Video Evaluation

For my video I believe that to make it better I could have included a conclusion on how technonlogy is affecting us today. The editing could have also been improved as there was an issue with some of the slides not being properly synced. To make these improvements to my video I could possibly use a better software to edit the video rather than using Windows Movie Maker.

My Video



Analysis of Documentary DVD Cover- World War II

This is the cover of a documentary about World War II. This Documentary was created to give people who didn't experience the war and people who did an insight of how it was in the 1940. So therefore, this documentary would appeal to a very wide audience due to the popular topic being documented. However, stereotypically this would appeal to older audience because of the serious topic which older audience would be appealed to. The demographic could be all of them because rich and poor people can all relate to the war.

The image on the cover shows a soldier looking at the war scene. This connotes that the DVD will be showing the war through the eyes of soldiers. So therefore, this would certainly appeal to former/current soldiers because they can relate to them. Also people who aren't involved in army would be appealed because they can sympathize with the soldiers, see their brave actions and have a better understanding of the history of their countries. The cover doesn't really show many colors and images. This is done to empathize how serious this topic is and by having many colors and images would connote a happy scene, which it certainly wasn't. 

The DVD instantly gives out the genre and meaning of the documentary because of the codes and conventions used in the war genre. This is very important in this genre because this genre has a niche audience that would most definitely be interested in purchasing this. The color and font used on the title. 'WWII' is very simple. This connotes that this documentary doesn't need colors and editing because it isn't a subject which needs that.

This documentary is an E (everyone) rated DVD. This is done because children, adults, male and females would all gain something from watching this because they will learn something from their history and have a better understanding of what war life is.

The barbed wire could represent a message that shows that the soldiers a restricted to do certain things when they are in war. This creates sympathy towards the soldiers from the audience because they will feel sorry that they are living that kind of life. Also the fact that the soldier in the cover is facing the 'WWII' (second war world) connotes that the soldiers are in a mission to win the battle. Also there's a 'WWII' in front and behind his head. This connotes that serving in war is the soldiers destiny as he cannot avoid it.  

To conclude, I think this cover followed many very important codes and conventions in this genre which is vital if they are willing to attract people to watch this type of film. Also the use of simplicity on the cover certainly made sure that they keep this genre as serious as possible.

Textual Analysis Questions

Textual Analysis

Batman Dark Knight Rises Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yh6SriAjdE


Codes & Conventions:

What techniques does the trailer use to persuade the audiences to watch the film?

Representation

How is gender represented in the trailer?


Audience:

Who is the target audience and how are they encouraged to watch this film?


Institution:

How will the films institution benefit from this Batman franchise ending?



Q1)
The trailer uses a range of different codes and conventions to grip the attention of its audience. One of them is their use of star appeal. The film 'Dark Knight Rises' has got an all-star cast of actors like Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman who are all winners of numerous awards. This will grip the attention of audience because they will immidiately expect an amazing performance from each of the actors. Another convention the trailer uses is the use of title shots. The trailer use phrases such as "The Legend Ends" and "The Epic Conclusion". These title will encourage viewers to watch the film because following the success of the Batman films fans will certainly want to know how the trilogy will end. The trailler also has its own composed music that fits the film. This will give audiences the knowledge that a lot of money has been put into this film and also the the success of 'Batman Begins' and 'Dark Knight' will persuade them to watch this film. Finally the mention of the director Christopher Nolan will persuade audiences to watch it because he's a very succesfull director who's won many awards such as Academy Awards, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. This will give audiences the understanding that this film will be a guaranteed success.

Q2)
The sequence represents gender in very contrasting ways and also very stereotypical at times. The trailer shows the female protagonist (Anne Hathaway) in a very dominant role in this film as the female villain. She is represented as a very sexy female who uses her sex appeal to do evil. This is shown in one of the scenes where she is seen whispering into Batmans ear and it shows that she is in control of her sexuality. However, the appearence of Anne Hathaway could be represented negatively as it is very stereotypical as she's just there tp be voyeured on.

