Introduction:
Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007)
+ Argued that distinctions between reality and media representations of reality have become blurred.
+ Media representations are not based on reality but instead are based on existing representations thus __creating - hyperreality. People then start to believe this hyperreality.
+ Reality > Simulation (heightened and exaggerated) > Simulacra ( a copy of a copy) > Hyperreality.
+ Media create idealistic representations of reality that people begin to believe and accept as "real".
+ Zizek (1949-) also suggests video games and the internet increasingly blur reality and people __experience reality as if it was real.
+ Video example Dove Evolution - demonstrates model being completely changed into an unrealistic __view on reality. People then mimic this behavior attempting to become something that is unachievable.
+ Charlie Brookers newswipe - on the Haitian earthquake and how the media (sky) distorted the event.
+ Korean newswipe the telegraph: Korean couple let baby to starve to death while caring for virtual child.
Michel Foucault (1926- 84)
+ Questioned "Knowledge"
+ He argued that there is no "objective truth" and that all knowledge is told by someone or institution and __is the product of whoever has power. It is always told from a point of view.
+ How many moons does Earth have? (clip from QI)
+ Critiqued "Panopistcalisation" - Gaining power through observation. Observation technologies are used __to gain knowledge and therefore power in society cctv, Facebook, google street maps etc.
+ What would he say about Wikipedia?
Big Brother is a mixture of their concepts.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Monday, 23 January 2012
Post modern text analyse one
Question: Choose a post modern text (Film Tv or Video game) and analyse it for points and a conclusion of how it is post modern and how successfully it presents this.
(Choose a text and outline specific examples why it is postmodern).
The game was created in 2001 for the Sega Dreamcast console, the last console Sega made before exciting the console making industry, reverting solely to game development/producer.
The interesting thing about the game is that its core mechanics is an rpg game, with a plot surrounding the failing dreamcast console and an attempt to stop an evil competitor company "DOGMA" (allegedly a reference to segas biggest rival Sony). The player themselves taking on a character who plays games themselves.
The game is filled with references to other past sega characters such as Samba de amigo and sonic the hedge hog. There are mini games in reference to PS1 and PS2 alike.
(upload sheet of analysis-)
(The following are my notes on the above, the sheet was a handout given by my tutor).
Intertextuality:
Game about the failing console Sega, released on the failing console, while it was failing.
Game within a game about gamers saving the gaming industry.
Self-reflexivity:
Contains past characters by Sega.
Main character is a gamer playing games to save the world from one console distributor.
Title is extension of Sega.
Hyperreality and simulation:
Rpg set in real world setting fighting rivals in game
Virtual reality simulators to save Segas industry.
Pessimistic/Dystopian view of society:
World video game market being taken over by a malevolent evil company.
Hybridity and Bricolage:
It is a mix of game genres, RPG overall with cliche fights, a simulation and management program, managing in game directors programers to make games in the game, the player takes the roll of leading a company (Sega)
Experimenting with forms and conventions:
The classic narrative of saving a princess is twisted into saving a gaming company from bankruptcy.
Active audience:
The audience is in control of the company, if the game fails to save the company, the player may have been on DOGMA's side (which is the name of the rival company in the game parodying SONY and its ps1/ps2 games, games like Tekken called YUKKEN) The player wins therefore is on Sega's side, or they could linger and keep a balance rather than complete dominance, never ending the game.
Blurring of Boundaries:
The combination of Manga art style and a lucid plot in which the audience has full control of their destiny within the game.
Erosion of history:
Whilst events in the game could align to current speculations, it was released before its mythical setting (2020-2025). It is set in the future based on then (2001) Speculations, therefore history is vastly eroded.
Disjointed narrative structure:
Narrative told through different parts of gameplay,
Cut- scenes from both sides (protagonist, Rivals)
Sources:
http://www.racketboy.com/journal/interviews/interview-the-segagaga-translation-project
(Choose a text and outline specific examples why it is postmodern).
Segagaga:
The game was created in 2001 for the Sega Dreamcast console, the last console Sega made before exciting the console making industry, reverting solely to game development/producer.
The interesting thing about the game is that its core mechanics is an rpg game, with a plot surrounding the failing dreamcast console and an attempt to stop an evil competitor company "DOGMA" (allegedly a reference to segas biggest rival Sony). The player themselves taking on a character who plays games themselves.
The game is filled with references to other past sega characters such as Samba de amigo and sonic the hedge hog. There are mini games in reference to PS1 and PS2 alike.
(upload sheet of analysis-)
(The following are my notes on the above, the sheet was a handout given by my tutor).
Features of Postmodernism
Intertextuality:
Game about the failing console Sega, released on the failing console, while it was failing.
Game within a game about gamers saving the gaming industry.
Self-reflexivity:
Contains past characters by Sega.
