MEST3 Section A Exemplar- BGT

Section A Unseen (32/32)

You must read the information provided for Section A in great detail. You will be given approximately 15 minutes to study and make notes on the two texts. These notes will not be marked during the assessment process. You must spend 45 minutes answering the three compulsory questions in detail.

Clips

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9aXhfT1pfs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdZL_UyBpWU
  
  The first clip is from Britain’s Got Talent, first broadcast on ITV1 in April 2014 and featuring impressionist Jon Clegg impersonating Jimmy Carr, Homer and Marge from The Simpsons, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell. Britain’s Got Talent is made by Thames Productions, distributed by Freemantle Media in association with Syco TV. The second clip is from the American, entertainment industry news website The Showbiz 411, created and edited by Roger Friedman. From February 2014, it focuses on news of the birth of Simon Cowell’s son Eric on Valentines Day and is entitled ‘Baby Cowell’.

1. How is media language used in the two clips to engage the audience? (8 Marks)Extended response to question 1 to develop a full understanding of textual analysis.

Both clips explore similar subject matter with The Showbiz 411 extract exclusively focussing on the star marketing of Simon Cowell in the light of the ‘showbiz narrative’ about the birth of his newborn son, Eric. Both clips use high key lighting, saturated primary colours and have an upbeat mode of address to appeal to a primary audience of young, female fans of celebrity culture.

At the opening of the BGT clip, along with a dynamic mode of address (a typical convention of talent shows) an upbeat non-diegetic soundtrack accompanies and anchors the visual images. Immediately the iconic brand logo of Britain’s Got Talent fills the screen, foregrounding British national identity as a talent show that is globally distributed. The ‘A’ of ‘talent’ is modified to have connotations of star status appearing in an instantly recognisable five pointed star format. The purpose of the audio-visuals is to encode a form of fast paced dynamism that is frequently and commonly associated with popular culture.

Camera movement is crucial to maintaining this rhythm and dynamism with an initial high angle camera revealing a top shot of the audience in BGT and the panellists and then titling and panning down from the gantry to the stage. During this camera movement the panellist names are seen up in lights above the stage further emphasising the star obsessed focus of the show and the constructed nature of the narrative, based on the idea of the ‘construction’ of celebity. The mise-en-scene reveals modern, tubular and metallic shiny décor/surfaces along with the bright colours to emphasise the studio/stage/performance environment in front of an audience – talent shows borrow from the mise-en-scene of the game show genre but hybridise using soap opera conventions via audience identification with character and BGT adopts this format.

Clear binary oppositions between the ‘real’ celebrities and those aspiring through performance are established, not just by the panellists’ status and how they (the real celebrities) are constantly framed centrally in close up but also using proximity and space as the table is lowered into what could be traditionally seen an the orchestra pit in a theatre – the panellists have their own ‘special place’. The hyper real drama and theatre of the occasion is anchored by shots from behind the performer in deep focus, revealing the size and scale of the auditorium including banked up seats in the stalls and circle but also the positioning of the judges.

The first close up inevitably is of Simon Cowell, the unique selling point of the show in terms of his production company Syco and association with BGT. As the camera cuts back to the performer in long shot, (a wide shot selection is evident from multiple camera technology including CU and MCU with the performer frequently in long shot) the rhythmic intercutting between the panellists e.g. David Walliams and Amanda Holden, and also audience members starts. It is crucial to show significant footage of the performer but reaction shots from the celebrities are important in encoding meaning for audiences while shots of the audience legitimise the significant interactive element to the show. During the performance Ant and Dec are shown backstage on a number of occasions – their purpose is to lead the audience into a preferred reading – if they are laughing then the audience may be seen to approve e.g. in the case of reaction shots of them deliberately heard to say “excellent” during the impersonation of Simon Cowell.

Self-referential homage is paid to Simon Cowell by Jon Clegg with the rhetorical question: “Can I call you daddy?” during his routine – performers are often shot in low angle with the back stage projection being of lit up, iconic London landmarks which traditionally would have connotations of power, status and control but this is subverted to make the performers seem aspirational and vulnerable and also reliant on the judges and packed audience, whose ‘full house’ evidence is frequently shown by the swooping gantry camera.

The brief narrative builds to a climactic final impersonation of Simon Cowell which is greeted by hushed, anxious tones – constructed to ensure the ultimate hierarchy of the show is maintained. Ant and Dec appear almost as ‘servants’ to the show during this impersonation while the segment ends with a direct address to the audience, encouraging them to subscribe to the YouTube channel. This would encourage further interactivity via convergence and in terms of uses and gratifications allow audience to develop personal relationships in regards to the show.

