Find a YouTube clip from film or TV and complete the same activity we have just done in class:
1) List the different people/groups represented in the trailer (men/women/Americans etc.)
2) For each group, decide whether the representation is a dominant or alternative portrayal.
3) What stereotypes can you identify in the trailer?
This clip is from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, the last film in the franchise. In this clip we see the group of rebels lead by Katniss trying to get to President Snow through the sewers, and their trek is interrupted when they are attacked by mutts (3:51).
The different groups of people mostly represented in this clip are:
-Men
-Women
-Soldiers
I think that the male characters in this clip are portrayed both dominantly and alternatively. For example, some stereotypical character traits that men are supposedly meant to exhibit include: strength, control, power, leadership the ability to save others (women in particular) and some of the male characters in this clip do demonstrate these traits, specifically Gale and Finnick (who ends up dying after ensuring everyone else's safety) yet Peeta's representation appears to be an alternative portrayal as he is the one that constantly needs saving by the other characters.
There are only three female characters in this clip and all three I think are portrayed alternatively to stereotypes that would suggest otherwise. One of these women (Jackson) is the first to be killed by the mutts however she is shown beforehand to be the leader of the group, a role that would usually be assigned to a male character, especially in a situation where the males outnumber the females. After she dies, Katniss and Cressida - the two other female characters - display behaviour that would not usually associated with femininity. For example Katniss, although sometimes needing to be saved herself, frequently saves Peeta from the mutts, killing as many of them as she can when usually we would expect the roles to be reversed so this challenges are immediate assumptions we may have had on the roles of men and women. Cressida's character also continues to challenge our preconceived thoughts on male and female characters as she too exhibits valiant, fearless behaviour that one would initially assign to a male character. She runs in firing a massive machine gun, shouting at the others to go, letting them escape before her and putting herself in danger.
A number of the characters in this clip are soldiers and there are a number of traits/qualities that one would usually expect a soldier to have. One of these is that a lot of people would naturally assume soldiers to be male, so this film tries to challenge that stereotype by including a number of female soldiers that end up performing just as successfully as the male soldiers. Another trait typically expected of soldiers is being brave and chivalrous and sacrificial and there is definitely a dominant portrayal of these stereotypes in the clip.
Read this article about Clouds Over Sidra - an immersive film that aims to help audiences connect with refugees in Syria. The idea was that, by using 360 degree technology from the Oculus Rift, audiences experience life in a refugee camp first hand.
Watch the 360 degree film discussed in the radio show
Answer these questions on your blog:
1) What does new Media such as 'Clouds over Sidra' offer audiences? Is there a target audience and how do you know?
'Clouds over Sidra' is able to offer audiences something that wouldn't normally be available to them - the opportunity to witness the harsh, everyday realities faced by thousands of refugees first-hand, things that edited documentaries or news reports wouldn't ordinarily include. It also gives us the opportunity to feel empathy for people far away, whereas we usually only tend to feel empathetic to the people around us and the people we know. By showing audiences things that are real enough to distress them, as is the filmmaker's aim, this could make them feel more obliged to make larger donations of 'humanitarian relief' as the Guardian article states, and this increases the chances of their problems coming to an end.
I think the target audience according to the article is people that have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of the refugees, which they clearly haven't been trying to do as much, so by showing them something that really highlights the realism of life in a refugee camp should compel them to do more than they already have been doing about it.
2) How have the new perspectives offered by the digital world changed the relationship between the audience (consumer) and the Media product (producer)?
Consider: Sensory overload / the role of empathy / Immersive media
One way the relationship between the consumer and the producer has changed - just like Clouds Over Sidra - is the use of virtual reality to relay current affairs to people and make them aware of some of the horrific situations happening in the world. This then makes the consumers feel empathetic towards the people who are suffering which encourages them to do similar things and do whatever they can to raise awareness of the same situations and before long, as more consumers become producers, the information has spread worldwide and people are beginning to raise large amounts of money towards the issues e.g. refugee camps.
