Life On Mars

Genre and Narrative

Life on Mars is a hybrid genre of crime drama and sci-fi, this can be easily identified as the iconography of each genre comes up. At the beginning it seems just to be a normal crime drama starting off with a car chase, police cars, police uniform and a normal chase in a urban city, then they catch him and do a police interrogation and show their office. Then the main characters girlfriend or sidekick gets kidnapped and the main character becomes distraught causing him to be in an accident, he has some flashbacks and wakes up in 1970. This is when the sci-fi part comes in as he has travelled time from 2009 to 1970, or its all in his head like a coma. It changes from a normal crime drama to a historical drama as it has new iconographies like the location is an 1970's version of the urban city he was in previously and a cop comes over to him with 70's uniform. He goes back to his office to find the 1970's version of it with other people inside everyone is wearing 70's clothing and is smoking, the new sidekick and boss is there too, he is immediately put into a murder case and starts making connections to the real time and this time and why he is there. Now and then, the main character can hear or see signs of the 2009 time seeping into his visions like the TV talks about his coma condition, this is all definitely sci-fi as this is all impossible. This change of everything around Sam links to Neale's theory of how the initial genre is easily recognisable but it slowly changes or borrow from other genres however Life on Mars doesn't slowly change, its a sudden change from crime drama to sci-fi crime drama and historical crime drama. The rest of the episode is him struggling to figure out if he is really in a coma or not and is slowly figuring out other enigmas one at a time very slowly.

Sam Tyler, the main character has problems with himself right at the beginning just like other crime drama's, his problems are that he has lost his skills in his job and doesn't do as well anymore, has relationship issues with his girlfriend and another issue that later comes up is him getting emotional about his girlfriend being kidnapped. Then more problems comes up as he goes into the 70's, he is mainly confused with why he is there, struggles to fit in and he doesn't know how to solve crimes in these times as they don't have the equipment that he had in 2009. While in an interrogation in the 70's, you see the good cop side of Sam and then the bad cop side of the boss, maybe meaning that the Boss is the missing part of Sam and he needs to learn skills in the 70's so he can go back to being good at his job. 

Enigmas

There are many enigmas in the first episode, first starting off with, the first crime in the episode, what is going on, why are they chasing him, where is it, then we go to the interrogation scene and find out its not him, so we still need to figure out who is the suspect. Also, why has the main character lost his skills, and has relationship issues, all these problems are normal problems that appear in basically every crime drama. Then we go into the 70's with more enigmas, why is he there, what does he do, what does he need to do to go back, how is he going to cope, how is he going to solve this 70's crime. Towards the end, Neil pretends that he is his subconscious and talks to him, making Sam and the audience completely sure that he is in a coma, but then Cartwright talks to him about how he was joking which confuses us and Sam twisting the main enigma and plot. 

Representation

At the beginning, it shows a normal representation of a modern urban city with different genders and ethnicities working together which is also shown in the office scene. The police are very serious and act professional. When Sam goes back in time, representations change, the representation of the urban city he was in has changed from well built structures and quite clean to less crowded buildings but more messy. The policeman who approaches him is more rude compared to modern police and is confused when Sam talks about mobile phones and cars which don't exist yet. When Sam goes to his work place to find only white men who are smoking, this is a close representation of what workplaces was like in the 70's, they are also very careless as there is a scene of a guy dropping his sandwich on the evidence and doesn't really care about it because in the 70's, it doesn't matter as they didn't have the equipment to see fingerprints and analyse them. The boss is violent and careless too as rules then wasn't as strict as they are now, The boss could do anything without getting in trouble. The methods they use in solving crimes represent what it was like in the 70's like sending an important object from the crime scene to Scotland Yard and waiting 2 weeks for feedback shows how limited they were in the 70's. The only female that goes into the office is a nurse to help Sam out, in the 70's, women had jobs that were considered more feminine because it was believed by many men that only men should do the serious jobs. Only in 1960 is when women started working properly but many man still didn't like it. The only black character so far in Life on Mars is Nelson, 

