OSP & Videogames case study 3: Zoella

Language

Read this Marie Clare article on Zoella as an online phenomenon.

1) Who is Zoella and why is she famous? How many subscribers does Zoella's YouTube channel have currently?
she is a fashion and beauty blogs person and has 11 million subscribers
2) What is convergence?
when two or more media forms meet in one
3) What are Zoella's videos about? Find five video titles and write them here:
They are about fashion and beauty , "testing weird beauty products with mark", "best of beauty", "everyday autumn make up", "giving my best-guy-mate a make over" and finally "brother does my makeup"
4) What are the codes and conventions of vlogging videos?
They are to show the daily lives of people and then which are recorded and then processed and edited, at the same time some unexpected things can happen to them while recording.
5) How does Zoella use media language choices to create her online identity? Write about Zoella's use of mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) - particularly costume and make-up.

She does a lot of make up and vlogs of her daily life and what happens there she also made a book which some people spread rumors around saying that she did not write the book but got someone to write the book for her.
Industries

1) How does Zoella make money? (You might want to read this Heatworld feature for more on this.)
she is a youtuber so she gains money from views and ad revenue, another thing would be her book that she published so she is profiting from more than one source.
2) What is a digital influencer? Why is Zoella considered a digital influencer?
A digital influencer is a person who influences people from the use of social media or some sort of internet platform.
3) Why do companies want to place their products in Zoella's videos?
so when she gets paid to sponsor then then she gains money and so does the company that asked her to sponsor them, because she is digital influencer then people will obviously follow in her footsteps of buying products 
4) Why are YouTube collaborations so important for helping digital influencers like Zoella to grow?
They gain more money and recognition, and so does the company so they are both helping each other
5) How has Zoella moved into a more traditional media landscape in recent years?
her youtube channel, she has made a channel on youtube, (a very well known and well used site) and has gained millions of views and 11 million subscribers, another thing would be her social media accounts where people follow her and social media is being used more and more so this gives her an advantage

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for Zoella's channel?

People interested in fashion and make up, most likely younger girls who are really into this stuff, including the social media platforms that she is in

2) How are audiences encouraged to participate in or feel part of Zoella's brand? 
She does make up tutorials and fashion things so they go along with the person who is watchingthe video that she uploads
3) What audience pleasures are provided by Zoella's videos and associated products?

People who really like fashion and design, they really like to do things like make up, alos people new to make up becasue she does reviews on it so people getting into make up could be into her channel
4) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would a preferred and oppositional reading of Zoella?
Preferred (people who love Zoella):People would things of her as a person who is passionate about her work and cares about her views and makes quality content for people, she make certain video for people who really lkie make up and she cares about waht she makes for the audience.
Oppositional (people who hate Zoella):Other may think that she is just using youtube and her books for money and ad revenue so taht she can gain all the money that is given to her and that is owned by others, people think that the book she wrote may be fake and someone wrote it for her, and they think that it is just a scam for everyone.

5) Why has Zoella been criticised by some people?
There have been rumors that the book she wrote wasn't actually witten by her but someone wrote it for her instead of her writing the book in her own words, some other people think that her channel is useless because it is just  review channel for make up and many people mostly men would think that it is useless

Representations

Read this Independent article arguing Zoella is a bad role model for young women.

Next, read this Independent article arguing the opposite. 

1) What is your opinion on this debate - is Zoella a positive role model for young women?
I think its a mixed opinion she is a channel that does make up tutorials and make up reviews some may question the use in make up and beatuy some may think of it as a requirement
2) What representations of women are provided by Zoella?
Make up and fashion all kinds of expensive products, everything that is shown must be required to buy fo your wellbeing and beauty
3) What representations of celebrity are provided by Zoella? Is a self-made YouTube celebrity more authentic or positive than a traditional music or TV star?
i think it is more positive because she done it as an independent person she grew somewhat independently, apart from the sponsors that she has received
4) How does Zoella represent herself? Is this the real Zoe Suggs or a media construction designed to sell products? the real Zoe Suggs is used to provide sponsors, at the same time her youtube channel is monetised  so she gains more money from the sponsors and the youtube ad revenue and views

5) What criticisms could be levelled at the representation of Zoella? 
some criticism on the make up of being a useless skill and content as it isn't really important for people, make up even damages your face, bit by bit, and the rumor about her not writing her own book and someone else writing it for her

Grade 8/9 extension tasks: reading and response

To give you up-to-date information on Zoella, read this HITC feature on what Zoella has done recently after scaling back her YouTube videos. 

she is a successful youtuber who has more than 11 million subscribers, she is a social media influencer, another thing she done was write a book, on her youtube channel she would usually post things like reviews on food make up beauty, fashion etc

Read this critical article on The Tab Calling time on Zoella. What criticisms are levelled at Zoella in this article? Do you agree with the writer's argument?

