Critical Investigation Task #1

(Bad Neighbours, first party scene)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYT0M7mpYCQ

This scene starts various medium shots, that zoom into close-ups of the props being used for the party. The're are numerous fast paced cuts, which is parallel to the speed of the scene as it's a party scene. Throughout the first part of this scene there is parallel, non-diegetic music playing, that fits in with the atmosphere. 

It then goes into a scene with the main protagonists in what looks like a Delta Psi Meeting, in this scene we see Ted ( Zac Efron ) lighting up what looks like a joint and the scene is quite calm, in comparison to the previous scene. He further goes on to talk about what has happened throughout the Delta Psi history, with the non-diegetic music playing in the background. The type of music that is played in certain scenes in this film along with sounds, is key in this type of film, as there are were a lot of parties shown the right kind of music had to be played to create the right environment. Also, the right setting and props used helped create a better narrative as it mad everything seem more realistic. 

After he speaks, we see the characters dropping large amounts of marijuana into steel bins, which light up and the scene picks up a faster pace once again. From this there's various shots of joints, people lighting up bongs etc and numerous people entering the frat house. 

The camerawork throughout this scene is quite shaky, and hand held to create more of a realistic feel. 

There's a green tone of lighting throughout, which creates more of a idealistic scene as it's a frat party. We can also see numerous posters of marijuana signs posted on the walls around the house.

Additionally, throughout majority of the scene we a dominant representation of teenagers partying and doing silly things, such as jumping down the stairs, smoking more than one substance at once, etc. We also see girls shirtless, behaving recklessly and almost being objectified. We also see boys and girls making out and behaving inappropriately in bedrooms.

This could therefore, create a moral panic for the older generation. Even though they wouldn't typically see a movie like this, if they were to, it would create a moral panic as they don't agree with the behavior of teenagers these days and frown upon most of the things they get up to. 

The props throughout the film helps create a better feel of how reckless teenagers are. For example, during the party scenes, the use of bongs, lighters, party lights etc help show what the younger generation are like and what they enjoy doing. In contrast, the props used for the couples house is completely different to what the teenagers have in theirs. This scene relates closely to the representation, and stereotypes of the youth and how they are presented in a negative manner. This is evident throughout this entire scene as we see teenagers behaving recklessly. The use of the film being set in an American frat house helps give off the feel of these teenagers having fun and partying. Furthermore, the use of difference settings such as the deans office conveys that even though the students aren't living on college grounds and they have a house instead, they are still in college. Additionally, the use of showing the husbands work place, emphasises the difference between both generations. 

In addition, media effects can be applied in this scene as well, as it's an this is an audience theory that tends to see the audience as passive and seeks to measure how exposure to particular aspects of media content can influence the behaviour of the reader or viewer. Ownership and control can also be applied here, as ownership and control portrays what the media releases and allows audiences to view, and throughout the film it only conveys a negative representation of teenagers. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BagWclm5f3o

This scene starts various medium shots, that zoom into close-ups of the props being used for the party. The're are numerous fast paced cuts, which is parallel to the speed of the scene as it's a party scene. Throughout the first part of this scene there is parallel, non-diegetic music playing, that fits in with the atmosphere. 

It then goes into a scene with the main protagonists in what looks like a Delta Psi Meeting, in this scene we see Ted ( Zac Efron ) lighting up what looks like a joint and the scene is quite calm, in comparison to the previous scene. He further goes on to talk about what has happened throughout the Delta Psi history, with the non-diegetic music playing in the background. The type of music that is played in certain scenes in this film along with sounds, is key in this type of film, as there are were a lot of parties shown the right kind of music had to be played to create the right environment. Also, the right setting and props used helped create a better narrative as it mad everything seem more realistic. 

After he speaks, we see the characters dropping large amounts of marijuana into steel bins, which light up and the scene picks up a faster pace once again. From this there's various shots of joints, people lighting up bongs etc and numerous people entering the frat house. 

The camerawork throughout this scene is quite shaky, and hand held to create more of a realistic feel. 

There's a green tone of lighting throughout, which creates more of a idealistic scene as it's a frat party. We can also see numerous posters of marijuana signs posted on the walls around the house.

Additionally, throughout majority of the scene we a dominant representation of teenagers partying and doing silly things, such as jumping down the stairs, smoking more than one substance at once, etc. We also see girls shirtless, behaving recklessly and almost being objectified. We also see boys and girls making out and behaving inappropriately in bedrooms.

