Critical investigation and linked production

Critical investigation - An investigation into male teenagers, looking at how far stereotypes in movies are true in today's media.

Linked production - The start of a documentary exploring teenage life at high school.


MIGRAIN analysis


Media language:
1. I would look at the use of shots in movies and if there is close up shots on teenage males, it may connote the use of drugs/gangs as there may be a close up shot on the drugs. If these shots take place, it would mean that teenage males are involved in negative things.
2. I would be analysing the sound in movies and analysing if the the music used on males is rap and fast music because this would show if teenage males are being represented negatively by the use of sound that comes on when they are seen in the movies.
3. I could analyse the use of props in movies on teenage males because they might always have props such as guns, knifes and etc. This would connote if males are being represented negatively or positively.

Ideology:
1. Analysing films, I would be seeing if ideologies are being shown of male teenagers being involved in gangs and if the gangs are being represented negatively e.g. if the film is showing a number of people in a gang and if they are causing disruption to other people.
2. A ideology could be shown that teenage males are always out to cause trouble in society. This could be shown through the use of clothing that male teenagers are wearing in films such as hoodies and dark clothing that connotes negativity.
3. Ideology of teenagers always being involved in crime. This could be shown through the use of props in the films that I analyse e.g. are male teenagers using guns, knifes etc. If they are this would be representing them as negative and the representation of teenage males would be true to an extent through movies.

Genre:
1. For my critical investigation a genre that I could analyse is drama because many films that have male teenagers in are drama. By this I could look at this genre and analyse to see how male teenagers are being represented. This would mean I could see a pattern on how they are being represented in this genre e.g. Kidulthood.
2. I could look at the genre horror too because a few horror films do involve teenage males and by this I could see how in different genre films, males are being represented. I would see if males are being represented and stereotyped positively or negatively.
3. I could analyse the genre action because I would see how male teenagers are represented in this genre and I would see if overall the representation of males is negative or not and what similarities are being seen e.g. are males mainly being represented as trouble makers and criminals.

Representation:
1. I would need to see if male teenagers are represented as always being involved in gangs. I would see this by analysing movies and seeing if the majority of males are shown in gangs. This would show a negative representation of male teenagers.
2. In movies, are teenage males being represented as criminals? This would be shown if male teenagers are always carrying guns, knifes and dealing drugs. This connotes they would be represented in a negative way and stereotypes of males in the media would be shown in movies.
3. Are teenage males being represented positively and are movies overcoming the stereotypes of male teenagers in movies. This would be shown if male teenagers are not being involved in crime and violence.

Audience:
1. Teenage males would be targetted because they would want to watch these kind of films because of personal identity because they could see their own behaviour and relate to it. E.g. males who are in gangs and taking part in violence would be interested to watch these kind of films.
2. Teenage females may also be attracted but not many females because only a certain amount of females would want to watch these kind of films. This is because the females that would watch the films would be masculine and would be interested in doing masucline things that males do.
3. These types of films would attract a niche audience as many lower class people would watch these kind of films and teenagers would watch it as they may be able to relate to it.

Institution:
1. I would need to look at different institutions to see in what different views are male teenages presented. E.g. newspapers may represent teenage males as negative and movies may view their behaviour as acceptable in society.
2. For my critical investigation, I would need to look at newspapers and see how teenage males are being represented. E.g. is there only negative news on teenage males in newspapers or are newspapers showing the public a positive side of teenage males.
3. I would need to look at movies and see how the different institutions in movies have represented teenage males. Are males always being given a negative role? Does their role only involve crime and violence or is there more to male teenagers in movies.

Narrative:
1. I would need to look at Propp's theory and see if this theory is being used in films related to male teenager. E.g. is there a hero and princess in the film or is it just based on Todorov's theory. This would give an idea for my linked production to see what theory should be used.
2. I will be using enigma codes in the linked production because I would be creating suspense in the audiences mind to keep them interested. I would need to analyse teenage films and see if there is a use of enigma codes which would help understand more on how to use it.
3. For my linked production, the narrative could be based on how male teenagers are stereotyped and how they are expected to behave. E.g. taking drugs, drinking and etc.

SHEP Analysis

Social:
My critical investigation is a social factor because it is something which has caused a moral panic in the media because of many people assuming that all male teenagers are trouble makers and out to cause crime. This is a talkable issue in the public and would make it a social factor.

Historical:
My critical investigation would be a historical factor because this is a new issue that is causing a moral panic now and this was not the issue in the past because at that time male teenagers were not causing trouble and being involved in knife crime.

Economical:
Our linked production would be a documentary and would not economically cost too much to be produced. My critical investigation could be an economical factor because many male teenagers may begin to take part in crime because of the economic downturn and this could increase because of the economy.

Political:
My critical investigation would be a political factor because it would mean that there would be more violence happening because of teenage males. This would mean that more people will be at risk because of knife crime and robberies etc.

Issues and debates
My critical investigation could relate to representation because my focus on my critical investigation is to see how teenage males are being represented and if the way that they are being stereotyped in the media is true by looking at movies. I would see how teenage males are represented and if it is negative or positive.

My linked production would relate to reality tv because we will be doing a documentary on life at high schools. This would relate to relaity tv because we would not be using any actors but would be using real footage that would show how both males and females are being represented in schools and how their behaviour is like.

My critical investigation could relate to violence and the media because the way that teenage males are beginning to behave is violence that is happening in the media. The violence that teenage males are involved in are drug taking, robberies and knife crime and has created a moral panic in the media especially knife crime.

Media theories

My critical investigation would relate to gender theories because in my critical investigation I am focusing on teenage males and analysing their behaviour in the media and in movies. By this we can tell that I would be focusing on this gender and it would relate to gender theories because I would also be seeing what gender has more importance in the media and how each gender is presented.

My linked produciong would relate to audience theories because I would be looking at what audience would want to watch the documentary that will be produced on teenagers. I would need to see if there would be a mass audience or a niche audience and what type of audience is interested in watching this kind of text such as what class and gender.

My critical investigation would relate to post colonialism theory because I would need to see if there is a specific 'race' of teenage males that is making the stereotypes of teenage males true in the media. There will be many different representations of differes races and for my critical investigation I would need to see if there is a certain race of teenage males that are mainly fulfilling stereotypes of teenage males and what race of males.

This study fits in to the contemporary media landscape because the issue that I have chosen to focus on is a important factor in the media and is attracting a lot of attention and creating a moral panic. This is because teenagers are beginning to be involved in crime now more especially male teenagers e.g. knife crime and drug taking. This is a contemporary media landscape because it is an issue which has been quite big in the news and there have been many tactics used to stop the crime that is going on from teenagers. This means that this issue is very important in the media because of police trying to stop it too. This would be contemporary because this is something the public is worrying about and this then creates a moral panic.