Main character is a gamer playing games to save the world from one console distributor.
Title is extension of Sega.
Hyperreality and simulation:
Rpg set in real world setting fighting rivals in game
Virtual reality simulators to save Segas industry.
Pessimistic/Dystopian view of society:
World video game market being taken over by a malevolent evil company.
Hybridity and Bricolage:
It is a mix of game genres, RPG overall with cliche fights, a simulation and management program, managing in game directors programers to make games in the game, the player takes the roll of leading a company (Sega)
Experimenting with forms and conventions:
The classic narrative of saving a princess is twisted into saving a gaming company from bankruptcy.
Active audience:
The audience is in control of the company, if the game fails to save the company, the player may have been on DOGMA's side (which is the name of the rival company in the game parodying SONY and its ps1/ps2 games, games like Tekken called YUKKEN) The player wins therefore is on Sega's side, or they could linger and keep a balance rather than complete dominance, never ending the game.
Blurring of Boundaries:
The combination of Manga art style and a lucid plot in which the audience has full control of their destiny within the game.
Erosion of history:
Whilst events in the game could align to current speculations, it was released before its mythical setting (2020-2025). It is set in the future based on then (2001) Speculations, therefore history is vastly eroded.
Disjointed narrative structure:
Narrative told through different parts of gameplay,
Cut- scenes from both sides (protagonist, Rivals)
Sources:
http://www.racketboy.com/journal/interviews/interview-the-segagaga-translation-project
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328867
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segagaga
Update - Tuesday 24th January 2012 12:37
Today I'm going to type up the notes I did yesterday (which I do right now but will have to suspend till I get home as I left my book at the last minute) and edit this post to make it look more complete, add some pictures of the game named above and hyperlinks and some videos. I may add a bit more analysis while i'm here anyway, but due to limited source information on the game above this may be difficult. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=Segagaga&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=N&pwst=1&biw=1850&bih=889&tbm=isch&tbnid=BZUlRdUXEgvmzM:&imgrefurl=http://www.adilegian.com/Segagaga/%3Fp%3D6&docid=eQkmf47dBrbWHM&imgurl=http://www.adilegian.com/SGGG/sggg0009.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=r6YeT6WeFo6psgb7-_jMDA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=231&sig=101301937729056770410&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=171&start=0&ndsp=48&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0&tx=56&ty=22
Update - Tuesday 24th January 2012 12:37
Today I'm going to type up the notes I did yesterday (which I do right now but will have to suspend till I get home as I left my book at the last minute) and edit this post to make it look more complete, add some pictures of the game named above and hyperlinks and some videos. I may add a bit more analysis while i'm here anyway, but due to limited source information on the game above this may be difficult. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=Segagaga&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=N&pwst=1&biw=1850&bih=889&tbm=isch&tbnid=BZUlRdUXEgvmzM:&imgrefurl=http://www.adilegian.com/Segagaga/%3Fp%3D6&docid=eQkmf47dBrbWHM&imgurl=http://www.adilegian.com/SGGG/sggg0009.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=r6YeT6WeFo6psgb7-_jMDA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=231&sig=101301937729056770410&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=171&start=0&ndsp=48&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0&tx=56&ty=22
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Notes on postmodernism (lesson 1)
Pulp fiction jack rabbit slim's - parody of pop culture in a film.
Costume contrast with stage appearance, main characters dressed more modern whilst in a 1950's diner with marolin monroe and richard nixon presenting. John trovolaa wearing a western tie...
simulation - the blurring of real or the simulated, eg style, cgi and story, use of photoshop to merge and change images etc.
Intertextuality - the presence of reference to texts within a text, e.g the zoom in and out in sharks being mimicked in other media such as tv dramas. eg scream is in a world where horror movies do exist, a character lists ways to survive horror movies, making references to other horror films such as halloween being viewed on the tv.
Costume contrast with stage appearance, main characters dressed more modern whilst in a 1950's diner with marolin monroe and richard nixon presenting. John trovolaa wearing a western tie...
simulation - the blurring of real or the simulated, eg style, cgi and story, use of photoshop to merge and change images etc.
Intertextuality - the presence of reference to texts within a text, e.g the zoom in and out in sharks being mimicked in other media such as tv dramas. eg scream is in a world where horror movies do exist, a character lists ways to survive horror movies, making references to other horror films such as halloween being viewed on the tv.
Disjointed narrative structures - narratives do not necessarily;y run ion chronological order, we dont have to identify characters and we get uncertain endings e.g memento, where the beginning is at the end.
The erosion of history - Time is often blurred and historical facts and characters are played with. eg Mad Men, Pearl Harbour, social network where characters play a version of a real person and a version of the real event. Therefore the version of the event being portrayed isn't entirely true and is enhanced to entice and draw in the audience using artistic licence. The version is also the creation of several layers of media manipulation, book writen about the event, book changed for screen play etc, farther away from the real truth the farther down the line it becomes detached from the original.