PAPER 2 SECTION A TELEVISION CRIME DRAMA Introduction

Crime Drama

Sub-Genres

• In the cosy mystery genre, the detective is usually an amateur, the violence is never described in detail, and the setting is often a small town. The detective uses their powers of observation and deduction, as well as an excellent general knowledge to solve the crime. 
• In the hard-boiled private investigator genre, the detective works in a large city, and the violence is explicit. The detective follows clues in the dark underbelly of the city.
• The legal thriller requires research into the rules and procedures of a legal world. Readers want to know what happens after a crime is committed and an arrest is made. You can use crises of legal conscience to make your characters more rounded. 
• Modern PIs are often former policemen, They are usually hired by private individuals to solve mysteries or crimes, and to find people.
• The police procedural is realistic and should be as accurate as the author can make it. The reader is taken to squad rooms, morgues, courts, and crime scenes. This genre is complicated and the detective is often under a lot of pressure. For example, he could be dealing with many cases, he generally has personal problems with relationships, and his superiors want the case solved. There are secondary characters, including suspects, police officers, lawyers, and criminals. 
• The medical thriller is a suspense novel that takes place in a hospital. The protagonists are usually doctors or nurses. The plot is based on situations unique to medicine and medical research. 
• The forensic thriller is where the lead character is usually a woman who is a scientist or pathologist. Research is needed. Accuracy is essential. Most of the action takes place in crime scenes and morgues, and in the lead character’s home. 
• The general suspense thriller features a protagonist who is generally thrown into the action in the aftermath of a crime. This hero is often an ordinary person who is called on to solve a problem. Sometimes, this person must prove his or her innocence, often to the police and other characters in the novel.
• The military thriller has a protagonist who is often a member of the military, MI5 or MI6, the CIA, or the FBI, or a consultant to a military agency. Readers of this genre love the details and a lot of research is necessary. Often the criminals are crooked politicians or terrorists. The action often spans continents.
• The buddy genre is which 2 people often both men are put together and work together even though they are almost usually binary opposites. The two often contrast in personality, which creates a different dynamic onscreen than a pairing of two people of the opposite gender.
• The gangster genre which often glorifies the criminal activities of gangsters, elevating them to almost hero status. These anti-heroes sometimes reach the conclusion that crime does pay but often carries moral, psychological, and physical repercussion.
• Vigilante genre is when the protagonist or protagonists engage in vigilante behaviour, taking the law into their own hands. Usually its for revenge in which the legal system fails protagonists, leading them to become vigilantes.
• Historical genre is a crime drama set in the past, for example, in the Wild West or Victorian England and many more. Rules and crimes would be different in the past, so it is interesting to see how the detective figures crimes out in those times. 

Hybrid Genres

• Sci-Fi 
• Horror
• Comedy

Narrative

Many crime dramas begin with an opening teaser. This is where we see the crime happen but we don't see the perpetrator. However it doesn't always start that way. Next we usually see the life of the main character before they are called into the crime scene. The main character and the sidekick investigate the crime scene and try to solve it. Many suspects appear and many are accused of committing the crime until the main character and the sidekick figure out who did it and arrest them or the crime is very complicated and every episode is a new clue or crime until the end when they finally figure it out. The narrative in every crime drama is usually a constructed reality which contains:

• A (car) chase
• The crime is usually murder/drama that will usually be to do with family of the protagonist
• Use formulas
• Employ some stereotypical representations
• Make iconic use of hand guns, police cars, banks, uniformed and un-uniformed police and explosions
• Conflicts due to difference in policing
• Betrayal
• Someone's private life becomes public
• The villain will have an unidentified issue

With Luther, it starts with the end of an investigation as Luther has found the villain and is chasing him. Then the villain falls and almost dies, Luther is slightly traumatised by this and he struggles to cope during work, effecting him for numerous episodes. The next crime is shown, and Luther is called to it with his new sidekick who is a new recruit. Throughout the first episode, Luther figures out how the crime was committed and who did it, However, going against conventions, Luther doesn't arrest the villain straight away and seems to help her continuing onto other episodes.

Technical Codes

The iconography of Crime Drama are Suits, Lab coat (forensics), Police uniform, Police badge, Police cars, Police tape, Technology e.g. surveillance, recording and Weapons. Setting example would be a Police station, City – more people = more crime, Interrogation Room, Crime scenes and many more. Fast paced action is used to build suspense, using fast transitions and hand held cameras, and loud fast music. While, slow, intense scenes use slow cuts with proper cameras to keep concentration on what is happening with quiet, slow music or silent so it isn't to distracting and the audience can concentrate on the scene. Close ups, upper body shot and eye level shots etc. are used in intense scenes whereas, wide shots, tracking shots and two shots etc. are used in fast paced scenes.

Character Codes

Usually the main character is a police officer/detective/CID however it doesn't always have to be. The main character tends to have experienced an accident of some sort and are going back to work. The sidekick tends to be in the scientific work, such as forensic scientist or is a victim of a crime that has happened or is a rookie in the crime job and is following the main character around. The boss is usually at the office or where there work base is, maybe sometimes they come out to the crime scene if its really important, there are two types of boss, can have the boss who supports the detective even though they aren't playing by the rules or the boss who is very strict and sticks with the rules.. The villain usually has a motif for why they did the crime(s), if its a series with the same villain then the villain usually messes the main character around for many episodes until caught but if the villain is just for one episode then they always get caught by the main character at the end.

