His Dark Materials

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of the genre but also needed to attract new audiences ▼ Preferred Reading Lyra is a powerful, inspirational protagonist ▾ Oppositional Reading There are noticeable problems with the representation ▾ Demographics His Dark Materials ● • Age - anyone in the family • Gender particularly male Income - can afford TV license / HBO subscription Education - well-educated (to understand the idea of the multiverse) • Occupation - any Class middle ● ● 2 ▾ Psychometrics His Dark Materials The Struggler The struggler has a 'live for the day' attitude and doesn't think about the future. They may see themselves as victims with only their physical skills as helping them in society. They seek escape. 3 His Dark Materials T The Reformer Reformers are defined by self-esteem and self-improvement. They are not influenced or impressed by status and they are not materialistic. They are socially aware people who are inclined to invest in brands and products that are good for them or good for the environment. They seek enlightenment. 4 His Dark Materials The Mainstreamer Mainstreamers make up 40% of the population. They like tried and trusted brands that are value for money. They like to think they are part of a larger group of like-minded people and are less likely to take risks. They seek security. 5 The Explorer Explorers like to discover new things and are attracted to new or innovative brands, products and experiences. They seek discovery. His Dark Materials 20 ▼ Active Thinks deeply about the enigmas and representation even after finishing Passive Enjoys the escapism of the show - does not think while watching it ▼ Reception • Series 2 was generally well-liked o However, critics said that those who weren't a pre-existing fan of the books would not have enjoyed Series 2 6 • The first episode of Series 2 of His Dark Materials was watched by 4.4 million people and 227,000 on HBO ▼ Industry ▼ Actors o This is much lower than the first episode of Series 1, which was watched by 7.2 million people in the UK and 423,000 on HBO • Lyra - Dafne Keen ● Will - Amir Wilson • Marisa Ruth Wilson • Lee Lin-Manuel Miranda • Father MacPhail - Will Keen ▼ Cost His Dark Materials ● Pan - Kit Connor • His Dark Materials was an expensive project, rumoured to have cost millions to produce Therefore, the show had to appeal to a large audience ● ▼ Funding • It was a collaborative project between BBC and HBO o This allowed them to share costs as well as boost the number of audiences internationally • The BBC is funded mostly by the TV licence fee • HBO, which stands for Home Box Office, is a subscription-based network and currently has 47 million users in the US and 2.05 million in Western Europe ▼ Production Companies • The BBC • HBO ▾ Competition 7 • HBO and BBC have competition from on-demand streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime to attract audiences His Dark Materials Marketing • The show was marketed across different platforms to attract a wide audience The BBC and HBO created two different trailers for series 2 o There is debate whether the values of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) are still relevant in today's society o Both trailers feature shots of the characters and settings, narrative elements, genre codes and conventions, enigma, and action codes • The BBC and HBO both produced posters Articles were also written in magazines such as The Radio Times • A Snapchat filter using augmented reality 'My Daemon App' is available on iOS • There are British and American official websites as well as Fansites • A lifelike 3D billboard that breathes steam • A 3D art installation in Oxford · ● Lunch with BBC's His Dark Materials Find out how a successful marketing and press campaign excites and engages legions of fans and brings them back for a second BBC series. Want to know how a successful press and marketing campaign is implemented for a global blockbuster series? ▪▪▪ https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/events/digital-cities/catchup/lunchwithhisdarkmaterials/ His Dark Materials unveils breathing billboard November 8, 2019 | 3 min read BBC Creative is promoting its TV adaptation of the 'His Dark Materials' series with the creation of a "living, breathing" billboard designed to evoke https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/11/08/his-dark-mater ials-unveils-breathing-billboard HIS DARK MATER one layer ERIALS 8 BBC and HBO Use AR to Promote His Dark Materials The complex fantasy plot lines lend themselves to the tech. AW https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/how-bbc-and-hbo- are-using-interactive-ar-fantasy-to-promote-his-dark-material His Dark Materials S/ HBO gifts fans of 'His Dark Materials' personalized sculptures The design of each sculpture was determined by the social media presence of the show's most dedicated enthusiasts. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/hbo-gifts-fans-of-his-dark-m aterials-personalized-sculptures/569659/ Interviews https://youtu.be/aiYNiRNa71g https://youtu.be/MCQwxwzoYIM https://youtu.be/UQLblktLpPo BBC https://youtu.be/TwFYJef-hSU SO FANS CAN STEP INSIDE A WORLD FROM ITS MULTIVERSE 9 Behind the Scenes https://youtu.be/O8JXM5MCQQc ▾ Online Platforms https://youtu.be/M285lfomt74 #hisdarkmaterials hashtag on Instagram Photos and videos 117K Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from 'hisdarkmaterials' hashtag https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/hisdarkmaterials/?hl=en ▼ Regulation • In the UK, His Dark Materials is rated as a 12, which means it is suitable for children aged 12 years and older ● His Dark Materials HBO has given the show a TV-14 rating, which means it is suitable for children aged 14 and older o These ratings are likely due to the level of moderate violence and threat ▾ Language ▾ Genre ▼ Sci-Fi ▼ Conventions • Central conflict 10 His Dark Materials • • Space travel and exploration • Parallel universes • Fictional worlds • Speculative technology ▼ Examples • Magisterium's corrupt rule 'Door' that Lyra walked through ● ● Exploring the city • Oxford vs Oxford • The city in the sky The Alethiometer ● ▼ Fantasy Teleportation ▼ Conventions ● A magic system • A well-developed setting ● ● ● A cast of complex characters • Good vs evil • The heroic / villainous quest for power / knowledge • Tradition vs change ● A system of government The individual vs society Coming of age • Love • Betrayal Epic journey 11 His Dark Materials ▼ Examples • Dust The multiverse • Lyra, Will, Lee, Marisa, Daemons etc • The Magisterium • ● The unlikely / reluctant hero ● Lyra vs society • Lyra and Will growing up Lyra and Will's love Marisa betrayed Lyra in S1 Journey through worlds ● ● Lyra vs Magisterium Lyra's quest to find out about Dust / Marisa's quest to find Lyra Dust: sin vs consciousness • Will ▾ Family TV Drama ▼ Conventions . The fictional recreation of real life stories • We believe in the characters and the worlds they create • Evolving around conflicts between family members ▼ Examples • Fictional recreation of a '‘dysfunctional' family dynamic, including parent separation, abuse and neglect • We believe in Lyra and her multiverse quest - younger audiences believe that the multiverse could be real • Evolves around a conflict between Lyra vs Marisa, Marisa vs Asriel, and Asriel vs Marisa 12 Codes and conventions - Analysing genre - GCSE Media Studies Revision - BBC Bitesize Different media texts have codes and conventions which can be used to analyse genre. ▪▪▪ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zs8s9qt/revision/1 ▼ Codes ▾ Visual Codes His Dark Materials 13 Camera Shots You Need to Know for Media Studies The choice of shot will have a significant influence on the audience's interpretation of the image. That is why photographers and cinematographers think incredibly carefully Ms https://media-studies.com/camera-shots/ ▼ Action Codes (events or actions that take place that move the narrative forward by creating suspense) ▼ Enigma Action and Enigma Codes in Narratives Two Essential Narrative Codes There are two essential narrative codes you need to know: action and enigma codes. Roland Barthes argued there needed to be a clear sequence Me https://media-studies.com/action-enigma-codes/ Narrative 13 His Dark Materials Steps 1 2 3 4 5 Strand continues from the previous episode Strand is specific and central to the episode Strands are interwoven throughout the episode Strand involves main characters outside of the primary setting One strand continues into next episode, maintaining audience interest What happens (Linear Narrative) The narrative starts with an equilibrium - Lyra explores an abandoned city An action or character disrupts the equilibrium - Will sneaks up on Lyra and she fights him A quest to restore the equilibrium begins - Pan and Will convince Lyra that Will should team up with her The narrative continues to a climax - Will and Lyra find other children in the city Resolution occurs and equilibrium is restored - the children inform them of why the city is abandoned 14 His Dark Materials ● Complex characters and central plot Many other storylines interweave with original storyline ● M His Dark Materials can be defined as a hybrid genre, one that uses codes and conventions from different genres such as fantasy, sci-fi and family drama • The series follows the adventures of an orphan called Lyra Silvertongue/Belacqua Question over what is real and what isn't, challenges audiences and adds to mystery Lyra travels through portals to different worlds to find out about Dust • Lyra does her best to hide from the terrifying Magisterium Structure - each episode starts with a recap of the essential parts of previous episodes & each episode ends on a cliffhanger. • The series contains multi-strand narratives and subplots ▼ Character Roles o Played by Dafne Keen, Lyra lives in Jordan College in Oxford in a world different from ours 15 ● His Dark Materials villain the donor ● Villain - Marisa Helper - Will ● Donor - Lee Princess - City • Dispatcher - Asriel • Hero - Lyra ▼ Binary Opposition . Good vs evil . Children vs adults • Innocence vs maturity • Truth vs lies • Human vs animal • Female vs male • Femininity vs masculinity Young vs old helper princess dispatcher false hero the hero 16 Semiotics | Definitions, Guides and Examples Semiotics is the study of the signs and codes we use to communicate with each other and the world. Find out more