Level 2 Media Studies: ‘Audience’ – Examination Feedback

1. Level 2 Media Studies: ‘Audience’ – Examination Feedback

2. You have a pretty good fundamental knowledge of the media product and its contents. Well done! Our understandings of how these contents appeal to the target audience, our use of specific detail and implications are all still developing. That’s okay. We all have work to do and enough time to do it in.

3. So, let’s get started… Here are a few things most of us could improve upon: • Structure • Introductions • Describing the media product • Describing the target audience • Using the key words of the question • Including specific evidence of each aspect • Describing in depth HOW the aspect connects to the target audience. • Explaining implications rather than listing details • Incorporating sophisticated class notes • Improving expression and vocabulary choice

4. STRUCTURE: Describe the Media Product Describe the Target Audience Describe aspect one – explain how this aspect connects to the target audience Describe aspect two - explain how this aspect connects to the target audience Explain the implications of Glee on the target audience and the entertainment industry as a whole.

5. Our Introductions: • outline the scope of the essay: • Describe the media product in detail • State the types of aspects that you’ll be referring to (eg internal) • Aspects which connect the media product to the target audience eg. characters, issues, music • You could also add some interesting material such as weekly viewership (approx. 10 million viewers per week in the United States) or how many seasons it has been running (4) or where/when it screens in NZ. ( Wednesday 7:30 on Four) The media product we studied this year is Glee. Glee is an American musical comedy-drama series. It was released on American television in 2009 and is now in its fourth season. Glee is set at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues. The initial main cast encompassed club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuster, cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, guidance counsellor Emma Pillsbury, Will's wife Terri, and eight club members. Producer Ryan Murphy has said that he intended the show to be a form of escapism. "There's so much on the air right now about people with guns, or sci-fi, or lawyers running around. This is a different genre, there's nothing like it on the air at the networks and cable. Everything's so dark in the world right now". Murphy intended to make a family show to appeal to adults as well as children, with adult characters starring equally alongside the teenage leads. Internal appeal techniques used in this media product to connect to the target audience are the use of characters and ensemble cast, music and issues.

7. Paragraph 2:Define the target audience: • 10-39 year old males and females • NOT YOUNG HOPEFULS! (This is how they are grouped or identified) • And within that target group, a special emphasis upon teenagers (particularly female), teachers, young couples and young parents and music lovers in general. • Mention that the intended audience was extremely large to ensure a wide fan base and secure high ratings. Ratings effect profit. • As television programmes are created for a commercial purpose they are not valued for their artistic value but rather for their sale-ability or viability in terms of generating ratings. To achieve these ratings media products are often designed with a target audience in mind. The more a media producer can know about an audience, the better that audience can be targeted. Advertisers and media producers believe that consumers can be sorted into groups with common characteristics. The way audiences are identified and grouped according to isolating characteristics is known as demographics. This includes aspects such as age, gender, ethnicity, income, occupation, religious views and education. The target audience for Glee is young men and women, between the ages of 10 and 39. More specifically the show is aimed towards high school students, teachers, young couples or families, and music lovers. This can be seen by the way Gleeuses humour, characters (ensemble cast), special guests, music, and also in the types of issues raised in each episode. This target audience has changed over time as it has become evident that the show is largely more popular with the teen age group rather than adults.

8. BODY PARAGRAPHS: • Always begin with a topic sentence and key words that reveal the scope of your paragraph • e.g. ‘The first aspect used to connect the Glee to its target audience is the internal appeal of Characters and ensemble cast… • Then introduce them: • e.g. Rachel Berry is a talented, driven 15 year old (?), who in her eyes is destined for fame, and somewhat of a social outcast.

10. Then go on to describe the characters in specific depth. This is vital. • Refer to the specific episode where they did something typical to their behaviour eg Rachel acts like a prima donna in Episode 1 when…, Puck bullies someone in Episode…because…, Will gives up on his dreams when… • THEN…Link that character to the target audience and say whythey appeal to that audience.

11. ISSUES: When discussing Issues, make sure you are not just describing how those issues are dealt with on the show (go into specific detail- reference events in episodes), but link them to the audience in depth. For example, the audience will identify with issues/characters and tune in to see how they deal with their issues for possibly: ~ reassurance that the issue can be dealt with ~ security in knowing that not only they are facing that issue ~ implied advice about how to deal with that issue themselves

12. Arguably, shows like Glee are raising awareness of these issues and presenting them in a manner which allows the audience to see these people as ‘normal’ or similar to themselves. This can lead to acceptance and tolerance of people in their lives.

13. Music: Discuss the use of specific songs- their titles, artists, genres, dates released, sources (eg the name of the show/film/musical they’re from) – and the part of the audience they are targeted towards/ why the audience would respond to them. Discuss why they have been used at that particular point, e.g. to reveal character/ thematically/ narratively. Discuss the television show’s commitment to introducing its audience to music, new and old. Introduce the implication of how Glee has become a successful marketing platform for music companies wanting to launch new music. And how Glee has successfully sold millions of their own cover albums, making Glee an important player in the music industry.

14. Implications: Programming renewal- Into its 4th Season First season extended from 13 to 24(?) episodes based on its success Attraction of celebrity guests Identity forming - Gleeks (leading to expansion of franchise into different media) Merchandising to affirm identity (also free advertising/promotion Fandoms on Tumblr, Groups on Facebook – allow producers personal access to fans The Glee Project giving fans an opportunity to be part of the show Downloads on iTunes (both of originals and Glee versions of songs) DVD sets and Glee Concert Movie

15. Level 2 Media Studies: ‘Audience’ – REVISION KEY POINTS

16. ESSAY STRUCTURE • Describe the Media Product • Describe the Target Audience • Describe aspect one – explain how this aspect connects to the target audience • Describe aspect two - explain how this aspect connects to the target audience • Explain the implications of Glee on the target audience and the entertainment industry as a whole.

