"Does strictly come dancing target a mass audience whilst Homeland targets a fragmented audience?"

A Mass audience denotes a section of the media specifically designed to reach a large audience. Eastenders is shown on BBC 1 at 20:00 shows this also with their 8,675,000 views last week. The opposite of this targeted type of audience is named 'fragmented' in which the division of audiences into small groups due to the wide spectrum of media available. The television show; "Storage wars" helps show this with its 165,000 viewers and viewing channel and time being the History channel at 20:59.

Strictly Come Dancing has been suggested to have a mass audience displaying their television show to millions in Britain. Their viewing count last week (11,413,000) shows the huge range of the public that watch it. The channel chosen also adds evidence to the question with BBC One being the suited for a mass audience as well as being the first and main broadcaster in Britain. The date and time scheduled also suggests the targeted audience being mass with the time being 18:31 on a Saturday. This is very specific and strategic with most people either having dinner or watching their television before going out. The show from this will encourage more viewers into watching because of this. The show itself involves a variety of British celebrities that the public are aware of, from this it involves the viewer more making it feel more personal to them.

Homeland on the other hand, has a completely different style of audience that can be seen in a variety of ways. The viewers from last week stand at 3,040,000, a significant difference compared to Strictly Come Dancing. The show is also played on Channel 4 which is very open to U.S. shows compared to other channels. This connotes the fragmented audience that Homeland has because of the narrow selection it is showed on. The schedule also has a significant factor because it is timed at 21:00 on a Sunday. Many people would either be sleeping by this time however a small section of the public choose this time to unwind or watch something whilst they get ready for work on Monday. The genre of the show (political thriller) also fragments the viewer’s even further because of the specific interest needed to watch it. It is also specifically aimed at U.S. citizens in which portray the targeted audience in Britain to be even more of a niche viewing.

In conclusion, Strictly Come Dancing has 8,373,000 more views than Homeland last weekend showing a significant difference in both show's targeted audience. The channel both are showed on different channels which both have separate audiences that watch. Channel four focuses more on cultural and niche types of viewers compared to the BBC who are the national channel and broadcaster. The two shows are completely different as well with Strictly being more of a reality television show compared to Homeland, a fiction drama with American roots. 

Hartley, Fiske and Homeland's Audience

Hartley identifies 7 groups of identification for audience:

• Self - Grouped by aspirations
• Gender - Associated motives by gender
• Age Group - Stereotypically having different priorities, needs and aims in life
• Family - Place in family; parent or child?
• Class - Social classes need different things
• Nation - The country a group comes from and its style
• Ethnicity - The ethnic grouping of your audience may play a role in choosing actors or images

This theory breaks down all the components of the targeted audience as well as displaying any differences that could occur.

Fiske identifies the audience in a different perspective compared to Hartley:

• Education - The level of education could differentiate and affect the audience
• Religion - Plays a key role, is it aimed at a specific belief? Are the people taking in their belief when reading the text?
• Political ideology - Different groups have different priorities. Will this affect their decision?
• Region - Places can be more powerful than others. Fashion for example differs in London compared to Yorkshire.
• Urban versus Rural - Town versus Country - They have different ways of living and beliefs

Fiske identifies a more deeper research into targeted audience. Small details from the way the audience live can completely change the way they think and interpret a text.

Homeland's Targeted Audience:

?

Episode 2: Audience Positioning

Main focus: Brody

Other focuses: Carrie and Saul

The title sequence - Suggests that Carrie has always aimed on finding the truth in her life. Other significant scenes are the maze in the title sequence. This connotes that she knows something about Brody but she just can't see it.

· The camera angle being at Brody's level with him digging up the grave suggests that we're down at his level and the terrorists at this point are the bad ones. It positions the audience to feel sorry for Brody.

· With Brody with his family in the morning, the camera is lowered and he is presented at the front. This suggests that it wants the audience to see an orthodox family system with him being the leader and protector.

· There is also privileged access to Brody's thoughts and nightmares. This positions the audience extremely close and completely follow the character inside his head. It creates a sense of feeling like he is a victim as well.

· Audience imagining - the process of identification.

· With Brody assaulting his wife in his sleep, the audience is positioned to feel sorry for the family with his struggles being genuinely sorry about the assault.

· In the prison cell, a lowered medium shot is presented with flash backs becoming more frequent in this episode. Dramatic non diegetic music is also playing in these scenes to build a tension.

· Brody chokes the paparazzi- This was a military or terrorist learnt move suggesting what he can be capable of. With the son also seeing him it creates tension between the families.

· When he runs into the woods, the camera doesn't follow him in. It only shows him coming back out the other side. This has fast paced music to go with it as well.

· With the shopping scene, the audience is positioned behind Brody the whole time, suggesting that we are following him un-noticed about the find out his true colours.

· Brody has been positioned (when the family is eating) at the head of the table showing he still has that father input into the house hold.