This could therefore, create a moral panic for the older generation. Even though they wouldn't typically see a movie like this, if they were to, it would create a moral panic as they don't agree with the behavior of teenagers these days and frown upon most of the things they get up to. 

The props throughout the film helps create a better feel of how reckless teenagers are. For example, during the party scenes, the use of bongs, lighters, party lights etc help show what the younger generation are like and what they enjoy doing. In contrast, the props used for the couples house is completely different to what the teenagers have in theirs. This scene relates closely to the representation, and stereotypes of the youth and how they are presented in a negative manner. This is evident throughout this entire scene as we see teenagers behaving recklessly. The use of the film being set in an American frat house helps give off the feel of these teenagers having fun and partying. Furthermore, the use of difference settings such as the deans office conveys that even though the students aren't living on college grounds and they have a house instead, they are still in college. Additionally, the use of showing the husbands work place, emphasises the difference between both generations. 

In addition, media effects can be applied in this scene as well, as it's an this is an audience theory that tends to see the audience as passive and seeks to measure how exposure to particular aspects of media content can influence the behavior of the reader or viewer. Ownership and control can also be applied here, as ownership and control portrays what the media releases and allows audiences to view, and throughout the film it only conveys a negative representation of teenagers. 

Notes and Quotes

     Media texts

Main text - 'Bad Neighbours'

 1) Bad Neighbours, film review: Slapstick scenes are juvenile but still have a comic kick. - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/bad-neighbours-film-review-slapstick-scenes-are-juvenile-but-still-have-a-comic-kick-9313438.html 

•  "The film combines gross-out, Animal House-style frat humour". 
• "Teddy and his friends are young and muscular with perfectly toned bodies."
• "Efron's character is like a priapic Peter Pan. He clings to his youth."
• "His ambitions, though, don't stretch beyond throwing the "most epic party" in the history of the Delta Psi fraternity."

2) Bad Neighbours: 'surprisingly perceptive' - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10803384/Bad-Neighbours-surprisingly-perceptive.html

•  "The presence of the actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse in a film is a reliable indicator that you should not attempt to watch it with small children or relatives of refined sensibilities."
• "The frat-house obsessions of sex, drugs and drunken excess while also openly revelling in them – it’s more perceptive than it might first appear."
• "This touches on the deranging effect, not only of parenthood, but also of inescapable, inconsiderate neighbours, all of it confused by the tyranny of the teenage dream."
• "One of the film’s great successes turns out to be Efron, who invests his buff, tanned, hard-partying character with equal measures of charm, resilience and borderline psychopathy, all wrapped up in the superficially confident, explosive insecurity of youth."

Secondary Media Text -  '21 Jump Street' 

1) '21 Jump Street' is affectionate teen satire. - http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/21-jump-street-is-affectionate-teen-satire-1.3602128

• "Obvious affection for teen genres, and for teenagers."
•  "The movie works best as a commentary on the ever-changing and always baffling rules of youth culture." 
• "The best jokes are in the setup: Schmidt, a former outcast, is delighted to find that today's popular kids are sensitive, gay-tolerant types, while Jenko, once a bullying jock, is horrified." 
•  "His interest sparked when he saw it as a story of adults reverting to the immature behaviours and insecurities they thought they'd outgrown."
• Channing Tatum: "The whole digital thing: Facebook, Twitter. That stuff grows at such an exponential rate that it’s ridiculous to me. I didn’t have a computer until — I don’t know — four, five years ago. And everything’s changed since then. Technology just changes, like, every single day." 

2) "It's the kind of movie every young person should avoid, but won't". 
-https://www.movieguide.org/reviews/21-jump-street.html

• "21 Jump Street is funny. It could actually do well because it provides ample entertainment value to people with very low moral standards".
• "Parents should be extremely wary because this movie will be talked about in school. In fact, there will be peer pressure put on 'Christian' teenagers to see this movie"
• "This is a movie parents should take a stand against their children seeing, even though the humour may be popular."
• "21 Jump Street is extremely vulgar and obscene, but the movie is humorous enough that it could be popular enough with young people". 

3) “21 Jump Street” blurs comedic high school stereotypes"

-http://www.dailycal.org/2012/03/14/21-jump-street-blurs-comedic-high-school-stereotypes/

• "Even though the movie does succeed in crafting layered characters, it continues to refer back to stock characters that earlier comedies have housed."
• "The smart kids remain ordinary nerds hacking away in front of computers or making science experiments."
• "Nevertheless, “21 Jump Street” more often offers three-dimensional characters than not, elevating it to high volumes of laughter. If not original, then the movie proves to be at least a potent comedy with two bona fide performances."
• "By forcing them to inhabit new character complexions, the movie avoids the stereotyping techniques that often hurt comedies by allowing Jenko and Schmidt to discover different sides of themselves."

