Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks

Language and Representation: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks and complete the following questions on your blog:

Language and close-textual analysis

1) Choose three key moments in the episode and write an NCIS analysis for those clips. You can use your notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed references using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

An Unearthly Child scene analysis
Narrative: In a school 2 teacher, Ian and Barbara are worried about the welfare of one of their student, Susan. They cant uncover where she live she the go to her address. They discover it is a junkyard and meet the doctor who is being aggressive and stubborn.They enter a police phone box and find Susan and the doctor takes them to a new world. 

Character:

Susan-subverts the stereotype of girls as submissive and weak 

Doctor-potential false hero, no sympathy, grumpy old man

Ian- Stubborn, Annoyed, Very logical and doesn’t panic Barbara-Conventional fearful woman, caring, scared and confused

  

Iconography:

TARDIS is has very bright white lights with a lot of spaceship sounds. Also has smoke and alarms

Setting:

Set in school, a junkyard and TARDIS

2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Try and use the expanded version of Todorov's theory: Equilibrium - Disruption - Recognition - Reparation - New equilibrium.

Equilibrium: Ian and Barbara are discussing Susan wellbeing.

Disruption: They decide to follow her home and arrive at a junkyard

Recognition: They meet the doctor acting suspicious.

Reparation: They enter the TARDIS and find Susan who begins talking of time travel and other dimensions.

New equilibrium: The Doctor takes  to a new time.

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in An Unearthly Child fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types.
The doctor is seen as a villain as he kidnappes the teachers and doesn't let them leave

Susan plays the role of princess/damsel in distress as she the teachers want to help her

Ian plays the role of hero as he want to save Susan

Barbara plays the role of helper as she assist Ian.

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in An Unearthly Child? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

When Susan is given a book about the french revolution she states that it wasn't correct inferring that she has been to that period of time and could come in future episodes

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in An Unearthly Child? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience?

Entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.

Representations

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

One stereotype that is being reinforced is that doctor is a male. 

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

Stereotypes that are being reinforced is that Susan is being saved by the teacher as she is the damsel in distress and they both appear quite frantic and worried about the situation. However, the stereotype is subverted as Susan seems quite intelligent and ready to save her teachers.

3) What are common media stereotypes of young people and old people? Do any of the characters or scenarios reinforce or subvert these conventional stereotypes (consider this was 1963)? Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?
One stereotype of old people that is they are wise as the doctor but also stubborn
One stereotype of young people that is Susan has short hair

4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

Only British white people where represented as in the time Britain was dominated by white people and it wasn't racially diverse

5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

The middle class as two teachers seems knowledgeable and well educated.

Learner response - blog tasks

 1) Type up your feedback in full - WWW & EBI. You do not have to write your mark and grade if you don't want to.

Impressive responses for magazine section of your assessment. Lots of relevant focus for representation and social/cultural contexts for both CSPs

Need more detail when analysing the unseen media product. Remember connotations for how producers are creating meaning for audiences and why? 

2) Look at Question 3 in the assessment - the media analysis of the Under Armour advert.

Use CLAMPS to revise mise-en-scene and write about each element of CLAMPS for the Under Armour advert.

C - Costume: The player is wearing red and black rugby kit which has connotations of sports ware and link back to the logo also the red links to aggression 

L - Lighting: The stadium floodlights tell the audience has synergy to sports and it is a dark background

A - Actor placement and movement: The rugby player is the central image The player's face suggests. strength and power as he is enduring the weight

M - Make up: The player's face is shining under the lights which makes it look like sweat and show he has being working for a long time

P - Props: The tyre is significant because it is massive and should be a struggle to use in this way

S - Setting: the stadium setting suggests to the audience it is a high professional as it is in a stadium

3) Look at Question 4. What is Todorov's theory of equilibrium? How does it link to the Audrey Hepburn Galaxy advert? 

They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.

Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

4) What social class is Reveal aimed at? (Extension - what do the cover lines on Reveal suggest about what working class people are interested in?)

Reveal is aimed for working class as it has cover lines about babies and diet ,aged 16-30 who are fans of gossip

5) Pick three cover lines from Tatler that reflect upper class British culture and society. Explain what they suggest about the lifestyle and beliefs of upper class British people.

Meet Georgina Bevan as she is a celebrate of high status

The one year gap year shows they may be going uni so they are of middle or high status

Also central image of the golds and jewellery