Story Board

 

EXAM PAPER 1 SECTION B

 PAPER 1 Section B   45 marks ( 45 minutes writing time )
Complete all of  the following questions and publish on your blog. You can plan and research your answers .   
 3a What is a media conglomerate ? ( 2 )
Media conglomerate is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises

3b  How does ownership shape the content of newspapers ? Refer to the Mirror and The Times (8)
Ownership can shape content of newspapers drastically. For example, if there is an article about Brexit, if the newspaper company is left wing then they would lean towards more about leaving the EU and if they were right wing then it would be more about staying in the EU. The Times are right wing so they would have news and articles that somewhat support there right wing views whereas The Mirror are left wing so they would support that in there newspaper, they do this so they influence there audience to agree with their beliefs. Also, their beliefs isn't the only factor that shapes the context of newspapers, another factor is how successful the company that owns that newspaper is, for example, if the company is very successful, reliable and has enough money, that will allow for more news and better detail whereas the opposite, they wouldn't have enough to get good news. The Mirror and The Times are very reliable and successful newspapers so they are given a lot of news for them to publish, whereas, let's say a local newspaper won't be able to have the news that The Times and Mirror have.

3c  What has been the impact of recent technologies on all elements of  the newspaper industry   and how has it responded to these challenges ?  Refer to The Mirror and The Times   ( 12)

Technology has evolved and has changed many things, the newspaper industry is one of them. With technology expanding to more and more people, less people are buying newspapers physically and getting them online instead. Because of this change, big newspaper companies will have to see this trend and follow it so they did, The Times have made a paywall after a month to see their news, three different subscriptions which include different things which all allow readers to get e-newspapers. The Mirror also has a paywall after 2 months and also have different subscriptions too. Technology hasn't only badly impacted newspaper companies but also have helped them, advertising used to be just on print whereas The Times, The Mirror and every other newspaper can now advertise their newspaper on the internet which is very popular in the world as its used by everyone and will help increase the wide range of audiences they can hook onto to their newspaper. This also allows them to save money as with doing their news and advertising online, they won't need as much staff to manage the online newspapers, with the money they can get better news or improve the newspapers to keep on top of the competition of the newspaper industry.

4a  What is the importance of  fandom in media products ?  Refer to the Assassins Creed franchise to support your points  ( 8 )

A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterised by a feeling of empathy with others who share a common interest. The subject of fan interest can be narrowly defined, focused on something like an individual celebrity, or more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions. It's like a small community that supports that certain media product, it allows people to talk about it without getting any bad feedback as its a community that all agrees together. For example, Assassin's Creed has 

their own fandom page which talks about books, database entries, characters, locations, missions, objects, organisations, skills, weapons, events, legends, and more, as well as images of many subjects. This shows Ubisoft (the developer of AC) that people really support that game and it should keep going and if their is something that the fans don't like, Ubisoft can change if they wanted to, its a great way of communicating with people who enjoy the franchise and the developers.

4b How is the gaming industry regulated or what are the challenges in this particular industry  ?  (8)

The Games Rating Authority (GRA) which is part of the Video Standards Council, they rate games using the PEGI system. Games which carry a PEGI 12, 16 or 18 rating cannot be sold or hired to persons below the respective age bar. This allows parents to know what games are allowed for their child/children. However there is still a problem with this rating system as its ignored by 2/5 parents as they think all games are made suitable for children already meaning they let there kids play games that have a unsuitable rating for them. The rating system isn't the only part of the gaming industry with a flaw, there is a current issue in the gaming industry called crunch, crunch is when employees are pushed too far under a time constraint to complete tasks and work overtime with no additional pay which causes stress and anxiety for the employees. Micro transactions are purchasable in game for digital items, this is good for game developers as its another way of earning more money however for gamers it isn't so good as its like a pay to win in some games where buying this specific digital item will give a unfair advantage over people who haven't bought it, another problem with micro transactions is that the younger gamers don't realise that they are paying with real money and thought they were using the in game currency, game developers need to find the perfect balance of having micro transactions, none at all or just a bit that doesn't cause unfair advantages with obvious signs that its real money. There is another problem like micro transactions is loot boxes which is like a lucky dip where there is a chance to get something really good however its usually not, governments are deciding if these loot boxes is gambling and should be banned or not. Many game developers have removed loot boxes now but there are still many popular games that still have loot boxes which is a problem they need to sort.

5    How important is historical context to media products ? 
                Refer to your Tide advertising case study.               (7) 

Historical context is very important for media products for many reasons. A good reason for knowing historical context of media products allows other companies to dodge problems that other companies have encountered previously or seeing a certain method helps with their product so they can copy that. However not knowing historical context could damage your company as it could offend people as time has changed. For example, the Tide advert from the 1950's which is after WW2, when the men would come back from the army to do their original job and the wife would go back home to do all he house jobs, companies like Tide took this opportunity to promote their product, the advert is of a women happily hugging the tide box, messages all over to attract the audience and  encourage them to buy or to use more and therefore buy more, it all comes together to appeal mostly to the housewife. Back then this advert was alright but if an advert was to be like that today then, firstly it wouldn't really do well as housewives isn't really a thing anymore as women and men work now and secondly would offend women as it would give off the message that they aren't suitable for work and should stay at home cleaning. Historical context is very important as it shapes the way media products are shown to their audiences.