Teenagers in the media - Are teenagers represented fairly in the media? https://www.makewav.es/story/14341/title/teenagersinthemedia

• ‘Young people’ you hear about them a lot in the media. Either portrayed as anti-social yobs that all drink, smoke and have sexual intercourse on a daily basis. Or else they are portrayed as victimised and the future of the world we live in.
• "It is worth noting that the vast majority of overtly negative youth related stories focussed on individuals and isolated incidents of crime and violence such as muggings, stabbings etc." 
• "There are plenty of adults who go out and get drunk on a Friday night. I don’t see why teenagers should be blamed for all drunken conduct and vandalism."
• "There has also been a lot of complaining about the latter view of teenagers in the media. Many adults protest that ‘children are the future’ and that they are being misrepresented."
• "To be fair, the media are not misrepresenting teenagers, they are merely reporting the bad side of them. "

Negative Youth Portrayal In The Media-http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2014/08/14/negative-youth-portrayal-media/

• “Hoodie”, “louts”, “heartless”, “evil”, “frightening”, “scum”, “monsters”, “inhuman” and “threatening”. These are just some of the words that have been used in the past to describe youth in the UK.  
• "Figures show that young people, mainly boys, have been described in national and regional papers as “yobs” (591 times), followed by “thugs” (254 times), “sick” (119 times) and “feral” (96 times)."
• "It can be safe to say that the portrayal of young people in the UK is mostly negative.  Young people have been described as violent yobs that only seem to care about their street status."

Media Portrayal of Young People – impact and influences

• "According to Madge’s research (2006) the strength of the influence the media has on children and young people increases as they get older"
• "Children claimed that they were more influenced by their parents and families, adults claimed that children were more likely to believe the media and friends influenced them most."
• "Adults also said they thought children were depicted ‘very badly’ in the media, over 75% thought children were depicted as ‘troublemakers’. In addition, 47% of adults said that children were portrayed in a negative way."

BRIANAIR - 
https://brianair.wordpress.com/film-theory/teenage-representation/

•  "The traditional stereotype of the teenage boy was one of the rebel, the teenage thug and gangster which as highlighted in the film Cosh boy in 1953."  
• "Traditional  teenage gender roles are become more blurred as society changes and Ideology moves on."
•  "These representations are different the stereotype stays the same, there fore going against Tessa Perkins theory of stereotypes change as audiences become bored and ideology changes."
• "If the institution want the audience to take a preferred meaning from the text, they will be bias in there representation and therefore their mediation will be set up through selection, organising and focusing so they try to get there dominant meaning across."

 The Guardian - From hoodies to goodies: today's teenagers have the makings of model citizens.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/16/hoodies-goodies-teenagers-makings-good-citizens-young

• "Far from being antisocial hoody-clad riot-mongers, are actually highly concerned with social issues, keen to volunteer, and take fewer drugs and drink less alcohol than previous generations."

Behind the stereotypes: The shocking truth about teenagers

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/behind-the-stereotypes-the-shocking-truth-about-teenagers-421295.html

• "My generation never gets a positive thing said about them"
• "Since 1999, 2,000 Asbos have been issued against young people while new policies, many championed by Labour-friendly think tanks, are aimed at making it easier to prosecute children."
• "Sam, another young person upset by the report, told the BBC yesterday: "Respect seems to be demanded here, why should we as a youth just give respect, it should be earned." 
• "Bad behaviour by adults is almost celebrated in today's society but when youngsters misbehave people say they do not have any respect."
• "I've got friends who do charity work so it's not all about us drinking, and drugs and partying. I am busy every night except one with yoga, choir and piano and I've just taken a course to qualify as a swim instructor"

 Movie Teens: How Accurately Are They Portrayed? By Nicki Burnier

http://www.films42.com/feature/movie_teens.asp

• "For generations, screenwriters and producers have attempted to capture the reality of teenage life. In pursuit of a profit, films are often twisted to please viewers."
•  "It can be very hard to distinguish which movies tell the truth about the formative years and which do not."
• "most movies center around two things: sex and partying While there are teenagers who do participate in these two activities, there are many who do not."
• "Most teen movies promote sex as though unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases don’t exist, while underage drinking and talking back to your authorities is funny and acceptable. Hardly ever do
• they show the consequences of AIDS and genital herpes. Nor do they show how illegal use of alcohol and drugs can destroy a family."

