Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks
The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following:
Factsheet #107 - Fandom
Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of a fan?
A fan, or fanatic, sometimes also termed aficionado or supporter, is a person who is enthusiastically devoted to something or somebody, such as a celebrity or band, a sport or a sports team, a genre, a politician, a book, a movie or an entertainer synonymous with "supporter".
2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?
Hardcore/True Fan, Newbie, Anti-fan.
3) What makes a ‘fandom’?
Such people will often come together and partake in their assigned fandom's specific practises as well as share their secrets of what they are fan of.
4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.
5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?
The Lord of the Rings and Midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) are shown as extreme examples of a fandom in action.
6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
Fans use the original media texts, and make the material creative and innovative. Fans would not be able to express their varying views and beliefs on certain elements of the media content or its interpretation without the development of imagination and language.
The website has 6 drop down options on the menu: Home, Games, Resources, Community, News, Contact.
It' very focused on the game, showing the high level of engagement that fans have in the game. It seems to be a typical example of fandom in the digital age because it uses social media and hashtags, reflecting the impact of the digital age on fans of video games.
This celebrates the ingenuity of Metroid fans from around the world by showing our audience their work. We also collaborate with the broader Metroid community and support their efforts to ensure that the best it can be is the Metroid fan experience.
the people who enjoy and participate actively in fan culture are usually very creative and interested in the videogame industry, as it serves as a way to fuel their creativity.
The question are about very specific parts and are very detailed, showing that the fandom engages a lot into the community.
He suggests that the real economic gain would be to be able to reduce the cost of production and then compensate for it by creating a much stronger network with targeted customers
He said that people who “created a blog or webpage, posted original artwork, photography, stories or videos online or remixed online content into their own new creations” are defined as media creators therefore it could be argued that
"This bottom up energy will generate enormous creativity, but it will also tear apart some of the categories that organise the lives and work of media makers".
The ideal customer will think about the system and will spread word about the company, differnt from the old school "couch potatoes".
Most of the media cannot exist without them because they are too influential in the times where fans themselves can be anormously influential.
If fans make or contribute to a media product, we should not glorify and applaud, transforming their creation into a commodity that can be sold out.
I suppose, fandom and the idea of being a fan has become a lot more commonplace. In many ways, being a fan of something is almost a phenomenon-for instance, if a media text is famous or more accepted then more people will come forward as a fan.
The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following:
Factsheet #107 - Fandom
Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of a fan?
A fan, or fanatic, sometimes also termed aficionado or supporter, is a person who is enthusiastically devoted to something or somebody, such as a celebrity or band, a sport or a sports team, a genre, a politician, a book, a movie or an entertainer synonymous with "supporter".
2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?
Hardcore/True Fan, Newbie, Anti-fan.
3) What makes a ‘fandom’?
Such people will often come together and partake in their assigned fandom's specific practises as well as share their secrets of what they are fan of.
4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.
5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?
The Lord of the Rings and Midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) are shown as extreme examples of a fandom in action.
6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
Tomb Raider and Metroid fandom research
Look at this Tomb Raider fansite and answer the following questions:
1) What types of content are on offer in this fansite?
2) What does the number of links and content suggest about the size of the online fan community for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft? Pick out some examples from this page.
It's quite broad which suggests that It also means that the game has a very large and diverse audience, since there are forums in different languages.
It's quite broad which suggests that It also means that the game has a very large and diverse audience, since there are forums in different languages.
3) Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the short ‘About me’ bio and social media updates. Is this a typical example of ‘fandom’ in the digital age? Why?
Now look at this Metroid fansite and answer the following:
1) What does the site offer?
2) Look at the Community Spotlight page. What does this suggest about the types of people who enjoy and participate in fan culture?
the people who enjoy and participate actively in fan culture are usually very creative and interested in the videogame industry, as it serves as a way to fuel their creativity.
3) There is a specific feature on Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. What do the questions from fans tell you about the level of engagement and interest in the game and franchise from the fan community?
The question are about very specific parts and are very detailed, showing that the fandom engages a lot into the community.
Henry Jenkins: degree-level reading
Read the final chapter of ‘Fandom’ – written by Henry Jenkins. This will give you an excellent introduction to the level of reading required for seminars and essays at university as well as degree-level insight into our current work on fandom and participatory culture. Answer the following questions:
1) There is an important quote on the first page: “It’s not an audience, it’s a community”. What does this mean?
It means that people in the fandom not only watch or play the media text, but know additional information and connect with other to enjoy talking about it.
It means that people in the fandom not only watch or play the media text, but know additional information and connect with other to enjoy talking about it.
2) Jenkins quotes Clay Shirky in the second page of the chapter. Pick out a single sentence of the extended quote that you think is particularly relevant to our work on participatory culture and the ‘end of audience’ (clue – look towards the end!)
"In the age of the internet, no one is a passive consumer anymore because everyone is a media outlet."
3) What are the different names Jenkins discusses for these active consumers that are replacing the traditional audience?
“loyals, “media-actives,” “prosumers,” “inspirational consumers” or “connectors” or “influencers,”
“loyals, “media-actives,” “prosumers,” “inspirational consumers” or “connectors” or “influencers,”
4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?
5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?
6) Look at the quote from Andrew Blau in which he discusses the importance of grassroots creativity. Pick out a sentence from the longer quote and decide whether you agree that audiences will ‘reshape the media landscape from the bottom up’.
7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?
8) Why is fandom 'the future'?
9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?
10) Read through to the end of the chapter. What do you think the future of fandom is? Are we all fans now? Is fandom mainstream or are real fan communities still an example of a niche media audience?
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