They are quite some strong levels of criticism as they are calling her a "27-year old woman child"  and they are telling her to "let go" these people are basically telling her to stop her youtube and what ever social media she has.  

Read this excellent New Statesman feature on the moral aspect of how influencers like Zoella make money.

The amount of views and subscribers, the subscribers, you need at least 1000 in order for your channel to be monetized, she has gone way past that mark she has 11 million and she has many views woch give her lots and lots of money, also she does sponsors and the people will see that and buy it then the company gets paid so does the person who sponsors the product

Videogames case study 2: Kim Kardashian Hollywood

Videogames case study 2 - Kim Kardashian: Hollywood blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Kim Kardashian Hollywood CSP case study' and complete all the following questions under the subheadings Language, Representation, Industries and Audience.

Language

1) What is the objective when playing the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game?
It is to work your way up to the celebrity charts and become the most famous 
2) What is an A-list celebrity? Why is it important in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
An A-list celebrity is a celebrity who is very famous or a person who is well known
3) How do you download the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game?
On the app store and google play
4) What is the narrative or storyline of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood? Where is it set?
It is set in the  United States, because of the name Hollywood in the title, the main objective is to become an A-list celebrity to make your way to become the most popular celebrity
5) What characters can you play as? What characters appear in the game?

You can customise you character and then you have the NPC's (non playable characters) these are the people who give you the objective and they can be dated talked to ,etc

Audience

1) What audience pleasures are provided by the game? Use Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory.

This is more of a personal identity
2) Why is the game so addictive for audiences?
Because it includes celebrities and it simulates how they could live if they were living the Hollywood life style
3) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what is the preferred reading for Kim Kardashian Hollywood - how do the producers want the audience to react to the game? For the oppositional reading, why might someone dislike Kim Kardashian Hollywood?

People might dislike it because lacks action in the game because this game is just about going and trying to become and A-list celebrities at the same time it has micro-transactions for the game which are actually really expensive for a monthly subscription on a mobile game.

Read this article from Forbes on why the Kim Kardashian game is so successful. If the website is blocked, you can access the text of the article here.

4) Why does James Liu think Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is so successful?
Because it included the name of Kim and also they had many downloads and the game featured micro-transactions which makes it so that they get paid every month while the consumer pays every month.
5) What does James Liu suggest is the reason players keep coming back to the game?
Apparently because he thinks that it is unique other than the other games like the ones where you collect and push buttons.

Representations

1) What representations of women can be found in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
Different types like ethnicity and race as they make it a customisable characters
2) What representations of race, ethnicity or sexuality can be found in the game?
They include all types of race, ethnicity and sexuality
3) How does the game both reinforce and subvert stereotypes in the media?
it does it by doing things like having the male do certain task as well as for the females, this shows the difference on the objectives they have to do like different genders sometimes have to do separate tasks and sometimes they do the same 
4) What does the game suggest regarding modern perceptions of celebrity and how to get famous?

that fashion is the more modern way to get famous

5) How might someone criticise the representation of celebrity in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?

her character in the game is too "exaggerated?"

Industries

1) How much does Kim Kardashian: Hollywood cost?
$53 million to $80 million
2) How does the game make money?
$130,000 a month
3) What subscriptions are available to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
they are all monthly subscriptions and they cost more depending on what you want and how big the content is
4) How was Kim Kardashian: Hollywood marketed and promoted?
she had a large fan base and then went on social media to tell people about it so that people who followed her could see what she posted
5) How does Kim Kardashian: Hollywood use media convergence to cross-promote the game and the Kardashian brand?
as was said in the last question, she had a large fanbase of people on social media following her so when she posted that she had a mobile game, people would go on and play the game that she announced

Grade 8/9 extension tasks: reading and response

Read this Independent article on the Kardashians and celebrity culture. Why does the academic Dr Meredith Jones think the Kardashians are important to study?
They say that they could help people to recognize people in the way that they are like race ethnicity, sexuality and more about the person.
Read this Stylecaster article on 5 things we learned playing Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. How does the game encourage players so spend real money on in-app purchases?
people who are really into the game would spend money on it sometimes some situations where you would be entitled to something you could pay the person to "convince them" to maintain your reputation 

Read this article on Glu Mobile, the game developer behind Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. What does the article say about targeting female gamers and using celebrity to sell the game?
Because it turns stereotypical things that women like and form it into a game as well profiting from it form the subscriptions that have been applied to the game.
Read this Guardian article on a Kardashian controversy regarding promoting products on Instagram. Why do some people regard Kardashian as a "toxic influence"? Because they allowed an ad or implemented an ad which talked about a lollipop which suppressed people's appetite, this shows some sort of toxic influence as it may be saying the the people are fat and that they need to lose more weight by taking their product that  they have decided to put in.