“Postmodern media blur the boundary between reality and representation.” Discuss this idea with reference to media texts that you have studied.

Modernism started around the 1850’s. Modern art was driven by social and cultural agendas appropriate to the time; for example industrialisation, emancipation of women, universal education and the impact of war, religion and science on everyday life. This modernist perspective was often utopian. Modernism is viewed as having ended at some point in the 1960’s. Simply put, once Andy Warhol began painting pictures of soup cans, postmodernism became the term to use. Postmodernism reached its zenith in the 1980’s/1990’s although it is still a useful catch all term. It is used and misused to describe whatever you choose. George Ritzer suggested that postmodernism usually refers to a cultural movement such as architecture, art, music, films, TV and adverts. Ritzer was the theorist that came up with this idea that postmodernism displays the blurring of the distinction between representation and reality. This claim can be applied to many postmodern texts as hyper reality is used which is a situation where images cease to be rooted in reality so the audience can decided themselves whether what they see is real or is hyper real.

One film that I have studied which blurs the boundary between reality and representation is the 2011 film Drive. There are multiple hyper real aspects presented throughout the film which makes the whole environment seem very unusual and unrealistic. One particular aspect that is postmodern about the film is that the film is set in Los Angeles which is a huge city although it seems deserted as there are minimal characters. We are only introduced to key characters which we see throughout the film although we don’t see any other people in the background. The city is also used to represent the characters that are shallow and oppressive and also highlights the idea that it offers little comfort and no escape. This blurs the boundary between representation and reality as the characters seem to live in their own universe and everyone else other than themselves seem irrelevant. For example the police are irrelevant because criminals never seem to get caught even though the murders get increasingly violent throughout the film. Another postmodern aspect from the film is the lack of dialogue. The stylized characters show little emotion throughout the film in most situations, which is hyper real because this lack of dialogue creates a very sinister and uncomfortable atmosphere. We know very little about The Driver at the start of the film as he is very quiet, dark and insular and we do not know anything about his past or him ambition. Although we do know that he is a criminal as he starts off as a getaway driver for bad people. This was an intertextual reference taken from the 1978 film The Driver.  The Driver shows no emotion or reaction to anything that the other characters say to him which enhances his psychopathic traits because he takes long pauses before he says something or makes some form of movement. An example of this is the scene in the lift. This particular scene is self reflexive and includes both slow motion and a change in lighting. This draws attention the film as a text and introduces emotion for the first time. The connection between The Driver and Irene seems genuine and the audience witnesses the human aspect between the two which is very tender. Music is played along with the use of slow motion which emphasises the intense emotion between the two which almost makes it feel and looks like a dream or a fairytale. The scene is lit with a golden hue which represents the film’s idyllic heart and the utopian aspect.  When the romantic and calming music fades and the slow motion disappears, the violence resumes and brings us back to reality. Irene witnesses the other side to The Driver who is extremely violent and aggressive. For the first time, the audience can see the emotion and shock in Irene’s face when she leaves the lift and realises who The Driver really is. The slow motion and music is once again introduced which blurs the boundary between reality and representation because the use of slow motion and music presents the scene almost like a dream but when these two factors disappear, we as the audience are reminded that the situation is actually real.

The scenes lit with a golden hue and slow motion is consistent throughout the film. For example the scene in the car with The Driver, Irene and Benicio. This once again shows the film’s idyllic heart and the utopian aspect as it shows how the relationship is growing between the characters and how The Driver is beginning to fit in with the family. The postmodern aspect of this is that Irene’s husband Standard seemingly accepts this which is very unusual and the audience is lead to believe that The Driver is interfering. Another intertextual reference of the film is from the video game Grand Theft Auto. The film is set in the modern day although 80’s style retro music is played which makes it feel like it is set in a different era. Bird’s eyes a shot are used to enhance the size of the city and makes the characters seem quite vulnerable and lonely. Maps are also used which is one link to the video game and also the use of the pink 80’s style font in the titles. The main reference to the video game is the idea that the environment is like a playground and the characters are very vulnerable because of all of the crimes and murders. Everything that the characters do seems like a mission that is set on the video game. The violence becomes increasingly worse throughout the film which is an intertextual reference to the 2005 film A History of Violence. The violence is reminiscent to that in Drive and is both real and hyper real because it is so graphic and brutal. Jean Baudrillard’s idea of simulacra and simulation can also be applied to the film. This theory involves the idea that current society has replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs  and that human experience is of a simulation of reality ‘like a movie’  and that we cannot separate the image from the reality. This backs up the idea that the film blurs the boundary between reality and representation with the use of hyper reality.