I think another way the relationship between the consumer and the producer has changed (which is also mentioned by the maker of Clouds Over Sidra)is through the introduction of Facebook Live because this allows people to do both things - make live broadcasts for other people to watch and watch live broadcasts made by other people. This again is another efficient way of relaying information rapidly to people around the world in the hope of making a difference in massive global issues.
1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of videogames.How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model? This article links to the hypodermic needle model because it is arguing in favour of the fact that spending too long playing violent videogames encourages aggressive behaviour and the hypodermic needle model suggests that certain platforms of media (in this case violent video games), when 'injected' can have negative effects on consumers. 2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? -This particular case links to the hypodermic needle model because it makes connections between a young boy spending almost all his time playing violent videogames and him then hacking into a phone system, concluding that the videogames were the cause. -Some people might criticise this front page because it exposes both him and his mother in ways that they might not appreciate. For example, it exposes her relationship status and while it suggests that he may have some kind of social problem, it insensitively includes a photo of his face that could easily reveal his identity, potentially subjecting him to abuse from readers and the people in his community.
Two-step flow model
1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?
The two step flow model suggests that before engaging in a media text, consumers seek the opinions of and are influenced by 'Opinion Leaders' - usually high profile people in the media - to help decide whether they want to continue in their investment of the text. I think the two-step flow theory is still very much relevant today because there are still many people in the media advising their audience on how to live their lives and what to do in them by means of entertainment e.g. YouTubers like Zoella influence young girls in their choice of makeup, clothing, skincare, diet etc. and their audiences take this advice because these YouTubers are so famous and influential that their audiences want to be just like them.
In a number of his videos we see him reviewing games whilst playing them. By doing this, he is giving out his opinion of these games which his 2 million subscribers will see and probably take into consideration when deciding whether to play the game or not.
3) How this this Telegraph article on influential tweeters fit the two-step flow model? I think it fits the two-step model because it shows us that Britain's public feel like they are most influenced by One Direction, five young men that became famous through singing. There are people on the list e.g. Richard Branson that have done undeniably better/more influential things than One Direction but because of their growing popularity among young people from 2010 until now, along with the fact that they themselves were teenagers when they were on X Factor, they have been voted the top 5 most influential tweeters in Britain.
4) Read this BBC profile of Jamal Edwards. How does Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model? Jamal Edwards links to the two-step flow model because we are told that he came from being a normal teenager in a 'West London council estate' to a 'self-made multimillionaire' and this could be a message to his millions of viewers that you don't need a lot of money or skill/training to become successful at something you're passionate about. This could lead to his fans being inspired to follow in his footsteps and trying to make something of their lives.
Uses and Gratifications theory
1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points.
Diversion: For diversion, I have chosen the TV series Sherlock and I think this is a good example of diversion because it allows you focus on something much more entertaining and engaging than your everyday problems. Furthermore, because of its complex narratives, it gives you no other choice but to forget everything else going on in your life and concentrate on what's going on. It also has a lot of humour in it, ensuring it doesn't confuse or overwhelm its audience with too much of a serious subject matter.
Personal Relationships: I think the Harry Potter franchise fits well with Personal Relationships because over the course of ten years of films its audiences will have developed feelings towards all the characters and will have been waiting for a certain outcome to happen at the end of the final film. Also, because of the bonds the audiences will have formed with their favourite characters, some of those characters had deaths quite late in the franchise and I think an advantage of the deaths of popular characters being later in the franchise is that it has a bigger emotional impact on the audience e.g. when Dobby, one of the most lovable characters in the entire franchise is killed at the end of the seventh film. However, there are some deaths that undoubtedly make the audience really happy e.g. (SPOILER) the three most significant deaths at the end - Bellatrix, Nagini and Voldemort.
