask the inevitable even if it means their relationship taking a turn for the worse. This also links to how usually in relationships when the partner cheats, the fear of asking them and already knowing the answer.  

Star Persona: 

When Beyonce pushes the double doors open and emerges out of the building with an enormous amount of gushing water, this symbolizes her resilience as she’s known for being one of the strongest and independent women in the music industry. Despite all the negative energy, she keeps her head up and focuses on channeling that energy to be strong and fearless. The yellow dress that she’s wearing symbolizes how free she feels as yellow has connotations of optimism. She doesn’t let the negative factors in her life destroy her persona as Beyonce.  

Themes and issues:  

The themes and issues explored in the music video are adultery, broken relationships and power. The main theme of this music video is adultery committed by her partner.  

Representation of gender and ethnicity: 

Beyonce doesn’t follow the stereotypes of a woman having to stay quiet about her relationship issues and lets the world know through the music video that her relationship with Jay Z isn’t perfect and that her social status doesn’t determine that she won’t be treated horribly. Most people who are in broken relationships have a hard time getting back onto their own feet but Beyonce knows her own self-worth which is clearly executed in the music video as she walks around the city with a bat in hand tearing down anything that stands in her way of reforming and mentally growing. Her walking around with a baseball bat and smashing things contrasts in the opening scene of the music video with Beyonce’s narration when she says, “Tried to become soft,” as she now comes to terms that no matter what she changes about herself, she’ll never be enough. 

Technical codes: 

Costume – Her iconic yellow dress is a symbolism of African goddess Oshun who is a healer that gives life, growth, luxury, change and prosperity. 

Performance – The music video captures and executes an artistic narrative rather than a stereotypical music video. The beginning of the video starts off with Beyonce in her flooded bedroom with her underwater before switching to her emerging out of the building perfectly styled and dressed in a yellow dress before she roams the city smashing things with a baseball bat. 

Body language – Throughout the music video, her head is held high as she confidently walks through the city. This links to her self growth and how she’s finally come to terms to overcoming her troubled relationship. 

Lighting – The start of the music video uses dark and eerie lighting whilst as the music video carries on, lighting from the daylight is used.  

Camera angles – The camera shoots from the side and close up. It shoots close up to portray her nonchalant and stoic expression and shoots from the side to show everyday life carrying on despite Beyonce walking past beautifully dressed with a baseball bat that contrasts with her outfit. 

Shot types – The shot types used in the music video are medium close ups, full shots and side shots. 

 Pace of editing – The music video is deliberately slowed down to capture the essence of Beyonce’s growth. 

 

Pretty Hurts: 

  

Style of the video  

 

The music video is largely focused on creating a strong storytelling narrative whilst occasionally focusing on her performance. Her music video showcases the hardship and pressure that young women face in order to feel beautiful and under the harsh judgment of society. Beyoncé also portrays how it’s hard for young women to be comfortable in their own skin as they feel that they have to conform to the stereotypes of being a woman.  

  

  

Star Persona 

  

In the music video Beyoncé’s personality is portrayed as an aspirational woman and a role model to society. This is highlighted and is focused on throughout the music video, especially in the opening close up shot of her looking at her reflection in the mirror to portray a sense of vulnerability in the way we see our reflection and view ourselves because of the scrutiny of the media industry. This could also connect with the audience to accept our true self. We see Beyoncé’s aspirational personality again when the pageant host asks her what her aspiration is in life, the music video then shows flashbacks of her thinking back about her participating in pageants and trying to think of an answer. This reveals to the audience her sense of doubt if that’s what truly makes her happy. Moreover, she then replies with my aspiration is life is to be happy,  this shows her as a role model because it influences the audience not to focus on their looks or how others see them but to concentrate on the most important thing which is happiness. She just wants to be happy which demonstrates how she’s starting to realise what these pageants and the  media has done to her emotionally and have stripped her from her true self. This also shows the audience that there is more to life then being pretty which highlights her as an inspirational figure. 

  

 

Themes and Issues  

 

The themes and issues explored in this music video is the affects of how judgemental society is, the harsh pressure on young women to conform to stereotypes. The main theme is the pressure of society and the pressure it has on women to always look a certain way.  

  

Representation  

  

In the beginning of the video Beyoncé follows the stereotypical view of women by making herself appear “perfect” and to society’s standards to show the audience what it’s like to be a woman. This is seen in the opening scenes of the video when she is weighing herself to make sure she’s a certain weight and whitening her teeth. However, this contrasts  as the video goes on as she represents women as being strong and doing what makes her happy and showcasing that women are more than just their looks but have aspirations too. Beyoncé knows she’s worth more than just her looks and having the perfect body which is seen towards the end when she knocks down all he pageant trophies and she sings the lyric “stripped away the masquerade, the illusion has been shed”  This shows that she finally feels like she can show her true self to society and not care about their judgements and she feels relieved that there’s no illusion to hide herself anymore. There is also the representation of social status, every woman is often viewed by the stereotypes and society’s view of ‘perfect’ but especially when your social status is quite high up for example, celebrities. The public eye is constantly in judgment of them and will feel more pressured to obey what society expects of them. Beyoncé knows her self worth and that just because she’s in the public eye she doesn’t need to pretend to be someone she’s not which is also a great inspirational message for the audience. This  is reflected with the repetitive scenes of her looking at herself in the mirror, knowing that this isn’t what she wants and demonstrates how she’s starting  to being able to be comfortable in her own skin. 

  

 

Technical Codes 

 

Costume – Throughout the music video her costumes are constantly changing to illustrate how important image is to her at the time and shows how the media distracts you to from what’s important. Colours like pink and yellow are used quite a lot which represent happiness, delicacy and femininity. Her sash that she wears throughout is a key part in the video as it represents the title she has achieved as a result of all the pain she had endured.  

