Super. Human. Tokyo Flashcards
1
Q
Product context
A
- Created to promote the 2020 Paralymic Games by Bradford Young (Oscar nominated cinematographer)
- Trailer was the 3rd campaign including
- Explores sacrifices made and the trials endured by Paralympic athletes
2
Q
How media language influences meaning: Audio codes
A
- Audio codes, communicates struggles of disabled athletes whilst giving advertisements a positive feel
- Voiceover and dramatic music appear at the start of the advertisement, but rapidly change to the alarm and realities of daily life
- Sound effects underscore the music, emphasisng the battle of training (grunts, groans, tape being applied etc)
3
Q
How media language influences meaning: Technical codes and editing
A
- Close up shots of expression to engage the audience and portray aspects of disability in a non-victim way
- Range of shots used to convey strength of swimmer Ellie Simmonds, cutting between her alone in the pool, putting on her goggles or training in the gym
- Slow motion is used to show the cycling track crash combined with muting the sound for a more dramatic effect
4
Q
How media language influences meaning: Visual codes
A
- Iconography and settings are related to the athlete and sport
- Settings juxtaposed with domestic scenes of everyday life as a disabled person
- Gestures communicate frustration, competition and celebration, highlighting the result of hard work
5
Q
How media language influences meaning: Narrative
A
- Follows the lives of Paralympian’s and their battles through training
- The sequence where the athlete is trying to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to his daughter on a mobile phone whilst training on a bike reinforces the clash between the sport and the family and further establishes the athletes as real people
6
Q
How media language influences meaning: Sequences
A
- More stylised sequences
- The dream sequence reappears later in the advert and is edited with a Channel 4 news clip announcing the postponement of the Games
- The impact of this is shown as the athletes fall ‘over the edge’
7
Q
How media language influences meaning: Humour
A
- The image of the hamster on the wheel and the ‘puke bucket’ are recognisable visual signifiers of struggle
- The animated sequences also insert aspects of the comic into what is a gruelling regime
8
Q
Semiotics, Ronald Barthes
A
- Use recognisable codes and conventions that signify messages for audiences to decode
- Clothing is used to rapidly place the athletes within their sport
- Contrast with athletes in their everyday life
- Serve to illustrate aspects of the lives of people and creates realism
9
Q
Structuralism, Claude Levi-Strauss
A
- Images of gruelling training regimes are contrasted with the celebratory images at the end of the advertisement when success is achieved
- Dreamlike sequences with dramatic images, music, and the rich colour palette
- Reality conveyed through ambient lighting and sound of the alarm clock
- Animated and archive footage are included in opposition to real-life actions to introduce humour and reinforce the narrative
10
Q
Conceptual binary opposition
A
- On-screen graphic ‘To be a Paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’
- Between audience perception of Paralympic athletes and reality
- Challenges how language is used set against the reality of the positive images in the advertisement
11
Q
Representation product context
A
- Lynsey Atkin, 4Creative’s Executive Creative Director said: ‘we spotted an opportunity to present Paralympian’s in a way they hadn’t been shown before’
- Decision was made to change the focus of previous campaign ‘Meet the Superhumans’
- Emphasised the ‘Human’ rather than ‘Super’
12
Q
How and why social groups may be underrepresented or misrepresented
A
- Dominant groups in society largely control what is produced and so minority groups tend to be marginalised
- Attempts to address the marginalisation of certain social groups
- Aims to reflect the ideologies and ethos of Channel 4,
- Voice to those who aren’t usually represented
- Changed attitudes
13
Q
How representations are constructed through process of selection and combination
A
- Create representations that challenge accepted ideas regarding disability
- Avoids negative stereotypical representations of Paralympian’s as victims to be pitied, or heroes
- Representations cover both genders and give a different view of the world
- Narratives centred around real people
- Aimed to avoid stereotypes
14
Q
How representations are constructed through media language
A
- Close up shots of athletes during training and their home lives
- Creates positive representations of ordinary people
- Fast paced editing highlights a range of narratives of athletes with different disabilities, disciplines and challenges
15
Q
Theory of representation, Stuart Hall
A
- Addresses Hall’s assertions that stereotyping occurs when there are inequalities of power, and that excluded groups are constructed differently
- Focus is on the athletes as ordinary sports men and women
- Three dimensional and distinct from one another
16
Q
Theory of Identity, David Gauntlett
A
- Visible recognition of those with disabilities
- Allows disabled people to see themselves represented positively in the media
- More diverse and inclusive range of identities
- Broadens understanding of disabled everyday life
- However, Paralympics itself is not enough to redress the balance, many disabilities aren’t featured
17
Q
Target audience
A
- Broad demographic
- 16-34 year olds
- Fans of sport who want to see more representation
18
Q
How it targets, reaches and addresses the audience
A
- Personalisation, real human stories
- Technical codes which are uncomfortable (i.e. popping the blister), holds attention
- Audio codes, upbeat music with its connotations of struggle and hard work paying off
- Unique selling point is showng the athletes stories
19
Q
How audiences may interpret it in different ways
A
- Regular audiences may be familiar with the approach taken by the broadcaster
- Expect the advertisement to raise the profile of the event
- May make some audiences uncomfortable as it uses shock tactics to make aware of issues faced by disabled people
-Challenged audiences to examine how they might categories disabled people and use outdated language
20
Q
Social and cultural contexts
A
- Channel 4 is seeking to address the under-representation/misrepresentation of a particular social group
- ‘Human’ rather than ‘Super’
- Present the athletes as neither victims or heroes
-Constructs a more compelling narrative
21
Q
Reception theory, Stuart Hall
A
- Upbeat soundtrack, use of personalisation and positive representation encourages to accept the intended meaning of Channel 4
- Use of real people creates the preferred reading that audience should invest in their narratives
- Negotiated would be acknowledging the legitimacy of the encoder’s position, but feeling distanced from the games
- Oppositional responses may come from those who aren’t supporters of Channel 4 and its ethos of giving a voice to those who are underrepresented
22
Q
Cultivation theory, George Gerbner
A
- Audience may have become used to the conventions of this sub-genre due to repetition of certain codes and conventions
- Focus of specific disability accompanied by a voice-over of serious mode of address
- Can also challenge Gerbner, audiences may question their assumptions and be more open to representations
23
Q
Who was it created and produced by?
A
- Devised and created by Channel 4’s house creative agency 4Creative and produced by Serial Pictures
