October Mojo Magazine

 

The observer's values

   PREP: bullet points that shows your grasp of the observer's values and shown in the online above

-The Online Observer's duty is to convey and display their beliefs- which are more liberal and left-sided

-The Observer displays hard news- this means that it will cover stories on politics, societal problems and climate change; not celebrity gossip.

-The Observer is very diverse;  it is inclusive of different communities and ethnicities. Displaying diversity is a one of the Observer's values and this is shown in the example above. The images show people of all different races.

-The Observer discusses a range of different stories and is unafraid to share the truth with its readers. 

-The Observer contains information that would target a range of ages. In doing this, the Observer can have a more full audience of readers.

-Each news story of the Observer is new and relevant (informative)

-Therefore, I conclude that the online edition does reflect the core beliefs and values of the Observer and its readers because it is diverse and informative. 

Developing Ideas

Fake Articles

1) Just dance 

We all know that any form of physical activity will often include health benefits. So, what are these health benefits and why is it important now more than ever that teenagers try dance? This article will tell you why.

2)  From dinner to winner 

Meet the teens who used their love for a certain hobby to become successful in a national competition. 

3) Sing your heart out

Can singing really help teens? Everyone knows that singing releases endorphins, the brain's "feel-good" chemicals. But do you really know all the health benefits of singing for teenagers? Find out more here.

4) Lights, camera, action!

 Can being dramatic be a good thing? Teenagers all over the globe include drama as part of their school-life, in one way or another. So why is it so important that teens do drama? This article will tell you why.

 

5) A splash of colour 

Notes from Friday's Lesson:

For the images for dummy articles, it is a good idea to use an image of a teen because teens want to know what other teens are doing. 

Netflix uses mostly images of people for the front cover.

 This can show the main emotions featured in the show. 

Often, a harsh lighting is used to make it more eye-catching and it is usually a close up shot. This again conveys the emotions that the show is generally associated with. 

Main article on my chosen hobby, art:

The Benefits of Art

As a teenager, you are under a lot of stress for a wide range of reasons. You can have stress from exams, stress from home, stress in friendship-groups; the list goes on. It is essential that you find a way to de-stress, so that you don't become too overwhelmed. Art is commonly used a way of de-stressing and relaxing. Even just aggressively scribbling on a page can be a form of art, and can also be quite satisfying. Art has more benefits; such as improving hand-eye coordination and it also helps to increase your level of patience; which I believe is a life skill that all young people should learn. Another benefit that I believe should not go unnoticed is that art can allow you to have a deeper level of concentration; this will of course be beneficial to you as a teenager as you will be able to focus better during revision and concentrate harder in exams. 

The History of Art

Art has been loved and used all over the world since the dawn of time; it can be found on cave walls from around 2 million years ago. It can be found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, from the 1500s, around the time of the Reneissance period where new art was constantly created. Art has been used as a form of expression in different religions, too. For example, a very common sight to see in a Church is a stained-glass window, which will usually depict a scene/ moment from the Bible. During Diwali, celebrated mostly by Hindus, Buddhists, Sihks etc, children are encourage to draw flowers. Rangoli designs are created with colourful powders and drawn on the floors in the streets as a part of tradition. Art is all over the world and is loved by most; it is definitely a good idea for a hobby.

Sketching

Sketching is an incredibly common form of art. All you need is a pencil and paper and you can let your creativity take over. Something that I love about sketching is that it doesn't have to be perfect; in fact, art in general doesn't really need to be perfect. You can be as messy and untidy as you want in a sketch, which is proven to be very satisfying. It is incredibly simple to do and yet it specifically increases your ability to focus. Again, it is a life skill!

Painting

While painting is enjoyable and a way to express yourself, it has its own benefits. It can increase your problem-solving skills, expand creative growth and even stimulates an optimistic attitude. That last point is especially important for teenagers, as mental health is a struggle for 10-20% of teenagers globally. All you have to do is get paint, a brush and card and you can do what you like. Painting is especially good as if you dislike something you have done, you do not need to worry. You can simply paint over it and continue. Easy!

