LO4, Task 5: Ethical, legal and regulatory issues (Notes)

Ethical - representations; gender, age, ethnicity.
Legal - copyright; music, soundtrack, certification; age rating (British Board of Film Classification, Advertising Standards Authority).
Regulatory - bodies, same age certificate around the world?

Active audience - users and gratifications (audience pleasures).
Passive audience - (sit and watch) watch and consume media products (re-enact it).

a) The product's impact and effect on the audience.

Passive + Active

1) Hypodermic syringe (injected with info in media) (Theodore Adorno, 1930's) - media has a negative impact. Mass audience believe everything they say/hear.
Issues about violence? Sexual content? Representation? - What negative effects does this have on the audience (re-enact)!!? Positive impact/role model?

2) We are able to filter and adapt to content in media (David Gauntlet). We have uses and gratifications theory - people use media for their own purposes?


1. Explain what the hypodermic syringe theory (Theodore Adorno 1930) is about.
2. Define what an active audience is.
3. Define what a passive audience is.
4. Give two examples of how your film could have a negative impact on the audience.
5. Give two examples of how your film could have positive impacts on the audience (role model could have one example) - Ideal Self Theory (Carl Rogers 1980).




A passive audience could be influenced by what they see in the media.






b) Relevant issues of representation.

Who is being represented? - All representations are meditated (Hall, 1980).

Is there use of stereotypes/countertypes (Perkins, 1979) - not all stereotypes are false.

Representation of women - are they objectified (Mulvey, 1975). Representations of men (Earp and Katz, 1999) - 'equation of masculinity with pathological control and violence'.

Representation of gay people (Butler, 1993) - are they stereotypical?

Alvarado (1987) - Ethnicity - either seen as... Exotic - clothing, accent. Dangerous - different to the masses, media. Humorous and pitied.

1. What does representation mean? (Stuart Hall 'mediation') (1980).
2. Explain Tessa Perkins (1979) theory about stereotypes.
3. Give examples in your film of one positive and one negative stereotype in your film and the effect on the audience (gender/age/ethnicity).
4. Are there any countertypes in your film (challenges stereotypes).

c) Relevant legal and/or ethical issues.

LEGAL
Copyright Infringement - Use content that you don't have the rights/permission to use. It can be prevented by gaining permission. Consequences of this are you could be sued, a legal prosecution could follow depending on the severity, your project could be shut down or become unusable.

ETHICAL
Offensive material - Racism (how people are represented in the film), sexual content, strong language, violence, drug use. This material could impact a passive audience. Could be inappropriate depending on the age of the audience.

Censorship? (Removing/Re-edited content that isn't appropriate) - Has the film been censored? - Age rating? Sensationalism? - Over the top Special FX to re-create what could happen in the future due to climate change.

1. Define what copyright infringements is.
2. Give 2 examples of things that the film would need to get copyright permission for (e.g. songs, soundtracks - which record label would need to be contacted for permissions)?
3. Is there any offensive material in your film (sex/drugs/violence/language etc.) - link to the BBFC age certificate of your film.

d) Role of relevant regulatory bodies.