Postmodernity song

Modernism Vs Postmodernism

https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/engl_258/Lecture%20Notes/modernism_vs_postmodernism.htm

Essay Plan - both case studies

Postmodernism is all about the different perspectives of what is actually modern. It tests what most of society thinks is actually modern and refines it, therefore the definition of postmodernism always changes and cannot be a fixed definition.  On the other hand, modernism is all about modifying traditional beliefs in accordance with modern ideas. The two case studies that I will be writing about are Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora (music video), and the Blade Runner franchise (film).

Below shows a list of postmodern features:

·         Irony - the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning.

·         Hyperreality -

·         Intertextuality - the relationship between texts, especially literary ones.

·         Black humour - leaves you answering more questions.

·         Pastiche - pasting together and commenting on things of the past.

·         Magic realism - exaggeration.

·         Different perspectives - excusing all values of judgement.

·         Bricolage - construction or creation from a diverse range of available things.

·         Cultural flattening - weakening and devaluation of cultural identities, symbols, icons, and traditions.

·         Knowingness - cynicism (people are motivated for self interest)

·         Hybridisation - swap purity for new combos of genres, styles and media.

·         Eclecticism - Drawing upon multiple theories/ideas to gain complementary insight.

The first case study is a music video. I have chosen to look into Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora. The video was produced by Tim Blacksmith and was released on the 8th of July 2014.

Black widow is a postmodern music video which is based around the film Kill Bill, (director: Quentin Tarantino, released on 17th October 2003). In addition, we also see intertextual references between the film Pulp Fiction, which was also directed by Quentin Tarantino, (released on the 21st October 1994). You can see that Blacksmith was aiming for.... (what type of vibe does Tarantino give off).

In the beginning scenes we see a two shot of Rita Ora and her boyfriend Michael Madsen’s sitting down in a diner. Madsen is shown as a stereotypical male taking authority over women. We know this as he raises his voice and speaks over both the waitress (Iggy azalea) and Rita Ora who plays Madsen’s girlfriend.  There is an intertextual reference between the two shot and pulp fiction. Within that film you also see a two shot of two men eating in a diner. This is very similar to the shot in the music video. You can clearly see a link between Quentin Tarantino films and the black widow music video.

When the music starts to kick in we are instantly shown another intertextual reference to the title of the song. This is shown as a close up of a samurai sword with the words ‘black widow’ engraved on it. Following that we then see another two shot of Iggy and Rita. By comparing this mid-two shot to the film poster for Kill Bill you can see multiple similarities. Both characters wear the same jumpsuits, as well as having a samurai sword as blonde hair. Just from comparing the two shots you can easily tell that their inspiration was Kill Bill.

In the first minute and a half of the music video Iggy azalea plays a waitress ad Rita Ora plays Michael Madsen’s girlfriend. Comparing this to the second part of the music video you can see that they play completely different characters. This is known as hyperreality as the characters are playing more that role. This is commonly used in postmodern music videos as it helps to tell the audience that what they are watching is not real. To help further emphasise that it is not real Blacksmith uses special effects to help give a bright futuristic vibe. In addition, the same concept is used in Lady Gage’s music video, telephone. As both Lady Gaga and Beyoncé have multiple character roles. The use of unusual costumes and typical movie conventions help make this postmodern music video.

The next feature s cultural flattening. This is the weakening and devaluation of cultural identities, symbols, icons and traditions. At the start of the music video we know that Michael Madsen is shown as a stereotypical male who takes authority over Rita Ora. This change when Rita plays another character. Both Iggy and Rita are portrayed as powerful female lead roles, which go against the stereotypical/Hegemonic norm of a female character. Furthermore, we are shown a negative representation of Madsen, which leads both female roles to want revenge on his character. The music video is a revenge narrative.

In conclusion, the black widow music video is portrayed as postmodern. This is shown through postmodern features such as intertextuality, hyperreality, and cultural flattening. We are show links between both Quentin tarnation films as well other postmodern music videos such as: Lady Gaga telephone. 

My second case study is the Blade Runner franchise. Blade runner is known as one of the most postmodern films, taking inspiration from Philip K. Dicks novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’ which is about the character Ric Deckard. The original was released on the 25^th of June 1982, while 2049 was released on the 3^rd of October 2017. Ridley Scott (who directed the original), had not taken part in the directing of 2049. We see Denis Villeneuve taking his place.

