Revision AS Media Studies

Below is the transcript of last years interview between Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell.
Further down is the interviews to view again. They are a source of material to quote from in your exam response.

Piers Morgan Life Stories Simon Cowell

Part 1: 4 mins: 10 secs;

Average, mass market; simple tastes

Part 2:

3 mins: 33 secs; Tom Meane of Kasabian;

Quote: ‘pop moguls like Simon Cowell take people then distroy them’.

In this section Piers Morgan discusses with Simon Cowell the accusation that shows like the X factor build people up then knock them down.

10 mins: 32 secs; Sting;

Quote: ‘The X Factor is a preposterous show and you have judges who have no recognisable talent apart from advising on self promotion and deciding what to wear and how to look. It is appalling’.

Simon Cowell

Quote: ‘well first of all, anybody who at the age of sixty calls himself ‘Sting’ is an idiot’.

‘I find those kind of people who live in mansions. Who come from humble beginnings and they’re living in these stately homes professing to know everything about everything in the world and what the contestants may or may not feel, they can say that because they’ve got everything they want in their lives, but what they’re really saying is anybody else who needs a shot shouldn’t be allowed to do it.’

Part 3:

BMG Robson and Jerome

8 mins: 48 secs;

Quote: Krissi Murison Editor of NME;

‘The first the world heard of Simon Cowell was when he launched the likes of Zig and Zag and Robson and Jerome. This man should not be choosing who gets a record deal and who doesn’t. The more he steps away from music the better the world would be.’

Pete Waterman; Music Producer:

‘So many people are snobby about music and Simon isn’t snobby and that’s what I love about Simon’.

‘ He rules with a rod of iron. People don’t realise how tough Simon is to please.’

Part 4: 8.00 mins;

Pop Idol

Part 5: from the start:

Quote: Krissi Murison Editor of NME:

‘I would describe it like watching populist drivel that glamourises Karaoke and tries to pass it off as music’.

Piers Morgan to Simon cowell in defence of the show “20 million viewers disagree’.

A couple from Essex launched a web campaign for ‘Rage against the machine’ helped to promote it to the xmas N0. 1 spot, Joe McElderry reached N0.2

Quote: Krissi Murison Editor of NME:

‘This campaign and the song they chose very succinctly say we are fed up with being spoon fed watered down crap year after year’.

Piers Morgan admits to laughing out loud. Simon Cowell admitted to enjoying the process even though he was annoyed at first.

Simon Cowell’s response to the comments from Krissi Murison Editor of NME:

‘Where I have problem with people like that is that they sneer at what normal people like. It’s like food critics, my believe is it’s like when you make TV shows if you want to eat fish and chips and baked beans on toast, compared to cavar which I loathe, it is absolutely no difference but people like that would like to create a sort of taste police force with people going into their homes and sneering at what they like. That’s why I always say they’re not critising me they’re sneering at the people who buy my records or watch my TV shows and I don’t like that’.

If they were running entertainment in this country it would be the most boring place in the world bar none.’

Exemplar Student Essay - Institutions and Audiences (June 2010)

This students response achieved a very high grade due to the following points:

The student answered the question. This might seem obvious but when a response is unsuccessful the student usually doesn't relate to their answer to the question and so fails to pick up points.

The question in this case related to digital media technology but future questions might relate to any of the following:

Marketing

Audiences

Technology (examples of convergence)

Synergy

Production

Distribution

The student gave detailed examples from the case study always ensuring that the examples were relevant to the question.
The student used examples from the study ensuring that the response focussed on 'Syco' productions and sony and NOT exclusively the X Factor show.
Finally, they gave examples of terminology, quotes and statistics to support their argument.

Section B: Institutions and Audiences

Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support the points made in your answer.

1. What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

Candidates must choose to focus on one of the following media areas. You may make reference to other media in your answer.

· Film

· Music

· Newspapers

· Radio

· Magazines

· Video games

(50marks)

Simon Cowell created and runs Syco industries this ranges from TV, film and music, the specific brands I am looking upon Syco music, which is in Synergy with Sony. Cowell claims to have given Sony music industries a large percentage of sales, but how has the evolution of digital technology halted or helped his business?

With the steady and unfaltering rises of both music and film, industries have struggled the hardest hit was the music industry. Over 5 terabytes √of data is downloaded from the Internet everyday! √This has had a major effect on the music industry. √ Radiohead’s guitarist claims that music piracy isn’t killing music but the industry itself is, √ if music companies do not catch up√ with the times and deal with the problem soon then it will get inevitably worse (music weekly). √

Despite this piracy issue digital media technology has also been an advantage for many companies and Syco is one of them, √ most of Cowell’s Sales from Joe McElderry’s (X Factor winner) CD for the Christmas number one spot was from places live iTunes. √Then again the rise of democratisation and the combination of digital media√ like the Internet helped knock Syco’s record off the top spot for Christmas number one. √ Many people within the music industry dislikes “Cowell’s so-called music”. √The editor of NME says that “we are fed up of being spoon-fed drivel year after year “√ and claims that “it is just posh Karaoke” (music weekly source). So he to outlook and the power of not only democratisation, √ which has made Cowell so popular, but also the power of a digital media line the internet a campaign √was launched firstly from Facebook, √its aims were to stop Joe McElderry’s album √from reading number 1 and for a Heavy Metal band called “Rage against the Machine” win. √ With thousands buying both songs online from places like iTunes, a race began and eventually democratisation prevailed and “Rage Against the Machine” with “Killing in the name of” √emerged as the Christmas number 1 (all sourced from Music Weekly). √

Through this Cowell learned of the power of digital media and began to promote new artists from Syco music on there regularly, on social networking sites and also iTunes. When Syco synergised with many other artists to create a charity song for the incident in Haiti most Syco’s sales came from the internet (wiki). √Call me cynical but did Cowell do this to raise money for a noble cause or was it shameless self-promotion? Despite this point the digital media helped promote this “cause”! √

The song “You got the Dirtee Love” by Dizzee Rascal and Florence and the Machine”. √ Was performed at The Brits, when it was put on iTunes to buy from midnight that evening, √throughout the night it made an astounding number of sales and by 10.00 am √it was number one in the charts (sourced from music weekly). Does this not show the true power of digital media? This type of media allows more of a say and also a choice to what people want to listen to, even though it has its downfalls like piracy. √

Thus with a number of advantages and disadvantages that are rife throughout the form of digital Media technology, some do out weigh others, but a very many more sales have been accomplished due to it. √

(Paper Total 100 marks)

	Level 4
Explanation/analysis/argument	20	16
Use of examples	20	16
Use of terminology	10	8
Total	50	40

Friday, 3 December 2010

G322 - SECTION B: Institutions & Audiences WEB 2.0

Web 2.0
The second phase of the internet, where the focus shifts from people receiving information and services to people creating and sharing material.

Web 2.0 David Gauntlett

David Gauntlett explains web 2.0 in more detail and how we now use the internet (6:46)

An anthropological introduction to Youtube

Pages

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Monday, 6 December 2010

Sunday, 5 December 2010

Friday, 3 December 2010