Verdict Form

Should the UK courts impose regulation on video producers to ensure that representation in games is fair?


Mumsnet

Mumsnet's arguments are completely against video games companies regulations; they feel that they should be changed so that it is harder for younger children to get copies of violent video games which are out of their age rating.
Children are spending around 3 hours a day playing violent video games, this means they are missing out on positive social experiences. They believe that video games are making younger children act more aggressively and making them less kind to their peers. A statistic showed that in average 60 percent of children played violent games in schools in the USA; where as only 39 percent didn't, it seemed that the schools which had the highest amount of children playing the violent video games were also where the most bullying took place.The way violence and violent characters are portrayed in games is seen as fun which could make the children want to imitate the characters in the games. A case was brought up where a young child murder his their friend it was though that this was due to them playing violent video games such as "Mortal Combat". Mumsnet also thought that video games aren't completely bad; but they believe that video games can have an effect on your personality. But the way this could effect children could be far worse as young children don't know how to decide what's right from wrong. They also say that in general people who play video games when they are children are the ones who have usually committed horrific crimes when they are older.

Video Game Companies

Video games companies side of the argument were completely different they seemed to think that the regulations which they have now are fine and that the games rating system is perfect. They went on to say that video games are fine and there is no evidence to prove that video games have any links to the way that children act, and the video companies went  also stated that youth crimes have not increased in the last few years. They believed that if children are playing games that are out of their age rating then it is not due to the regulations, it is the parents fault for letting their children get copies of these items.
Video games companies also thought that video games could give positive messages to children; for example if children play games such as simulator games it could potentially make them aspire to be a medic or a dentist.

My Opinion

In my opinion I think that there are definitely two sides to consider; I neither think that mumsnet or video games companies are wrong but I think that certain areas from both arguments need to be challenged. I feel that at the moment the regulations and age rating are fine, and that the video games companies have done their job where this is concerned. It seems that parents are also quick to leave the blame at the video game creators rather than the retailers. But at the same time I feel that the way video games are advertised needs to be changed. I think that when a game is a high rating such as a 15 or an 18 then the adverts for this game shouldn't be played on TV until later on; at the moment video games companies still advertise these game when children are watching but they just use the edited for television version of the trailer. I think that this is bad because it will still make the children want the game; which parents may fall into buying them it, I feel that to prevent children from playing violent games then firstly the video games companies have to make children less aware of what there is out there.

Mulitcamera report

 How I met your mother

The production that I have chosen is how I met your mother which is a sitcom, I have chosen to study this specific production because I watch this particular program so I therefore have a good knowledge of what the show is all about. The target audience for this program is aimed for around 18 – 30 year olds.

How I met your mother is filmed in a studio in front of a live audience, because this is filmed in a studio it means that the production team have no natural lighting so they have to set up a lighting system, which for this type of production is a good thing because it means that they are able to control the mood and the scene. It is a scripted production, which means that it is filmed non-linearly. It is also filmed non-linearly because with most sitcoms there are usually mistakes that are made, and by filming and editing in this way means that they can get the show perfect. The reason that this production is filmed with multicamera is to get all the different character reactions and shots in a single scene, it also means that it is easier this way as they can film a lengthy scene in one go instead of having to move the camera around. Although with using a studio set up means that there is also a downside, this certain downside is that all the cameras have to be out of each other’s shot which means that they are all set up at one side of the set. The reason that this could be a bad thing is because it means that the shot type is limited and the camera cycle will be on replay, with no other views on the scene meaning there are limits to what the camera can pick up on screen. Obviously with my own production I would like to also focus on reactions, so I will need a set up that will allow the camera to focus in on the participants faces.

Michael McIntyre's chat show

The next production I have chosen is the Michael McIntyre’s chat show; this production is a chat show and is aimed at a teenage to young adult audience. I have chosen this specific production because I feel that the techniques used in this show are quite interesting in the way that they define this certain target audience.

Michael McIntyre’s chat show is filmed in front of a live audience in a studio, this particular show is filmed and edited live as a draft and then edited again later to finalize the show. The reason that this show uses a multicamera set up is so that the cameras can pick up different angles and portray a certain emotion at a specific time, as a comedy show the multicamera set up has an important role in certain sketches and jokes, as this particular show involves a lot of movement so the cameras have to keep up. Having a multicamera set up means that it is easier for the editor to edit and give the show a certain image as they have a larger variety of shots.

Never mind the buzzcocks

The production which I have chosen is Never mind the buzzcocks; this certain production is a quiz show and is aimed at a teenage to adult audience. The reason I have chosen this production is because I think that it is a good example of what quiz shows are like.

Never mind the buzzcocks is filmed infront of a live audience and then is later edited to cut the show down if it is too long and also to get the best bits. The reason this production uses a multicamera set up is because it needs to show all the participants in the show, and because this show usually allows people to speak individually it means that there needs to be a camera that can quickly jump to a close up shot of each person. Having multiple cameras on this show means that there is less chance of making camera shot mistakes and it means that the show can run alot smoothly as the editor has more variety of shots to choose from. Although the multicam set up is a good thing in terms of how the show shot, it also means that there is more work for the editor and technical team. Having a multicamera set up in this case means that if one of the camera go down or a problem occures, there are many cameras to fall back on whilst the problem is being sorted. But this set up also means that there is less space for the camera crew and production team to move about, so it means that they cant really changed the shots around once they are set, which could be a problem if somebody comes out of shot which usually happens on this specific show. With my own show I will also be setting up a quiz show, so it is important that I take note of the way this production is set up as I may need to use many of the techniques used here. As my show will also be based around people responses to questions I will need to make sure I set up the cameras and the set to link in with eachother so that I can clearly cut into face on shots.

The cube

The cube is a game show aimed at a young audience to a middle age audience. The reason I have chosen this production is because this certain show tests the multicamera set up to the limits as there is alot of movement and structures on this show.

The cube is filmed infront of a live audience. It is important that this production uses a multicamera set up because this show is about getting reactions from the presenter, from the participant on the show and also a reaction from the audience. This show will have to use many different camera, some of the camera will be non moving and some will be fully moveable. The set up will have to be able to monitor the movement and reactions of the participant which is important for the show as it needs to make the audience feel like they are involved, the more that the camera pick up such a mistakes the better outcome of the final product. The bad thing about this set up is that there will need to be many fixed cameras within each structure and the editor will have to use many different shots as the moveable cameras won't be able to get inside the structure as it closes and the show moves on quite fast.