His Dark Materials: Industry and Audience blog tasks

 1) Read this audience rating guide for His Dark Materials. Based on the screening and this article, who do you think the target audience is for His Dark Materials and why? What about psychographic groups? You can revise Pyschographics here.

In the series, they used editing for parts so the actors can take breaks and summarise their lines. They used sound for objects for the audience to hear. They also use Camera angles: high angle shot of Lyra to make her look vulnerable/innocent. They used props for different scenes in a fantasy world into the modern world. They used different types of costumes to see the audience which world they from. In the series they used settings like in the episode city of the sky. The show fantasy genre is witches, supernatural (daemon animals) reveal emotions of characters. The character in the show does quest and adventures into worlds and unravel the mysteries they have. The family genre is younger characters, parents/child narrative. The respiration of the female characters are strong and independent.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: 

Personal Relationships:

3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials? Refer to specific scenes or moments in the episode to explain your answer. 

4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materials and watch the fan reaction video above.

5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it? 

 2) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?

Props: mix betweenafantasy f world and modern recognisable objects (book, phone).

 Sound: diegetic sound – natural sounds of ocean to remind us of fantasy, modern world locations.

 Fantasy genre: witches, supernatural (daemon animals) reveal emotions of characters 

 

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into? 

Adventures and quests to fulfil the prophecy to fight against the evil people.

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)
You can fins in his dark materials like the beam he created to cross worlds.

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. 

The drama you can find in his dark materials is the part of fighting and running away from the evil people.