The Showbiz 411 also has a constantly moving camera and in reference to this and the use of font, sound, colour palette and lighting makes clear intertextual references to talent shows and the Reality TV genre. Neon lighting greets the viewer as the brand name, ‘The Showbiz 411’ appears in large lettering as the star itself. Rhythm builds with an upbeat non-diegetic soundtrack accompanied by a female, expository narrative voice over that on one level pays homage to celebrity culture while on another is tongue in cheek and critical through a ‘knowing’ spoken word tone. Simon Cowell is framed from the side in close up immediately as the unique selling point of this piece with a long take accompanying the voice over, guiding the audience into a preferred reading about the birth of Baby Eric.

He (Cowell) is spoken about at the same time as other iconic celebrities like Beyonce who had her baby in the same New York hospital. Cowell is then framed in a montage of different shots, including during interview but the channel chooses in the large part to mute his words. This suggests a two-step flow, opinion based approach to reporting celebrity news to its audience. Interactive links to Twitter appear on screen as the show acknowledges the importance of convergence and web 2.0 to its own fan base. As with BGT, the global distribution of the show/channel is referenced by the mention of the key cites of New York and London (it is stated that Cowell had to miss the London auditions to fly back to New York for the birth) ensuring audience identification with the high profile of the show (or at least its subjects). The Showbiz 411 is more subtly critical of Cowell (which BGT would struggle to be because he is the originator and owns the rights to BGT) during the end of the piece where the narrative voice over makes the point that he still has not given up smoking after the birth of the baby – this homage, juxtaposed with a mild critical approach is a genre convention and a common approach to representations of celebrity culture.

2. How do the two clips convey Britain’s celebrity culture? (12 Marks)
To fully develop a response to the question, I will explore the idea of Britain’s celebrity culture and then cross-reference with the clips of BGT and The Showbiz 411 (an American entertainment news website with a significant British demographic). The Showbiz 411reflects a historically embedded tradition of British audiences passively consuming glamourous, aspirational American culture represented at one end of the spectrum by the Hollywood film industry and at the other by the infamous ‘Kardashians’.

BGT represents a British celebrity obsession with the Talent and Reality TV show genre, seen in other shows like X-Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, I’m a Celebrity get me Out of Here and Big Brother. Popular culture, mainstream programming offers audiences a voyeuristic opportunity to delve into the life of, as theorist John Ellis described performers who are both ‘ordinary and extraordinary’. Using the uses and gratifications framework as a platform to help understand notions of celebrity culture, audiences develop a personal identity with specific performers and diversion (escapism) is crucial in understanding the interface of this culture. Many celebrities are ‘ordinary’ people but with ‘extraordinary’ talents/abilities that work to ensure audiences often aspire to that celebrity representation.

Personal identity with specific celebrities is evident across a range of platforms as well as television with British tabloid news media using celebrity culture as a way to exploit this obsession by continually running/publishing stories on popular celebrities or ‘stars’ and online entertainment news media (like The Showbiz 411) offering the opportunity of convergent links to a range of rich media (that printed media cannot achieve). Viral marketing is wholly relevant in maintaining this celebrity culture through social networking and web 2.0 – again, using the uses and gratifications model personal relationships are developed with other ‘fans’ or interested parties of the celebrity through Facebook, Twitter etc. BGT is available on a range of different platforms and the clip itself evidences this by marketing to audiences to subscribe to their YouTube channel to gain added value, and buy into the myth of getting an inside track into celebrity culture – this interactivity enables the concept of celebrity to be exploited on a range of patforms.

Simon Cowell on BGT represents the ultimate, patriarchal music industry mogul – someone who is aspirational but also influential in his ability to make or break careers. Jon Clegg’s routine epitomises audiences’ identification with notions of celebrity by systematically choosing a range of well known presenters to impersonate, to the delight of the audience. The clip almost suggested a form of postmodern self referentially as a wannabe star impersonates stars and is judged by existing, established stars – everything is a copy of a copy. In the same way, Noel Fielding’s The Mighty Boosh had celebrity culture as a key narrative theme with protagonists desperate to become famous and at the same time, satirising Britain’s celebrity culture. This is the interface of programmes like BGT in that it has created the idea that perhaps it is more possible and more attainable than used to be the case for working class performers to achieve fame in a classic ‘rags to riches’ narrative (working class culture tends to be stereotypically associated with celebrity culture e.g. through low production value gossip magazine and tabloid newspapers).

