Exam Questions

Media Representations: How is age/gender and ethnicity represented in the video?

I think that the representation of youth in this music video is exaggerated and there is a negative representation of young people in this video. All young people are represented in a negative way in order for Plan B to show this lifestyle. There is also an elderly couple in this video, who is being robbed. This could be an example of Plan B showing the elderly as innocent and not a significant part of society. Furthermore, Plan B uses this negative representation to help him get his point across.  In this video there is a clip of a community centre being closed down. The next shot is of a group of youths doing bad things. The artist has used a negative representation in order for him to suggest that these young people have nothing to do.

The music artist also uses a negative representation of council estates. He uses this stereotype to suggest to people that it is easier for people to get caught up in crime. There are many shots of the derelict estates and many drug dealers in the Estate. This could relate to Perkins theory about stereotypes being based on truth, as somebody who grew up on a council estate is more likely to be involved in crime. Perhaps the artist is suggesting that people in power should invest in council houses and ensure that these people feel part of society.

In this video their also is a negative representation of all the ethnicities within the video. There is a numerous ethnicity who have been included in the video. I think that Plan B is trying to see how easy it is to stereotype people in society. In addition, he was trying to say that people in power generalise these people, they don’t care about the ethnicity of these people or their story. By including all of these ethnicities it suggests that Plan B thinks that generalising these people is dangerous. This could relate Medhurst theory that stereotypes could be a shorthand to make decisions. The usage of stereotypes to this audience allows people to stereotype them easier, or allow them to justify their prejudices.

Media Audiences- Who does this text appeal to/ Why?

I think that the music video appeals to Plan B usual target audience, 15-35 year old. These people would’ve grown up or knew people in the social under-class.This video would also appeal to the  C1, C2, D, E as the D and E demographic  range  I think that his target audience are young and in education. This show would appeal to the Reformer Psychographic range as they would be the most concerned group and eager for change in the world. I think that this would appeal to an older age as this is very factual and it is talking about a social issue. In addition, protest songs are usually listened to by an older audience. In addition, I think that Plan B would also like to appeal to the mainstream group. This music video would only be successful if it did appeal to the mainstreamers.

In addition, I think that this music video also appeals to people who are interest or want reform in the world and are looking out for a hero to do this. This video highlights some of the issues that social underclass are having, it highlights them and places it on a broad scale. For example, the stereotype that people have of people who live in council estates and the lack of funding that these people face. These issues are broad and many people think that people in power aren’t doing enough. As the artist has highlighted some of these issues he has expanded the amount of people that he is targeting.

Media Institutions-In what way is the video typical of music videos and what values does it promote?

This music video is typical and it has all of the key conventions that you would associate with this genre, which could be either Rap or grime. This music video starts off with the warning stating it has explicit genre. This is an important as people who don’t like explicit genre. It than has a series of establishing shots and long shots. This helps to set the scene of the music video with the fumes in the background being dark and images being negative. This is common protest song to slightly hint at what would happen next.

Most of this video is shot in a unused car park in the heart of an estate. This setting is important for this genre as they should choose a setting that is dark and it shouldn’t be shot in a studio. If this music video was shot in a studio, it would lose must of the impact it has on the audience. It is important for this Genre to show real places and real people and their struggles.  Having a unused car park as a setting allows the element of realism, it also uses low key lighting which adds to the effect of the video. In addition, this music video could also promote inequality in a sarcastic manner. By using a car park, whist other rapper might have studios could suggest that protest rappers are unequal due to them talking about real issues. The use of car-park adds realism to the music video and it allows it to appeal greater to people.

The editing of this music video and the variety of shots that they use allow for the artist to create a very edgy feel. This adds the authenticity of the music video. The use of fast-paced editing is common in this genre. It allows the viewer of this music video to be on edge and this allows the artist to create this unique feel. I think that this was done to resemble an estate life could be like; the speed of editing could resemble how fast things change, the combination of violence and suggestions of it, how angry people could be. In addition, thing that is common in this genre is to have loads of violence. This allows people to fulfil their expectations and it agrees with the stereotypes that many people have. In addition, the amount of violence that is in this music video could also suggest that placing many people in council houses is dangerous.