Representations within the HOC

•Consider the representations within the HOC and write 2 separate paragraphs

–Discussing how politicians are perceived by the wider public.

–Identify examples in contemporary politics which support  you view

•Use the following reference materials in formulating an answer

https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_in_the_usa_the_difference_a_year_makes

http://fortune.com/2017/05/30/house-of-cards-season-5-donald-trump/

Politicians are genrally percieved by the general (american) public to be corrupt and lying just to get into power. 44% of american people think that most or all of the people in the whitehouse are corrupt (2017), which is up 8% from the year before. There seems to be a racial divide in those who believe the police are corrupt with 31% of african americans thinking they are corrupt against 2-% of everyone surveyed, this could be because of how certain groups are treated by the government.  

HoC Textual analysis essay

House of cards is a political drama set in modern times which has run from 2013. House of cards conforms to the media conventions of being a drama by using suspense, low key lighting, and being emotional or making the audience feel strong emotions. It conforms to being a political drama by including corruption. It subverts from being a drama as it is not very fast paced. I think the text is a political drama/thriller as there really aren't any other elements about it that would make it fall into a different genre or subgenre. It has some aspects that may link to genres like horror, but these aspects are also linked with dramas.

The government and the media (politicians vs press) has quite a large presence in house of cards as the show revolves around the American government and presidency. The show has several different narratives within the first episode, Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, Peter Russo and Zoe Barnes. Frank and Zoe represent politicians and the press as Frank is a congressman and Zoe works for the government-centered newspaper, the Washington herald. We watch the show through Franks perspective as he is the main character and anti-hero.

Frank underwoods character is shown to be ruthless within the first five minutes of the first episode of house of cards, this is shown by him strangling a dog to death without showing emotion after it has been hit by a car, "The sort of pain that makes you strong, or useless pain. The sort of pain that's only suffering. I have no patience for useless things." Frank is power-hungry and strives to get more and more power by pulling those in front of him down, "Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn't see the difference." Before the series, Frank is promised the position of secretary of state by president-elect Garrett Walker, if he becomes president, but when Walker did eventually get the position he decided to elect senator Michael kern instead. This makes Frank hungry for revenge against the president, which he will stop at nothing to get. 

Claire Underwoods character is Franks team member in the revenge plot, as she is shown as equal to him and she is also power-hungry, as she was promised money for her charity, but only if Frank had gotten the job as secretary of state. Claire is shown as ruthless and selfish as she has no regard for any other persons feelings but her own and her husbands., this is shown when she fires over half of her staff at her charity even if those have been very loyal employees. She is also shown as controlling and manipulative over Frank, this is seen when Frank didn't get the position and she gets angry at Frank for not trying hard enough. “you're better than this Francis” and “my husband doesn’t apologize, even to me”. 

Zoe Barnes character is shown as naive at the start of the first episode but develops through that episode to become a headstrong character who doesn't mind working in a legal grey area with Frank to help him overthrow walker, "We're in a very gray area. Ethically, legally. Which I'm okay with...". She works hard to prove to her boss that she can be a good and experienced reporter, and better than anyone else. The show often shows close-ups of her face shrouded in shadows (low key lighting) which show her dark intentions of helping Frank.

Peter Russo is shown as a weak person who relies on drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes. This makes it easy for Frank and his team to control him into doing what they want. Using the fact that he was arrested for drink driving to blackmail him into joining them. He is often shown in high key lighting when he is off of drugs/not being controlled by Frank, but low key lighting when he is using drugs or working for Frank. House of Cards shows the viewer that Russo is supposed to be a weak man by making him more emotional than other characters, such as letting his character show remorse throughout the episode.

In house of cards there is a mix of natural and unnatural blue and grey light, both of these usually are low-key lighting to reflect the shady actions of the characters. The camera is mostly still or sometimes moves very slowly mimicking the slow pace of the show or being at a standstill in the government.

3.0 specific elements of media language used to create meaning 

https://prezi.com/nlwjpzmdbo34/house-of-cards-critical-analysis/http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/house-of-cards-cinematographer-martin-ahlgren-painting-with-light/61722
https://prezi.com/nlwjpzmdbo34/house-of-cards-critical-analysis/