 Similar Media texts

1) Project X (2012).

This film is quite similar to Bad Neighbours in the sense that it shows the representation of the youth. Not only does it show the representation of them, but once again it portrays the negative, but dominant presentation of the youth. The film is about three teenagers who aren't so popular, however, they decide to throw a party and attempt to make it the biggest/craziest party ever thrown. Throughout this film, there's scenes of teenagers drinking, having sex and taking drugs and no alternative viewpoint of teens. This therefore links to my critical investigation, as I believe that teenagers are only portrayed in a certain manner (dominant, but negative).  

2) American Pie(1999).    

This film isn't so similar to Bad Neighbours, however it does portray the lifestyle of teenagers in high school. The main protagonist isn't so good with girls, and the film shows the norms of what teenagers do in order to fit in and have fun. The film is about the main protagonist trying to find ways to 'lose his virginity' and get to 'third base' with a girl, and it shows then lengths he goes to in order to do this. This film links to my critical investigation as the film conveys the typical stereotypes of teenagers.

  17 Again (2009)

17 Again is about a husband who is going through a divorce with his wife, who have been together since high school. However, as he's driving home one day he falls into a river and finds himself back at 17 years old, and uses this opportunity to try and make things right with his wife again. Throughout the movie, we see the lifestyle of a teenage student.

21 and Over(2013)

This movie is about a straight A student, who listens and does whatever he's told to do. But when his two best friends, Miller and Casey, arrive on campus to surprise him for his 21st birthday, Jeff finally agrees to cut loose. Although he has a crucial med-school interview early the next morning, Jeff lets his pals take him out for one drink. Many drinks later, Jeff has blacked out and is in danger of blowing the most important day of his life. This also links to my critical investigation, as it portrays teenagers/young adults behaving in a reckless manner and jeoprodizing their futures. 

Anuvahood(2011)

  

Anuvahood is a 2011 British urban comedy, a parody of films in the vein of urban movies such as Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Shank. This film also conveys the ideal lifestyle of a teenager, and only portrays the dominant representation of the youth, by conveying them in a disruptive, reckless and loud bunch of society. This links to my critical investigation as it portrays the youth in only one manner and I believe this is the only manner the media portray the younger generation as. 

Documentaries/Youtube Videos.  

Documentaries/Youtube Videos.  

Professor Mike Wayne explains in this video, why young people are portrayed negatively in the media.

• "young people are the most vulnerable in society"
•  "when there's an inequality you tend to have higher crime"
• "you can see there's a social inequality"

This is a video of a group of what supposedly looks like teachers, explaining why teenagers are portrayed negatively, 

• "Teenagers, bad people, who do bad things"
• "Newspapers tend to latch onto things teenagers do"
• "I would agree that teenagers are portrayed in quite a negative way"
• "Often in the media, they can get misrepresented and I work quite closely with young people"

This is a CNN Documentary explaining what teenagers actually get up to, mainly on social media. However, it still shows the representation of the youth in this society. 

This is a documentary, about kids that go to juvenille jail. 

• "I was always mad, like always frustrated"
• "The programme only made me worse"
• "I only started using drugs once I was in jail, I used to be stuck"
• "Kids have to face extra barriers in order to graduate high school, go to college, get a job"
• "Putting barriers up against teenagers is a huge setback for them"
•  

• "We're like one person, if one of us screw up. We all pay for it".
• "I could say no, but then i'd be quitting on myself".

University articles/Media Magazines

The Representation of Youth in the Dutch News Media -  Department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

-http://you.sagepub.com/content/23/4/277.short

• "Research in social psychology shows that looking into the nuances in stereotyping is of vital importance due to unique emotional and behavioural reactions the different clusters of stereotypical representations may evoke."
• "In the current study, the Dutch news media representation of native and non-native youth is analyzed and compared."
• "Results show considerable differences in news media portrayal of the two groups not only in the amount of (negative) attention they attract but, especially, in the content of their descriptions."