Blade runner 2049 is set in an overcrowded dystopian city which has a noticeable postmodern aesthetic; the rich escape to the off worlds while the poor are stuck poverty. One of the key themes in the films is the ‘blurring’ of differences between the real and artificial, between replicants and humans. It in increasingly no longer possible to be clear about what it means to be human. Replicants have implanted memories which have been experienced by other real humans. These memories are so real that it is almost impossible to tell real from fake. This highlights the realism which is given to the replicants.

Blade Runner’s postmodern aesthetic mixes textual references and images. The film noir voiceover of the original release is juxtaposed with the futuristic, dystopian images, but at the same time the shadows and constant rain fit in with the film noir style.

We are shown an intertextual reference between the film and Philip K. Dicks novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The whole idea for the film originated from this novel. A question which is brought up in the book is whether these replicants have evolved into something more than just circuitry and wires. This question is answered in 2049 as Rachael and Rick Deckard had a child. This information had to be kept quiet to help prevent a war between the humans and replicants.

Furthermore, Baudrillard’s theory links in closely with the Blade Runner films. Baudrillard came up with the idea that you could create a simulation so powerful that anyone who came in contact would think it was reality. In the film replicants are given fake memories, which enables them to believe that the simulation they are in is reality. Them being in this simulation makes them act human, and this was a way to keep the peace between replicants and humans. This idea is the basis of the first film, but has a deeper meaning in 2049.

Another theorist who links closely with Blade Runner is Rene Descartes. He is the one who came up with the dream argument. This argument is when you are unable to differentiate between the dream world and real life. He says that there are no definite signs to distinguish dream experience from waking experience. Descartes questions whether we are really in reality.

Histheory links to blade runner 2049. From the start of the film we know that K, who is played by Ryan Gosling, is in fact replicant. It is only further on in the film whether he starts to question his own memories. We find out that he could possibly be the child of Rachael (a replicant) and Rick Deckard. These specific memories take him back to his childhood when he was bullied. They start to mess with K’s mind as he tries to distinguish whether they are real. We later find out in the film that he was not the child and that these memories were not his own.

In my opinion, the Blade Runner franchise are portrayed as postmodern films, through the use of intertextuality, hyperreality, and pastiche. Both Baudrillard and Descartes has set a foundation for the film as well as the novel ‘Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep’ by Philip K. Dick.  

Blade Runner essay plan

I have decided to research the Blade Runner franchise. Blade runner is known as one of the most postmodern films, taking inspiration from Philip K. Dicks novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’ which is about the character Ric Deckard. The original was released on the 25^th of June 1982, while 2049 was released on the 3^rd of October 2017. Ridley Scott (who directed the original), had not taken part in the directing of 2049. We see Denis Villeneuve taking his place.

Blade runner 2049 is set in an overcrowded dystopian city which has a noticeable postmodern aesthetic; the rich escape to the off worlds while the poor are stuck poverty. One of the key themes in the films is the ‘blurring’ of differences between the real and artificial, between replicants and humans. It in increasingly no longer possible to be clear about what it means to be human. Replicants have implanted memories which have been experienced by other real humans. These memories are so real that it is almost impossible to tell real from fake. This highlights the realism which is given to the replicants.

Blade Runner’s postmodern aesthetic mixes textual references and images. The film noir voiceover of the original release is juxtaposed with the futuristic, dystopian images, but at the same time the shadows and constant rain fit in with the film noir style.

We are shown an intertextual reference between the film and Philip K. Dicks novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The whole idea for the film originated from this novel. A question which is brought up in the book is whether these replicants have evolved into something more than just circuitry and wires. This question is answered in 2049 as Rachael and Rick Deckard had a child. This information had to be kept quiet to help prevent a war between the humans and replicants.

Furthermore, Baudrillard’s theory links in closely with the Blade Runner films. Baudrillard came up with the idea that you could create a simulation so powerful that anyone who came in contact would think it was reality. In the film replicants are given fake memories, which enables them to believe that the simulation they are in is reality. Them being in this simulation makes them act human, and this was a way to keep the peace between replicants and humans. This idea is the basis of the first film, but has a deeper meaning in 2049.

Another theorist who links closely with Blade Runner is Rene Descartes. He is the one who came up with the dream argument. This argument is when you are unable to differentiate between the dream world and real life. He says that there are no definite signs to distinguish dream experience from waking experience. Descartes questions whether we are in reality.