Another film which supports this claim is the 2011 film Kill List. Slow motion is a common postmodern element in the film which presents it more as a representation rather than reality. The slow motion enhances the idea of flashbacks which do not seem relevant at the time but fall into place by the end of the film. The camera always seems to be one step ahead and the sound and image overlap which makes it feel like the film is being fast forwarded. It seems like the scenes do not link as the transitions between shots are so separate.  The camera is also unflinching which leaves the audience to decide whether or not they want to watch because the music builds up a strange atmosphere although this helps involves the audience because they feel like they are a part of the film which makes the situation more realistic.  There is one particular scene where Jay’s partner Gal looks directly at the camera which is an example of him breaking the fourth wall so makes it clear that it is just a film. The story of the film is generally very hard to follow as the narrative is disjointed and it doesn’t make sense until the very end. The director explains the film as a trap and wanted the audience to use their own imagination as to what happens because the story is so confusing and there are so many unanswered questions. There is no closure even at the end of the film which leaves the audience very confused but this blurs the boundary between reality and representation as because the audience find it hard to relate to the story so find it very unusual and hyper real. There are many postmodern aspects used throughout the film which makes the film seem like a dream such as the stylised murders, the use of masks, zombies, change in language, unsteady camera, the cult, religion, and many more.

There are also intertextual references that can be identified from other films that fit into the same genre of black comedy and horror. One being Saw. The two hit men in the film have a boss called The Client who sets them tasks and refers to these as a reconstruction. He also calls the men cogs which emphasises how they are under his control and they work solely for him. This idea of having a villain makes you constantly feel like you are being watched which creates a very tense and claustrophobic atmosphere. Another intertextual link which makes the film feel more representation than reality is the idea of a cult like in Hot Fuzz. The characters reveal their true identity by taking off their masks and the story finally falls into place just like in Hot Fuzz.  At the end of the film they all gather together whilst chanting and the crowd clap when the girl is hung. This particular aspect is very unusual and hyper real as we as the audience do not expect such characters to be in the film because they seem irrelevant to the rest of the story. This idea of having zombies in the film also links to the film The Descent, particularly when they are being chased by them in the underground tunnel. The idea of fragmentation can be applied to the film as the family are clearly experiencing financial issues which are causing a huge strain on the relationship shown by the constant arguments and violence. Many theories can be applied to the film which helps explain this blur between reality and representation. One is John Fiske’s theory which describes how the audiences relate to film to other things that they have seen such as The Descent. Another being Talcott Parson’s theory that society has a structure although this particular family has no structure because of the constant arguments and tension in the household. Jean Baudrillard’s theory is also relevant because whilst watching the film it is easy for the audience to be misled by things that appear to be real but are not because it is so unusual. With Kill List, there are so many unanswered questions so it is important for the audience to use their own imagination. Another postmodern aspect of this film is that it is based around the director’s reoccurring nightmares as he tried to scare the audience and think of the worst things that could ever happen to him. The director also took elements from the 1974 film The Parallax View focusing mainly on assassinations but wanted the audience to focus on the story and not expect what they saw. The same idea worked with the film Race with the Devil. The director of Kill List took elements from what he could remember rather than copying elements directly from the film. He also took aspects from 1970’s and 80’s socio realist TV. Kill List blurs the boundary between reality and representation because the story is so unusual but the postmodern elements make the film seem like a dream but the audience do not expect what they see. The story is very hard to follow so this particular text seems more like a representation rather than reality because it is very hard to relate to.