Personal Identity: I think something I personally identify with a lot is the coming of age film The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I think that the protagonist Charlie is a lot like me in the sense that he is presented as being quite socially awkward and very anxious in social situations, which is something I tend to be like too. Also, at one point in the film, Charlie has a breakdown as he remembers all the things that have happened during the year and while I've experienced nothing as bad as he has, I do tend to become very overwhelmed very easily by my thoughts and feelings to the point where I feel I'm trapped in panic and the way Charlie is presented in this particular scene I find really resonates with me. Furthermore, during the course of the film he makes friends with Sam and Patrick who are the - what we would call - 'misfits' or 'outcasts' of the school and they form this friendship that suits all three of them perfectly, and they don't really care what other people think of them. I think that after seeing this for the first time, it's something that I wish I had, in that I wish I didn't care what people think about me because it seriously inhibits the enjoyment I get out of life, so that's one of the main things I take from this film every time I watch it.
Surveillance: For Surveillance, I have chosen the BBC News website - I think that this is an efficient way of retrieving information, more so than on TV because especially for people with highly demanding jobs/lifestyles, they may not have enough time to watch the news on TV when it's on so they decide to check online when they do have the time and so this way, they get informed on everything they may have missed over the past few days and they can read about the stories in more detail, getting the information in their own time without the risk of missing any of it.
Emrys and Joyce were both born and grew up in the Rhondda Valleys and were married in South Wales on the 28th of May 1955. They moved to Greenford after they married where they had a daughter, Elizabeth in 1965. Emrys worked for Gillette in Brentford and Joyce was unemployed. They both enjoyed watching TV, although they both had quite different programme tastes. After their daughter got married in 1990, they moved back up to Wales and lived in Bridgend, in the village of Pyle. Unfortunately a few years later Joyce passed away. Emrys still lives in the same house in Bridgend and much of his interests, brand choices and possessions have remained the same for many years as he prefers tradition. His daily routine is pretty much the same every day, fitting in visits to his lady friend who he's known for over 20 years, lives in a care home and has Parkinson's disease. The only exception to this routine is on Sundays when he goes to the church he's been going to ever since he's lived in Pyle.
In terms of brands and materialism, he has owned his current car for about 12 years and the brands of food he buys have been the same for so long that when his daughter and granddaughter Sophie visit him and do his shopping for him, they know exactly what to get him - Warburton's Danish Bread for example - and almost all of his preferred brands are the cheapest ones available. He buys most of his fruit and veg fresh from a greengrocer in the local seaside town and has done for years. A lot of his furniture and home furnishings have remained the same over the years as well - some are even older than his daughter, for example his radio, his kitchen net curtains and his crockery.
The only technology he owns is a Samsung 32 inch TV, on which the channels he tends to watch are BBC 1 Wales, S4C (Welsh Channel 4), Channel 5, ITV 2 and the TV shows he tends to watch include: BBC One News at 6 and 10, football and rugby, documentaries and sometimes films if they appeal to him. He also likes Two and a Half Men and reads the Daily Mail. He doesn't own anything in the way of DVDs or CDs, has no Wifi, no mobile phone and no computer. He does have two landline phones which again, he has owned for a very long time.
1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?
The article says that iconographies 'work together to indicate the genre' of media platforms e.g. by adding certain iconographies, a person sitting at a desk can be turned into a TV News programme.
2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre? The article states that the initial story-lines of soap operas and sit-coms are similar but the way the narratives develop makes it easier to distinguish between the two.
3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies? In action movies, the heroic characters are typically placed away from the rest of the characters, whereas in disaster movies, the heroes often remain within a group of other people.
4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? The first way Bordwell believes films can be categorised is by the period or country they are set in because these aspects of a film can help audiences determine its genre. Another one of Bordwell's methods of categorisation is the director or the stars of the film, because if a certain director e.g. Tim Burton has a specific style of film-making then the audience have an initial idea of what to expect from that film. Similarly certain actors tend to feature most in a certain genre e.g. Jim Carrey tends to star mostly in comedies. Another of Bordwell's methods of categorisation is technical process, e.g. animated films have their own technical process which could instantly give them their own category. Another one of Bordwell's methods of categorisation is style which audiences are able to identify when watching certain films. Another method is series which enables film franchises like Harry Potter, James Bond Indiana Jones and the Hunger Games to be grouped into one category. The last method Bordwell suggested is that films can be categorised based on their audiences because specific genres of films will have specific audiences.