2.0 how audiences consume and interpret long from television dramas

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

• time used to go by slowly because you could only watch one or two episodes a week, but now as you can watch an entire show within a week the time goes by faster "That was time-shifting by hours or days. Now, thanks to DVD rentals and internet streaming, I time-shift by seasons, even years, and the commercials don't enter the picture at all."
• binge watching is typical to any younger person through streaming services such as netflix "I do catch up with other programs, often long after they've premiered, and typically, by "binge watching" – viewing many episodes in one sitting"
• Producers spread out episodes to keep a steady stream of funding and time to produce. Wheras the audience would prefer wagtching it all in one sitting. "The notion that we need to ruminate on our TV shows for a week before watching the next episode is much more about what programmers need than what the audiences want." "We are deliberately refusing to participate in the initial run of their shows, where they and their host networks make big profits from advertising."
• Netflix needs to keep its website and content updated to stop its audience from getting bored with things they either have seen or don't enjoy and leaving the platform and using a different service.
• It fits in with many peoples schedules as you can watch it whenever you can rather than trying to time other activities around it. 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/21/house-of-cards-shakespeare-_n_4823200.html

• Frank’s breaking of the fourth wall parallels “Richard III”
• Frank, like Richard III and sometimes even Iago, is a likable villain
• There are major parallels between Claire Underwood and Lady Macbeth: Claire Underwood, like Lady Macbeth, is as power hungry, if not more so, than her husband. 
• There are major parallels between Claire and Frank Underwood’s marriage and the Macbeth’s marriage: The only people that Claire and Frank seem to care about other than themselves are each other. They really do seem to be in love (in our opinion). They support each other through thick and thin. They are open about their affairs. They calculate and plan together. And they both ultimately have the same goal: power.
• Frank’s unrelenting quest for power is similar to that of Macbeth’s
• Frank is extremely upset because the president decides to pass him over for the role of secretary of state, much like how Iago is angry because Othello passes him over for promotion and instead promotes Cassio.
• Frank Underwood’s solo visit to the church after Peter Russo’s death mimics “Macbeth”
• Claire hinting at an affair between the president and Christina is similar to Iago’s hinting at an affair between Desdemona and Cassio in “Othello”
• Though “Richard III” is technically a historical play (Richard III was a real person, after all), you definitely don’t have to be interested in history to enjoy it. It ends up being more about Richard III as a character than about his evil deeds. The same goes for “House of Cards.”

House of Cards “the influence of technological change””

TASK 2: Set up a new blog post “House of Cards “the influence of technological change”” Record notes on how technology has influenced the production, distribution and exhibition of long form TV drama.

Task 3 read the following link Identify AT LEAST 3 reasons why digital production is cheaper and a more convenient medium http://silverscreenmodes.com/the-end-of-film/ –      Extension task: why are these technological developments suited to developments in TV – HD and 4K Televisions ? Task 4 what is the comparative production costs of a typical UK Soap e.g. Eastenders compared to an episode of House of cards How is this reflected in the production values of the respective dramas?

1.the influence of technological change on the production, marketing and distribution of long form television drama in a global context (including the impacts of digital distribution platforms on the contemporary global television industry)

2.how audiences consume and interpret long form television dramas, including technological factors related to consumption, and media language factors related to genre hybridity, intertextuality and multiple narrative strands

3.the media form specific elements of media language used to create meaning such as camera shots, angles, lighting, settings, locations, editing and sound

4.the values, attitudes and beliefs conveyed by representations and the social and cultural context of these

5.all relevant contexts, for example a consideration of the economic context behind the large budgets currently given to contemporary US long form television dramas.

Production

•Traditionally film was available in reel format.  

•Film Companies such as Pinewood? Disney would commission distributers to get their movies into Theatres

•The logistics of getting film distributed worldwide was expensive however for many years film based media was to be high quality.

•Over time the quality of digital film has improved, resulting in a revolution in how films/video content are produced and distributed.

film vs digital

Movie theaters have been converting to 4k digital projectors for two or three years now, which cost from $60,000 to $150,000. he “films” arrive to them mailed as hard drives in cases, and in the near future will arrive over high-speed downloads. Film print costs about $2000, a digital disk less than $100. Not to mention the difference in shipping costs. A 90 minute movie is usually over 8,000 feet of film. On the shooting end of digital, you no longer have to stop “filming” to reload film magazines, you just keep on shooting.

Terrestial TV

Schedule content was fixed (reliant on analogue (radio wave technology as pre the internet)

Viewing experience was communal (families watched the same/similar content) as content was transmitted via Radio waves.

Dramas developed to encourage regular viewing

Program content with high audience numbers secured revenue via advertising.

Advertising revenue or PSB income (TV license) pays for drama for e.g. a typical Eastenders episode costs £141,000 (HoC is 4.5m)

Digital (streaming)

•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. The convenience of the service disrupted the existing film rental industry and eventually led to its demise.

•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 (what I call “portals”) 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 (originally a US company) provides services to 43% of the US market, it 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”).

•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.

•How is this reflected in the production values of the respective dramas?

HoC is quite a high produced production, $100 million for two 13 episode seasons, using big name actors (kevin spacey) and making a realistic set. While eastenders costs £141,000 per episode, using low level british actors and a low quality, on location set