Media P1 CSP - Ghost town Flashcards
What were some of the issues in Britain in the 70s and early 80s?
In the late 70s and early 80s there was a period of very high poverty and unemployment which many saw as a result of government policy
How did young men feel at the time?
Young men at the time were particularly angry and frustrated about the lacks of jobs and support
What happend in 1981?
There were periods of marches, protests, and riots in 1981, with people angry about the government decisions to privatise and close many industries - the video reflects the way many young men felt at the time
What does the ghost town video typically reflect?
The ghost town video reflects the anger about unemployment, crime, and poverty that was happening at the time.
However instead of representing the racial tension and division, it shows racial harmony and diversity
What does the mixture of white and black singers show?
The mixture of white and black singers and musicians in the band was quite unusual at the time and their overall brand was about racial harmony and equality
What are the cultures and genres that the video merges?
The music video mixed together cultures and genres such as british punk and jamaican ska
What does the videos first scene show?
The video starts off with lots of low angled shots of urban settings - help the audience as knowing the scene is london
What do the scenes of empty streets show?
The scenes of empty streets create enigma for audiences and make the town seem desolate and sad
What does the diverse mix of band members in the car show?
The diverse mix of people in the car represents the band as being integrated and multicultural which was fairly unusualy in the early 1980s
What does the fact that the band members are cramped together in the car show?
The way the band members are crammed in the car together suggests they are close friends
What does the fact that all members have serious facial expressions to begin with show?
The serious facial expressions suggest that the song is going to tackle some serious issues
What does the fast paced editing and shots show?
The fast paced editing, hand held shots, and crazed expressions make the band seem wild and rebellious
What do these fast paced scenes do for the audience?
The fast paced scenes create a dangerous, thrilling, exciting tone for audiences who might identify with wanting to break the rules
What does the colour grading of the video show?
The colour grading creates binary opposites between the moments when they’re singing about the past, and what London is like for them now
What does the cold blue lighting in the streets show?
The cold blue low key lighting with long shadows make the streets seem dangerous and scary
What do the tracking shots past vandalised cars show?
Tracking shots past vandalised cars reflects the crime and riots that were happening in britain at the timeW
What does the continued use of shadows show?
The continued use of shadows could act as a semantic code to suggest that britain is a shadow of its former self
What does the use of moving reflections show in the mirror?
The use of moving reflections connotes that their lives are passing them by and they feel powerless
What does throwing stones in the river show?
Throwing stones in the river adds to the idea that they are bored and feel there is nothing else going on in their lives
What does the whistling wing noise show?
The whistling wind noise makes the town feel empty and abandoned, but also might remind people of police sirens
How can barthes theory apply to ghost town?
The scenes of empty streets create enigma for the audience and make the town seem desolate and sad, playing into barthes enigma code
How can neales theory apply to ghost town?
The video uses lots of conventions of mystery to fit in their genre such as dark blue lighting
How can strauss theory apply to ghost town?
The colour grading creates binary opposites between the moments when they’re singing about the past, and what London is like for them now.
Binary opposition between the representations of togetherness and harmony of the band compared to real life situations dealing with racism, gives the audience an alternative view to increase enjoyment
How can todorvs theory apply to Ghost town?
Video starts off showing buildings and empty streets which is the equilibrium since its calm
The fast paced shots with the band dancing in car driving fast could be the disruption
The final scene throwing rocks in river could be new equilibrium
