media language Flashcards
historical context: what year was the film set? why?
set in the middle of the 1973 energy crisis, when the oil producing Arab nations proclaimed an oil embargo causing an oil crisis which had both short and long-term effects across on politics and the economy across the globe
historical context: why were illustrations used?
prior to the 1990s, illustrations were more commonly used on film posters due to the limited technology that was available
historical context: as it was set during an energy crisis, how is this hinted on the poster?
through the poster’s iconography of the power plant in the lower left corner and the energy beam directed at bond
what is typical for film posters?
very visual
rely on images
limited text to promote the film
what were the images needed for the audience?
how is this seen on the poster?
the images need to give the audience an idea of the film genre and hint at the narrative
rather than just one dominant image, there is so much going on that the reader is expected to work through the images to understand the film’s plot.
describe the central image of James Bond
mid-shot of James Bond
smartly dressed holding a gun across his body
the dominance of his image suggests he is the film’s protagonist and so probably a ‘good guy’. according to Vladimir Propp’s theory, he would be considered the ‘hero’
what does bond’s attire and gun connotes?
connotes business and professionalism and the gun, an iconic part of Bond’s ‘uniform’, signifies danger and action
how is bond seemingly making eye contact?
looking directly at the audience
as bond is making eye contact, what is the intensity of his stare and the lack of smile could connote?
could connote how seriously he expects to be taken and that he appears calm despite the chaos surrounding him. this informs the audience of one of his great strengths, his ability to keep his composure in any situation.
what is a common convention for film posters to have?
have the actor’s name(s) placed prominently as another way to entice the audience
why had Roger Moore become a household name?
Roger Moore had become a household name after starring in the well-known TV series The Saint and playing Bond in the previous film, Live and Let Die, so his name is placed directly above Bond’s image to reinforce the link
what does the title of the film appears with the name of?
the author who wrote the books on which the films are based at the bottom of the poster
what are others that are much smaller and tucked away? why did they do this?
credit block
detailing industry information: other star’s names, directors and producers
so as not to divert the audience away from the main image or the rest of the poster
narrative: explain why there is a golden gun at the bottom of the frame
at the bottom of the frame, in the foreground, is an extreme close up of a golden gun.
it is pointed right at Bond and someone is loading it with a bullet engraved with his name so the reader can interpret this as an attempted assignation on the protagonist.
what does the colour of the gun connotes?
wealth
status