Here is a video which shows how easy art is to do:

[insert video]

Developing Ideas

    Hobbies

The Benefits of Art

As a teenager, you are under a lot of stress for a wide range of reasons. You can have stress from exams, stress from home, stress in friendship-groups; the list goes on. It is essential that you find a way to de-stress, so that you don't become too overwhelmed. Art is commonly used a way of de-stressing and relaxing. Even just aggressively scribbling on a page can be a form of art, and can also be quite satisfying. Art has more benefits; such as improving hand-eye coordination and it also helps to increase your level of patience; which I believe is a life skill that all young people should learn. Another benefit that I believe should not go unnoticed is that art can allow you to have a deeper level of concentration; this will of course be beneficial to you as a teenager as you will be able to focus better during revision and concentrate harder in exams. 

The History of Art

Art has been loved and used all over the world since the dawn of time; it can be found on cave walls from around 2 million years ago. It can be found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, from the 1500s, around the time of the Reneissance period where new art was constantly created. Art has been used as a form of expression in different religions, too. For example, a very common sight to see in a Church is a stained-glass window, which will usually depict a scene/ moment from the Bible. During Diwali, celebrated mostly by Hindus, Buddhists, Siks etc, children are encourage to draw flowers. Rangoli designs are created with colourful powders and drawn on the floors in the streets as a part of tradition. Art is all over the world and is loved by most; it is definitely a good idea for a hobby.

Sketching

Sketching is an incredibly common form of art. All you need is a pencil and paper and you can let your creativity take over. Something that I love about sketching is that it doesn't have to be perfect; in fact, art in general doesn't really need to be perfect. You can be as messy and untidy as you want in a sketch, which is proven to be very satisfying. It is incredibly simple to do and yet it specifically increases your ability to focus. Again, it is a life skill!

Painting

While painting is enjoyable and a way to express yourself, it has its own benefits. It can increase your problem-solving skills, expand creative growth and even stimulates an optimistic attitude. That last point is especially important for teenagers, as mental health is a struggle for 10-20% of teenagers globally. All you have to do is get paint, a brush and card and you can do what you like. Painting is especially good as if you dislike something you have done, you do not need to worry. You can simply paint over it and continue. Easy!

Here is a video which shows how easy art is to do:

-----

Dummy titles:

1) Just dance (The health benefits for teens)

We all know that any form of physical activity will often include health benefits. So, what are these health benefits and why is it important now more than ever that teenagers try dance? This article will tell you why.

2)  From cooking dinner to winning "Cook off" 

Meet the teens who used their love for a certain hobby to become successful in a national competition. 

3)Can singing really help teens?

Everyone knows that singing releases endorphins, the brain's "feel-good" chemicals. But do you really know all the health benefits of singing for teenagers? Find out more here.

4) Can being dramatic be a good thing?

Teenagers all over the globe include drama as part of their school-life, in one way or another. So why is it so important that teens do drama? This article will tell you why.

CUFFS CAST

 Left to right, name the officers 

1) Donna , 2) PC Lino, 3) Jake, 4) Jo, 5) Ryan , 6) Carl, 7) Chief Supt, 8) Reddington

 

9 Who is this? Misha

10 Name the owner of the corner shop: Bangash

11 Name the racist thug: Benson

12 Name the drug addict: Nathan

13 Name the mother whose child is taken by her ex husband: Mrs Quirk

14 Lady who stole the toothpaste: Cinnamon 

PAPER 1 EXAM FEEDBACK

 Q.3 How far does Cuffs adapt police drama conventions to fit its family audience at 8 p.m. on BBC1?

In your answer you must

• state what conventions you could expect from most TV police drama
  
• analyse the programme's use of genre conventions, making sure that you cover the whole episode (not just the extract played in the exam). This means explaining all the crimes that occur in the episode and everything that the police have to deal with that may be upsetting for viewers.
  