17. DESCRIBE THE MEDIA PRODUCT • Glee is an American musical comedy-drama series. • It was released on American television in 2009 and is now in its fourth season. • Gleeis set at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. • It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues. • Producer Ryan Murphy intended to make a family show to appeal to adults as well as children,

18. DESCRIBE THE TARGET AUDIENCE • As television programmes are created for a commercial purpose they are not valued for their artistic value but rather for their sale-ability or viability in terms of generating ratings. • To achieve these ratings media products are often designed with a target audience in mind. The more a media producer can know about an audience, the better that audience can be targeted. • The target audience for Glee is young men and women, between the ages of 10 and 39. • More specifically the show is aimed towards high school students, teachers, young couples or families, and music lovers. • This can be seen by the way Gleeuses internal appeal techniques such as humour, characters (ensemble cast), special guests, music, and also in the types of issues raised in each episode. • Glee’s target audience has changed over time as it has become evident that the show is largely more popular with the teen age group rather than adults. • It is important that media products reflect their target audience in some manner in order for that target audience to be able to identify with, enjoy and find benefit from that media product.

19. ASPECT 1: CHARACTERS • Glee is a prime example of how an ensemble cast is used to build a relationship with its target audience. This kind of casting is popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on different characters and issues in different episodes. • A range of characters is also important as it gives audiences a number of characters and personalities to identify with and relate to in some way. • These characters are important as audiences will recognise aspects of their own personalities within these characters. Audiences can also then identify with some of the experiences and struggles those characters face. • This forms an emotional connection between the audience and the media product. Once this connection is formed it is likely the viewer will continue watching the show as they have become emotionally invested in the fate of the characters they have best identified with. • Glee has a stereotypical demographic of the students in high schools and does a good job showcasing main characters from different race/ethnic, health, sexual orientation, and disability backgrounds. Glee has a diverse cast which contains stereotyped characters such as the gay, geek, popular cheerleader, jock and bad boy rebel. Kurt, Rachel, Quinn and Finn are examples of these stereotypes

20. ASPECT 2: MUSIC • Writer Ryan Murphy wanted to maintain a balance between chart hits and show tunes: “I want there to be something for everybody in every episode”. • In using a range of songs from different decades and genres the show ensures they will appeal to a wide range of people, generate high ratings and be profitable. • In later seasons the music chosen changed to include a greater number of chart hits in order to further appeal to a younger demographic. • Many musicians saw the show as an opportunity to revive their careers and sales “They loved that this show was about optimism and young kids, for the most part, reinterpreting their classics for a new audience." • Composer and musician Billy Joel offered many of his songs for use on the show, and other artists have offered use of their songs for free. • A series of Glee soundtrack albums have been released through Columbia Records. • Songs featured on the show are available for digital download through iTunes up to two weeks before new episodes air, and through other digital outlets and mobile carriers a week later. • For the second season, the creators were offered listens of upcoming songs in advance by publishers and record labels, with production occurring even before song rights are cleared. • Glee has become a successful marketing platform for music companies wanting to launch new music. It has successfully sold millions of their own cover albums, making Glee an important player in the music industry.

21. ASPECT 3: ISSUES • By dealing with issues and interests in the lives of their target audiences, media producers reflect their attitudes, needs, wants, and beliefs. • This will encourage the target to tune into the programme on a regular basis, as they see a ‘reflection’ of their own lives and experiences on-screen. • The audience will identify with issues the characters face and tune in to see how they deal with their issues, possibly for reassurance that the issue can be dealt with, security in knowing that not only they are facing that issue or to gain advice about how to deal with that issue themselves. • Issues in Glee also change from season to season to reflect the aging of the target audience and the type of issues they face at different stages of their lives. The characters themselves age at the same rate as the target audience. • Issues range from relationship problems, bullying, teen pregnancy, suicide, identity and acceptance to finding a place in the world, relationship breakdowns, cheating, growing apart or being left behind when friends/partners leave school.

22. IMPLICATIONS • Media products such as ‘Glee’ have the ability of shaping the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of their target audience. The television programme ‘Glee’ has created many implications for the audience and also the music industry and media industry as a whole. • ‘Glee’ clubs have been created in schools in New Zealand, • Songs which feature on ‘Glee’ have risen in charts and increased in sales. Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” increased in sales by 189% after featuring on the show. • Glee has evolved from being simply a form of entertainment to an avenue for music promotion and advertising. Music which appears on the show is almost guaranteed to be successful. • Musicians are now using Glee to promote new unreleased singles to a mass audience. Glee is helping bands remain successful and reach a widespread audience. • Glee has become a source of identification for its audience. Fans of ‘Glee’ have created a portmanteau of the words “glee” and “geek.” They refer to themselves as “gleeks.” • Glee has opened up the television and entertainment industry up to a new genre of musical-drama. It has made this genre acceptable and popular but also safe for producers as there is now an established audience. • Glee has inspired the creation of other musical television dramas such as SMASH – based on a the production of a musical about Marilyn Munroe. • Glee has also inspired the creation of musical films such as recently released Pitch Perfect about an all female a capella group. This is clearly aimed at the high school musical, Glee generation.