1.Critical Approaches toCritical Approaches to Media ProductsMedia ProductsBTEC National Diploma in Media (Games)

2. Critical Approaches toCritical Approaches to Media ProductsMedia Products What is a Text? Be able to develop responses to media products/texts. How does the industry define an audiences for their products/texts? How does the industry create products for specific audiences/texts? How do different audiences respond to media products/texts? 3. What is a Genre? Genre is a French word meaning type or kind Genre is the classification of any media text into a category or type Popular storytelling is largely repetition with just enough variation to give the product its own identity and surprise element. GenreGenre 4. Why is genre important? Several functions - In production - The genre will provide a template for many key production decisions. In marketing - Genre concepts offer a method of product differentiation. In consumption - Genre concepts form standard patterns of spectator involvement. How do we define genres.................? (Categories) 5. Action, platforms first-person shooter (FPS) third-person shooter (TPS) Racing Fighting Adventure Puzzle Role-play Simulation Sports, Strategy turn-based strategy (TBS), real time strategy (RTS) Genres themselves are fluid. More and more games are hybrids of the traditional genres. HYBRIDS? Game GenresGame Genres 6. But how do you define this? 7. Type of text/ Production Format - Film Audio Print Theatre Computer Games Distribution method Physical Retail Digital - Retail Digital Download Crowd funded/ Bundles Genre CategoriesGenre Categories (World/ Story Themes/ Editing) (Sound/ Instruments/ Audience) (Subject matter, character, emotional tone) (Ideology's, often follows the isms of the time) (Mechanics/Challenges/ Actions/Themes) 8. ShooterShooter The world can change. How many conventions are from FILM, how many are unique? 9. Sub-GenreSub-Genre 10. Genres are constructed with their recognisable codes, narrative structures and representations. could call them generic identifiers. Conventions provide recognisable elements for the audience to use as an indication of the intention and potential meanings within the text. 11. GENERIC codes and conventions Content Symbolic Cultural Technical Narrative Technical Codes camera, lighting, special FX, Texturing or use of sound and music, create expectations, control the audiences perceptions and signify the genre. Character Codes Clothing, appearance, gestures and language. Codes signify the characters social grouping or job. Representational codes. Even if we do not understand a foreign programme we can still read the signs and codes and understand the type of programme it might be. 12. HORRORHORROR Write down a list of features that a horror film will have, for example suspense Through music: Dark colours, backgrounds A number of scenes in the dark Creepy music Silence to build suspense Heavy breathing sounds Shadows Volatile weather (mist, storms, thunder etc.) Screaming Isolation or someone alone 13. What are the stages of genre? How can we learn from this to create viable new genres? Lifecycle - Demise of genre.Lifecycle - Demise of genre. 14. Adventure GamesAdventure Games Adventure Games Kings Quest (1978) Grim Fandango (1998) Game Scores Break the genre addicts expectations Number of titles released in major genres in 2003: Action: 573 Adventure: 317 Strategy: 266 RPG: 179 Simulation: 159 Sports: 137 Racing / Driving: 125 15. Adventure Games I think that one of the big problems with WarCraft Adventures was that we were actually creating a traditional adventure game, and what people expected from an adventure game, and very honestly what we expected from an adventure game, changed over the course of the project. And when we got to the point where we cancelled it, it was just because we looked at where we were and said, you know, this would have been great three years ago. Bill Roper, WarCraft Adventures from 1998 16. Telltale Kevin Bruner Grim Fandango (1998) Lucas Arts Monkey Island (2000) Lucas Arts Sam & Max Episode 1-6 (2006-07) Telltale Wallace and Gromit (2009) Tales of Monkey Island (2009) Jurassic Park (2010) Back to the Future (2011) The Walking Dead (2012) 17. Task time http://blnds.co/1oLODFq the content & choose Genres Due date: 28/03/2014