Not only do films blur the boundary between reality and representation but TV programmes do too. One example is The IT Crowd. One episode that I have studied was called ‘Moss and The German’. The theme tune of the programme is reminiscent of the 80’s computers games which is relevant to the programme because it is based around the environment of technology. This is one particular postmodern element which is hyper real as the characters have created their own comedy universe and everything seems to be based around their office. This blurs this boundary because the audience can relate to the reality of working in an office although the representation of them being surrounded by technology and being involved in this comedy is portrayed as a representation because it is very hyper real. The parody of the piracy advert is also relevant to this representation and the idea of technology. There are also references made to the Soviet scenes which are taken as far as possible being enhanced by the strong Russian accents, music, costumes and lighting changes. There is also a scene in the episode where Jen talks to Moss and gives him advice as if she is a psychiatrist. This introduces humour as the audience can relate the reality of people like her in their work environment. Stereotypes are also used which portray the representation aspect. The German is extremely stereotypical because of his clothing and the food he eats such as ‘schweinefliesch’. Throughout the episode there are many intertextual references to other films and programmes such as Hannibal Lector, Morecambe and Wise, Fine Young Cannibals, The Pink Windmill Kids and Gorky Park. The programme blurs this boundary between reality and representation as it seems like everything revolves around their office which is very hyper real although they do have social lives so there is an element of reality which is still present.

Music also blurs the boundary between reality and representation. One example of an artist that does this is Lady Gaga. She echoes classic 1980’s pop and 1990’s Europop and constantly reinvents her sound and image. She recontextualises elements from other artists she finds inspirational and makes them into something new and more modern such as from David Bowie and Queen. For example her song from her first album ‘Boys Boys Boys’ was a mash up of  Motley Crue's ‘Girls Girls Girls’ and AC/DC’s ‘T.N.T’. The album that she released in 2009 ‘The Fame Monster’ has an element of pastiche and said to include seventies arena glam, perky ABBA disco and sugary throwbacks like Stacey Q. She blurs this boundary as she can sing in a number of different languages including English, French, German and Spanish and also covers a range of diverse genres such as opera, heavy metal, disco and rock and roll which is an example of bricolage. Although she is very unusual and represented as being so unique because of her choice of outfits, there is an element of reality as she writes songs about her personal experiences so help her fans get through difficult times on their lives. She also does a lot of charity work to help others.  Brian Eno’s theory of the ‘death of uncool’ can be applied to Lady Gaga as some people find her very unusual but have got use to her over time but there is the argument that she is all surface and no depth according to Jean Baudrillard’s claim. Audiences could agree that she is ‘so bad she’s good’ because she is so unique and represented as a huge iconic star now because of her success. Music is constantly changing as there are so many styles around that are mutating all of the time. This is with help from developments in technology, sampling and easier access to music. The use of holograms are predicted to be the future of music  as they constantly reinvent artists and bring them back to life. An example is the Tupac hologram which was shown at Coachella in 2012. This is not the first hologram which has been made but is becoming more and more popular, particularly with such iconic artists such as Elvis Presley. Although this could also ruin the success of such artists and take away the impact of these holograms because they will lose their value. This blurs the boundary between representation and reality as it brings artists back to life as they look realistic although they are only a representation.

Postmodern texts do blur the boundary between reality and representation because it is hard to identify what is original and what is just recontextualised from other texts. They deliberately play with meaning and generally believe that there are no new or original ideas and that everything is connected in some way with intertextual references. This idea shows that postmodern texts usually enhance more representation rather than reality because if audiences are not literate they may not be able to identify the intertextual references in reality.

1a – Creativity

My creativity developed from the production of my foundation portfolio to my advanced portfolio. When starting on my foundation portfolio, I had little knowledge on how to be creative because of my lack of experience with digital technology and not knowing how to use conventions properly. Research and planning helped me develop my initial ideas into more direct decisions which helped me decide which direction I wanted my work to go. I used digital technologies to research how conventions are used on other real media texts so I could gain knowledge on how to use and challenge them if possible. I found it was very hard to be original even by the time I was producing my advanced portfolio so I just used the conventions but made them look similar to other media texts so that they looked realistic.