5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.
-One way audiences use genre is by using knowledge they already have about that genre to help determine how much they are going to enjoy a text.
-Another way audiences use genre is being able to compare texts with ones they're already aware of that are of the same genre.
-The third way audiences use genre is, similarly to the first one, using their existing knowledge to potentially decide not to consume a certain text because they know it won't appeal to them.
6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.
-One way genre is used by producers is by producing what they think will be popular among audiences and what will get the most consumption.
-Another way genre is used by producers is by seeing what has already got the audience's attention and keep producing similar things that will retain their attention and keep them interested and entertained.
-The third way genre is used by producers is by telling the audience what the genre of the text will be before releasing the text e.g. through trailers in TV and film so the audience know what to expect of the text.
7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?
The film genre mentioned in the article is Gangster films. Some texts that would be seen as typical gangster films are: Scarface and Reservoir Dogs and the TV series The Sopranos. It also states that one common convention that tends to appear in gangster films is a Tommy Gun hidden in a violin case.
Superheroes 1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre. Spiderman, X Men, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers Assemble and Batman. 2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years? -One example of a Superhero text that has reflected a world event is Superman, who during the 1940s, was seen fighting European villains. This is the same time period as the Second World War during which the US, in allegiance with the UK saw themselves as fighting European enemies. -Another example could be the 2006 film V for Vendetta that could be argued as having links in its narrative to 9/11. 3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre? Most Superhero films start out as comic/cartoon characters e.g. Superman and this is where the innovation takes place/the establishing of the codes and conventions of the genre. Then the classical stage is when the codes and conventions are repeated so in the case of Batman, the first text created after the original cartoon character was a TV series Batman and Robin in 1949 in which the same codes and conventions from the comic were repeated. During the next stage, parody, we see the 1966 film Batman being "intentionally funny and camp" as the article states and then in the deconstruction stage, the later versions of Batman in 1978 and 1989 began to show experimentation with special effects, a change of director in 1989 (Tim Burton) and an increase in humour, whilst keeping the classical elements. General The text I have chosen is the TV series The Mighty Boosh. 1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing? I chose this text because I find it entertaining and I love it for its originality. 2) In what context did you encounter it? My dad wanted to show me a particular episode - this was a few years ago and after realising how much I liked it, I decided to watch the rest and now watch it all the time on Netflix. 3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text? I think the fact that my dad thought I'd enjoy it gave me an optimistic predetermined view on it, so the anticipation of watching something I knew I'd enjoy gave me a positive outlook and enabled me to see all the good aspects of it in my interpretation. 4) To what genre did you initially assign the text? Comedy because the title is particularly comic and doesn't make much sense which I think points to comedy as being the genre. 5) What is your experience of this genre? Again, my dad has introduced me to some of his favourite comedians and comedy shows e.g. Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, The Young Ones, I'm Alan Partridge, The Office, Extras, Green Wing, The League of Gentlemen etc. so I've had a wide range of experience with this genre. 6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with? Each series takes place in a different location e.g. in series 1 the four protagonists (Vince, Howard, Naboo - a shaman - and Bollo - a gorilla) work/live in a zoo, in series 2 they share a flat and in series 3 they run a shop and each episode has a different story line. The main narrative of each episode is something will go wrong, usually for Vince and Howard and then Naboo and Bollo will have to save them by the end of the episode although some episodes will have narratives that don't follow that general trend. Although there is no chronology to the episodes, most have recurring jokes or recurring minor characters e.g. the moon, the Hitcher. 7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content? Personally, I would consider this show a typical comedy show because its content entertains me and doesn't fail to make me laugh, but I don't think that the humour in it would appeal to everyone because some of its content and subject matters could be considered slightly controversial so others might not view it as typically comical as I would. 