In contrast men are represented very stereotypically as strong and powerful characters. This is shown through the performance of Batman being very physical and depending on his strength. This is also shown throught the male villain who depends on those similar attributes. A negative representation could be argued that the film is representing men as the dominant sex.

Q3)
The target audience for this film would stereotypically be males between the age of 14 to 25. This can be identified through the typical conventions this film has that would attract this audience. This film has features like: vioolence, explosions and loads of action. Also this is about an iconic character (Batman) that is very often associated with the male audience. They are encouraged to watch this film through the success of the previous Batman film especially the prequel, Dark Knight which is one of the most successful film of all time. Also the fact that this is the ending to the franchise, fans would thereofre want to know how this franchise would end. Batman is  very successful brand that has been going on for decades so that would encourage audiences immidiately and also comic book fans who follow Batman would certainly be interested. The secoundary audience for this film is females. This is because unlike the prequel this film is also starring a female villain so that would engage female audiences to see how this film would represent them. This film also targets both genders through the sex appeal of the very famous cast of this film, with the like of Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, Liam Neeson etc.


Q4)
The film institution of Batman will benefit from this franchise ending because looking at the record of the previous Batman film from this franchise the films has been getting better and more successful each time. This film is almost guaranteed success because a lot of money has gone into this film to make it as successful as it can be which will attract audiences to watch it and increase the films popularity. Also from the previous films viral marketing has been extremely important in the success of the Batman films as it attracted many viewers in the prequel and this happening again is very likely. The fact that this is the ending of this franchise will encourage many people to wonder how it will end therefore increasing the amount of money this film will make.

Super 8 Cross Media Study

Super 8 Cross Media Study

How Is Super 8 Promoted Through PRINT MEDIA?

Super 8 is promoted through print media by certain very successful newspapers and magazines writing positive reviews about the film. One example of this is by the Empire Magazine. This very famous magazine has a very positive review about the film rewarding it with 4/5 stars. Reviewer Ian Nathan called this film, 'something to cherish: a beautifully made homage to better times, and better movies.'
Another print media platform that gave 'Super 8' a great review was The Guardian Newspaper. Even though Peter Bradshaw gave the film a lower rating than Empire. He still gave it a 3/5 stars. This form of promotion is good for the film because it will encourage a wider range of audience members because stereotypically they are the ones who usally read newspapers.

So  overall, 'Super 8' is getting positive promotion through print media. The Empire Magazine is attracting the younger readers to watch the film because they are Empires main target audience.



The film poster of Super 8 is also a good use of promotion by the marketing directors of Super 8. They have made sure that Steven Spielbergs name is in bold writing. This is done because Spielberg is known for being one of the greatest film directors of all time and by putting his name on the poster it is likely to attract a huge amount of audiences.

The film poster is also advertised on buses. This is a good form of promotion because people will notice the poster and be interested straight away.

How Is Super 8 Promoted Through Broadcasting?

One way 'Super 8' is promoted through broadcasting is when cast members from the film go on TV interviews to talk about the film. This was the case when Kyle Chandler (who played Jackson Lamb in the film) went on the David Letterman Show to talk about the film. In the interview he sounds very enthusiastic about the film by saying, "Your gonna like this movie!" This is likely to attract wider audiences because of the star appeal they will be interested in when they herre a famous person having a good opinion on the film.

How Is Super 8 Promoted Through E-Mail?

The main source of promotion Super 8 uses through E-mail is through their official website. Their website includes things like downloads, galleries, cast members, videos, news. etc. This is a good opportunity to let Super 8 fans to get to know the cast because of the videos. The website also has links to social networking sites such as Twitter. This gives the audience members the chance to interact with the film, cast and also to receive news on releases, signings and much more. Super 8 fans can also buy the Super 8 DVD from the website.