For my foundation portfolio, I started off by researching album art for ideas on what conventions would be suitable for my rock music magazine. I did a lot of detailed analysis on different types of magazines on both front cover, contents pages and double page spreads. This helped me identify what conventions I could use and which ones didn’t look so successful. Without this research I would not be able to think creatively and my ideas would be very basic. The digital technologies that I used also helped me think more creatively because I learnt how to present my ideas in more than one way. I produced mood boards, videos, presentations, posts, surveys, posters and pitches to present my ideas and shoe the progress that I was making. Before actually making my foundation portfolio I produced artist and audience profiles as part of my research to identify who my magazine was targeting. The artist profile was used to present my ideas and to also compare my artist to other existing artists in the same genre and to also build hype. By identifying my target audience which was individuals aged between 16 and 24, it allowed to pick out suitable conventions that they find appealing by getting their feedback on particular features that they like on real media texts that they read. This developed my creative thinking as I was building my magazine on what my target audience like and I was learning crucial information about conventions before actually making the magazine so I was also learning in the process. When it came to the practical work and actually starting to make the magazine, this development of background knowledge helped me. I started to produce draft versions to experiment with initial ideas and play around with basic conventions such as layout, font, images, colours, location choice for images, costume, artists, mastheads, cover lines and plugs. When these draft versions were completed and had been adapted, I gained feedback from peers and teachers to get honest opinions to see which were successful or which could be improved before the final version. Once I got the feedback that I wanted, I used this for the development of my final music magazine so that it was up to the standard that I was hoping for. The development of my editing skills also aided my creative thinking because I had very little experience with Photoshop before this portfolio. I used tools such as the magnetic lasso tool, the colour fill tool, the eraser, the cropping tool and many more. I also learnt how to alter the brightness and contrast of images, add filters, add picture boxes and also add text. Outside of the practical work, I produced more research on rule of thirds, the golden spiral and also using different camera angles when taking test shots such as close ups, mid shots and long shots.

By the time it came for me to produce my advanced portfolio, the creative skills that I developed from my foundation portfolio came in handy as I felt a lot more confident with using Photoshop although I also had to learn how to use Premiere Elements for this portfolio. I conducted further research on the band members for the music video and ancillary texts such as costume, style and acting so that they looked and sounded like any other indie band. I once again analysed a range of real media texts to gain further creative ideas on conventions. As I had never produced a music video before, I found this was a crucial stage so that I understood how to make it as realistic as possible. I made a storyboard for each shot of the video and then used my creative skills to develop an animatic using Windows Movie Maker to give me an idea on what the video will look like as a whole. This was also important so we could identify any obstacles at an early stage. I applied my creative thinking for making decisions such as set design, acting, costume, lighting and space. We researched all of the features in other indie music videos and used the same conventions and made them our own. The music video was shot in a basic drama studio which was confined with only the instruments as props. We made the band members fool around and told them to have fun with it to enhance their personalities as the song is very upbeat.  We dressed them like any other band such as vans, chinos, shirts, ray bans and ankle socks and the band made direct address to the camera to involve the audience which also brought more focus to the band themselves. Experimenting with editing skills on Premiere was also crucial before making the final video such as adding effects, cropping clips, syncing music, adding cross cuts, using fading tools and adjusting the brightness and contrast. I also used social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to get a wider range of audience feedback and create a buzz for our band.  For the ancillary texts, I challenged myself to use more complex conventions and put my creative skills to the test. For example for my digipack I drew my own cover so as part of my research I developed a range of sketches then edited these on Photoshop by adding filters and colours.

Overall, I feel that it was easier to be creative for my advanced portfolio as my skills has developed over time by using technologies and gaining ideas in the process. I could be more imaginative for my advanced portfolio as me and my partner combined our ideas together and worked as a team so we challenged ourselves to aim higher.  We found it very hard to be original so we just took suitable conventions from other media texts we found inspiring. I found it was easier to be creative for my advanced portfolio because I had more time to experiment with software by developing my editing skills. By A2, I learnt how to present my ideas in more creative ways rather than just doing basic research and presentations at AS.

1b – Genre

I am going to discuss genre in relation to my advanced portfolio which was a music video to the Little Comet’s song ‘One Night In October’.

