Year 12 Media Studies Student Questionnaire

Name: Adam Turner

GCSE Results: 

Maths - A, Philosophy - A, Science - B, Additional Science - B, Business - B, Graphics - B, English Literature - B, Information Technology - B, Drama - C, English Language - C

Hobbies:

I enjoy playing the drums when I am at home and find it a fun way to keep myself occupied when i'm bored, although i'm not a member of a band I like occasionally jamming with friends and playing around with different styles of music. I have also recently become quite interested in photography and have begun experimenting with different camera settings a long with various landscapes and focuses in order to gain a better knowledge of skills around the subject.  Other hobbies of mine are simply meeting up with my friends and having a laugh or watching films be it at home or the cinema.

Print Media:

I'm not really an avid reader when it comes to newspapers, from time to time i'll have a flick through the Evening News or Eastern Daily Press purely to check up on what's happening in the local community. For example, to see if anywhere or anyone I recognize has cropped up or to view which local events may be happening around me. In addition to this I may have a quick look at the television and film listings to read about any programmes or movies showing that may be of interest to me.
  In terms of magazines, I will sometimes buy a copy of Empire. The exclusive previews are great for finding out reliable information about new movies and upcoming projects, the detailed reviews also help in determining which films are a must see or a box office fluke. 

             

















Radio Media:

Although i'm not a committed listener, I would usually tune in to Radio 1 for the recently finished 'Chris Moyles Show' for about half an hour in the morning before school or whilst eating breakfast. The show's humor really appealed to me and was the main reason for listening, probably the best way to brighten up the dull school mornings!

Music Industry:

I enjoy quite a wide range of music but overall my favourite genres would probably have to be alternative rock, electronic and some forms of hip-hop. For example, sampling.

                  
  I don't belong to a band at the minute, although me and my friends were thinking of perhaps starting one as we've been collaborating together recently, if we did ever get round to doing so my role would be to play the drums.
  Spotify and YouTube are my main clients for accessing music on the internet. They are both great for exploring music as you can listen to your music as well as being recommended music that you may like prior to your searches and interests, new music can be found through user comments and suggested songs and videos selected by the browser. 
  I personally don't have a side in the 'illegal music download' debate because I believe there are equal amounts of good and bad points. For one, the download of illegal music could be damaging and quite frustrating for the artist due to loss of money for their work and effort. However, illegally downloaded music could boost gig attendance due to more awareness of the artist and therefore have a positive effect.
  Some artists are very influential and pose as role models to their fans. This affects fan base in the way that people want to be just like their idols and therefore begin to dress and act like the artist. For example, if a famous musician began to wear his hat in a certain way it is most probable that fans will purchase a similar hat and wear it in the way.

Video Games:

My favourite games are probably from the 'Assassins Creed' franchise, mainly because I enjoy the 'stealth' genre of gaming as apposed to the sort of 'run and gun, shoot 'em up' style as it takes more thinking and problem solving. The 'Assassins Creed' games also provide gripping story lines and brilliant graphics that are quite captivating.

  Video games may have negative effects on attitudes to different genders, races and solutions to conflicts. This is due to the amount of violence and sex thrown together in some games as if it's not really a serious issue. In turn this leads to affecting easily influenced or younger people in the way that they may stereotype a certain race or gender in comparison to how they may be depicted in a video game and may also use methods of violence taught in games against others.

New Technology:

New technologies have increased my understanding of the world in the way that I am able to access pretty much any information I need almost instantaneously. For example, news can be obtained as and when it happens and allows us to know about certain events going on in the world as soon as possible. 
  Secondly, new technologies such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype have increased my ability to communicate with others as I can see what my friends and family have been up to from anywhere with access to the internet. These sites also allow me to speak to them whenever they are online anywhere in the world. 
  With new websites and applications such as 4oD, Netflix, Love film online and BBC iPlayer television and film can be watched pretty much whenever and wherever due to quick online streaming and easy downloads. Portable media such as smart phones and tablets boost the accessibility of these types of media allowing you to watch what you want when you want providing you have a connection.
  Creating media texts is a lot less fuss with software such as Microsoft Word and websites like Tumblr and Blogspot, this is due to the fact that all information is electronically stored and easily accessible where as paperwork can build up or become lost/hard to find.
  However, social networking sites can pose as problematic, dangerous and abusive. For example, cyber-bullying is a form of abusing someone over a technological device or website and due to the introduction of websites such as Facebook and Twitter people can be ganged up on or victimized by others online. Furthermore, people can create different identities for their selves online and therefore bully as anonymous or even pose as a sexual predator and try to meet up younger people who may not be as aware of the dangers of the internet.

