Blog 5

1. Progress report - How many interviews did you do so far? And/or how many materials (i.e. media texts) did you research, and how did you research on the texts – textual analysis, genre study, etc.?

In my project, I have completed my interviews with two interviewees; those two people also are hobbyist of Hollywood film. They not only love to watch Hollywood film but also they bought some products about Hollywood film and imitate the character of the film.

Form those two Hollywood film hobbyists I got some information about the attractive of Hollywood film, such as the heroism, they are also proud of the heroes of the Hollywood film, they think heroes not only have a righteous image but also they can gave reader a hope, because of that they love to imitate the hero of the film.

In other side, I also found some article to talk about the impact of Hollywood film, those impact are involve about film industry, society and economy, form those article I can found out more attractive of Hollywood film and the impact of Hollywood film on different group.

2. Preliminary findings – What do you discover up till now? (For example, what are the commonalities amongst the texts/interviews?) How do your findings help you answer your research question?

After the interviews, I discovered that heroism is one of the attractive of Hollywood film, also this is the common theme of Hollywood film, those film also are famous film of the world such as “Avengers” and  “Xmen”, we can see that no mater American society or Hong Kong society also support heroism, they think the society need a hero to solve some problem, because of that some people love to imitate the hero of Hollywood film to increase self-esteem.

In encoding and decoding model, those findings can relate to decoder’s “framework of knowledge”. In society some people think there was a problem that has existed for a long time, and they also want a hero can help them to solve those problem.

Student Name: Ma Shun Hei

Student id: 10551590

Blog 4

Research Topic: Why do you like seeing Hollywood films and how do you interpret them?

Key Concept:

1)    Encoding and Decoding model

In Encoding/Decoding Model, Stuart Hall (1980) proposed a model of mass communication that highlights the importance of active interpretation within relevant codes.

The encoding of a message is the production of the message. It is a system of coded meanings, and in order to create that, the sender needs to understand how the world is comprehensible to the members of the audience. In the process of encoding, the sender uses verbal, such as words, signs, images or video for which he or she believes the receiver will understand. The decoding of a message is how an audience member is able to understand, and interpret the message. It is a process of interpretation and translation of coded information into a comprehensible form. The audience is trying to reconstruct the idea by giving meanings to symbols and by interpreting the message as a whole.

From this perspective, we can say that the audience is the "source" as well as the "receiver" of the film message. We may characterize this communicative process in these terms: The institutional practices of broadcasting are required to produce a program. Circulation and reception are important "moments" in the production process. Thus, reception or consumption of the film message is a "moment" of the production process in its larger sense.

In my research project, it gather the opinions that how interviewees interpret Hollywood film. Using encoding and decoding model, it can detect how interviewees interpret the message of Hollywood film, and compare those result between interviewees.

Regarding to the process of my research, I am crating the questionnaires, I would upload the questionnaire to collect data. Also I am preparing the interview, and start the interview in 3 of April. The interviewees are come from different group such as student and worker. Last, I am still finding more articles that relevant with my project.

Blog 3

Blog 3

What is the refined research question that you are setting out to answer? (Please be specific in your research topic)

How American film influence Hong Kong people to consume the film’s products

How does this develop themes and debates explored within the lectures of this module? (Please put down the revised short introduction to your project based on the one in blog 2. Remember that the introduction should include the purpose of your research project, significance and key concept(s) that may be useful for your analysis.)

As the America’s movies are very famous around the world, there are many American films showing in different country every month. Marvel and Disney are two popular companies that provide some famous films including super hero theme movie and animated film. Those famous films regularly would release some products when the film is come up, such as the figures, phone case, clothes, tableware and bottle. Those products also are popular in Hong Kong. The aim of this research report is investigating the reason that why American movies are famous around the world, and the differences between American movies and the other country’s movies. Also I would like to probe how those American movies conduct different groups of Hong Kong people to purchase the product about the film.

What critical methodologies are you going to use? How are you going to produce the evidence you’ll need to answer your research question?

Example: In-depth interviews with five immigrants from Mainland China

In-depth I would like to use qualitative research method and the quantitative method in this research report. In the qualitative research method, I would like to interviews with 15 people from different age group in Hong Kong, such as secondary student, university student, working people and they like watching / watched American movie in the past 1 year and brought the products about that movie. In the interview, it can understand they attitude towards American movie and the attraction of the products about movie, also the number of question of the interview would be around 10. Moreover, in the quantitative research method, I would using the online questionnaire the collect the masses people view and some background information, and also those questions would revolve to these three questions. 1. What are the attractions of American movies? 2. How the movies attract people to buy the products about the movie? 3. How people think and feel after brought the products about the movie

Now you should have some references in mind. If so, please put down a short reference list at the end of this blog so that you have a better plan of what articles that you are go to read for the project. 

1. Betsy Sharkey (2012). China under the influence of American cinema

2. Hertie Rhae (2014).

The Influence of American Popular Culture in Other Countries

(Please also complete the following parts in the hard copy of your research proposal if you are going to do ethnographic study and interviews in a location where you may encounter potential dangers. Otherwise you can leave the following parts blank.) 

What physical resources (e.g. camera) will this primary research require?

Yes! 1. Camera for recording the interview. 2. Mobile Phone for recording the voice interview.

Where and when exactly is this primary research going to take place?

(NB for health and safety reasons, we need to know the EXACT locations at which this research will take place and the EXACT times that you’ll be working there)

Group Interview:  16-22 March.

Which key persons (e.g. family members, trustworthy friends, business owners, etc.) have agreed to help and support you in carrying out this research?

No

Self-assessment of risk:

Is this research exercise likely to expose you to any health and safety risks or any risk to property? (If the answer is yes, please specify the risks)

(NB these might include: exposure to theft by using a camera in a public place; journeying into an unknown area of town; entering into people’s homes; carrying out ethnographies in places in which excessive alcohol consumption or drug use takes place; etc.)

No

Student Name: Ma Shun Hei

Student ID: 10551590

Research Diary 2 - Statement of Intent

Summary statement

In this research report, I would like to probe about the influence of American films, so the topic of my research report is “How American film influence Hong Kong people to consume the film’s products.”

Introduction

As the America’s movies are very famous around the world, there are many American films showing in different country every month. Marvel and Disney are two popular companies that provide some famous films including super hero theme movie and animated film. Those famous films regularly would release some products when the film is come up, such as the figures, phone case, clothes, tableware and bottle. Those products also are popular in Hong Kong.

The aim of this research report is investigating the reason that why American movies are famous around the world, and the differences between American movies and the other country’s movies. Also I would like to probe how those American movies conduct different groups of Hong Kong people to purchase the product about the film

In this research report, I expect I can find out some trend in the result, for example, the attraction of American movie that make it to be the most famous movies around the world. And the people would like to buy some products of the movie after they watched the movie, also those products can bring them some unique experience, feeling or even confident.

                                          

Proposed methodology

In-depth I would like to use qualitative research method and the quantitative method in this research report. In the qualitative research method, I would like to interviews with 15 people from different age group in Hong Kong, such as secondary student, university student, working people and they like watching / watched American movie in the past 1 year and brought the products about that movie. In the interview, it can understand they attitude towards American movie and the attraction of the products about movie, also the number of question of the interview would be around 10.

Moreover, in the quantitative research method, I would using the online questionnaire the collect the masses people view and some background information, and also those questions would revolve to these three questions.

1. What are the attractions of American movies?

2. How the movies attract people to buy the products about the movie?

3. How people think and feel after brought the products about the movie