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Media Studies Key Concepts

Media Studies revolves around seven key concepts (you can use the acronym M-I-G-R-A-I-N for easy reference):

• Media Forms
• Institution
• Genre
• Representation
• Audience
• Ideology
• Narrative

Using Key Concepts in Media Studies

These Key Concepts function as tools you can use to analyse a media text. Each Key Concept has a set of theories and ideas associated with it. Once you've learned and understood the theories, you can use them to support your own explanation of how a media text is constructed and received. Usually, Media Studies exams will ask you to analyse a text whilst focusing on one or more of these concepts, as specified by the question.

Applying Key Concepts

Whatever you learn as a concept, you need to be able to apply to real world examples. This means keeping up with the latest in media trends.


 

Music Video Analysis

Narrative  –  “BFMV - Say Goodnight”

My music video for “Say goodnight” by Bullet For My Valentine uses multiple narrative strands that interweave and share thematic values to create a detailed storyline but remaining vague enough to allow the audience to impose their own views on the story.
The main protagonists in the video both have distinct linear narratives. Their narratives are cross-cut together until one pivotal moment when they converge; staring into each others eyes and the split down the screen fades away to reveal they’re actually infront of each other.
There are also various flashbacks included throughout which may be construed as confusing to the linear narrative but the obvious effects of blurring and reconstitution make it believable.
All the diverse effects used in the editing stage of the video creates metaphors for isolation and alienation toward the main male protagonist.