Synergy is very important for The Showbiz 411 and for BGT with the celebrities selling the show and the show maintaining the status of the celebrity in the mind of the public – careers of judges like Amanda Holden are indefinitely extended, just by their association with the show. On BGT, the status of the programme in terms of ratings also ensures the secondary personas of the judges are maintained and further developed e.g. David Walliams has become significantly more famous as a judge on the show while many audiences may struggle to remember what Amanda Holden did for a living before she became a celebrity panellist. Magazines like Heat, Now, Reveal and Take a Break regularly run covers with stories about the Kardashians, Jordan and Peter Andre foregrounded – without the obsession with celebrity culture it would be hard to believe how these magazines would still be published with synergy at the heart of their funding model.

Celebrity media like BGT feeds off itself while The Showbiz 411 exploits representation of celebrity culture to sell to an American but also a British target audience. It is seen as a hegemonic construct by both shows that we, the audience should be interested in the lives and lifestyle of celebrities, in binary opposition to perhaps the normality and mundaneness of our own lives.

3. Why is it important for programmes such as Britain’s Got Talent to employ new Digital Technology effectively? (12 Marks)

Convergence culture and interactive digital technology are commonly linked to youth audiences and this is the primary demographic of Britain’s Got Talent. Audiences expect their interest in a show, in terms of audience pleasures to be developed and exploited further on different platforms – the very nature of interactivity and viral marketing is crucial in maintain the status, success and ‘talkability’ of the show. YouTube has only been online since 2006 but has grown to become a multi billion-dollar business, now owned by Google and itself making proposed £1bn dollar purchases of live streaming video platforms like Twitch TV – it is essential for BGT to have a saturation of videos of the show, and all aspects of the show on this platform.

To fully market the show, BGT needs to use above the line, more traditional marketing but also realise the potential of e media like YouTube with social networking in particular crucial to maintaining and developing interest in the show, and other Talent and Reality TV programming. Britain’s Got Talent Facebook page has 3.4 million likes and allows audiences to enter into a broader discussion, on another platform about the show. The concept of immediacy is important to Britain’s Got Talent with Facebook interactivity through smart phones, tablets or online – fans of the show would see as important the need to discuss aspects of the show during the performance (the broadcasting of the show) furthering the ‘cutting edge’ reputation of BGT as being at the forefront of utilising the latest digital technology to reach out to audiences.

ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent’s website ensures the brand, and identity of the brand is marketed to its full potential – logo, typeface and image encode audience identification while the navigation bar allows for convergent links to live shows, the auditions, how to apply and backstage information. The format of the website is very simple, allowing for interactivity and use – once you start scrolling down the homepage presents a number of embedded videos with simple sharing options at the bottom to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Mail, four ways of virally communicating information about the show to a broader audience. Another ITV brand, The Only Way is Essex uses exactly the same template on their website for exactly the same reasons but also to ensure synergy with ITV and the two respective programmes appeal to their sponsors.

Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent, X-Factor, Made in Chelsea and Big Brotherhave a heavy reliance on YouTube to publicise their shows but also to seed controversy and hype. Challenging the original user generated content intention of YouTube, videos are regularly uploaded on their YouTube channels with crucially the HTML element allowing users to share links on any external page e.g. blogs, in MMS messages and on social networking pages. This form of viral saturation enables the show to build and create interest in a particular performer, event or issue – Michael Wesch would argue this reflects the cultural phenomenon of YouTube in ensuring the success of popular culture, mainstream, mass audience entertainment like BGT. In contrast to this, the never-ending clips of the show, according to Andrew Keen, serves merely to create a ‘world of amateurs where Gauntlett’s prosumer, instead of being empowered, is downgrading quality music entertainment.

Use of digital technology also breaks down any global barriers that may prevent broader consumption with users sharing in the emotive, voyeuristic appeals of the show without having to wait until the time of broadcast – they can have BGT on demand whenever they want. This ability to stream, Sky Plus for example a show fits in with the busy lives of the audience who may see the show and shows like it as an on the surface, light hearted distraction from their own lives - immediacy without full understanding or the need to understand narrative. Digital Technology allows an audience to enjoy the surface ‘thrills and spills’ of the show without engaging in any depth. In the same way that a film’s theatrical release allows for the exchange and consumption of the film on a range of platforms, so does the broadcast time of a programme like BGT. The show may itself generate high ratings in a multi channel environment but in part, this is because of the creative digital marketing beforehand, creating and generating hype by way of form a pre echo which then continues post transmission using the same interactive media – this arguably suggests a never ending, open ended narrative about BGT.