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COMICS

Stage 2 Genre

Connotations Its a guy from a horror movie.

RECAP
Dennotation Violent, creepy looking, large nails, evil stare, wrinkly face and Freddie croger

GENRE
Genre originates from the French word meaning type Genre is a way of categorising media texts. How many film genres can we think of? What about music genres? And TV genres?

CONVENTIONS
Genre is a term for a group of media products with similarities. These similarities are known in Media Studies as the conventions of the genre. These can include one or more of the following:

Settings where the media text is located Props/costumes objects characters interact with and what they wear Themes ideas and issues explored within a media text Plot the story in a media text Styles visual and audio techniques (camerawork, editing, sound) Situations Recurring icons specific items associated with that genre Characters and stars character types or actors who appear regularly Audience reaction

TASK ONE IDENTIFY THE GENRE


Watch this trailer: Identify the genre and note down as many conventions as you can which signify genre.

ANOTHER USE FOR CONVENTIONS


LAST LESSON WE LOOKED AT THE CONVENTIONS OF DIFFERENT GENRES. ANOTHER USE FOR CONVENTIONS IS WHEN DISCUISSING MEDIA TEXTS. IN THIS CASE WE MEAN LAYOUTS, STYLES, VISUAL & AUDIO FEATURES AND ANY OTHER ELEMENTS WHICH RECUR IN MOST EXAMPLES OF A SPECIFIC TYPE OF MEDIA TEXT

FRAMES,SPLIT FRAMES AND GUTTER


A comic strip is usually laid out in a grid of 2 boxes by 3 boxes or 3 boxes by 3 boxes. Each box is called a frame. Split frames are when one frame is split into two or more. A gutter is the space between frames, used to break up the story. Time may pass between each frame so only frame key moments in the story! Frame

Split Frame
Gutter

REMEMBER COMIC WRITING IS ALWAYS IN CAPITALS!!!

SPEECH BUBBLE, THOUGHT BUBBLE AND CAPTIONS

A thought bubble is used to tell the audience what a character is thinking or how theyre feeling. A speech bubble is used to tell the audience what someone is saying. It may change shape to connote their tone. E.g. if someone is shouting the bubble would be spiky. A caption will tell the audience more information about the scene. This could include location, time or even add some narration to the story. A sound caption tells the audience any sounds which the characters can hear.

Thought Bubble

Speech Bubble

Caption

Sound Caption

ANNOTATE THE COMIC STRIP


Find one example of each of these conventions and annotate them on this comic strip. For each convention also explain its purpose. FRAME SPLIT FRAME SPEECH BUBBLE THOUGHT BUBBLE GUTTER CAPTION

FOR EACH CONVENTION TRY TO EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE TOO

ANNOTATE THE COMIC STRIP

ILO Task
COMPLETE TASK 1 OF THE INTRODUCTORY ASSIGNMENT
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS EMAIL mscruby@hamptonacademy.or g.uk OR SEE YOUR MEDIA TEACHER THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF COMICS ON YOUR CLASS BLOG CHOOSE ONE OF THESE AND ANNOTATE
Annotated Comic Strip To get a C you should To get above a C you could

Conventions clearly identified and their purpose explained using P.E.E


Identify target audience and explain how conventions are used to appeal to them Show understanding of denotation and connotation

Identify most conventions correctly and say how they are used
Use specific examples from the comic to identify audience

Identify all conventions and explain their purpose


Identify target audience in a number of categories and explain appeal of conventions Identify four features and explain what is denoted and connoted

Pick out two features of the comic book and identify what is denoted and explain what it connotes

Correct terminology used throughout

KEY TERMS
LOOK TO THE BACK OF YOUR COMIC ASSIGNMENT BRIEF. FILL IN DEFINITIONS FOR ALL THE TERMS WE HAVE ALREADY LEARNT.

RECAP
What is the purpose of each of these conventions? FRAME SPLIT FRAME SPEECH BUBBLE THOUGHT BUBBLE GUTTER CAPTION SOUND CAPTION

ICONOGRAPHY
Iconography is the use of recurring signs or icons to signify genre. Western, Science fiction and action.

SUB GENRES
As well as very common main genres we can also have what are known as sub-genres

SUB-GENRE An identifiable subdivision /sub-class of a main genre. For example: Genre Comedy Sub-genre dark comedy, spoof comedy, slapstick comedy, Character comedy, mockumentary and many more.

However not all films fit neatly into one genre but rather can combine the conventions of many different genres. These are known as hybrid-genres
A mix / combination of different main genres. Eg: Romantic-Comedy For example the film Love Actually combines the genres of Romance & Comedy HYBRID-GENRE

Comedy-drama(comedy and drama), Comedyhorror(comedy and horror), Tragicomedy (tragedy and comedy)

ILO Task: COMIC BOOK GENRES


Research comic book genres using google.com (TYPE COMIC BOOK GENRES into google!)

SUPERHERO

Find as many different types of comic as you can.


This should be presented as a one page power point presentation. You should find pictures to denote each genre and title each picture with its genre. Extension For each genre also identify three conventions.
http://10singlechfs.blogspot.com/

DUE BEGINNING OF NEXT LESSON

TASK TWO IDENTIFYING CONVENTIONS


Each table has a sheet with a genre and some stimulus material. Identify as many conventions as you can and note them down on the sheet.

Try to identify as many elements for each category.

RECAP
What do the following terms mean? Genre - the type of film Conventions- 3 distinct groups in film (technical, symbolic and text and audio) Iconography- Art history Sub-genre- a sub class of a main genre Hybrid-genre - A mix of two genres in one.

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