· When Brody approaches his son, the lighting in the room is darkened on Brody's face with his son being completely lit. This is a suggestion and positions the audience to feel that the son sees him as a stranger after 8 years.

· With Brody putting on his uniform and going to the press, non-diegetic music begins to play giving Carrie an opportunity to prove that there is something wrong about him. The audience is positioned to see this and recognise that he is playing the hero card.

Carrie's toe nails are also significant with them only being half done. The audience is positioned to take this in as a metaphor for her job being only half done. In which this suggests there is more to find out.

Saul's cinematography positions the audience to show he is not worried. The lighting is darkened on one side of his face to connote that he also has a dark side in which he is hiding. He also has confident body language creating a sense of mystery about his past.

 

21/11/12

21/11/12

Things included:

• Storyboarding
• Conversation about how it will be relevant to both our research investigation
• Planning on when to film

Alex and myself both continued to construct our storyboard sharing ideas on what our music video will look like, contain as well how it will both fit with our research investigation. We came up with a variety of ideas with a selection of different camera angles for each scene. We now have almost finished the storyboard and look towards beginning to record it. We aim to do it all on one shot but we understand with some scenes we won't be able to do that. In some cases we will even have to just wing it and see what happens. However we do have a structure to what we're doing and a great plan to start filming with.

"Defend the view that Homeland is am 'anti-classical narrative"

Anti-Classical Narrative: Challenging the traditional conventions surrounding the concept of a narrative, an anti-narrative makes use of those conventions to call attention to itself and the practices and modes being used to convey meaning to an audience. Many times ironic, anti-narratives implicitly question the validity of conventional narrative logic and the structural aspects and strategies of a narrative in general.

In a classical narrative the order would be of the following: Equilibrium, disruption and then the equilibrium regained. However in Homeland it begins with a lot going on completely going against the standard structure suggesting it is an anti-classical narrative. Todorov (a theorist) also agrees stating that the phases and rules of the narrative of episodes do not show the problems/challenges resolved anytime soon by the characters. However a point balancing the argument is that maybe the conventions of a classical narrative could be more aimed at films and not TV shows.

David (The head of the CIA) also counter argues the conventions of a classical narrative in which goes against the stereotypical aspects of a boss in the everyday narrative. The fact he is black connotes a small amount of anti-narrative alone showing that he is the most powerful man in the scene and makes all the decisions, very abnormal for a classical narrative.

Carrie alone also counter argues the classical narrative of the characters. Based on a female being the protagonist, it argues against feminist theorists; Johnston and Malvey. Certain scenes like the first where she hits the guard away states the opposite generalisations that the audience perceive showing a very dominant role. Scopophillia is also presented in Homeland giving a mixed reception of both anti and classical narrative structure.

Overview of 'Pilot' (Episode 1)

Carrie

The character herself is very controversial in the first few scenes in Homeland into figuring out where she falls in line with the stereo-types of the genre as well as if she fits with any theories made. The scene in her house where she is getting ready definitely sets in line where Carrie stands in the questions being raised about her character. The mis-en-scene manages to show strong evidence into completely disagreeing with Johnston's theory on woman in the film industry. The walls are painted blue denoting the complete opposite of a feminine persona with blue being a male dominated colour. Her bed covers are white with boxes that have been labelled around it. This suggests and tells the audience a huge amount of information about Carrie's personality. To begin with, the colour of the covers connotes a plain personality about her with no importance in the bedroom which also signifies her sexual personality and tells the reader that she is the complete opposite to the stereo-type that has been made about female characters in action/drama genre films. Secondly, the boxes with labels still on them suggests her main focus is more on her job than her own personal life with her not finished with moving in. 

The scene also informs the audience of Carrie's connotations and where she stands in the stereo-type. While getting changed she offers small doses of a possible sexual aspect to the character with her wearing a revealing gown as well as voyeuristic camera shots being used.  However this possible characteristic is put down with the act of her 'cleaning herself.' This throws off any potential thoughts of Carrie being the generic female character of this genre because it was unexpected and rather off putting. Through this however, the director has managed to create the impression of Carrie simply being 'human' and removes any connotation of her being sexual and brings the main focus of her as the main character discovering the plot to the narrative and nothing else. 

Jessica

This character has been portrayed as the complete opposite to Carrie in every way including; personality, way of living and the construction of her representation. The first scene she is showed in shows her completely naked in a sex scene which immediately gives off the first impressions and giving her the stereo-typical connotations of the female character in this particular genre. The fact she is completely naked and 'enjoying herself' gives these impressions. This supports Johnston's line of argument of woman being represented in a 'male view for the female.' 