• explain who the audience is for Cuffs
• explain how far the programme adapted conventions
  
• draw conclusions about how far the extract adapts the conventions of police drama to fit its scheduling and audience

Cuffs is able to adapt police drama conventions to fit its family audience at 8 p.m on BBC1 as it removes a portion of the realism from the series in order for it to remain 'child-friendly'. Ofcom define the watershed- the period between 5:30 am and 9 pm where things unsuitable for children are unable to be shown. As Cuffs is shown at 8 pm, it means that there is no swearing, no graphic violence or disturbing imagery. For example, you don't see any fatal injuries in the series; however in real life, this would be commonly seen by the police force. In the first episode, the scene where one of the men on the beach has another man in a headlock is as violent as it gets- which is not very violent. However, in real life, violence is common theme for the police when making arrests. 

Another way that Cuffs adapts police drama convention to fits its family friendly audience is by adding in light- hearted jokes, to add humour to an otherwise serious genre. For example, in reality, breaking up a fight as a police officer would be quite a violent, serious thing. However, in Cuffs, the police officer breaks up a fight between a naked man and a (possibly quite drunk) man in an inflatable helmet. The people around the fight are laughing and recording as the police officer attempts to remain calm and hold onto his dignity. This overall adds in comedic value and lightens the mood of this scene.

In conclusion, Cuffs is adapted to fits its family friendly genre as it fits the suitable for children 5:30 am - 9:00 p.m hours and it also finds ways to lighten certain serious situations, for example by adding humour.

Music Magazines

 

• Analyse the media language of MOJO and the BBC magazine. 
• Make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the media language is used differently to fit different kinds of music. (15)

The MOJO magazine covers more punk/rock music than any other style while the BBC Magazine covers classical music genres. For the MOJO Magazine, the rock genre is conveyed as Robert Smith, from 'The Cure', is featured as the main splash in the centre of the page. The main cover line states "The 30 Greatest Songs of The Cure"; this shows that the magazine features rock music which would appeal to the target audience. The BBC Magazine features Sheku Kanneh-Mason as the main splash; this means that the magazine will reach its target audience as people who have listened to his music will recognise him and will want to buy the magazine. Therefore, the main splashes on the magazines show that the two magazines feature two different genres of music.  

Another way that the magazines use media language to to fit different kinds of music is through the font style. The MOJO Magazine uses a 'broken' looking font; the words "The Cure" and "Robert Smith" look cracked and are a dull grey colour. This can connote the idea that the rock music has a theme of despair and being crushed. On the other hand, the BBC Magazine uses a font style where the words "Music" and "Champion Elitist" look fancy and sophisticated. The font styles on the front page of these magazines fit different types of music as they fit the genre well; the "rock" genre is showed by shattered, damaged font and the "classical" genre is shown by the regal- looking font.

Media language is used to display the difference between the two genres of music as the mise-en-scene in the BBC Magazine is different to that in the MOJO magazine. In the BBC Magazine, there are only soft, plain colours used; white and a champagne colour. This creates an elegant tone and would appeal to an audience with a "sophisticated" type of music, such a s classical. In the MOJO Magazine, there is very harsh, bright lighting and vivid colours such as red and black. This creates a more loud, colourful tone. The contrast between the two uses of mise-en-scene in the MOJO and BBC magazines shows the contrasting type of music; classical and rock. 

In conclusion, mise-en-scene and the main splashes of the magazines are used differently in order to fit different types of music. The rock music in the MOJO Magazine is presented by dramatic lighting, vivid colours and "broken" font style; the classical music in the BBC Magazine is presented by the monochrome tones and "regal" font for the headings. Using these different media language styles enable the readers of MOJO and BBC music magazines to see the type of music featured, as the media language is quite unique and fits the music genre featured.

SOCIAL & CULTURAL CONTEXTS in THE OBSERVER 1960s

 Bullet points of every representation of women - as many as possible, of different kinds

-The "Beauty Standard" slim body type

-Woman is shown modelling a corset that would have been fashionable in the 60s

-The Queen looks solemn as she is "mourning" the loss of lives in Aberfan 

-Another add which shows "lingerie" which is "laced with luxury"

Bullet points  of every mention of representation of ethnicity (or lack of it)

-There is a news story which highlights a marriage between a Caucasian man "Stephen Pollock" and a black woman "Elizabeth Vambe"- it was considered newsworthy 

-"Britain shoots for Gold": Black Power protest at the Mexico Olympics, which reflects anti-racist movements of 1960s

-Overall quite a lack of representation of ethnicity

Bullet points on social conditions (like divorce)

-The "Law Commission" was expected to recommend divorce "by consent"

-'Wilson -Brown market clash'- relation with Europe were continuous in 60s

-'Police will appease marchers'- which reflects the rise of protest in the 1960s

03 Brief 4

Article heading: Why should teenagers take up art as a hobby?