Media Magazine, Issue 41, Page 7 - How working- class youths became chavs

• "The typical representation of contemporary young people in Britain is the iconic image of the ‘chav’."
• "Hooded, tattooed and often anonymous due to a covered face, ‘chavs’ wear tracksuits and trainers and often sport some dazzling golden jewellery, commonly referred to as ‘bling’."
• "supposedly the youth of British streets; uneducated, poor but covered in labels and logos, and above all aggressive, most likely waving gun and gang signs around, hands stuffed down the front of their trousers"

Manchester University - Elections, youth representation and citizenship

-http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/politics/research/impact/elections-youth-representation-citizenship/

• "A series of research projects have been undertaken, examining various aspects of the politics of young people as well as confirming the unprecedentedly low level of engagement and participation of young people in political institutions and elections."
• "Poor levels of youth engagement in politics."
• "Negative portrayals of youth disengagement, with politics essentialised as a problem in ‘youth-centred media’. The research has called for the application of different criteria for evaluating youth interests."
• "It was found that positive images of youth engagement with politics are atypical, alongside an apparent reluctance to accept evidence of an interest in politics from young people."

The Representation of Young People in the Media February 2011 Graeme Mason, Information Officer, Youth Justice Research Team  http://urbact.eu/sites/default/files/import/Projects/My_Generation/documents_media/Media_Portrayal_of_Young_People_glasgow.pdf

• "The media is often accused of propagating myths about young people and crime. Indeed the media and the tabloid press in particular, often appear endlessly preoccupied with the notion that all young people are a danger to their communities."
• "YOUNG OFFENDERS COSTING ECONOMY 11 BILLION POUNDS"
• "YOUTH JOBLESSNESS INCREASES FOURFOLD"
• “KNIFE DEATH YOUTH NAMED” 
• “TARGET OF 50% OF YOUNG PEOPLE OBTAINING UNIVERSITY DEGREES HAS BEEN PROVED UNREALISTIC” 
• "Moreover many articles portray young people both positively and negatively, ultimately creating an impression of young people which is neither wholly positive nor wholly negative." 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Academic books:

1. 
   

Debbie Klein

Who is Debbie Klein?

- Debbie Klein is the CEO of Engine. Engine is a a media company that covers digital communications. The company also covers, direct marketing, sponsorship, public relations and brand consultancy. Klein was also the founder of  WCRS.
What has she achieved?

Debbie has achieved a variety of things, she ran WCRS and shortly after this became Chief Executive of Engine Europe in June 2008. Throughout all of this she introduced a vast variety of new companies into the group. 

What are her views on the impact of NDM on advertising?

She states that the past couple of years have been quite difficult due to the web constantly developing and being able to make anyone open to becoming a creator or publisher. 

What percentage of the advertising industry is female? 

 In the advertising industry, there aren't very many females.  In 2008, just 3.6% of the world’s creative directors were female, however this tripled in to 11%

What percentage of the advertising industry is an ethnic minority?

Asian, black or any other ethnic minority appeared in only 5% of the 35000 TV ads that have been screened. 

Who are millenials?

Researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss came up with the term 'Millenials' meaning the  "the next great generation,". They define the group as "as those born in 1982 and approximately the 20 years thereafter." 

Why are they hard to reach for advertisers?

They are hard to reach for advertisers as they represent 

one fourth of the entire US population and over $200 billion in spending power.

Critical Investigation: Project proposal

Working title

To what extent does the film 'Bad Neighbours' represent teenagers in a negative way and what is the impact of this? 

Angle
What impact are films such as Bad Neighbours having on young teens?

Hypothesis
I believe teenagers in this generation are portrayed negatively. Furthermore, I think films like Bad Neighbours influence teenagers to behave in a certain way. 

Linked production piece
For my linked production I'll be working with aliza&alayna to produce a music video. 

MIGRAIN

• Hollywood production. 
• Distributed by Universal Pictures and Produced by Point Grey Pictures.
• American Comedy. 
• Conveys the dominant representation of teenagers (negatively).
• Dominant ideologies.
• Linear narrative. 
• Appeals to mainly the younger generation
• Psychographic groups; mainstreamers. 

SHEP

Social:

• Audiences expect teenagers to be conveyed in a negative way. 
• As an audience, we have accepted these values and ideologies of teenagers being portrayed in a negative manner. 
• As a society we are led to believe that teenagers a reckless, misbehaved people. 

Historical:

• Before society today teenagers weren't seen as reckless or misbehaved. 
• Teenagers weren't seen as so socially confined. 
• Teenagers weren't so open to throwing big parties and consuming drugs and alcohol. 

Economic:

• Many companies target teenagers, as teens are more open to spending their money.
• Teenagers spend their money more so, due to 'peer pressure'. 
• Additionally, teenagers spend more of their money for their appearance to try and stay up to date with the latest trends. 

Issues/Debates:

Representation and stereotyping - this links to my study as the film portrays teenagers in a negative way, and maintains the dominant ideologies of teens. 

