House of Cards- how audience consume & interpret LFTD

How audiences consume and interpret long from television dramas

•https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/ways-watching-technology-television

HOC- Open ended narratives

More than one stories going on. 4-5 stories going on. Whereas, a linear narrative only explores 1 story. 

Frank Underwood and Claire represent the anti-hero their characters are complex.

Intertextual links between the HOC and Shakespeare`s plays- Macbeth

Use of anti- hero

Claire and Francis are similar Macbeth and Lady Macbeth- anti hero, in terms of having the female trying to be dominant rather than the male which therefore shows that Claire breaks the patriarchal oppression of women, which therefore goes against the theory of Van Zoonen and bell hooks, that women are oppressed and under the dominance of men- HOC shows the opposite. 

Claire desires power, control and progress in her career over money which is similar to Lady Macbeth and her attitudes. 
Claire and Francis seem mainly concerned about themselves therefore demonstrating the idea of individualism. 

Characters & Actors

Francis Underwood- Kevin Spacey

Doug Stamper- the right hand man of Francis Underwood

Claire Underwood- Robin Wright

Zoe Barnes- Kate Mara

Peter Russo- Corey Stoll

Doug Stamper- Michael Kelly

Neales Theory 

The Long form TV drama can have conventions of different genres- political drama.

Style of HOC

Blue and grey 

low key muted

dull and unsaturated colours and therefore atmosphere

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/feminism-depravity-and-power-in-em-house-of-cards-em/283960/

Realism- the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.

Digital Cameras were used. 

Blue light was used to create a natural setting.

Candles were the main source of lighting. 

Low light sensitivity of the camera to show the realism of the atmosphere. 

The main light used is natural light such as from the candles. 

Discuss how politicians are perceived by the wider public

Linda Vasquez- she is manipulative towards Frank as she gives him a promise and does not keep it. 

Francis Underwood- 

In real politics

Theresa May

Boris Johnson

QUESTIONS 

•Discuss the economic context in which Long form TV dramas exist…

•

•Compare PSB the budgets available for UK based soaps and the HOC.

•

•Discuss why Netflix are funding Long form TV dramas identify three reasons

1.-------

2.-------

3.-------

https://prezi.com/nlwjpzmdbo34/house-of-cards-critical-analysis/

House of Cards Revision- 10/05/2019 TECHNOLOGY

Influence of technological change in the House of Cards

Long form tv drama- a show that runs in series over years
features:
intense beginning to grip the audience
cliffhangers to maintain interest and attention
dialogue led

Budget for HOC:
It has been recorded that it costs about $60million per HOC season.
The show, which is set to enter its fifth season, reportedly started at $4.5 million an episode and has gone up in cost since then. As you can probably guess, a large chunk of that money goes toward paying the salaries of its A-list cast, which includes Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. 

Technological context
Streaming is available due to the fast 4G networks and therefore it is available on the streaming services such as Netflix.

•CGI allowing visual effects even within TV budgets

•Drones allowing ariel photography (ref. opening sequence of HOC and Washington)

•Developments in Streaming e.g. 5G (generation) fibre optic technology which has enabled digital streaming service providers such as Netflix and Amazon to provide TV viewing.

This means that the way we consume TV has radically changed  as a result of high speed broadband connections.

–Consumers can view programmes outside of a TV schedule

–Programmes can be watched as a complete series (binge watching)

–Programmes can be watched on phones and tablets 

Cultural context

Tv can now be watched independently, in different rooms due to technological change as now everyone has the streaming services available and owns either an tablet (ipad) or laptops or a phone at least.  (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime)

House of Cards- Digital Cameras

•House of Cards was shot entirely in digital using “Red Epic” cameras.

•Production, editing and distribution are lower for digital enabling high  end outcomes at a lower price.

•The quality of output enables images to be created at a high resolution suited to large screen format  HD and 4K televisions.

Netflix

•In just a decade, Netflix has grown from a video service with seven million U.S. subscribers to one that reaches 93 million people worldwide.

•When Netflix first launched in the late 1990s, it distributed DVDs – mainly films – by mail.

•during the early 2000s, advances in compression technology – coupled with more homes gaining access to high-speed internet services – allowed large video files to be easily streamed over the internet.

•video streaming services such as Netflix deliver programming “on demand” via the internet, viewers can choose what and when to watch instead of watching “what’s on.”

•Subscription TV therefore offers significant benefits to terrestial TV.

•Netflix has developed its global market with a presence in 190 countries.

•Its popularity is achieved by providing high production content in several TV serial genres.  This includes complicated serial dramas (“House of Cards”), action series (“Daredevil”), horror series (“Hemlock Grove”). 

Globalisation 

People living in other countries are able to watch long form tv dramas that originate from different countries. The streaming services allow people to watch long form tv dramas no matter where they are located around the world. 

How Long form dramas came into being.

Digital (streaming)

•Netflix  - In just a decade, Netflix has grown from a video service with seven million U.S. subscribers to one that reaches 93 million people worldwide.

•The company's now worth about $60 billion

•2016, Netflix spent $5 billion on original programming.

•The income from subscribers has allowed them to commission highly rated long form TV dramas such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

•2017 sales rose to $2.48 billion. With a global presence in 190 countries.

$3.8million per episode for the HOC. 

$60 million per season for the HOC.

Around 15 episodes in a season for the HOC. 

Mock- feedback

https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/428806-the-jungle-book-1967-and-2016-teacher-guide.pdf

Theoretical framework- language, industry, audience, representation

Theories of representation- Hall
Theories of identity- Gaunlett
Power and media industries- Curron and Seaton

Curran and Seaton

Newspapers should reflect the views of the audience otherwise it will go out of business. Press can be used as a propaganda tool.