 I would prefer to do brief 4, so the website homepage. For the hobby, I would choose art as it is something that I enjoy. The pretend articles would be about different hobbies, such as dance, singing and baking. 

I would split the page into four; one section about the benefits of art, one section about the history of art and two sections about drawing/sketching and then painting. 

For the first section, I would discuss how art helps develop concentration which for teenagers, is important. It can also be used to de-stress, so when teens study for exams they can benefit from doing art. Art also helps with hand-eye co-ordination and helps to increase patience which is a life skill. I would then include an original picture of a notebook and pen to represent revision.

For the second section, I would write about how art is loved all around the world and how it used used differently in different cultures. I would then move on to talk about how art has evolved over time and how it is constantly changing. I would then include a found picture of art from a different culture, perhaps an Italian painting.

For the last two sections, I would discuss sketching and painting. Sketching is very simple to do and specifically increases your ability to focus. While painting is enjoyable and a way to express yourself, it has its own benefits. It can increase your problem-solving skills, expand creative growth and even stimulates an optimistic attitude. That last point is especially important for teenagers, as mental health is a struggle for 10-20% of teenagers globally. I would include two original pictures of the start of a sketch and then a picture of paintbrushes and a paint palette.

Dummy titles:

1) Main reasons why teenagers should take up dance as a leisure activity (the health benefits)

We all know that any form of physical activity will often include health benefits. So, what are these health benefits and why is it important now more than ever that teenagers try dance? This article will tell you why.

2)Meet the youngest winner of "Cook off" baking competition

We've grown to love all 5 contestants of "Cook off" over the past four weeks. We've watched 3 contestants bid their farewell; out of the two left, whose creative cooking won? Find out in this article.

3)Health benefits of singing for teenagers

Everyone knows that singing releases endorphins, the brain's "feel-good" chemicals. But do you really know all the health benefits of singing for teenagers? Find out more here.

4) Why should teenagers take up drama as their hobby?

Teenagers all over the globe include drama as part of their school-life, in one way or another. So why is it so important that teens do drama? This article will tell you why.

03 CREATING MEDIA

 Hobby magazine

I would make my double page spread centred around art as a hobby. For my five pictures, I would take a picture of paintbrushes, pencils, a canvas, a painting and a blend of different colours. I would make each image colourful and eye-catching. I would write about the benefits of doing art and how large the hobby is. 

Television

I would make the television programme about Covid-19 and how it has affected the world collectively. I would also talk about how the world has had to adapt to accommodate the pandemic. 

Music Video

If the music that is being lip-synced needs to be serious, then I'd probably lip-sync to Adele. I would use dark lighting to create shadows and a variety of camera angles to make it look as authentic as possible.

Homepage

For this, I would write about art. I would include three images of a paintbrush, a canvas and a paint palette. As my 45 second video, I would include a short clip of painting. I would try to make it look satisfying so that it would be memorable and aesthetically pleasing. I would make the homepage a certain colour scheme, to make it eye-catching. 

01 The Avengers

 What is your impression of the sixties era? 

My impression of the sixties era is that it is overall a fun and amusing era. The style of clothing was colourful and made each person stand out; nobody cared what others thought of them. The music was very much upbeat and positive; this would have very much influenced the attitude of the listeners; meaning that the sixties overall was a funky and care-free era.

Where does this come from?

Watching 'Austin Powers' gives me this impression because the cast wear the type of clothing that was popular in the sixties; giving me an idea of what was worn. The funky over-the-top hairstyles gave me the impression of individuality and expression. There is comedic value in Austin Powers to, which gave me the impression of a care-free and fun attitude.

Write down 5 key events from the era that shaped it.

