Week 5 - Mediating

The destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001, and the immediate and lasting reaction of the media to this event was the main focus for this week's reading (King, 2005, pg. 47-56). The reading draws on different aspects of the media coverage of the disaster, and is states that this real-life event can be distinguished from common 'disaster film' sequences by the obvious use of hand-held camera equipment and a lack of continuity whilst filming the sequence (King, 2005, pg. 49-50). While many of the earlier big budget disaster style films do make scenes of destruction particularly clear and unmissable for the viewer, recent computer generated images technology has meant that film makers no longer need to spend such high amounts on pyrotechnics and explosions. The recent film 'Cloverfield' (2008), is shown in its entirety as a hand-held style of filming  and, like the 9/11 coverage, does not show many of the destruction sequences at the most visible angle to the audience. This style of film making is done here deliberately, to give the film a more authentic feel.
In comparison to real disaster footage and 'breaking news' coverage of events, simulated disasters made by directors and film makers for entertainment can sometimes seem quite cheap and offensive to those affected by real life events. An example of this could be the humorous portrayal of nuclear meltdown as seen in several episodes of the television series 'The Simpsons' (1989 -) which may now be seen as distressing by many who have been affected by the recent disasters in Japan, including threat of nuclear radiation (Demetriou, 2011, The Telegraph Online).

References
Demetriou, D. (2011) Highly radioactive water leaks outside Japan's nuclear plant building, The Telegraph.co.uk
Groening, M. (1989-) The Simpsons
King, G. (2005), "Just like a movie"?: 9/11 and Hollywood Spectacle
Reeves, M. (2008) Cloverfield

Week 4 - Writing

This week's reading addresses different styles of writing, as well as reasons and inspiration for writing. It likens writing to 'dancing with the pen' (Game &  Metcalf, 1996, p. 87) and likens the writing process to that of dreaming. Whilst the act of creative writing is commonly known to allow for dreaming and free, expressive thought, Game and Metcalf (1996, p. 88-89) contend that research reports and scientific writing  must allow for structured ideas.
The blank page or computer screen is seen as a tool for dreaming by Game and Metcalf (1996, p. 87) and for many students such as myself it is viewed as something to which provokes and intensifies thought while it is simultaneously dreaded and observed as intimidating. Game and Metcalf do address the initial physical process of preparation for writing (1996, p. 96), however, they neglect the frequent problems which confront the writer all too often, which include difficulty finding the right words to express a meaning or troubles in manifesting the ideas and concepts themselves.

Bibliography
Game, A &  Metcalf, A 1996, Passionate Sociology, SAGE Publications

Week 3 - Reading

This week's required reading covered the topics of plot and structure followed by many films and television shows. These include the 3 act structure utilised by many film makers and writers to set up a story line. This structure incorporates an initial state of equilibrium, followed by a period of conflict and finally a resolution (Jane Stadler & Kelly McWilliam, 2009, p. 157). This classical narrative style is popular for many fairytale type stories, including many of those adapted by Disney.
An example of this includes The Little Mermaid (1989, Walt Disney Pictures, Clements & Musker ), in which the 'hero' character, Ariel, initially has a beautiful singing voice and privileged lifestyle and then transitions through the stage of conflict when her voice is taken away from her in exchange for a human body and ability to walk on land, and is later resolved when she wins the heart of the prince and regains her voice when her nemesis is destroyed.
In addition to the traditional 3 act structure, story lines may also make use of a non-linear time frame, which includes flashbacks and flash forwards, interwoven story lines and fragmented story lines (Jane Stadler & Kelly McWilliam, 2009, p. 169).

Bibliography:
Screen Naratives: Traditions and Trends, Jane Stadler & Kelly McWilliam, 2009
The Little Mermaid, 1989, Walt Disney Pictures, Clements & Musker

Week 2 - Looking

This week's topic of 'looking' has addressed different perceptions and the multiple ways images can be perceived by the viewer. Such examples raised by the text (Introduction to Textual Analysis, p. 7) included a confrontation by a group of six young men and the way this could be perceived by different people with different personal experiences. While many of the denoted meanings that could be read into this particular image would be similar, if not the same, the connoted meanings could be seen quite differently.
A recent media example of the concept may include the controversy over refugees arriving illegally in Australia by boat. While some believe that these people deserve a second chance in Australia after the hardship they have previously been through, others contest this idea with views that they are cheating the system and taking the jobs and changing the way of life of the Australian public and those who have come legally and through the proper channels.