Media effects - this is an audience theory that tends to see the audience as passive and seeks to measure how exposure to particular aspects of media content can influence the behavior of the reader or viewer. 

Moral Panics - this relates to my study as audiences are often surprised and shocked by the way teenagers behave, and believe this is what the actual truth is of what teenagers are actually like, this therefore creates a moral panic. 

Ownership and control - this links to my study as ownership and control portrays what the media releases and allows audiences to view, and throughout the film it only conveys a negative representation of teenagers. 

Regulation and censorship - the practice, exercised by elite groups in authority, of monitoring and controlling media content by removing, suppressing or classifying elements deemed offensive or subversive for moral, political, economic, social or religious reasons. 

Theories

• Audience theories - the groups or individuals targeted by the producers as intended. (David Lynch)
• Genre theories - psychological and cultural aspects of behavior associated with masculinity and femininity, acquired through socialisation, in accordance with the expectations of a particular society. (Ann Gray and Chrisitine Geraghty)
•  Liberal Pluralism - the view that where a society is compromised of a wide range of social and ethnic groups with different values, political and ideological beliefs. 
• Hypodermic Needle Model - this fits into my study as this theory states that people are influenced by the content they see on screen. 
• Uses and Gratifications:
  Diversion: escape from everyday problems
  Personal Relationships: using normal teenage scenarios on screen
  Personal Identity: teenagers seeing themselves reflected on screen

Research plan (media texts, academic texts and websites)
Media texts
Bad Neighbours

Other media texts
- 21 Jump Street. 
- Project X.
- American Pie. 
- 17 Again. 
- 21 and over.

TV documentaries

• BBC One - Smoking in films 'encourages teenagers to take it up' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14971560
• BBC News- How teenagers keep reinventing language - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13445487
• YouTube - Under the Influence (1986) -                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgi47LOZO4M
• YouTube - Teens Influenced by Film -                                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f63zup0AANI
• YouTube - How social media is affecting teens -                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QWoP6jJG3k

Academic texts/books

• Teenagers and Substance Use: Social Networks and Peer Influence - by Deirdre M. Kirke 
• Teens Under the Influence: The Truth about Kids, Alcohol, and Other Drugs-- how to Recognize the Problem and what to Do about it - by Katherine Ketcham, Nicholas A. Pace
• Peer and Family Influence on Adolescent Drug Addicts - by Hina Qazi
• Youth and Media - by Andy Ruddock
• Language of the Gun: Youth, Crime, and Public Policy - by Bernard E. Harcourt · University of Chicago Press 

Internet Links

• Teenager obsessed with TV killer Dexter stabbed and dismembered girlfriend - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/02/teenager-steven-miles-murdered-girlfriend
• Porn's influence is real. Sex education is the answer - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/27/porn-influence-real-sex-education-online-fantasies
• Media 'influence' adolescent sex - https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/mar/22/pressandpublishing.broadcasting
• Drink and drugs are to blame for violence in the young - https://www.theguardian.com/society/joepublic/2011/jul/14/alcohol-drugs-fuel-youth-violence
• Talking about bad girls - https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/mar/22/heathers-mean-girls-hairspray
• The influence of driver distraction on the severity of injuries sustained by teenage drivers and their passengers - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457507001029
• Mother's Influence on the Sexual Behavior of Their Teenage Children - http://www.jstor.org/stable/352480?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Ignite presentations: Learner response

WWW:  

• Good clear film slide - overview.
• Female representation.
• Good selection of stills.
• Audience pleasures covered. 
• Some important information. 
• Dominant representations covered. 

EBI:

• Refer to 'youth', not 'younger generation'. 
• Spelling - mainstreamers. 
• Some hesitation whilst presenting.
• No mention of audience theories.
• No link to narrative.

Significance: 3

Structure: 3 

Simplicity: 3 

Rehearsal: 3

My ignite presentation was focused on the representation of the youth, in the american comedy Bad Neighbours. My presentation will help me with my critical investigation was it allows me to clearly see how teenagers are presented in the film. Furthermore, as the film goes against the dominant representation of the older generation by showing them trying to act young and fit, allows a debate to be formed. As it's not only the youth who act in a reckless way. Additionally, my presentation goes through the points of the film showing the minority of teens who get peer pressured or forced into doing certain things which is still relevant in today's society. This will help with my critical investigation as it allows me to convey that not all teenagers are the same, and the film conveys and supports this by showing the minority of students who actually get pressured into things. Moreover, it doesn't only just show this, but it shows the minority of students who do both, party and study, and want a successful future. Therefore, my presentation helps with my critical investigation as it shows all aspects of how teens were presented in the film, and allows me to create a debate and argue that not all teenagers are reckless and misbehaved. 