-Moon landings 

-The Cold War 

-Civil rights protest 

-The assassination of John F Kennedy 

-The Vietnam War

Write down 5 famous figures associated with this era.

-Martin Luther King Jr

-Paul McCartney

-Bridgette Bardot 

-John Lennon

-Audrey Hepburn

01 Cuffs

 Chapter 1:

 What diegetic sounds create realism in the opening scene? 

At the very start of the opening scene, the audience can hear sea gulls as we are given a birds eye view of the sea. You can also faintly hear waves crashing in the background. This creates realism as the sounds transport the audience to the beach; sea gull sounds and crashing waves are sounds that are associated with the beach and therefore even without watching, the audience can tell where the opening scene takes place.

How would you describe the non-diegetic sound and what does it contribute to the opening scene? 

The non-diegetic sound is the sound of the police talking over the radio at the beginning; this sound is layered over the typical beach sounds. Then, the Superintendent's speech begins to play over the sound of a police car siren. This talking makes the scene realistic and immediately the audience know what the opening scene will include; which is the theme of police. 

What is the effect of the Superintendent's speech being a sound bridge over the beach scene?

The Superintendent's speech playing over the beach scene is quite comedic. The Superintendent talks about the police finding people in "life or death situations", and we then see a group of men in inflatable hats messing around on the beach. He then mentions the police making the "highest standards of decision-making", while the policeman fails to pull apart two of the men who are fighting; one man is held in a headlock and the policeman is barely helping. Furthermore, the Superintendent mentions "positive daily interactions with the public", just as a man punches the policeman in the face. Lastly, the Superintendent mentions the policemen earning "respect from the public they serve". Immediately after this, a man turns to the policeman and says "what is the point of you?" Overall, after each statement the Superintendent makes about the police force being respected, resilient and dealing with threatening situations, the scene on the beach displays the opposite of this. 

TV in the 2010s

 1. Explain technological convergence. [2]

This means that television is available on a variety of different devices, such as: on television sets, game consoles, tablets and mobile phones. 

2. Explain 'channel surfing'. [2]

This is routine for broadcast television. It is when content is streamed as individual programmes or 'box sets' of series.  

3. Give 3 examples of how channels create brand loyalty [6]

-Serial narratives of certain dramas encourage loyalty as the audience must tune it to watch new episodes to follow the storyline

-Some dramas contain a large amount of suspense which intrigues the audience, causing them to keep watching

-Some channels rely on popular flagship programmes to support their branding as a channel, which entice people to watch their channels

4. What is 'long form television drama' ? [2]

This is a type of drama which ensures an audience's loyalty; as the series continues over a long period of time. This means that the audience will have to be dedicated and continue to watch it whenever a new episode is released onto a channel.

5. What is a 'flagship' programme? [2]

This is a program directed towards a certain target audience. The program has been created in order to appeal to this particular category of people, who therefore continue to watch as what the programme has to offer meets their particular interests.

6. In exchange for the licence fee, what does the regulator require of the BBC as a Public Service Broadcasting channel? [6]

It requires programmes that are original and a range of of genres and also informational programmes, such as the news. If there is variety in the shows that are released for the public, there will be a larger range of people watching as each programme will meet a range of different people's interests and wants.

01 TELEVISION

 According to The Times newspaper this week,  watching TV live and in real time accounts for most TV viewing.

1. What do you understand by the terms 'live' content and 'on demand' content?

If you watch something that is "live", you are watching it as it happens in present time. If you watch something "on demand", it has already happened.

1. What is the demand for 'live' content like?

There is a larger demand for live content because if you watch something live you are very much in the moment with it. It is more thrilling to watch if it is happening in present time and people would come together to watch it exclusively at the certain time that it goes live.

1. According to ratings research, there are 8 programmes cited as the top live shows for family viewing. How many have you watched?

I have watched "Britain's Got Talent", "Bake Off" and "Paddington"

1. Apply Blumler and Katz's audience framework to what you learn from this article.
   

This article tells me that while TV obviously has an entertainment value, there is social interaction. For example, "Britain's Got Talent" allows the live audience to interact as well as families watching at home. This helps people to feel connected to society and family bonds grow stronger. People enjoy watching TV and 39% of people "felt that the importance of TV in helping people to feel connected to society had grown during lockdown."  