8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre? I think the only expectation I have about comedy texts is that I expect them to make me laugh or at least cheer me up when I need it. I also like it when I'm able to relate to elements of the narrative e.g. family life in Outnumbered.9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)? Wikipedia describe it as a 'surreal comic fantasy'. 10) What generic labels have others given the same text? IMDB categorises it as 'Comedy, Fantasy and Musical'. 11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text? Recurring jokes, comedic characters, 'crimping', petty arguments between characters, frequent use of one-liners, a serial killing Granny (Nanageddon). 12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre? I think that it stretches its comedy conventions to the point where the humour becomes dark and quite eerie and the audience aren't sure whether to laugh or feel scared. 13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre? An example of this could be in series 3 when Vince and Howard almost leave the shop to start new lives and there is a brief moment of sadness that doesn't have any aspects of comedy or fantasy in it at all. 14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))? The frequent use of magic, potions, flying carpets, demons, a talking moon, characters like Old Gregg and the Crack Fox are the conventions of the show that I think seem more like those of the Fantasy genre. 15) What familiar motifs or images are used? There are a number of recurring characters like the moon - who, each time we see him always talks to the audience briefly about things that don't make sense. There is also the Hitcher who first appears in an episode called 'Hitcher' but he reappears nameless in a number of other episodes. Furthermore, there are a number of recurring catchphrases from certain characters e.g. Tony Harrison with "this is an outrage" and Naboo with "I'm going to have to turn my back on you" which he does, slowly, with country music in the background. Mode of address 1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)? I think because of some of the potentially controversial content, the age of its target audience would probably be 15+ and people who enjoy dark humour and possibly also other things that star the same people e.g. Never Mind the Buzzcocks with Noel Fielding. I think comedy texts usually aim to appeal to an older audience because comedy can be very clever in ways that only adults understand which sometimes makes it funnier and more enjoyable for the audience. 2) How does the text address you? It assumes that I am its target audience so it tries to appeal to me and make me laugh in the way that it felt it would appeal to its target audience. 3) What sort of person does it assume you are? Having watched the whole show, I think it would assume me to be someone who enjoys having fun and being a bit weird and eccentric, possibly also someone who doesn't tend to follow the crowd, especially since a lot of the time it mentions places like Shoreditch and Camden which are places that are usually seen as the more eclectic, gritty, alternative parts of London. 4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity? I think it has assumed me to be of working class, and educated enough to understand some of the clever puns/inside jokes that feature in it. I think it has assumed that I'm possibly a young adult, either male or female, possibly more likely to be male and I think in terms of ethnicity, some of the humour would probably be more associated with White-British culture. 5) What interests does it assume you have? There are a lot of references to fashion in the show so maybe it assumes that I'm interested in fashion too, with a strong disliking for jazz music, as expressed by all but one character throughout the show. Maybe it also assumes that I'm interested in the world of spirituality and divination as that features heavily throughout as well. Relationship to other texts 1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)? There are a lot of references to 80s music artists e.g. Gary Numan, Level 42, Adam Ant, Bryan Ferry etc.which could also hint at the interests it assumes I might have. 2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely? I think it most closely resembles Monty Python. 3) What key features are shared by these texts? They both share similarities in terms of their styles of narrative, characters, and humour - they're both eclectic and surreal in style, have controversial subject matters and they both feature original musical numbers that contribute to the comedy.
4) What major differences do you notice between them?
As opposed to The Mighty Boosh whose episodes feature one narrative per episode, Monty Python's episodes feature multiple compilations of non-chronological sketches per episode.
This is a scene from BBC's Sherlock. In this scene, from the episode A Scandal in Belgravia we see the eponymous character coming home and discovering that his landlady Mrs Hudson has been attacked.
In accordance to Todorov's theory of Equilibrium, the initial state of equilibrium would have been before the attack when we assume Mrs Hudson would have been at home and Sherlock and Watson would have been out working on cases relevant to the plot of this particular episode. The disequilibrium would be the attack itself and Nielsen holding a gun to Mrs Hudson's head as Sherlock tries to work out how he's going to save her and restore equilibrium. Finally the new equilibrium is after Sherlock has called the police, Nielsen has 'fallen' out of the window and John is looking after Mrs Hudson.
