MEST 1: Section B (Torchwood case study) In the exam, you will be expected to spend 45 minutes on Section B.

This will require you to give a sustained, essay-style response to a question (you will have a choice of two you just do one!). This question will give you the opportunity to write about your cross-media study. The question will also give you further guidance through the use of three bullet points. The first will ask for a brief overview of the case study. The second will clarify the question in more detail and give you a bit more direction. The third will state the number of platforms you will need to cover in your answer. In your answer, you will be expected to: Show your understanding of the key concepts; Branch out from what we have covered in class you will be rewarded for individualising your case studies and showing an engaged response; Show your understanding of all three media platforms within these three platforms, you need to cover a range of examples. Make sure you use SPECIFIC textual examples from the texts covered; Discuss any relevant theories, issues and debates; Use appropriate media terminology.

draw on some of the following areas in your answer: PLATFORM 1: Broadcasting The television show itself what is the genre (including discussion of codes and conventions)? Who is the target audience? How can Propps character functions be applied to the film and how does this help to position/appeal to the audience (e.g. what is so appealing about having a strong American leading man?)? How has the narrative been structured and why? What do you know about the Torchwood franchise? How does this create expectation in the audience? How have the hero and princess been represented? Are these representations positive/negative/fair/ accurate? How do they reflect todays society? How and why has product placement been used in the film? The trailers how do the narrative of the trailers for the show seem different to the narrative of the whole film? How

has this been used to help promote the film? What are the main codes and conventions that have been used in the trailer (e.g. hero character function, high speed chases etc.)? Why might these have been chosen? What do you notice about the way the camera has been used in the trailer? PLATFORM 2: Print How have certain magazines (e.g. SFX) used the release of the new series of Torchwood to sell issues, as well as helping to promote the show? What sorts of conventions have they drawn upon and why? How has Torchwood and its stars been represented in the magazine? How has the media language been used?

PLATFORM 3: E-media (digital/web-based media) The official website what does it offer the audience? (E.g. Why might the audience want to navigate to a page like The Team? What can this kind of page offer the audience that the TV show cant?) What possible opportunities are there for interaction and downloads on the website? How much control do the audience have to choose their own personal narrative path through the website? How is this different from other, more logically structured texts (like the film)? Fan-based (unofficial) websites can you find any examples of these on the web? How do they enable the fans to develop a sense of community and common interest whilst also allowing them to exchange ideas, gossip and information about characters/narrative etc.?) How do blogs and message boards appeal to an audience? How can fans (particularly geeks like Mrs Jessop) go one step further and actually create (then share) their own texts (e.g. fan-vids)? Podcasts/radio shows how do podcasts (such as Torchcast at www.torchwood.co.uk) give audiences the freedom to consume the text where and when they choose? Ho do they also give a platform for the audience to respond? How is the radio play of Torchwood different from an conventional TV episode of the show?

Example section from exam response: To what extent do the media products in your case study do more than just entertain their audiences? You should: Provide a brief outline of your case study; Consider how far the media products in your case study also inform, educate and provide opportunities for interaction and participation; Support your answer with examples from three media platforms.

Torchwood is a spin off of the hugely popular and successful Doctor Who series, which was brought back to television in 2005. It details the adventures of one of the most popular characters from the parent show, Captain Jack Harkness, played by popular entertainer John Barrowman as he works for an organisation which is outside the government and beyond the United Nations. He and his coworkers seek out alien technology in an attempt to understand and use it. Their base is beneath the Millenium Centre in Cardiff. Other characters include PC Gwen Cooper, who is recruited early on in series 1, Owen Harper, a doctor, Ianto Jones, a sort of office manager/tea boy and Toshiko Sato who is the groups technical assistant.

The show is aimed at an older audience than its parent show Doctor Who, and the narrative themes it raises reflect this. In series 1 episode 1, there is a great deal of swearing and adult humour, for example when Owen seduces both a woman and her irritated boyfriend using an alien pheremone spray. This scene includes repeated use of the f-word as well as same sex kissing. As a consequence of its themes, it broadcasts post watershed on both BBC 2 and BBC 3.

Torchwoods main platform is obviously television, but it also exists on various others, including online, radio and print platforms. This allows the audience to interact and participate in the narrative of the product, and to express their own ideas and opinions about the show and its direction. The Torchwood website, which is housed within the BBC site, changes frequently, especially when the show is on air. It allows the audience to create their own narrative within the site, including even applying for jobs at Torchwood! The main

image on the homepage of the website is of the three surviving characters from the end of series 2, which could be seen as a spoiler for those who have not yet seen the series, but in all likelihood, those who havent seen it are less likely to visit the website, so it could be seen to reflect the ongoing narrative of the show itself.

As well as the official BBC site, there are numerous fan-generated sites, including torchwood.co.uk. This allows the audience to interact with one another in discussion forums and share creative responses to the show itself. These creative responses can include discussion postings, fanfiction, fanart and fanvids. The evolution of mass e-media has made the audiences ability to interact with one another, and even the producers of the chosen show far easier than in previous decades. Fans can trace narrative arcs that they particularly enjoy, for example Gwen and Jacks burgeoning relationship in Torchwood, and express their own ideas through the platforms of websites and video sharing sites such as Youtube. This empowers the audience and enables them to exchange ideas and thoughts about the product in a way that could only be achieved through the platform of e-media. This evolution is supported by the Uses and Gratifications theory: the audience takes what it likes the most from a text and uses it as a basis for discussion with other audience members. During its run, a series might generate discussion for its use of narrative, or its controversial representations, or indeed its handling of an issue. A good example of this is the series 2 Torchwood episode Meat, which raises an interesting and timely debate about the quality of the food we consume. A non-aggressive alien being, a space whale is held captive in a meat processing plant, and cut apart while alive to provide meat for a pie maker. Although Torchwoods primary purpose is to entertain, this episode raises questions in the viewer about the ethics of mass-market food production and consumption which stay with the viewer long after the closing credits. The watercooler has become a virtual place as well as a physical one. Torchwood has also branched out into radio, with the Big Bang Day radio episode which aired in February. This featured the actual cast of the television show, and involved much more explicit storytelling in the narrative structure to compensate for the change in platform. It is clear therefore that entertainment is the key aspect of a product like Torchwood (Uses & Gratifications Model). However, the need to generate revenue through audience ratings is also essential. This is why the multi-platform presence is important as it helps its positioning among audiences in a media-saturated climate.