Media Studies Genre

Flowchart nodes

• Media Studies Genre 

• Confessionals

• Audience interaction 

• Incentives 

• Narritive Theories 

• Propp's Types

• Enigma Codes 

• Todorov's equilibrium

• Product placement

• Normalising invasion of privacy

• Competition for prizes 

• Materialistic Values

• Big Personalities

• Genre is: The theme of a reality TV show

• Television programmes in which ordinary people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.

• DOCUMENTARY LEGAL

• COMPETITION LIFESTYLE

• TRAVEL  TRANSFORMATION

• SOCIAL EXPERIMENT 

• An interview with a participant on screen where they express their thoughts about the situation and other participants. 

• Link to RTV:  It draws the audience in so we get to know the character a bit better and decide whether we will like them or not that creates the whole diverse and drama of the show. Adds context to a situation.

• How are they harmful:  Because they could really hurt or offend people and make conflict. This could also set an expectation in society about talking about people behind there back.

• So: white color- “I’ve made pretty much everyone who has worked for me cry.”

• Naz: “I am curious…. I would love more time with Jorden, excited to go to canterbury."

•  Alexis, salon owner: “I can cut hair, I mean how hard can it be?” - shows perspective of her employees.  “I almost stabbed myself and the poor model”

• When viewers contribute to, control or otherwise actively participate in the show, eg through voting, commenting or using ideas and practices set up by the show. 

• Big Brother: Voting for your favorite

• The Bachelor uses hashtags on social media #thebachelornz 

• Embarrassing Bodies has a quiz

• Incentive: a reason (or something that motivates/encourages) someone to do an action.  

• Invasion  of  Privacy

• Materialistic  values

• L I N K S

• L I N K  A T  E N D

• It is important that we consider the way that characteristics help to build a narrative. Remember that characteristics are used for a reason (incentives), but also because they help to build a story. Narratives develop audience engagement and thus help the other groups meet their incentives.

•  - Audiences are diverse and have a really wide range of incentives. - RTV broadcasters income comes from  - 

• - RTV participants include contest judges, contestants, celebrities, people who seek fame...   - RTV producers get money from the broadcasters who buy the show and from sponsors who pay to have their products placed within the show

• - RTV advertisers want lots of potential buyers to want their products

• Propp was a narrative theorist who argued that whatever the surface differences, we can categorise characters into 8 roles or ‘spheres of action’ 

• The Hero The Villain 

• The Donor  The Helper

• The Princess  The father

• The Dispatcher  The false Hero

• An enigma code occurs when a TV show sets up a little puzzle to be solved. These can happen both at the start of the show and throughout it. Enigma codes are a narrative or storytelling device that hook the audience. 

• point of equilibrium, where everything is in balance. This is then disrupted by some event, which sets the narrative in motion. As things are worked out, we met a new equilibrium where order is resolved (to be disrupted in the next episode).

• Product placement is when a company pays to have their product featured in a television show, film, or other form of media.

• Makes the audience interested

• By encouraging audience members to participate with the show in different ways- follow cast social media, vote, talk about the show with friends, etc, we feel apart of the lives of the cast. We watch them in the show, and feel as if we know them.

• Participants complete activities, tasks or challenges in order to win something desirable, ranging from kitchen appliances to apprenticeships or even the chance of “forever love” with a suitor.   

• A cast member with a bubbly, over-the-top, ‘no filter’ attitude and personality that keep the show interesting and are outspoken about their opinions. Audience will either love or hate them (or sometimes love to hate them). Other cast members often talk about them (and they will often talk about others). They are typically picked because of their entertaining qualities. They are often the villain or the crazy one in the show.  

• Gaining more audience and attention to the show this could include with product placement and audience interactin