The mis-en-scene with Jess getting ready to meet Brody is also very significant in stating to the audience where the character stands compared to Carrie. The warmly lit room (similar to the sex scene) suggests the characters mood suggesting a huge sexual connotation. Then we move onto the bright red dress Jessica is wearing which reveals some of the body parts. Firstly, the colour choice red is highly significant in telling the audience how the character is represented in homeland. It is suggested on woman to be very sexual with her red lipstick, it all adds to the detail of her of her representation. This also supports Mulvey's line of argument in 'the look' being directed by a male but controlled by a female. The camera work also used gives the viewer the 'voyeuristic spectator' aspect.

Brody

As soon as Brody gets off the plane immediate question are asked by the viewer to do with his disappearance. The episode however, gives away small bits of information through subliminal messages. When the paparazzi begin to take pictures the flash hits Brody with a flashback only lasting merely a second but gives away significant information suggesting he was somewhere dangerous with bombs or flashing lights being constant. 

Non diegetic music also plays quite frequently when the character is included in a scene suggesting a sense of danger about the character. The music chosen makes the viewer on edge and uncomfortable hinting and reminding them that there is something wrong with Brody that no one else except Carrie and the audience can see. 

The other side to the genre (drama) of homeland is unravelled as well in 'Pilot' with the drive home. As the audience know, Jessica was first introduced having sex with Brody's best friend with the children not knowing the relationship the both of them have. "He's a contractor..." was a conversation in the car about who painted the house a different colour. This is extremely significant in stating the drama side of the genre due to the audience knowing what actually happened as well as that part of the storyline is waiting to be unravelled in further course. It begins to build tension from there throughout the episode. 

Other considerable factors

The sex scene between Jessica and Brody is hugely awkward for both the characters and viewers. However this was constructed to do so to give off information about the characters and the relations they have with each other. The reaction of the scars by Jessica almost makes you feel sorry for both the characters in how they will cope with him being missing from the family for 8 years as well as the pain he went through while she was 'sleeping around.' However the scene becomes more diverse with Jessica trying to carry on with the sex giving the impression to the audience that she is desperate for her marriage to recover before he finds out the other men. It was also constructed to show that she enjoyed the sex more with the other man more than with her husband creating more tension between the characters. The camera work of this seen is also very significant with the camera looking down at Jessica and looking up at Brody. This suggests that Brody is the dominant character in the relationship as well as maintaining that sense of fear about the character.

The Saul and David confrontation was also highly important in explaining the reason for the bullying and untrustworthy view he has of Cassie. It creates a deeper route to the narrative in giving the suggestion that Carrie was the reason for the divorce and why he never is able to see his kids any more.  

Homeland: Carrie

1. How is the audience positioned in relation to the character?
2. What is the character's status in relation to others?
3. How stereo-typical is she?
4. Is her character typical of the genre?
5. Do they influence the audiences expectations of the narrative?

1. The audience is positioned in her point of view by following her every move in the narrative. The character is leading a double life and the audience watches her every move. The character has been represented as trust-worthy by the human characteristics she presents. The audience see's both her business and human side to suggest so threat to any other characters other than the one's that have been portrayed as bad.

2. Carries status in relation to others is extremely diverse in 'Homeland.' She is connoted to being at the bottom of the hierarchy in her CIA job compared with the others. This can be seen with one of the first seen's where she arrives late to a meeting and the boss picks on her. The positioning of her whilst she is seating is also siginificant as she is placed at the back of the room. This is connote's that maybe she is less important than other agents.

3. Cassies' stereo-type is the complete opposite of how she is portrayed. Her blonde-hair and blue eyes would normally suggest a very weak and small minded character aka the 'blonde bimbo.' However in Homeland she is strong willed, smart and holds powerful information. The smartness can be seen from her job title working in the cia. The powerful information she holds is shown in her; 'alternate life' where she finds out dark information on the returning nation hero. 

4. Her character is both typical and not of the genre. Cassie goes against the stereo-type of the 'blonde bimbo' as stated in question 3 in the action side of it. This is shown with her extremely argumentative personality as well as her pushing boundaries such as her refusal to co-operate with her boss and finally her constant causing of conflict. However also fits the criteria in the drama with her steering away from danger in whilst in America. As the genre of Homeland is action-drama, her character is very diverse. 

5. The character herself, shows the plot/dilema in Homeland unravel for the audience to see. Without her the narrative would seem unclear to them. The point of view scenes following her throughout shows the problems that occur in the show. 

7/11/2012

7/11/2012

Today myself and Alex drew up a story board of our ideas for the music video - Jamie T's, Chaka Demus. We wrote down the ideas we had as well as our research investigation questions and how we would tie them all together. We managed to create a range of ideas that would allow us to create a video that would, 1. Connect with the lyrics in some way, 2. Connect with both our research questions as well as prove some of the points we provided in our investigation and finally a full proof storyline that works!

We then proceeded to begin storyboarding and adding what camera shots, props and metaphors would be used in the first few scenes. I believe we work great as a team as we provide diverse ideas that create a balance as well as having the ability to create a music video that will fit the criteria and will be creative.