Write about how musicians are represented on this MOJO cover

 

On this MOJO cover, John Lennon is the centre of visual interest. This is so that people are attracted to buying the magazine as John Lennon is very famous; furthermore, it allows the reader to see who will be featured in the magazine.                                                                                                                          John Lennon conveys a solemn look which leads the reader to believe that the section about him in the magazine will be serious. This will also attract readers as they'll be interested in reading about possible hardships that John Lennon has faced to reach the musical success that he has.

Lennon is in front of a plain dark blue background; this means that the reader will not be distracted by anything on the cover but him. He is also wearing a plain green tank top; very simple clothing allows the reader to solely focus on the musician, not the outfit. This plain background and simple clothing combination means that the reader will see John Lennon as more of an ordinary person, rather than a star with abstract costume and makeup. The image therefore doesn't make him look like the stereo-typical well-known, successful musician. He looks down-to-earth; which is another theme that may catch the readers attention.

Furthermore, the image is a mid-shot and the lighting is quite bright; meaning it is a clear image. The light exposes Lennon; the article about him in the magazine may also do this. 

While John Lennon is obviously the main focus, different musicians are also mentioned in the cover lines, such as Nancy Sinatra, Bowie, Pink Floyd and The Stone Roses. These names would appeal to many readers as they are all quite well-known musicians. Even if they are not the main focus, they do attract attention.

Magazine Vocab

OCR fact sheet prep

 Newspaper industries –ownership and control question: who controls The Observer / Guardian and what are its values? 

The Observer and the Guardian are owned by a trust which was set up in the 1930s. 

The Astor family established The Observer's liberal values, with David Astor as the editor until the mid 1970s. the newspaper easily fitted the values of the Scott Trust.

Press freedom and regulation question: What is meant by 'a free press'? When The Guardian newspaper investigated (and revealed) what The News of The World newspaper had done to get stories, what big changes in press regulation resulted?

'A free press' means that newspapers and older media are able to campaign on political issues and journalists are expected to be extremely critical of those who are in power. 

When The Guardian newspaper investigated and revealed what 'The News of The World' newspaper had done to get stories, in response, the majority of the press joined a new regulator named IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) which refused to apply to the recognition body as they saw this as unwarranted state interference in the free press.

Convergence question: "When newspapers operate online there is technological and cultural convergence." What does this mean in The Observer?

This means that The Observer online recognisably follows the structure of the print edition, but with greater prominence for the lifestyle, food and sport sections that are kept out of the main section of the print newspaper, plus a much higher proportion of photography and headlines to copy on the home page. 

Newspaper audiences question: The Observer has different sections designed to appeal to different types of readers. Explain this with examples.

There are interviews, comedic opinion pieces and reviews of theatre, dance, music, cinema, architecture, computer games, and television listings; all of this appeals to the culture consumer. If there is a variety of different sections in the newspaper, it can be appealing to a variety of different readers.

Uses and gratification question: how does The Observer meet readers' needs for personal identity and social integration?

For personal identity, it allows the readers to read about topics that interest them and learn more about their interests. For social integration, it allows the readers to share their interests and create discussions regarding certain topics. 

Active/passive audiences question: in what way can The Observer's audience be 'active' ?

Readers of The Observer can be 'active' as they can share articles or comment on them. This can give The Observer an idea of what the readers think about certain subjects.

Covid-19 Poster

 

Twitter page of The Observer (prep)

 What are the added features of The Observer print edition online?

When viewing the paper online, you have the added feature of zooming into images or news stories. 

The comments of the Twitter page enable followers to discuss certain topics covered in the newspaper; this could also gain the paper more attention

People can re-tweet the paper to others who may be interested; this will gain The Observer more readers/followers.

What do you notice about The Observer's Twitter page?

The tweet allows followers to see what "tomorrow's front page" will be. This allows the followers and readers of The Observer to see the most exciting or eye-catching headlines; this will encourage them to want to read the paper. Also, In the skyline, there are three celebrities who are getting attention recently for a variety of reasons. This encourages readers/followers to want to read the paper, as they will be interested about the gossip surrounding these celebrities. 