Link to the website: http://www.super8-movie.com/

Also through E-media Super 8 audiences can have access to online blogs by well known sources. The Sky website has a blog dedicated to Super 8 film. The blog gives credit to J J Abrams film making skills by saying, "Abrams is a master of suspense, drip-feeding us added layers to the mystery." This a good form of promotion because this would attract audiences becasuse they would know that he's good at what he does. The website also mentions that the film will be on Sky Movies soon. This good because it would get audience members excited about the film.

Link to the website: http://skymovies.sky.com/super-8/review

Audiences Members Each Platform Attracts

With print media the platform mainly attracts a older target audiences who are in the D to C demographic. This because stereotypically they are the sort of people who are interested in reading blogs and newspapers. Older audience members will get Super 8 more money because they are the ones who are willing to pay over the odds to experience the film to the fullest.

With E-media Super 8 are mainly attracting a younger audience because they are the one who are stereotypically ineterested in using social networking sites, so the sites are mainly used to reach out to those younger fans. This is also for young audience members because teens don't usually make their own income so the E-media is used as a free form of advertising for those people and it's also easy to access and buy things. 

Broadcasting is mainly used to reach out to a much wider audience because it is mainly used by everyone. This tool of promotion is very effective because Tv trailers for examples comes on in between shows so people will be able to see it while they are waiting for their shows to begin. Broadcasting is also a good way of promoting because there are shows made specifically to promote movies. An example of this is the BBC TV show, Film 2011. This show was created to attract film lovers to watch certain films.

Representations Constructed Through The 3 Platforms

Usually the three different platforms construct different representations in order to reach out to the specific target market they are willing to attract. For print media, bad representations are usually constructed in magazines and tabloids in order to try and keep the audiences entertained and make them carry on buying their products. The tabloids normally create bad stories about actors/actresses to engage the buyers.

Broadcasting often construct very glamorous representations because they believe that it is what people are interested in watching. They also make the stars seem as if they are more important than ordinary people by the way they represent them in a very stylish and glamorous way making it conote them being special. This attracts audiences because it will make people idolise those artists.

With E-media celebrities are usually represented in different ways because anyone can write a blog on anyone and give their opinions on them. Twitter is an example of this because for Super 8 twitter page anyone can post an opinion on the film and they can also communicate with the stars of the film. 

Technology and Institutions

Super 8 has to react to changes in audience needs because people are interested in different things nowadays. One thing Super 8 has to be wary of is the rise of the internet. The internet has become so massive now that everyone has access to it. Super 8 has to start using promotional methods that include technology because that is what they are interested in now.

The institution that was involved in the creation of Super 8 is Amblin. Amblin is a film institution that is owned by Steven Spielberg. This can have a positive impact on the film success because audiences will notice that Spielberg owns it and will therefore be interested to watch it because of the success of Steven Spielberg.



 

    

Super 8

Super 8 Media Platform

E-Media-
Online Cast Interview:

Those who are interested in the movies cast have easy access to interviews of them. It's all in one place. This will interest audiences to research about the movie, cast, director, etc.  

Super 8 on Sky website: http://movies.sky.com/super-8/review

Their Own Official Website: www.super8-movie.com/


Broadcasting 

Teaser Trailer:

The teaser trailer gives enough info about the movie to attract an audience. However, its able to persuade them to watch the movie as the trailer creates an enigma code.

This is an interview on the David Letterman Show with one of the cast members of Super 8. Kyle Chandler discusses about the film and how good it is.  

Super 8 Blue Ray DVD

This is the Super 8 Blue Ray DVD costing £14.99 from Amazon.



http://collider.com/super-8-set-photos-jj-abrams/49956/ 

This is a link to a website that has images from the 'Super 8' set.

Print

Super 8 Film Poster:

Guardian Review: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/aug/04/super-8-review 

This is a review on the Guardian newspaper giving an opinion on the film.

  

Film Lighting Analysis (Taken)