Mest 4 Summer Project: Bad Neighbours - Representation of the younger generation.

Research


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2618380/Not-just-pretty-face-The-jokes-eye-wateringly-crude-heart-throb-Zac-Efron-revelation-surprisingly-clever-comedy.html

This article from Daily Mail has a main focus on the Hollywood actor Zac Efron. The article gives a brief introduction on what the film is actually about and later goes into more focus on the actor himself. The article is from an older perspective rather than one from the younger generation. The writer gives a different insight to his opinions of the film than we would expect. He went to see the film with his 19 year old son as stated. However, the son was more 'shocked' and uncomfortable about what was happening in the film, as the writer states "A little worryingly, I enjoyed it even more than he did, perhaps because it has more to say to those of us recalling those phases of life than to those anticipating them." Furthermore, he also states his son was becoming uncomfortable in certain scenes, "One of the funniest but least subtle scenes concerns Kelly’s difficulties with breastfeeding. ‘Gross,’ muttered my son, while I was overcome less with laughter than with nostalgia." This therefore shows, that the younger generation are less prepared for things like this and adults are seen as more comfortable. 

http://www.popcultureonline.net/bad-neighbours-review/

This article from PopCulture is quite similar to the article from the Daily Mail. It gives a brief summary of what the film is about, however, it doesn't focus on just one person.  In addition, it has more of a focus on the clash between the younger generation and the older generation. It talks about the huge difference between the two generations through aspects of the film.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/bad-neighbours-film-review-slapstick-scenes-are-juvenile-but-still-have-a-comic-kick-9313438.html

This article explains, like the other two articles, the story line of the film. However, it talks about the tensions between both the generations, and the war they have going on. Furthermore, it talks about why the younger generation are the way they are. For example, they go into detail about Zac Efron's character and how he isn't ready to grow up and leave college. Additionally, it talks about how the couple Mac and Kelly, want to try and stay cool even though they have a child and they're getting old. 

MIGRAIN Key Concept Research

Media Representations 

• Who is being represented? In what way? By whom?

The younger generation of society are being portrayed as reckless teenagers by the the older generation. This is conveyed through the teenagers in the film throwing frat parties, getting drunk, etc. 

• Why is the subject being represented in this way? 

The subject is being presented this way as it wants society to believe teenagers are reckless and have no goals or ambition. Instead, all they do is get drunk and throw loud parties. Furthermore, the younger generation are portrayed in this manner to show the huge difference between both generations.

• Is the representation fair and accurate?

In my opinion, I think the representation is accurate to an extent. However, I do not think it's fair as the movie shows more of teenagers that party and get drunk and not the other minority of students that study hard and stay in school. 

• What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject?

Throughout the film there were not a lot of opportunities for the teenagers themselves to portray themselves as well behaved 



Media Languages and Forms 

• What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?

The denotative meaning of this text would be that teenagers have just started college and all they want to do is get drunk and throw frat parties.
The connotative level of this film would be that these teenagers are just looking to have a bit of fun without causing any harm or damage.

Denotation:  Teenagers having a party.
Connotation:  Illegal, Drugs, Alcohol, 

•  What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?

The props throughout the film helps create a better feel of how reckless teenagers are. For example, during the party scenes, the use of bongs, lighters, party lights etc help show what the younger generation are like and what they enjoy doing. In contrast, the props used for the couples house is completely different to what the teenagers have in theirs. 

• What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings (CLAMPS)?

The use of the film being set in an American frat house helps give off the feel of these teenagers having fun and partying. Furthermore, the use of difference settings such as the deans office conveys that even though the students aren't living on college grounds and they have a house instead, they are still in college. Additionally, the use of showing the husbands work place, emphasises the difference between both generations. 

• What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?

There were a variety of soundtracks used throughout the movie, in order to create the correct feel for the film. For example, during the party scenes they used upbeat party music, to fit the scenario. This helps with creating a more realistic atmosphere for the movie. 

• What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?

One way sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning is during the frat parties, the use of the quick cuts and the camera being hand held creates more of a realistic meaning and the loud party music in the background adds to this. 

Narrative 

• How is the narrative organised and structured?