His theory links to blade runner 2049. From the start of the film we know that K, who is played by Ryan Gosling, is in fact replicant. It is only further on in the film whether he starts to question his own memories. We find out that he could possibly be the child of Rachael (a replicant) and Rick Deckard. These specific memories take him back to his childhood when he was bullied. They start to mess with K’s mind as he tries to distinguish whether they are real. We later find out in the film that he was not the child and that these memories were not his own.

In my opinion, the Blade Runner franchise are portrayed as postmodern films, through the use of intertextuality, hyperreality, and pastiche. Both Baudrillard and Descartes has set a foundation for the film as well as the novel ‘Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep’ by Philip K. Dick.  

Blade Runner 2049 Presentation

blade runner presentation

Blade runner presentation

Postmodern film

Blade runner

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner might be the best known postmodernist film. Ridley Scott's 1982 film is about a future dystopia where "replicants" (human cyborgs) have been invented and are deemed dangerous enough to hunt down when they escape. There is tremendous effacement of boundaries between genres and cultures and styles that are generally more separate along with the fusion of disparate styles and times that is a common trope in postmodernist cinema. "The futuristic set and action mingle with drab 1940s clothes and offices, punk rock hairstyles, pop Egyptian style and oriental culture. The population is singularly multicultural and the language they speak is agglomeration of English, Japanese, German and Spanish. The film alludes to the private eye genre of Raymond Chandler and the characteristics of film noir as well as Biblical motifs and images." Here is a demonstration of the mixing of cultures and boundaries and styles of art. The film is playing with time (the various types of clothes) and culture and genre by mixing them all together to create the world of the film. The fusion of noir and science-fiction is another example of the film deconstructing cinema and genre. This is an embodiment of the postmodern tendency to destroy boundaries and genres into a self-reflexive product. "The postmodern aesthetic of Blade Runner is thus the result of recycling, fusion of levels, discontinuous signifiers, explosion of boundaries, and erosion. The disconnected temporality of the replicants and the pastiche of the city are all an effect of a postmodern, postindustrial condition: wearing out, waste.

Blade Runner 2049 has been met with rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, sparking a stream of interest in the original cult film as well as its sequel. In Postmodern Theory and Blade 
Runner Matthew Flisfeder introduces readers to key concepts in postmodern theory and demonstrates how it can be used for a critical interpretation and analysis of Blade Runner, arguably 'the greatest science fiction film'. By contextualizing the film within the culture of late 20th and early 21st-century capitalism, Flisfeder provides a valuable guide for both students and scholars interested in learning more about one of the most significant, influential, and controversial concepts in film and cultural studies of the past 40 years.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin tarantino's Pulp Fiction is another example of a postmodernist film. The film tells the interweaving stories of gangsters, a boxer, and robbers. The film breaks down chronological time and demonstrates a particular fascination with intertextuality: bringing in texts from both traditionally "high" and "low" realms of art.This foregrounding of media places the self as "a loose, transitory combination of media consumption choices." Pulp Fiction fractures time (by the use of asynchronous time lines) and by using styles of prior decades and combining them together in the movie. By focusing on intertextuality and the subjectivity of time, Pulp Fiction demonstrates the postmodern obsession with signs and subjective perspective as the exclusive location of anything resembling meaning.

Postmodern music video essay

The music video that I am looking into is Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora. The video was produced by Tim Blacksmith and was released on the 8th of July 2014.

Black widow is a postmodern music video which is based around the film Kill Bill, (director: Quentin Tarantino, released on 17th October 2003). In addition, we also see intertextual references between the film Pulp Fiction, which was also directed by Quentin Tarantino, (released on the 21st October 1994). You can see that Blacksmith was aiming for.... (what type of vibe does Tarantino give off).

Postmodernism is all about the different perspectives of what is actually modern. It tests what the majority of society thinks is actually modern and refines it, therefore the definition of postmodernism always changes and cannot be a fixed definition. 

In the beginning scenes we see a two shot of Rita Ora and her boyfriend Michael Madsen’s sitting down in a diner. Madsen is shown as a stereotypical male taking authority over women. We know this as he raises his voice and speaks over both the waitress (Iggy azalea) and Rita Ora who plays Madsen’s girlfriend.  There is an intertextual reference between the two shot and pulp fiction. Within that film you also see a two shot of two men eating in a diner. This is very similar to the shot in the music video. You can clearly see a link between Quentin Tarantino films and the black widow music video.

