Super.Human Flashcards
why was the advert made?
created to promote the 2020 paralymic games by Bradford young
who made the advert?
Bradford young
what company made the advert?
it was created by channel 4’s in house creative agency ‘4Creative’ and produced by serial pictures and somesuch
what does the advert explore?
the sacrifices made and the trials endured by the paralympic athletes in preparation for the 2020 tokyo olympic games
what is the aim of charity advertisements?
to raise awareness of issues and events and to make an immediate impact upon the audience to make them take notice. the advertisements therefore need to be more memorable and hard hitting.
How does the advertisement avoid compassion fatigue?
it offers a different perspective on the issue/event, which is more positive and upbeat (this is done through the audio codes)
what is the name of the song used in the advert?
‘so you want to be a boxer’ by bugsy malone
what does the music effectively do?
it effectively communicates the struggles of disabled athletes whilst giving the advert a positive feel. the choice of the upbeat, stirring tune grabs the audiences attention with it’s connotations of struggle and hard work paying off
what does rapid change from the voice over and the dramatic music to the alarm clock do?
emphasises the reality of everyday life
what is the effect of the sound effects?
underscores the music and emphasises the battle of training including grunts, groans and tape being applied
what do the close-up shots of the expressions do?
engages the audience and portrays the aspects of disability in a non-victim way, and emphasises that this is just a part of their lives
the slow motion and muting of the music creates what?
a dramatic effect
what do gestures communicate?
frustration, competition, and celebration- this visually highlighys the result of hard work
where is there juxtaposition in the advert?
Where ellie simmonds is putting on her goggles, and when other paralympians are training which is juxtaposed with domestic scenes of everyday life.
what is the narrative?
the narrative follows the lives of paralympians and their battles through training.
where does the advert use humour?
-the hamster on the wheel
-the puke bucket
these are both visual signifiers of struggle
what is costume used for?
to rapidly place the athletes within their sport for example, ellie simmonds is in a swimming costume which contrasts to the woman trying to get into the cafe wearing everyday clothing- the signs illustrate aspects of their lives and creates realism
what did claude levi-strauss believe in?
binary opposition (basically the belief of juxtaposition)
where is there binary opposition in the advert?
the images of gruelling training regimes are contrasted with the celebratory images at the end of the advertisement when success is achieved
why is animated and archive footage included?
it is included in opposition to real-life actions to introduce humour and reinforce the narrative
what does the on text graphic ‘to be a paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’ create?
it creates a conceptual binary opposition between the audience’s perception of paralympic athletes and the reality.
what does the advertisement attempt to do?
it attempts to address the marginalisation of disabled people.
what does the advertisement avoid doing?
avoids showing the stereotypical representations of paralympians as ‘superhumans’ or people to be pitied, instead they should be viewed in awe, and the advert creates a realistic feel to the advertisement. The producers also avoid the stereotype that the disabled athletes have to ‘overcome’ their disability in order to achieve success, instead celebrating them as high-performance athletes in their own way.
how is a representation of reality constructed?
by focusing specifically on the challenges that the athletes face. It creates positive representations of the paralympians as athletes first, rather than as disabled people ‘doing their best’