The type of narrative that the video falls into is performance when being applied to Andrew Goodwin’s theory. The video includes a closed, linear narrative as it is based solely on band performance. To make sure that our music video fitted in with similar ones in the same genre, we did a lot of background research on common indie conventions which we thought would be suitable for our video. These include quick, sharp shots, lip syncing, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of shots, long shots, mid shots, close ups and extreme close ups. The contrast of these shots is what keeps the audience captivated. These range from long and include a mix of angles including high angle, low angle, eye level and point of view shots. We also used tracking, panning and tilting so that the camera was not still throughout as it would make the shots very dull and boring. It was crucial to have this range of camera shots and angles to ensure it looks like other indie music videos as we took this common convention from videos we found inspiring. We did this by cropping each individual clip on the timeline to the correct time on our storyboard and also putting them in the correct order and making sure there were not two of the same clip or any similar ones.

Representation of our band members was also important because we wanted them to look like any other indie band so that our video looked as realistic as possible. We found that in most indie music videos, the videos are based solely on simple band performances and there is no clear story to follow. This brings more attention to the band which enhances their personalities so we just let our band member’s act and have fun which did this quite successfully. They made direct address to the camera, made eye contact and also interacted with each other which highlighted their playful acting, personalities and laid back attitudes. We wanted our band to look like a stereotypical indie band but we dressed them so that it was so obvious that it almost mocks the genre as we took it so far. We also used codes and conventions such as iconographies which are symbolic forms associated with our indie genre. We used common indie conventions to enhance this genre such as acting, set design, costume, lighting and space. We also tried to include ideologies to represent the indie themes and to keep this theme consistent throughout. We both thought that if we make the genre as clear as we could by addressing it directly to our target audience, the audience would gain enjoyment from spotting the common indie conventions that we had taken from other inspirational videos. This way our target audience would compare our video to other videos that fit into the same genre which is what we were hoping to achieve.  From the feedback that we gained after finishing the final video, we found that our target audience mostly enjoyed the humour and fun aspect because of the acting which complemented the genre of the song itself. The feedback also showed us that the audience liked the anticipation of waiting for the predictable features and getting involved in the video. Therefore our video successfully appealed to our target audience of individuals aged between 16 and 24.

Thomas Schatz claimed that there are just 2 genres. These are the genre of order and the genre of integration. I personally disagree with this statement as genres are constantly mutating and there is such a wide range developing all of the time with help from the developments of technology. Our video does just focus on one genre but it is still possible to mix more than one genre together such as electro-pop. There are no fixed genres. We picked the indie genre because it is so diverse and is a useful critical tool because it can be applied across a wide range of texts. The theorist Chandler once said “How we define a genre depends on our purposes.” The purpose of our music video was to appeal to our target audience as they are of a similar age to our band members and we wanted to portray them as role models for those interested in this particular genre. This way the audience could relate to them and find them inspiring whether it is due to their style or just their music. Our music video made it clear what genre the band fit into with help from the common indie conventions that we used and adapted so that it looked realistic.

1b – Media Language

I am going to discuss media language in relation to my advanced portfolio which was a music video to the Little Comet’s song ‘One Night In October’.

The type of narrative that the video falls into is performance when being applied to Andrew Goodwin’s theory. The video includes a closed, linear narrative as it is based solely on band performance. Within the video there are a range of camera shots such as close ups, long shots, mid shots and extreme close ups, the use of lip syncing, mimed playing of instruments and repetition of shots to keep the target audience captivated. During the editing process of the video, I ensured that there was a mix of long and short clips as well as a range of camera angles such as high angle, low angle, eye level and point of view shots so that the audience do not lose interest and the key focus is on the band throughout. During filming we also made sure that the camera was not always still so used panning, tracking and also tilting. It was crucial to have this range of camera shots and angles to ensure it looks like other indie music videos as we took this common convention from videos we found inspiring. We did this by cropping each individual clip on the timeline to the correct time on our storyboard and also putting them in the correct order and making sure there were not two of the same clip or any similar ones.