When the music starts to kick in we are instantly shown another intertextual reference to the title of the song. This is shown as a close up of a samurai sword with the words ‘black widow’ engraved on it. Following that we then see another two shot of Iggy and Rita. By comparing this mid-two shot to the film poster for Kill Bill you can see multiple similarities. Both characters wear the same jumpsuits, as well as having a samurai sword as blonde hair. Just from comparing the two shots you can easily tell that their inspiration was Kill Bill.

In the first minute and a half of the music video Iggy azalea plays a waitress ad Rita Ora plays Michael Madsen’s girlfriend. Comparing this to the second part of the music video you can see that they play completely different characters. This is known as hyperreality as the characters are playing more that role. This is commonly used in postmodern music videos as it helps to tell the audience that what they are watching is not real. To help further emphasise that it is not real Blacksmith uses special effects to help give a bright futuristic vibe. In addition, the same concept is used in Lady Gage’s music video, telephone. As both Lady Gaga and Beyoncé have multiple character roles. The use of unusual costumes and typical movie conventions help make this postmodern music video.

The next feature s cultural flattening. This is the weakening and devaluation of cultural identities, symbols, icons and traditions. At the start of the music video we know that Michael Madsen is shown as a stereotypical male who takes authority over Rita Ora. This change when Rita plays another character. Both Iggy and Rita are portrayed as powerful female lead roles, which go against the stereotypical/Hegemonic norm of a female character. Furthermore, we are shown a negative representation of Madsen, which leads both female roles to want revenge on his character. The music video is a revenge narrative.

In conclusion, the black widow music video is portrayed as postmodern. This is shown through postmodern features such as intertextuality, hyperreality, and cultural flattening. We are show links between both Quentin tarnation films as well other postmodern music videos such as: Lady Gaga telephone. 

Theory cards

(click the image)

Audience and representation - powerpoint

Audience and representation from isabelle humm

Audience and representation - podcast

(click the link)

postmodern music video

Micro analysis of music video (1) from shaniajay

Postmodern music video

Theories/Theorists

Genre 

John Fiske - Genre as 'convenience' for producers and audiences - this means commercial success in underpinned by the conventions of genre of what audiences expect. 

Robert Stam - There are infinite genres. Stam argues that genre no longer exists and we do not have to analyse text in terms of genre. 

John Hartley - Genre is interpreted culturally, e.g. Coronation street/Easterners could only be understood in terms of the conventions of UK soap operas, and American television dramas tend to have a slightly different set of conventions to British television dramas.

Daniel Chandler - Genre is too restricting and presents audiences and producers with a creative 'straitjacket'.

Narrative

Goodwin - useful for analysing music video: through beats, narrative and performance, the star image, relation of visuals to the song and the technical aspects (composition) of a music video.

Propp - 8 character roles: only applies to mainstream texts e.g. blockbuster films or Disney films where characters often pertain to stereotype. Sometimes, however you can apply propp to running news stories by analysing a hero, villain, false hero, princess (prize), her father, doner, dispatcher, helper.

Roland Barthes - 5 narrative codes: Cultural, semantic, symbolic, hermeneutic, proairetic. 

Levi-Strauss - Texts are often understood by the way things are placed in binary opposites to each other.

Representation

Tessa Perkins - Stereotyping has elements of truth and are based on repeated representation, both in society and within media. 

Baudrillard - Representations are hyper real, often copies of copies and have lost meaning as a result.

Carol Clover -last girl theory: useful if analysing representation in horror films but mainly the sub genre of slasher horror.

Taijfel and Turner - Inter-group discrimination, useful for studying identities and the media and the idea of a collective.

Audience

Jeremy Tunstall - Audiences can be identified as primary, secondary or tertiary also the site or conditions of reception e.g. consuming media as a collective group of individually.

David Gauntlett - Producer as consumer (prosumer): thanks to digital media, many consumers of media as also producers e.g. YouTube as cultural phenomenon.

• Adorno – Passive consumption/Hypodermic model (Frankfurt School): old fashioned but still relevant – vulnerable audiences will always be passively affected by media texts.