The active audience - audiences "decode" postmodern texts in order to fully understand them.
Blurring of boundaries - between genres, styles ande also high and low culture. e.g the modern romeo and juliet with Lenardo de Capreo. original play script mixed with modern action and modern setting.
"Music videos postmodern in themselves"
Brief overview of what postmodernism is, explanation of your understanding of the term etc:
Postmodern style:
surface style and superficial, e.g royal with cheese or atmospheres of decay and alienation e.g fight club.
self reflexivity texts reflect of themselves as media texts and draw attention to the fact eg kiss kiss bang bang.
How is Kiss kiss bang bang post modern stylistically:
Title is a reference to the old hollywood idea of only needing a gun and a kiss scene to make a movie, a classic parody of old style hollywood production.
Kids proforming magic tricks
girl facking being cut in half
stanely kubrick title sequence
Narrator self aware,"thats me harry, ill be your narrator". - self reflective
Narrator stumbles into inspector room, script read by actors with it in their hands.
Robo cop reference, female actor discovered when robo cop actor dressed in same suit wanders into her house drunk and then falls off the balcony.
Protagonist, the good guy challenges a bad guy to a classic western style duel, however bad guy actually prevails and wins for once.
Scene skips and transitions highlighted by narrator and visual aid of film roll being classically disjointed.
Pretty woman randomly approaches lead, has trivial conversation but leads to nothing, narrator highlighting this,"what nothing else? nope."
The two main characters reunite and there past now makes sense, comes in the form of a flashback scene.
Narrator sleeps with wrong woman, the scary chick.
Jokes,"Look up the definition of idiot in the dictionary and you know what you'd find?
"A picture of me?"
"No, the definition of idiot which you are!"
Main woman's sister steals her identity and then is found dead.
Narrator monologue, "I should tell her about the nipple but she won't shut up for a second."
Narrator piss's on dead girl in his shower by accident while he was pissing in the toilet.
Woman slams daw and cuts of narrators finger.
"Don't play detective, this is not a book, this is not a movie."
Narrators finger gets torn off by hockey mask evil guys just after it is restitched.
Protagonist coldly kills murderer with gun without a second thought,"I see you got a gun, damn you are tough."
The girl the character mustard kills on the bed drops to the floor after shoot, but isn't dead, speaks to protagonist under bed.
Protagonist wants the main woman the official way, not submitting to her come ons until they have a first kiss.
Outside mental hospital, Russian roulette goes wrong.
Surreal round up of events right at the end.
surface style and superficial, e.g royal with cheese or atmospheres of decay and alienation e.g fight club.
self reflexivity texts reflect of themselves as media texts and draw attention to the fact eg kiss kiss bang bang.
How is Kiss kiss bang bang post modern stylistically:
Title is a reference to the old hollywood idea of only needing a gun and a kiss scene to make a movie, a classic parody of old style hollywood production.
Kids proforming magic tricks
girl facking being cut in half
stanely kubrick title sequence
Narrator self aware,"thats me harry, ill be your narrator". - self reflective
Narrator stumbles into inspector room, script read by actors with it in their hands.
Robo cop reference, female actor discovered when robo cop actor dressed in same suit wanders into her house drunk and then falls off the balcony.
Protagonist, the good guy challenges a bad guy to a classic western style duel, however bad guy actually prevails and wins for once.
Scene skips and transitions highlighted by narrator and visual aid of film roll being classically disjointed.
Pretty woman randomly approaches lead, has trivial conversation but leads to nothing, narrator highlighting this,"what nothing else? nope."
The two main characters reunite and there past now makes sense, comes in the form of a flashback scene.
Narrator sleeps with wrong woman, the scary chick.
Jokes,"Look up the definition of idiot in the dictionary and you know what you'd find?
"A picture of me?"
"No, the definition of idiot which you are!"
Main woman's sister steals her identity and then is found dead.
Narrator monologue, "I should tell her about the nipple but she won't shut up for a second."
Narrator piss's on dead girl in his shower by accident while he was pissing in the toilet.
Woman slams daw and cuts of narrators finger.
"Don't play detective, this is not a book, this is not a movie."
Narrators finger gets torn off by hockey mask evil guys just after it is restitched.
Protagonist coldly kills murderer with gun without a second thought,"I see you got a gun, damn you are tough."
The girl the character mustard kills on the bed drops to the floor after shoot, but isn't dead, speaks to protagonist under bed.
Protagonist wants the main woman the official way, not submitting to her come ons until they have a first kiss.
Outside mental hospital, Russian roulette goes wrong.
Surreal round up of events right at the end.
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