  

Performance – The music video is focused more on expressing the narrative of the story and portraying a message to the audience rather than focusing on dancing and a performance. The music video is mostly of her singing on stage and showing the struggles that go on behind closed doors.  

  

Body language – Her body language changes at times during the music video, when she’s at home her body language is lowered and slouched as she appears unhappy and frustrated. However it changes to when she’s on stage, where her body language is confident and smiling with her head held high. This could represent how she truly feels behind closed doors which contrast with how she feels and acts on the stage under the pressure. 

  

Camera angles and Shot types – When Beyoncé is alone in her home, she takes up most of the shot and is the focal point of what is important. However, when she’s on stage she blends in more with the other contestants. This contrast could be to illustrate how everyone is unique and when she’s alone she’s able to acknowledge that but when your in a group you tend to forget. Throughout the music video, the camera shoots close-ups of Beyoncé, side shots, and occasional wide shots when showing her with all the other contestants on stage. Tracking shots are also used to show how all the women are the same through the eyes of men and the judges. 

  

Lighting – The lighting throughout the music video is very natural and dim at times with shots of low key and high lighting. The low-key lighting could be used to express her sadness and anger. For example, when Beyoncé is in the toilet trying to make herself sick, the lighting is dark to emphasize her struggling and not coping well with the stress and pressure she is facing. However, the lighting brightens when Beyoncé comes onto the stage whereas when she’s alone it appears to be dimmer to show her true emotions. The lighting is used to set the mood of what is seen.  

  

 Pace of editing – The pace of the editing in the music video is quite slow to possibly show the journey she goes through every day to be “perfect” and up to society’s expectations. 

 

 

By Ashleigh Haynes 

PRODUCTION : Producer research

History of record labels:

Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most important American labels, specialising in jazz, R&B, and soul by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown and Otis Redding. Craig Kallman is the chairman of Atlantic. Ahmet Ertegun served as founding chairman until his death on December 14, 2006, at age 83. Atlantic Records sister label is called Elektra. An example of a range of artists are Snoop Dogg, Lizzo, Nipsey Hustle, Camilla Cabello and Charli XCX. 

Capitol Records (legal name: Capitol Records, LLC, until 2007 Capitol Records Inc.) is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first west coast–based record label of note in the United States in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy Desylva, And Glenn E. Wallichs. An example of a range of artists are Silento, Lil Baby, City Girls, Katy Perry, Johnny Depp and Niall Horan.

PRODUCTION : Defining your original artist or programme

Artist /programme title: MAIA.

Genre: Alternative hip hop, Jazz fusion and Trap.

Brief summary of artist: Maia is an upcoming teenage artist from the UK. She is seventeen years old from Croydon that was signed by Atlantic Records after them seeing a video of her singing on YouTube. She is born from Jamaican parents. Her style of music is what this generation of younger teens listen to, her style appeals to them as she is also a teenager as well.

Similar artists: Princess Nokia, Greentea Peng, and Little Simz.

Song to use: Pause by IAMDBB.

Initial performance idea for videos: A low budget personal performance music video that focuses on the artist.

Initial ideas for use or subversions of genre conventions: The theme of the music video will be a low budget concept video of an everyday teenage life. The setting will be different places around Croydon to capture the essence of the song.

Initial ideas for use of technical codes in video/sequence  e.g lighting, settings , props and costume, use of camera: 

Lighting - Outside daylight will be used as the lighting.

Settings - Different places around Croydon.

Costume - 

Use of camera - The music video will be shot in landscape mode. There will be close up shots from the side and front and far away shots to capture half of the body and whole body.

Write the text for the article / DVD back cover synopsis "blurb":

Maia is an upcoming teenage artist from the UK. She is seventeen years old from Croydon that was signed by Atlantic Records after them seeing a video of her singing on YouTube. She is born from Jamaican parents. Her style of music is what this generation of younger teens listen to, her style appeals to them as she is also a teenager as well. Ever since she was little, she's always wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She also used to learn how to play the guitar when she was younger and started out making draft songs with her guitar. As a child, her role model was Beyonce. She always wanted to follow in her footsteps. That one video of her singing hit one million views and became a viral sensation as Atlantic Records privately messaged her before setting up a meeting with her and her parents before signing Maia to their record label. Her latest debut single will be out soon, a song personally made by her. "This song is a song that I've been working on even before I was signed to Atlantic Records," she explains, "I'm just happy to be able to broadcast my songs to the world even if they're not well received by the public." Of course, just like a lot of teenagers, Maia suffers from ongoing depression. Her songs are an outlet from her depression. Her official debut release is called Pause and will be released before May. We caught up with MAIA with a short interview:

Being so young and experimental, how did you develop your style?

MAIA: It took me a while to develop my own style. At first, I wasn't sure on what style to take and what concept I should follow through with as a new artist but after a while of discovering my true self, I've finally come to a conclusion with my style of music.

What's the meaning of your upcoming debut song Pause?

MAIA: The song basically expresses being comfortable in my own skin and believing in myself. Also talks about the flaws of society and the unfairness of it all. How even your closest friends would want you to fail just for them to rise on top of you. The lyrics also explain how now that I am in a better place, my enemies want to steal my success. 

What can people expect you after your debut release?

MAIA: More songs that express my individuality. 

What will your music video be like?

MAIA: Seeing as I started from Croydon, the music video will feature different places in Croydon. The narrative will be a young teenage girl venturing from being a child to an adult and making adult decisions about her life and music career.