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BLACK MIRROR MEDIA LANGUAGE - Coggle Diagram
BLACK MIRROR MEDIA LANGUAGE
CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA PRODUCTS, PROCESS THROUGH WHIHC MEDIA LANGAUGE DEVELOPS A GENRE
BLACK MIRROR is an anthology show, where each episode has a different cast, setting and cast
this means the show can be watched in any order, with each episode a standalone narrative
SAN JUNIPERO could be classed as a sci-fi romance, but also as a 'period' piece as much of the action takes place in the 1980s and 90s with appropriately detailed production design and music
it also has elements of 1980s teen movies like 'Pretty in Pink
many older audiences would not only enjoy the plot, but also nostalgia for the different time periods
-SJ has a notably more emotional and optimistic tone compared to the previous two series of BM, a deliberate decision by Brooker to counter criticism that the show had become 'Americanised' after its move to Netflix
the focus on the same-sex couple could also put the episode in the LGBTQ+ 'coming of age' genre such as
'moonlight'
or
'blue is the warmest colour'
critics praised the episode for avoiding the tragic ending that is conventional for same-sex romance narratives
SOME OF THE 'SPECULATIVE' FICTION CONVENTIONS THAT BM USES ARE:
the
protagonists
are ordinary people trying to negotiate the impact of technology on their lives in the near future
this differs from 'hard' sci-fi like
'star wars'
or
Star Trek'
franchises that feature traditional heroes, spaceships, aliens etc
in most episodes there is no clear
antagonist
- usually it is the technology itself that produces conflict with the main characters
the majority of the episodes follow the conventions of
dystopian fiction
- the extrapolation of something recognisable from our contemporary media
the narrative in dystopian fiction usually has an unhappy ending - San Junipero is unusual for Black Mirror in that it shows the more helpful (though problematic) aspects to virtual reality technology and ends on an optimistic
BM has been applauded by critics for re-introducing the anthology format
successful shows that have also adopted this structure are American horror Story and Solos
THE PROCESS WHICH MEANINGS ARE ESTABLISHED THROUGH INTERTEXTUALITY
the 1980s and 90s settings for SJ contain a wealth of intertextual references to American culture from the period
Kelly's costume in the 2987 segment was specifically inspired by 'Control' - era Janet Jackson
the music used in the nightclub 'Tuckers' evokes the historical period, but also underscores the central romance and the main concept of existing in a computer in a generated virtual reality
the different movies that are playing the SJ cinema are also period specific, but also link to the themes of the narrative
e.g.
the lost boys
whose tagline is 'sleep all day. party all night, never grow up. never grow old'!
shots of other 'vintage' technology like Pac-Man and Top Speed arcade games and different models of TV sets also help to establish a sense of time and place but also offer suggestions that perhaps this environments is an escape from the 'real' world
NARRATOLOGY - TODOROV
equilibrium
- first scene shows Yorkie going to the nightclub, yet the 'twist' is that this is an articial virtual reality, and the 'normal life' of the character is lying in a hospital, paralysed after a car accident
the equilibrium could also be the 'reveal'
disruption
- for the characters, this is their meeting in the first scene followed by 'losing' each other in different time periods
however, for the audience, the disruption could be the revelation that San Junipero is not a real place at all
there are enigma codes associated with each of the episode's genre ingredients - e.g. the 'will- they-wont-they' narrative of a conventional romance and the questions raised by the apparent time-travelling element from sci-fi and how it is possible
COMBINATION OF ELEMENTS OF MEDIA LANGUAGE INFLUENCING MEANING
VISUAL CODES:
codes of clothing:
compare the costumes worn by York and Kelly in the different time periods
York's costume coveys her awkwardness and lack of confidence, Kelly's does opposite
gesture and expression
- despite being science fiction, the initial flirting and evolving relationship are played naturalistically, and with an authenticity that has been praised by LGBTQ+ audiences
iconography and setting
- sets, props, costumes and music evoke the historical periods featured in the virtual environment
these challenge our expectations of a science fiction show
TECHNICAL CODES: AUDIO CODES
DIALOGUE
an authentic and compelling tone to the dialogue between York and Kelly that is both flirtatious and wary
when the 'real world' is revealed, there is a notable absence of 'tech-heavy' terminology that would be usual for the science fiction genre - this keeps the emphasis on the emotional core of the narrative
MUSIC
the music used in each time period has two functions:
to establish the period setting (from 1987 to 2002)
but to also underscore the emotional and thematic content
HOW GENRE CONVENTIONS ARE SOCIALLY AND HISTORICALLY RELATIVE, DYNAMIC AND CAN BE USED IN A HYBRID WAY
the same-sex romance reflects the changes to social Normas that have taken place in the late 20th and 21st centuries
the romance has a happy ending - a departure from films and Tv featuring LGBTQ+ characters, where often the characters are 'punished' for their sexuality with a tragic finale
GENRE - STEVE NEALE
says that though both genres may be seen as being limited by familiar tropes, they are also marked by difference, variation and change
sci-fi and romance have a recognisable array of conventions that produce audience pleasures
from narrative ingredients like the use of advanced technology and virtual reality (sci-fi genre) to the 'feel good' response created by watching two characters fall in love despite significant obstacles (romance)
however, Neale would say they also need to display something original to set them apart from other examples
evolution is essential to sustain a genre and SJ does this by introducing elements that could be seen as nostalgic (associated with period dramas set in a recent history) and making the romance a same-sex love affair - distinguishing it from other heteronormative sci-fi love stories