Uses of Gratification: Lego Video Game

 

Explain at least two uses and gratifications of video games using Blumler and Katz’s theory. Refer to The Lego Movie Video game to support your answer:

Blumler and Katz's Active Audience theory is based upon the concept that the audience decides what they would like to watch, play or read based upon 4 main gratifications. 

These are:

1. Personal Identity- How the audience relates to a character or situation they identify with.

2. Social Interaction- An opportunity to interact with others.

3. Entertainment (escapism)- An opportunity to relax, fill time, do something for enjoyment or even to escape their lives.

4. Information (surveillance) - To find out more about a subject or society.

This time, I will illustrate 2 different gratifications, still using The Lego Movie Game as an example.

Social Interaction is a gratification the audience receives through gaming. The Lego Movie Game, while not an online multiplayer game with worldwide community interaction, still allows for plenty of interaction for the player- either as a 2-player locally or solo.

The PC (playable character) that the gamer chooses, connects with the familiar characters and surroundings of Bricksburg just as they appear in the much-loved film. The NPCs (non-playable characters) are there for the player to have dialogue with and to work with, for example, teaming up with Batman to destroy Cloud Cuckoo Land.

The humour and familiarity of the Lego world and its characters give the player a sense of belonging, which could be a real source of comfort for someone who might ordinarily feel isolated at times. Therefore, computer games can be an important form of social interaction.

Another gratification received through gaming is Information (surveillance). The Lego Movie Game has some learning benefits for the people who play it, teaching them about working towards goals and to keep practising until you succeed. As tasks and puzzles are completed, the PC moves on through the levels of the game and gains a sense of achievement. They can also 'unlock' secret, more desirable or rare characters, making them feel like they have earned something exclusive. 

These skills can have real-life uses beyond game-play. The player learns through mistakes or wrong decisions they've made, so that they are better informed when they try again. They also gain knowledge of the game itself and how to play it, giving them a feeling of having expertise. 

Players are also rewarded with virtual 'coins' that they can exchange for items to upgrade their PC.  How they spend these is practice for the real world, around making choices on what to spend the money you have earned on. Therefore, there is a lot of information that can be learned through computer games.

Lego Movie Ad-break Questions

 1) The fact that British Heart Foundation, Confused.com, BT and Premier Inn paid for the production cost of the adverts themselves shows that they were very eager to promote their brands. Furthermore, it was a clever tactic which enabled more people to gain information about these companies. The adults would understand the adverts while the kids would perhaps even see a slight entertainment value in these ad-breaks, as the people in the adverts were made out of Lego. These companies paid for the production cost themselves as they knew how popular Lego was, and so the ad-breaks not only gained anticipation for the Lego movie itself, but they also gained popularity for the companies involved. 

2) The theme of building the 'world' out of Lego links to the Lego movie as in the movie everything is constructed purely from Lego. The ad-breaks therefore gave the audience an insight into what the Lego movie would look like. If the people who watched the adverts were amused by the 'Lego world' in each advert, it means that these people would most probably enjoy watching the Lego movie. Another way in which this links to the Lego movie is because while the adverts are mainly aimed at the adults, the Lego is aimed at the children. Both adults and children would watch these adverts and find some sort of entertainment; there are jokes in the Lego movie that only adults would get but the children would still watch the film because of the action and Lego. Therefore, the idea of the ad-breaks being in a Lego world was definitely a conscious decision made by the marketing team as the adverts can be enjoyed by all ages; as can the Lego movie. 

3)It is important to maintain the brand identity by including characters, such as Batman or Vitruvius, because it helps promote the brand and gain anticipation towards the release of the film. Introducing these characters in ad-breaks helps to remind the audience of the underlying proportional message of the film as it give the audience an idea of the wide range of characters included in the film. Furthermore, many children and adults will know the character 'batman' and will therefore be excited when they see him appear in the adverts. A person at any age will be amused by the ad-breaks and therefore would be amused by the Lego movie.