According to Propp's character theory, the hero in this scene and indeed the whole series is Sherlock. The princess of this scene is Mrs Hudson since she is the one needing rescuing. The helper in this scene and in the majority of other scenes throughout the series is John. We don't see evidence of a dispatcher in this scene but people who know the series well could assume that it is Mycroft, Sherlock's brother. A possible donor is briefly mentioned when Sherlock calls Lestrade and asks him to send police officers and an ambulance, which both help create a state of new equilibrium by taking Nielsen away. The villain in Sherlock would initially be assumed to be Moriarty because he creates most of the disequilibrium throughout the series but in this particular scene, Moriarty has no involvement and the villain is Nielsen.
There are a number of moments in this scene that could be considered enigma or action codes as created by Roland Barthes. For example, at the beginning of the scene when we see Sherlock re-creating what happened in his head, one enigma code could be that the audience at first are unaware of who attacked Mrs Hudson and how long ago it happened and whether she is alright/still alive and whether the attacker is still there. Later in the scene, Sherlock tells Lestrade that Nielsen 'fell out of the window' yet Nielsen is still tied up, so the audience begin to wonder how Sherlock is going to justify that statement. This could be both an enigma code and an action code because it tells the audience that one way or another, Nielsen is going to fall out of the window.
This scene is the opening to the fifth film in the Harry Potter franchise - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - during which Harry and Dudley are attacked by two dementors in a subway.
According to Todorov's theory of equilibrium, the moment of initial equilibrium is when Harry is sitting in a playground minding his own business before being approached by Dudley and his friends who instigate the disequilibrium of the scene when they make fun of Harry and then Harry loses his temper which is followed by a dramatic change in the weather, adding to the disequilibrium. This disequilibrium worsens when the dementors attack both Harry and Dudley but then Harry uses the patronus charm to restore the harmony that existed before the dementors arrived - the new equilibrium. According to Propp's character theory, the hero in this scene is definitely Harry, since he saves himself and Dudley from the dementors. The princess in this scene awaiting Harry's rescue is Dudley. The helper in this scene who doesn't appear until the end is Mrs Figg, who (after the clip finishes) helps Harry and Dudley to get home and advises them to stay there. The donor appears to be Dumbledore who - as Mrs Figg tells Harry - has sent her to Little Whinging keep an eye on him while he's away from Hogwarts. The villain/s in this scene could be both Dudley and the dementors because they disrupt the equilibrium in their own ways and at different times in the scene. The first enigma code the audience is probably aware of is when the weather changes and at first we don't know why and we are intrigued as to what's going to happen next. When we are introduced to the dementors we then start to question why they have come to the Muggle world. After the attack, we are introduced to Mrs Figg who we have never seen before and we just assume is one of Harry's neighbours so when she mentions Harry's wand, we are confused and interested to know how she knows Harry and who she is in relation to the Wizarding world.
This is the trailer for the 2004 film adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
From just the trailer, there are a number of moments that could be seen as Barthes' enigma and action codes. For example, the first thing we see is the children walking through a house that appears to have recently been burned down. This leaves the audience not knowing whose house it is, how the fire started, or how it affects the children. Other enigma codes could be when we are introduced briefly to other characters but are not named so the audience know they exist but don't yet know where they fit in the narrative and what involvement they will have in the lives of the Baudelaire children.
