Media: Paper 1 - Section B Music Video (Titanium)

Question 1

What is the genre of Titanium?

Answer 1

Unconventional Narrative

Question 2

What is Titanium’s main theme?

Answer 2

resilience

Question 3

Titanium is a “text about a text”. What theory is this related to?

Answer 3

Postmodernism or hyperreality (Baudrillard)

Question 4

What texts does Titanium link go through intertextuality?

Answer 4

Films e.g Super 8 and ET

Question 5

What cinematography is used at the beginning of the video? (This is reminiscent of cinematic feature films rather than music videos)

Answer 5

Tracking shots

Question 6

Why is most of the video shot at a low angle or from the boy’s shoulder?The editing only speeds up on one section. When is this?

Answer 6

When the boy is on his bike to connote danger

Question 7

Why is most of the video shot at a low angle or from the boy’s shoulder?

Answer 7

To connote a child’s view of the world

Question 8

The video is set in an America suburbia reminiscent of the 80s. How can we tell this in terms of the location?

Answer 8

The white picket fences and wooden suburban houses

Question 9

The video is set in an America reminiscent of the 80s. How can we tell this in terms of the technology?

Answer 9

cathode ray tube TV and landline handset

Question 10

The video is set in an America reminiscent of the 80s. How can we tell this in terms of the costume?

Answer 10

Boy wears anorak and bobble hat. Joggers wear sweat bands

Question 11

What lighting is used to make intertextual references to Spielberg?

Answer 11

Lens flares and bright lights in the woods

Question 12

What narrative structure is used?

Answer 12

Enigma-resolution

Question 13

What is the main viewpoint that Titanium celebrates?

Answer 13

Survival

Question 14

What main text does Titanium reference?

Answer 14

Super 8

Question 15

How does the music video reference this text?
(Super 8)

Answer 15

Ordinary “boy” hero, adult misunderstanding of the child’s world, the bike (symbol of freedom) theme of loneliness, use of enigma to delay resolution

Question 16

How is an immersive world constructed?

Answer 16

High production values and narrative construction (identification with lead and his quest to survive)

Question 17

How does the music video reference this text?
(Super 8)

Answer 17

Ordinary “boy” hero, adult misunderstanding of the child’s world, the bike (symbol of freedom) theme of loneliness, use of enigma to delay resolution

Question 18

What does the video represent?

Answer 18

Spielbergian America

Question 19

What does it mean “Titanium is a representation of a representation”?

Answer 19

Titanium represents the films of ET or Close Encounters etc which are in themselves representations of American suburbia

Question 20

What ethnicity is used?

Answer 20

White except for outsiders in the SWAT team who are Black (who are violent and aggressive)

Question 21

How is class represented?

Answer 21

It tried to be “class-less” but middle class really through big houses and a well off community

Question 22

How is gender represented?

Answer 22

Men are powerful - hero and police, females lack power - teacher and comedic joggers

Question 23

Who has power?

Answer 23

Forces from outside; the SWAT team and the energy burst

Question 24

Are the forces of law and order powerful?

Answer 24

No - they show fear

Question 25

The video represents what in an allegorical form?

Answer 25

The issues of growing up and finding your identity and power. Overall, about resilience.

Question 26

Why is the video not a true construction of social realism?

Answer 26

Because it is a pastiche (copy) of representations that constructs an intertextual world

Question 27

What is the main cultural context?

Answer 27

The cultural prestige given to directors in Hollywood

Question 28

How is childhood stereotyped?

Answer 28

As a time of uncertainty in an uncomprehending adult world

Question 29

Is childhood stereotyped sympathetically or unsympathetically?

Answer 29

Sympathetically

Question 30

How is school stereotyped?

Answer 30

As a place of constraint - the hero had to “burst out” of the school to escape

Question 31

How are the forces or law and order stereotyped?

Answer 31

Negatively - as outsiders who do not understand

Question 32

How is cycling stereotyped?

Answer 32

A moment of freedom where children can sail past adults (cf the joggers)

Question 33

Whose point of view is the video made from?

Answer 33

A child’s POV

Question 34

How is gender stereotyped?

Answer 34

Females have no power, males have power

Question 35

How is race stereotyped?

Answer 35

White as the dominant hegemony. The only Black character is an outsider

Question 36

How is the audience positioned?

Answer 36

Identifying with the boy and his attempt to escape frightening forces

Question 37

Who is the video sympathising with?

Answer 37

The underdog - the boy