Black Mirror Analysis
- highly polysemic mode of address
- constructed through the establishment of two separator eras
- made explicit through a satisfying plot twist approximately half way through the episode
- the mise-en-scene of the lighting is highly distinctive, with highly saturated reds and blues
- often referred to as 'bisexual lighting'
- the colour scheme evokes the LGBTQ+ flag, in particular the bisexual flag
- also highly fashionable and evokes the time in which it was made
- however, the colour scheme and the soundtrack combine to construct a highly nostalgic mode of address
- many audience will not have first hand knowledge of the 1980s, they will have complex reactions and negotiations of a glorified and idealised version of the 1980s
- glorified and idealised version of the 1980s, that presents a powerful, escapist fantasy to the target audience
- pastel pink clothing of the main character has queer connotations
- also traditionally feminine and conversely rejects hegemonic attitudes towards female attractiveness
- the episode makes extensive use of character architypes predominantly from 80s teen films
- including The Breakfast Club, Grease, The Goonies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty In Pink, etc.
- San Junipero - is it dystopian or utopian? Aspects of both
- San Junipero is a simulation, and everyone has a different perspective on this hypothesis
Gender Conventions
How to get marks in media studies?
- media language - MES, shot types, camera angles
- theories
- a point of view
How do the genre conventions of Black Mirror reflect the sociohistorical context if this media product?
- reflects modern values and events
- simulations can be found in VR, social media, video games, etc
A genre is a category of media products
A subgenre is a genre within a genre (e.g psychological horror, paranormal horror, comedy horror)
A hybrid genre is where 2 genres come together (e.g romantic comedy)
Genre conventions are conventions which are found within each genre
When something doesn't "tick the boxes" for a traditional genre, it is subversive and unconventional
Generic paradigmatic features
- paradigm is something that shows the audience what genre something is
Steve Neale - Theories surrounding genre
- audiences expect to see a mixture of repetition and difference of genetic conventions
- audiences essentially know what to expect before consuming a media product, due to previously consuming products in the same genre
- this process is known as an intertextual relay
- intertextuality is where one media product references another media product
Dressing up montage
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