The first moment of equilibrium we see is the Baudelaire children at the beach doing the things they each love best. This is then disrupted by the first moment of disequilibrium which is Mr Poe coming to tell them that their parents have died. This is then followed by further disequilibrium as the children are taken to live with their distant relative Count Olaf who treats them like slaves and cares solely about getting his hands on the fortune the children's parents left behind, even attempting to kill them at one point. There is then a brief moment of new equilibrium as Mr Poe discovers Count Olaf's poor parenting and takes them away from him. After many further encounters with Count Olaf in disguise and the death of two family members, the Baudelaire children end up in another moment of disequilibrium - back in Count Olaf's guardianship where he decides to marry Violet in order to get the fortune before she turns 18, but to hide his plan, he makes it into a play. As Violet is about to sign the marriage certificate, Klaus discovers that Count Olaf caused the fire that killed their parents and exposes him to the entire community who have come to watch the 'play'. Count Olaf is captured, arrested and the children are free of his guardianship which is the final moment of new equilibrium.
According to Propp's character theory, I think the hero of this film is Klaus Baudelaire, since he is the one who reveals the real cause of their parents' deaths and has Count Olaf taken away. The villain of this film is undoubtedly Count Olaf because his only aim throughout the film is to get the Baudelaire fortune. I think there are a number of donors in this film; the two main ones being Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine, two of the three guardians they have during the film, who both give them subtle information connected with their parents' deaths that only makes sense later. The helper in this film in terms of discovering how the fire started is Sunny, the youngest of the children who, whilst in a cage, directs Klaus to the window Count Olaf started the fire from. Some could argue that the dispatchers of this film are the children's parents, who have in some way arranged for their children to live with this particular relatives in order to discover their fate and the true identity of Count Olaf. There isn't an exclusive princess character in the film but towards the end, Sunny needs rescuing from the cage she's put in by Count Olaf so she could be seen as the princess here.
Apple's brand values would be about quality, aesthetics, lifestyle and the future. The fact that each product released by Apple, inside and out, is in some way better than its predecessor shows that it fits with Dyer's line of appeal Successful Careers, and possibly even Rich and Luxurious Lifestyles because it represents their determination and aspiration to aim higher with each product. Furthermore, Apple appeals to a wide range of consumers, from working class citizens to celebrities so when a celebrity has an Apple product, their fans will understand that to be representative of a 'rich and luxurious lifestyle' so will buy that same product in order to 'replicate' their favourite celebrity's lifestyle for themselves.
Apple continues to impress its diverse audiences with growing versatility.
Apple in one word: Evolution
Dolmio
The brand values of Dolmio are ones that primarily reinforce the idea of families spending time together, specifically at mealtimes, during an age where many families eat dinner separately and at different times. Its brand values would be about family and happiness.This definitely fits into Dyer's line of appeal Happy Families. One of Dolmio's TV adverts shows the famous 'Dolmio' family taking their dinner to the father working late so they can all eat together, which is their way of highlighting people working together in order to eat dinner as a family. Their slogan, "When's your Dolmio day?" could fit with Self Importance and Pride because it indicates their belief that their product is so good, its consumers dedicate specific days to it.
Dolmio's aim is to bring families closer together at mealtimes.
Dolmio in one word: Family. Disney The brand values of Disney are ones that aim to capture the attention of children, without losing the attention of adults. This immediately fits with Dyer's lines of appeal Happy Families, Dreams and Fantasy and also Childhood because adults of the 21st century most likely have nostalgic feelings for the older Disney films they grew up with, while enjoying watching their children grow up watching the more recent ones.Since 1937, its feature films have improved in their characters, narratives, emotional impact on audiences (especially in their partnership with Pixar) and ability to simultaneously entertain and educate with a number of their films containing historical references, e.g. Pocahontas (1995). This could therefore vaguely fit with Art, Culture and History. Disney unearths the imagination in children and the emotion in adults. Disney in one word: Genius Subway The brand values of Subway would include: personal choice, quality and lifestyle. It enables you to choose exactly how you want your sandwich and they give you enough choice to make it unique to you. This then compels customers to return and eat there regularly because they know that their personal preference will always be available to them. This links directly to Happy Families - everyone wants to belong because with Subway, everyone IS able to belong. It could also fit with Self Importance and Pride because by giving their customers specific choices shows that they want their customers to be as satisfied and comfortable eating their food as possible. Subway prepares good quality food according to specific customer preference. Subway in one word: Personal Coca-Cola As a brand that has been around since the late 19th Century, Coca-Cola's ultimate aim has always been to bring friends closer together. They frequently encourage 'sharing' the drink together, suggesting that they believe that their product has the potential to create and maintain friendships. This is evident from their campaign a few years ago when they personalised their bottles, allowing customers to find ones with their name on, essentially making them feel closer with both the brand itself and the people around them. Therefore it could fit into Self Importance and Pride, Happy Families and Successful Careers. Coca-Cola has always aimed to connect emotionally with its customers. Coca-Cola in one word: Relationships
Excellent information on history, clearly communicated through slides.