Representation of our band members was also important because we wanted them to look like any other indie band so that our video looked as realistic as possible. We found that in most indie music videos, the videos are based solely on simple band performances and there is no clear story to follow. This brings more attention to the band which enhances their personalities so we just let our band member’s act and have fun which did this quite successfully. They made direct address to the camera, made eye contact and also interacted with each other which highlighted their playful acting, personalities and laid back attitudes. Because the song is very upbeat, we wanted to create a positive but simple atmosphere that keeps the focus on the band. This is where our choice of mise en scene was crucial. We chose a very simple set design which was the same throughout the whole video and only had the instruments for props. We shot the video in our school’s drama studio which was perfect because of the plain background and professional lighting equipment. The lighting that we used was artificial and diegetic. We used the spotlights that pointed towards each of the band members making it clear that the focus is just on them. The space was very confined but this is what we were hoping to achieve as we didn’t want the audience to be distracted by any other surroundings. If the location where the video was shot was too big, the video would not be as successful. Costume choice also had to be suitable for the band to look like a realistic indie band. We dressed the boys in ray bans, ankle socks, chinos, shorts, t-shirts, vans and other indie accessories for them to appeal to the target audience and have a recognisable style. Acting was also important because we found that from our draft video, the band members did not look enthusiastic enough and the audience lost interest because they didn’t look like they were having fun which didn’t match the tempo of the song. During the filming of the final video, we both made sure that the band members looked like they were having fun and fooling around. This looked much more effective and looked more like an actual band. The acting really brought out their personalities and enhanced the fun aspect of the song. By addressing the lyrics of the song directly to the camera, it involves the audience more so that they can relate to it. We also used framing and blocking by editing each of the band members into the video when introducing them at the start of the video. We faded the shot in with the kit in and then edited each band member in when the song started.

When editing the video we used cutaways, we synced the music onto the timeline, used cross cuts, parallel editing, transitions, cropped clips accurately to the correct time on the storyboard, put each individual clip in the correct order, adjusted the brightness and contrast of each clip and ensured that there was a mix of long and short clips. We found that the tempo of the music drove our editing as we made changes that we didn’t necessarily plan on making at the start of the process. The genre is reflected in the mise en scene, themes included, performance and editing. The camera work also impacts meaning. For example the movement, angle and shot distance all enhance the representation of the band. We also repeated some shots that we thought were successful but may not have been that recognisable to the audience after seeing it only once. This was effective because it created an interesting contrast and mixed the type of camera angles we used up. We adjusted the brightness and contrast of each clip to increase the quality and make it look more realistic. The framework of the video is attached to the song and ends within the structure so the video is therefore self contained. We used low key lighting, fading at the start and end of the video and our set dressing involved just the band and their instruments. For the framing we created a contrast by moving the band members around physically but also through editing. The positive feedback that we received for the video as a whole showed us that we got the reaction that we were hoping for and the target audience were happy with the final product because of the conventions that we used and the similarity to other indie video that they enjoy and can compare it to.

The future of music.

Below is an article that I found on the internet focusing on postmodern music and where it is heading in the future. It refers to sampling, pastiche, development of technology and cultural aspects. These factors relate to our discussion that we had about how we can reinvent artists and bring them back to life by creating holograms such as the Tupac hologram. Also the idea that films may be based around the concept of video games.

So, has music become a postmodern art form? It depends on how you look at it. Sample-based music, in my opinion, is postmodern. But as long as instrumental music still exists, music as a whole will remain outside of the postmodern realm. But what about the future? Where will music be in 30 years? The past thirty has seen a rapid development of technology that has shaped almost every aspect of the way music is produced. My cynical side wants to say that in the future we will no longer need acoustic instruments. Every sound will be at sampled and at our fingertips. The technology will become so fluid, and so ingrained into the way we learn to make music, that samplers will replace all ‘real’ music. However, there are factors which could prevent this from happening. The first is tradition. We, as human beings, take great pride in our cultural music, and therefore these traditions may be preserved. The second factor is what Goodwin calls the ‘aura’ of the musician. We need to see our musicians doing something on stage, which could help to prevent the increasing technological advances from taking over completely. We are at a crossroads in our musical history. We are teetering on the edge of postmodernity and the water looks inviting. I have attempted to demonstrate the various ways in which sample-based music is changing how we perceive music. I said in my intro that we shouldn’t try to fight the advancements of technology. I am going to take that back. Although is still feel resistance is futile, we should try to preserve our musical traditions for as long as we can. I hope that we can hold onto our instrumental music, while at the same time embracing new technology. It wont be easy.

http://shawjesse90.wordpress.com/the-future-of-music/

Lady Gaga presentation.

Lady Gaga. on Prezi