with our useful guides. Ms https://media-studies.com/semiotics/ ▼ Exam Questions ● ● Analyse the narrative features of The City of Magpies in terms of Propp's theory. [8 marks] Why do producers use stereotypes? Answer with reference to The City of Magpies. [6 marks] Explain how TV episodes reflect the historical context in which they were created. Answer with reference to The City of Magpies. [12 marks] • How are the different representations used in order to appeal to His Dark Materials' target audience in The City of Magpies? [6 marks] • How is the genre of The City of Magpies demonstrated? [8 marks] • 'Narrative features are used to grab and hold the audience's attention.' How far does an analysis of The City of Magpies show this to be true? [12 marks] Answer with reference to: • narrative development • audience appeal of narrative. • Social and cultural contexts have always influenced the representation of young characters in television drama.' How far do you agree with this statement? [20 marks] Answer with reference to: • Dr Who, 'An Unearthly Child' (1963) • His Dark Materials, 'The City of Magpies' (2020) (Close Study Products) • Analyse The City of Magpies to show how different elements communicate meaning. [12 marks] His Dark Materials 17 Explain how television episodes reflect changes in social values over time. Answer with reference to Doctor Who and His Dark Materials. [6 marks] • State two conventions of a Family TV Drama. [2 marks] • How are young audiences positioned by Family TV Dramas? Answer with reference to His Dark Materials. [6 marks] Analyse The City of Magpies to show how codes are used to communicate meaning. [8 marks] • Explain how television series use online technologies to meet the needs of their audiences, with reference to HBO's work on His Dark Materials. [9 marks] • 'Television series need large production and marketing budgets to be successful.' How far do you agree with this statement? Answer with reference to HDM. [20 marks] Briefly define the term 'establishing shot'. [1 mark] How are codes used in The City of Magpies to provide information about the relationship between Lyra and Will? [8 marks] ● ● • 'Narrative features draw viewers into the story and keep them watching.' How far does an analysis of The City of Magpies this to be true? [12 marks] • 'The needs of a modern television drama audience are very different to the needs of a 1960s audience.' How far do you agree with this statement? [20 marks] Answer with reference to: • Dr Who, An Unearthly Child (1963) and His Dark Materials, The City of Magpies (2020) (Close Study Products) • the historical contexts of these products. • Briefly define diegetic sound. [1 mark] • Give one example of diegetic sound in The City of Magpies. [1 mark] • How is camerawork used to show the tension between Will and Lyra and the other young children in the city? [8 marks] Answer with reference to types of shot and camera movement. His Dark Materials 18 • In His Dark Materials, how effectively do the following create meaning: • non-verbal communication • props • lighting? [12 marks] • Representations of age in television drama are strongly influenced by social and cultural contexts.' How far do you agree with this statement? [20 marks] • 'In order to be successful, media products must target the uses and gratifications of different audiences.' How far is this true of TV episodes you have studied? [20 marks] • Analyse the 2020 TV episode to explain how it represents: young girls and the supernatural. [12 marks] • How are codes and conventions used in His Dark Materials to appeal to its audience of fantasy fans? [6 marks] • Give TWO examples of the audience categories used by media industries. [2 marks] • Give THREE methods you could use to market a television series. [3 marks] Explain how ONE of the marketing methods given in your previous answer was used to market the second season of His Dark Materials. [6 marks] ● Explain how the public funding of the BBC benefits watchers. [6 marks] • What does an analysis of the episode The City of Magpies tell us about contemporary social and cultural values? [8 marks] Explain TWO ways in which advertisements persuade consumers to watch products. Answer with reference to His Dark Materials season 2. [6 marks] • Analyse the His Dark Materials television episode (Close Study Product) to show how the His Dark Materials 19 narrative is structured. [6 marks] • Give TWO examples of the work of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). [2 marks] • The genre of His Dark Materials can be described as science fiction/science fantasy. Give two different examples of the conventions of this genre that can be seen in Season 2, Episode 1. [2 marks] Explain how camerawork, sound and editing can make meanings. [8 marks] • 'Science fiction/science fantasy as a genre has changed very little since Doctor Who was first broadcast in 1963.' How far do you agree? Answer with reference to non- verbal codes, characters and story-lines. [12 marks] ● • 'Gender representations change as society's values and beliefs change.' To what extent is this shown by a comparison between the first episode of Doctor Who and The City of Magpies (2020)? [20 marks] His Dark Materials 20 His Dark Materials 21