Editing: fast-paced to cover lots of narrative and create excitement    Camera angles: high angle shot of Lyra to make her look vulnerable/innocent. Low angle of Mrs Coulter to show power    Sound: Non-diegetic (only audience can hear) music and voiceover	Setting: different worlds ‘City in the Sky’, cave, rainforest, ocean. Far off exotic locations    Props: mix betweenafantasy f world and modern recognisable objects (book, phone)    Costume: tells audience which world they’re from	Fantasy genre: witches, supernatural (daemon animals) reveal emotions of characters    Adventure: quest / journey    Family genre: younger characters, parent/child narrative	Strong female characters – Lyra independent, tough.  Mrs Coulter – villain, powerful both characters subvert (go against) female stereotypes.    Diversity reflects modern social and cultural society
Camerawork: close-up shot of Mrs Coulter- power and dominance    Sound: Non-diegetic music suggests drama, important moment	Setting: submarine – industrial machines and unusual location    Costume and make up: Mrs Coulter’s red lipstick, dress connotations (suggests) danger, sinister, a threat.	Action code: “the fuse has been lit” – impending danger  Fantasy genre: witches “knowledge of other worlds”  Enigma code (mystery): What is Mrs Coulter trying to do?	Women: Mrs Coulter is only female in the opening scene    Men: represented as aggressive and incompetent (not capable)    Religion and government  - corrupt, evil and incapable
Sound: epic non-diegetic music reflects location (hot air balloon)    Camerawork: wide / establishing camera shot emphasises exotic location	Props: mix betweenafantasy f world and modern recognisable objects (book, phone)	Narrative progressing – “The witches want us to join the fight”    Lyra and Will character development – bonding, teaming and working together    Fantasy genre: Lyra’s daemon is called Pan: “3 worlds, 2 windows”	Reinforces heroic, adventurous stereotypes of American heroes.    Lee Scoresby – American – co-production HBO link creates global appeal
Editing: fast-paced chase scene – music increase to link to action    Camerawork: low-angle of Lyra makes her look more dominant and powerful compared to earlier	Setting: neglected and abandoned city, links to feeling of when no adults are supervising – dangerous?	Chase scene – running enigma and action – who are they chasing and what will happen?    Binary oppositions: good vs evil people, young vs. older people creates conflict and narrative	More subversion of gender roles – girls seem ready to fight, Will breaks it up.    Age: “Where are the grown ups?”    Spectres – suggest being an adult is dangerous and better to be a child – family target audience  Religion – references to dust and sin
Sound: diegetic sound – natural sounds of ocean to remind us of fantasy, modern world locations	Action/actors: Lyra eating with her hands, walking on the bed and generally behaves like a man. Creates a reversal of gender stereotypes e.g., “kitchen boy”	Daemon explanation – gives backstory on Lyra and Pan    Will and Lyra teaming up together. Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratification theory ‘personal relationships’ audiences care what happens to them    Binary opposition – will they defeat the ‘bad guys’?	Reversal of gender roles – Will cooks, Lyra eats    Takes his bedroom and he allows this subverts gender stereotypes.
Editing: CGI (computer generated images) and effects e.g., witch flying in the storm    Camerawork: low angle shots of Mrs Coulter; high angle looking down at the witch – shows power relationship between them.		Fantasy genre: witch flying    Narrative: prophecy (prediction made) goes across the whole season. Lyra is driving that prophe Lighting: dark, dull links to fantasy genre/ supernatural genre    Make-up and costume: Mrs Coulter is heavily made up of red connote danger cy/narrative	Women:  Mrs Coulter again subverts gender stereotype but also witch because she defeats 4 male guards and 1 Cardinal (priest) suggests power and strength.    Diversity: black witch – shows inclusive of different ethnicities  Editing: fast-paced to cover lots of narrative and create excitement    Camera angles: high angle shot of Lyra to make her look vulnerable/innocent. Low angle of Mrs Coulter to show power    Sound: Non-diegetic (only audience can hear) music and voiceover              Setting: different worlds ‘City in the Sky’, cave, rainforest, ocean. Far off exotic locations    Props: mix between fantasy world and modern recognisable objects (book, phone)    Costume: tells audience which world they’re from  Fantasy genre: witches, supernatural (daemon animals) reveal emotions of characters    Adventure: quest / journey    Family genre: younger characters, parent/child narrative          Strong female characters – Lyra independent, tough.  Mrs Coulter – villain, powerful both characters subvert (go against) female stereotypes.    Diversity reflects modern social and cultural society  Camerawork: close-up shot of Mrs Coulter- power and dominance    Sound: Non-diegetic music suggests drama, important moment                 Setting: submarine – industrial machines and unusual location    Costume and make up: Mrs Coulter’s red lipstick, dress connotations (suggests) danger, sinister, a threat.  Action code: “the fuse has been lit” – impending danger  Fantasy genre: witches “knowledge of other worlds”  Enigma code (mystery): What is Mrs Coulter trying to do?  Women: Mrs Coulter is only female in the opening scene    Men: represented as aggressive and incompetent (not capable)    Religion and government  - corrupt, evil and incapable  Sound: epic non-diegetic music reflects location (hot air balloon)    Camerawork: wide / establishing camera shot emphasises exotic location              Props: hot air balloon, gadgets which link to fantasy genre  Narrative progressing – “The witches want us to join the fight”    Lyra and Will character development – bonding, teaming and working together    Fantasy genre: Lyra’s daemon is called Pan: “3 worlds, 2 windows”  Reinforces heroic, adventurous stereotypes of American heroes.    Lee Scoresby – American – co-production HBO link creates global appeal   Editing: fast-paced chase scene – music increase to link to action    Camerawork: low-angle of Lyra makes her look more dominant and powerful compared to earlier        Setting: neglected and abandoned city, links to feeling of when no adults are supervising – dangerous?  Chase scene – running enigma and action – who are they chasing and what will happen?    Binary oppositions: good vs evil people, young vs. older people creates conflict and narrative   More subversion of gender roles – girls seem ready to fight, Will breaks it up.    Age: “Where are the grown ups?”    Spectres – suggest being an adult is dangerous and better to be a child – family target audience  Religion – references to dust and sin  Sound: diegetic sound – natural sounds of ocean to remind us of fantasy, modern world locations              Action/actors: Lyra eating with her hands, walking on the bed and generally behaves like a man. Creates a reversal of gender stereotypes e.g., “kitchen boy”  Daemon explanation – gives backstory on Lyra and Pan    Will and Lyra teaming up together. Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratification theory ‘personal relationships’ audiences care what happens to them    Binary opposition – will they defeat the ‘bad guys’?  Reversal of gender roles – Will cooks, Lyra eats    Takes his bedroom and he allows this subverts gender stereotypes.   Editing: CGI (computer generated images) and effects e.g., witch flying in the storm    Camerawork: low angle shots of Mrs Coulter; high angle looking down at the witch – shows power relationship between them.  Lighting: dark, dull links to fantasy genre/ supernatural genre    Make-up and costume: Mrs Coulter is heavily made up of red connote danger  Fantasy genre: witch flying    Narrative: prophecy (prediction made) goes across the whole season. Lyra is driving that prophecy/narrative  Women:  Mrs Coulter again subverts gender stereotype but also witch because she defeats 4 male guards and 1 Cardinal (priest) suggests power and strength.    Diversity: black witch – shows inclusive of different ethnicities