Television:

E4 and BBC 3 are probably my favourite television channels. I find E4 enjoyable because of it's well shot, gritty and sometimes hilarious dramas, whereas BBC 3's comedy shows are brilliant. My favorite genre is probably drama as it keeps you on the edge and makes you want to continue watching. However, I enjoy comedy as well so when the two are combined well it makes for a great show in my eyes. I consider 'Misfits', 'Skins', 'This is England '86', 'The Inbetweeners' and 'Sherlock' to be my most memorable television programmes.

Feature Film:

My favourite film genres are thriller and drama purely because I love being kept on edge and not knowing what's going to happen when watching a movie, the whole suspense and emotion of these two genres also adds greatly to the story line. 
  One of the three films I find outstanding is '28 Days Later'. The story-line keeps you incredibly captivated and the action always has you wondering what's around the next corner and how it will affect the characters. Cillian Murphy (Jim) provides the audience with a  great lead role and his perfect change from a vulnerable, scared character into a more fearless and brutal one really adds to the grittiness of the story. As well as this, the soundtrack adds to the whole eeriness of the film (In particular John Murphy - In the House, In a Heartbeat). Overall, I find Danny Boyle's ability to combine a great story line and visually thrilling scenes outstanding.

                        

  Secondly, I find the film 'City of God' to be a visually stunning movie with an amazingly gripping and dramatic story line. The cinematography has a very artistic and hectic feel to it which goes perfectly with the action and is also very relevant to the overall story, the narrative is excellent as well as all events in the movie are placed in an order which benefits the audience. Whereby, you start with a scene near the end of the movie and work your way from the beginning whilst through various character stories to finally obtain the full ending. This is incredibly effective and keeps you very captivated throughout the movie.


  Finally, I find 'This is England' to be outstanding. The way it's shot, the acting and overall story line are absolutely brilliant. I particularly like how the music coincides with the dramatic parts of the movie and also love how Thomas Turgoose's character (Shaun) progresses through the film. Shane Meadows perfectly depicts the 'Skinhead' era and gives a disturbing insight to some of the beliefs people held in that time.

  
  I usually consume films through a Sky anytime application on my games console or television. This is because there are a great range of films available and the application is updated with new one's weekly. However, I prefer to watch films at the cinema because of the enhanced atmosphere but only go occasionally due to it being quite expensive.
  My favourite cinema is probably Vue cinemas due to it being in a convenient location as the closest cinema to me. Although I prefer the comfort and size of other cinemas such as Odeon, the price at Vue is reasonable compared to the other cinemas in Norwich.
  I prefer to watch serious or gripping films such as dramas or thrillers on my own as I feel it is easier to take more of the film in. However, when i'm watching a comedy film I much prefer to be watching in a group as laughter with others makes the film more enjoyable.

Conclusion:

I can't really think of any media that has offended me. Although, I found a scene from 'Dead Man's Shoes' quite disturbing, where by a character who is mentally ill is taunted, forced to take drugs and left to hang himself. I really enjoyed the movie, it's just this scene was quite powerful.
   In contrast, 'City of God' is probably the most innovative film i have seen before i found the way in which it was shot very different to any other film I have seen.
   There haven't really been any films I've seen that have altered attitudes towards myself or my family. However, 'The Matrix' did alter the way I think about the world, this is due to the theory that is used in the film and it really racked my brain.
   If I was asked to construct a media text I- would probably choose to communicate the message about everyone following each other's trends and acting a long with the group in popular culture. Purely because I think it would be an interesting topic to write about.
   I have chosen media studies as an option because even from when I was younger I've wanted to do something in media. The subject really interests me and i'm glad I can finally learn more about it on a daily basis and hopefully find out more about different roles in media production.