Possibly too much text and not enough images- could you have had a clip (montage of some of their work) or thought about notable texts that have made them the most amount of money? Maybe a picture or clip of what Saturday Night Live is and who their audience share is mostly (what demographic do their shows most appeal to?)
Excellent on subsidiaries and cross media - Maybe more about franchises and how owning Universal Studios means they can make money from things other than just film itself – multi-media platforms such as tours and the theme park / merchandising associated with it?
My own Evaluation
I think I included enough information about Comcast's history but maybe not enough about its subsidiaries and the finances of its subsidiaries. I think I had too much text on my slides which took up time I could have used to show images or clips. I also think I could have made my starter and my plenary more engaging and more detailed. However, I included everything that I was asked to include and tried to ensure that people learnt something they would remember.
This is an advert made in 2010 for the sports clothing brand Reebok which features a photo of and two quotes from the American rap artist 50 Cent.The quote at the top of the advert could be a subtle way of persuading its audience to buy the product, especially the line "take advantage of today because tomorrow is not promised" which could be Reebok's message to buy the product now because you might not get another chance to. The advert is all black and white and there isn't much light in the photo of 50 Cent; these could be indicators of sadness or depression and this is further suggested by 50 Cent's facial expression. On the right side of the advert is an image of fingerprints, supposedly taken during a person's arrest and this could symbolise rebellion. This could also suggest that the advert's target audience are most likely to be fans of 50 Cent and other rap artists or they could be people that are quite rebellious or maybe stereotyped against as being rebellious or reckless, specifically young people, who have a tendency to be wrongly labelled by certain elements of the media and so are able to relate to elements of the advert, which then inspires them to buy the product. The second quote "I am what I am" spreads across both images and this could be implying that 50 Cent believes that although he may have made mistakes in his life, they've made him the person he is now and this could be Reebok's way of saying that the product they are advertising will make you your own person and will be part of your identity. This idea of identity could be further emphasised by the close up shot of the fingerprints, enabling the audience to see the individual lines of each print and we are reminded that everyone's fingerprints are unique and again this could be Reebok trying to tell their customers that their product makes you unique.
This is a print advert for Water Aid which features a fish in a fishbowl and we can see that the tap on the side has been left dripping. The slogan for this advert is 'Save Water. Save Life.' This slogan is a direct link to the dripping tap and it leaves the audience to infer that if the tap just kept dripping, eventually the fish would die and so this is a message to the audience that if we keep our taps dripping, it could cost the lives of people around the world. This is the subject matterof the advert. I think that the fact that the slogan is visually very small with nothing framing it and the fact that the photo has been taken using a relatively long shot with very little else on the right side of the photois a message to the audience that an action as small and simple as people turning their taps off in one country can impact the rest of the world and save lives as the slogan says. Also, the decision to have negative space next to the fishbowl could have been made to be representative of how empty the world will become if people leave their taps running. It could also be Water Aid's way of getting across the simplicity of the solution; that nothing huge or complicated needs to happen in order to save lives. The colour scheme of the advert is quite plain and bland apart from the orange of the fish, which highlights the importance of the matter in that if the fish dies, all the colour will be gone from the picture which represents what will happen in our world eventually if people leave their taps running. By looking at this and realising its message, the audience is able to relate to the issue, specifically the idea of leaving taps on and so they could feel a sense of guilt and will subsequently act on this guilt and feel compelled to start turning their taps off.