Postmodernism features

Postmodern factors that feature in music videos:

Irony - the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning.
Playing with conventions -
Intertextuality - the relationship between texts, especially literary ones.
Black humour - leaves you answering more questions.
Pastiche - pasting together and commenting on things of the past.
Magic realism - exaggeration.
Different perspectives - excusing all values of judgement.
Bricolage - construction or creation from a diverse range of available things.
Cultural flattening - weakening and devaluation of cultural identities, symbols, icons, and traditions.
Knowingness - cynicism (people are motivated for self interest)
Hybridisation - swap purity for new combos of genres, styles and media.
Eclecticism - Drawing upon multiple theories/ideas to gain complementary insight.

AS Magazine

Digital Technology

There are different pieces of digital technology that enabled me to make my magazine. These include:

• Canon DSLR 5 50D
• In-Design
• Photoshop
• Issuu
• Internet

- The Canon DSLR was used to take my photos during the photo-shoot. This was the only time that I had to use this camera as i only did one photo-shoot.

- I used In-Design for the actual making of my magazine. This software enabled me to create my magazine from scratch. using this software I could chose from a range of fonts, colours, and I could also insert images. the fonts could be made huge or very small. An example of this is when the title of the magazine 'ambient' is big compared to the small page numbers in the bottom corners of each page. 

- Photoshop was used to help alter my images from the photo-shoot. I did not do any major alterations as I don't think my images needed it. All I did was alter the brightness, and the contrast.

- The next piece of digital technology that I used from Issuu. This is an online website that enabled me to upload my magazine and embed it into different applications such as blogger. They have a very simple way of getting it from the website to the social networking site you want it on. You will upload the magazine onto Issuu, and you can then choose to share, or embed the magazine. For either one you are given a different code which enables you to show your magazine on different social networking sites.   

Creativity

I used a range of technology to help me get inspiration on what different creative aspects and features I could include. During my photo-shoot I used props, makeup, costumes to help make my photos unique. I only used three props, which were two chairs, (one which was slightly vintage to help with my indie theme), and one electric guitar.

Research + planning 

Research
-For my research I used the internet to look up previous music magazines so i could get some inspiration. From this I could see what type of images I could take, the layout out of my music magazines, and also what type of colour scheme fits my indie theme. The colour scheme that I ended up with was red, white and black. Research is key if you want to make a good music magazine.

Planning 
-For planning I created mood boards, design ideas for the layout of my magazine, masthead designs, and name ideas etc. On the mood boards I collected images of different band names, concerts, and any other images that relate to indie music. For my magazine I ended up with the masthead: ambient, and used a very simplistic font: Eras Demi ITC. Planning all this out means that when it came to putting my magazine together, it would be a quick and easy process as I would know exactly what to do. 

Post-production

Post production is the making of my magazine. For this I used Adobe In-Design. This program enabled me to use different fonts, colour schemes, text sizes, insert my own images and many more. I was able to make this magazine as unique as possible, because I had access to multiple different icons. I used a red, white, and black colour scheme as I think these colours bested linked to indie music. For example if you saw the colour pink I would associate that colour with pop music.

Using media conventions in real world texts

I used a range of music magazines for inspiration. At the start I looked at a whole range of music magazine with different genres, these included Billboard, Vibe, Q, Kerrang, Rolling Stone and NME. Then once I knew which genre I wanted to do I looked further into Q, Rolling Stone, and NME. From looking at these I could see what styles of font to use, how big the font was, and also their overall style as a magazine. I was able to understand what their target audiences are interested in. This target audience varied from 16 years of age to 50.     

Postmodernism Definition - Concepts 1A 1B

1A - 25%

Digital Technology -  The technology that I used in the making of my music magazine.
Creativity - The creative aspects in my music magazine: within the photoshoot I used props/makeup.
Research+Planning - All the research and planning that had to take place before making my music magazine.
Post-production - This is the making process of my magazine: all the steps I had to take to make the music magazine.
Media Conventions -  Looking at different music magazines for inspiration, and getting and good understanding of the layout and content.

1B - 25%

Audience - who's the target audience, audience theories - mode of address, audience profile.
Narrative - what is the story of the video.
Genre - what type of music is it - pop, indie, rock.
Media language - Camera shots, mise-en-scene, sound, editing.
Representation - How specific people are shown through gender, race, age, class and status etc. Will either be shown as stereotypical or non-stereotypical.

Coursework - 50%

OCR Specification

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/81037-specification.pdf