The narrative begins with showing the couple at home with their baby girl, who is only a couple of months old at home. It conveys them trying to adjust to their new lifestyle, with the husband going out to work and the wife staying home to look after the child. It then goes to the scene of the teenagers from college moving into the house next to the couple. Soon after, the feud begins and the couple and teenagers are at war with each other. 

• How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?

The audience both the younger and older generation have a chance to be able to relate with certain scenarios in the film. For example, the older generation are able to relate to the fact of staying home, taking care of responsibilities and going to work etc. Whereas the younger generation are able to relate to the fact of starting a new college, wanting to party have fun and basically do the complete opposite to what the older generation do. Therefore, the film is open to both generations being able to relate certain events throughout the film. 

• How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?

In this film, I don't think there's really any heroes or villains. However, this can be viewed differently from both generations. For example, the younger generation (the teens) may view the couple next door as the villains as they're the ones ruining the fun for the kids. This goes the same way for the older generation (the couple) as they would view the teenagers as the villains for constantly disturbing the couple and waking the baby up. Furthermore, the couple may be viewed as the heroes as the succeed in taking apart the frat party and getting the president of the frat arrested. 

• What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?

The type of music that is played in certain scenes in this film along with sounds, is key in this type of film, as there are were a lot of parties shown the right kind of music had to be played to create the right environment. Also, the right setting and props used helped create a better narrative as it mad everything seem more realistic. 

• What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?

College - teenagers partying, having fun, making new friends 

Family - love, home, saftey

Brotherhood - friendship for life, true friends, love 

Genre 

• To which genre does the text belong?

Comedy 

• What are the major generic conventions within the text? What are the major generic themes?

- Different types of characters; stupid, silly, funny characters are essential in a comedy film . 

- Different camera shots; medium shots of characters facial expressions emphasises the comedy going on. 

- Lighting; in comedies the lighting is often bright. 

- Pacing jokes throughout the film.

- Characters reacting over dramatically. 

• To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?

I think the audience's generic expectations are fulfilled to a great extent, as the film contains all the factors in order to make it a good comedy film. Not only does it do this but it allows both the younger and older generation to relate with certain aspects of the film. Additionally, I think it also conveys suitable characters for this type of film as it's characters the audience would be expecting. 

• Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?

This film as three well known actors, Zac Efron, Dave Franco and Seth Rogen. Zac Efron and Dave Franco are associated with a lot of different genres of films, as well as comedy. 

However, Seth Rogen is the one who is mainly associated with the comedy genre. 

Media Institutions 

• What is the institutional source of the text?

Point Grey Pictures - Good Universe. 

• In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?

Point Grey Pictures is known for its genre in producing mainly Comedy films. Therefore, Bad Neighbors fitted in rightly with it being produced by Point Grey Pictures. Furthermore, the fact that it was produced by Point Grey Pictures helps make the film more comical. 

• Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?

Point Grey Pictures is an American film production company founded by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in 2011. The company is named after Vancouver's Point Grey Secondary School, where Rogen and Goldberg first met.

• How has the text been distributed?

The film was distributed first in cinema's, then later released on DVD and then was later shown on TV. 

Media Values and Ideology 

• What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it?

The major values in this film is to make the audience believe that the younger generation are young reckless teenagers who just want to party whilst doing illegal things, such as, smoking, underage drinking, sex etc. 

Media Audiences 

• To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics)

This movie is directed specifically at the younger generation, 16+. It could appeal to the older generation, but not as much. In terms of pyschographic groups, this movie would appeal to, mainstreamers, explorers and the resigned. 

• What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?

Due to the type of scenes that are shown throughout the film, the audience would be comfortable with this. Furthermore, the type of language used (colloquial language) gives the audience a chance to relate with the move, as well as making it more comical. 

• What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?

The fact the film was rated a 15 impacts younger viewers from watching the film, and would make the audience assume the film is quite explicit or rude.

• In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?

Considering this was produced a well known american company (Point Grey Pictures) the chances of the audience receiving this text would be very high, due to the promotions of this films and it being shown in cinemas etc.

• What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?

From the way the film was promoted and due to the well-known actors that star in this film, such as, Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco would help increase the size of the audience, therefore making it a well known film.

• What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications?  (Refer to theory).

- Diversion: escape from reality, entertainment. 

- Personal identity: seeing ourselves reflected in what is shown

- Personal relationships: developing a bond with the other characters ( brotherhood ) 

• How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?

Considering I am a teenager myself, I can almost relate with some of the stuff that goes on in the movie, for example wanting to have fun and party. But there were some aspects in the film that I could not relate to and didn't agree with, such as the drugs, etc.