Telegraph- Barcley Brothers

Hall

Gaunlett

Van Zoonen

Feminist theory

objectification of women`s body- Zoe in House of Cards

obecification is as a result of male dominated society (patriarchy)

gender is constructed through discourse and the meaning vaires accroding to cultural and historical context

bell hooks

Source B shows how women are oppressed, and portrays the patriarchal oppression and the ideology of domination.

Advocates the other factors such as race and class as well as sex, determine the extent to which individuals are exploited, discriminated against and oppressed. 

Cultivation Theory- Gerbner

Examines the long-term effects of television. "The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality aligns with reality portrayed on television. Develop a `mean world syndrome`

Apply to the Source B - Daily Mail.

Hall- Reception Theory 

3 types of readings

Preferred reading

Negotiated reading

Oppositional reading

Levi-Strauss

Binary opposites 

Good vs Evil

Source B- women are viewed in a negative light and are criticised by the men as they`re ungrateful, therefore male are dominant and viewed in the positive light

Shirky`s

End of audience theory

Audiences like to `speak back` to producers of media

Development of technlogy

People are now more active and interact much more, therefore technology is important.

The websites and digital verisons of the newspapers have benefited the society as everybody prefers digital versions now rather than the physical versions, therefore they cannot loose their audiences.

Alvarado`s racial stereotypes theory

Pitied

Humorous

Dangerous- ethnic groups can be seen as dangerous through their behaviour or the stereotypes held upon them. 

Exotic

Link to Question 2- Michael Jackson- Billie Jean video

Question 1

How the economic contexts have influenced the film production, in the terms of the technology used in the Jungle Book.

- Green screen

- Blue screen

- Motion capture

- Realism

- Animals were created digitally post-production and the one actor in the film

- Previsualisation 

- Mapping against the virtual sets

- CGI

Economic

- 175m to produce the Jungle Book

- 

Question 2

- Stereotypes and counter stereotypes

- MTV- first break through act

- Alvarado`s theory

dangerous 

Question 3

Social

- global warming represented through the big earth

`what`s the worse that can happen` represents that he does not agree with global warming happening and therefore considers this ``issue`` as irrelevant and not needed to be dealt with

Cultural

- He does not take seriously the issues that are going on in America

Political

- decisions he is taking are not right and the person that has backed his luggage is representing that other politicians do no want to work with him and are running away

Other representations

- the caricature of his head presents him in a informal way so the audience will not see him as serious

- caricature makes him look `big-headed` which can also link to the idea that Trump never listens to anyone except himself and only takes decisions himself without the advices of other politicians.

Question 4 

Media representations

Claire Underwood

- counter stereotype as she is an independent business women and does not rely on her husband

- she does not use her sexuality to help her, unlike Zoe Barnes does with Francis Underwood

- Claire challenges the patriarchal oppression of women suggested in bell hooks and Van Zoonen`s theory as is not oppressed by her husband and can actually be seen as controlling Francis as in the beginning of Episode 1  she gets angry at him for not telling her the situation he was in therefore implying that she usually knows what is going on with him and also informs him with what to do and what decisions to take. 

Francis Underwood

Zoe Barnes

- Feminism and the theories of bell hooks and Van Zoonen

- Uses her sexuality to seduce Francis and help her to succeed

- Contrast between the 2 main female characters, Claire and Zoe

- Zoe conforms to the Van Zoonen objectification theory, whereas Claire Underwood challenges it

Media Language

Colours used in the mise en scene are unsaturated, representing a dull atmosphere therefore conforming to the codes and conventions of a political thriller, as political thriller mostly portray negative issues that are currently going on linked to politics. 

Theories to use
- equillibrium theory
- Neals repetition and difference theory
- Barthes enigma code 
- Levi Strauss binary opposites 
Claire vs Zoe
Claire is seen as doing the correct thing to achieve success, whereas Zoe isn`t as she uses her sexuality to succeed, which is inappropriate and not the correct way to success.

Quesiton 5 

Differences between the Telegraph and the Daily Mail

Telegraph- right wing, broadsheet, fact lead

Daily Mail- right wing, opinion based

Source C- conforms to Van Zoonen`s theory and bell hooks as it shows a male domination as the images of the earners are male dominated and only portray one woman. Furthermore, she is not seen with any clothes therefore she is using objectivity to be a high earner and be on the newspaper front page.

Quesiton 6

The facebook page of the Daily Mirrirneficial and links to Shirky`s theory as the audience nowadays are seen as more active and interacting in the virtual world and the digital pages

The Guardian - Left 
The Independent - Left 
The Observer - Centre Left 
The Times - (Mixed)
The Telegraph - Right
The Morning Star - Left 

Mirror - Left 
Express - Right 
Mail - Right 

Sun - Right 
Star - Right 

Right- conservative and UKIP

Evolve or die- technology is important and link to Shirky`s theory as the audience evolves and prefers digital versions of the newspapers
Both the Daily Mail and Telegraph have that. 

Daily Mirror demographics 

As the audiences are no longer passive the audience prefer and want to talk back therefore digital versions and facebook pages allows the interaciton that is wanted by the audience- Shirky`s theory

Printed version of DM

Adults- 1,142,000
15-34= 182,000
35+ = 957,000

Mobile version of DM

Adults- 2,286,000
15-34 = 795,000
35+ = 1,466,000

These demographics of the Daily Mirror shows that among all ages the mobile version of the Daily Mirror is highly preferred. 

Daily Mirror- facebook page
content
more soft news and celebrities used in their news