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’
what does the fast pace editing enable?
it enables the advertisement to highlight a range of narratives and athletes with different disabilities, disciplines and challenges.
according to stuart hall, how are meanings communicated?
through signs- this is shown in the advertisement were there are easily recognisable signs that communicate meaning- such as facial expressions, we can tell when someone is struggling when training
what does super.human offer audiences?
a more diverse and inclusive range of indentities and broadens general understanding of what it means to be disabled as an athlete and in everyday life.
what is an example of a technical code in the advert?
close up shots- for example the popping of the blister which creates an uncomfortable feel to the advert.
what is the effect of the editing cuts?
the advert cuts between gruelling routines and clips of cartoon moments, which lightens the mood and engages the audience
what are two examples of audio codes?
non diagetic- the buggsy malone song
diagetic- heavy breathing, grunting, a baby crying and a woman giving birth
what does the ending of the advert encourage the audience to do?
examine their own misconceptions of disability in the light of what they have just viewed
what is the cultivation theory by george gerbner?
that the media plants an ideology/message ( a seed) into society, and over exposure in the media of this idea means that a stereotype is created and an audience is convinced and believes in that ideology or message
how can the advertisment be a challenge to the cultivation theory?
as a result to audiences viewing advertisements who aim to raise awareness and give a voice to previously under-represented groups. audiences may question their assumptions and be more open to the representation.
what is compassion fatigue and what does it cause?
Compassion fatigue can be caused by long advertisements with multiple examples of suffering, or too many adverts in an acute time frame. Too much guilt can be counterproductive and make audiences hesitant to donate due to the consistent invasive feeling of guilt and pity.
How many paralympic adverts had channel 4 previously made and how do they differ to the 2020 ‘Super.Human’ advert?
SuperHuman is the third of Channel 4’s advertising campaigns for the paralympic games- the 2020 version contrasts the versions from 2016 and 2012. Previous channel 4 paralympic adverts had focused on Athletes being ‘Super humans’, for example heroic and not completely ‘real’ or ‘normal’. However, channel 4 kept to the ‘Superhuman’ title in the 2020 advert but changed it to ‘Super.Human’, focusing on the human side of the athletes as well as their successes. This way, channel 4 are showing a rich and diverse representation of paralympic sport because they are showing the reality of disability. This representation seems a lot more balanced and realistic in comparison to previous paralympic advert campaigns.
What sponsorship message is shown at the end of the advert and why is it relevant?
The end of the advertisement features a Toyota sponsorship message- this is relevant as the advertisement was sponsored by Toyota which reflects the idea that it is very expensive to film and broadcast sporting events and they need extra revenue from sponsorship to help with this. Channel 4 is also a not-for-profit organisation
how does Super.Human Tokyo follow Levis’ strauss’ structuralism theory?
(the idea that all media texts have areas of binary opposition and areas of contrast)
Levis Strauss’ theory is evident in Superhuman tokyo as binary opposition is created through the repeated image of gruelling training throughout the advertisement which is contrasted with celebratory images at the end of the advertisement when success is achieved. A further binary opposition is shown at the beginning of the advertisement, showcasing a dreamlike sequence with dramatic images, music and rich colour palette which is immediately broken by a sense of reality through the strident sound of the alarm clock and ambient lighting. Lastly, the on-screen graphic ‘To be a Paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’ creates a conceptual binary opposition between audience’s perception of what disabled people are and are not capable of in contrast of reality, as well as audience perception of what it is like to be an athlete in comparison to the reality.
how does Super.Human Tokyo agree with Roland Barthes Semiotics theory?
According to Barthes, anything in culture can be a sign and send a specific message to the audience. As advertisements have to communicate meaning rapidly, they use recognisable codes and conventions that signify messages to the audience for them to decode. For example, In SuperHuman Tokyo, clothing is used to rapidly place the athletes within their sport- these signs serve to illustrate aspects of the lives of the people and creates realism.
how does Super.Human Tokyo disagree with George Gerbner’s theory of cultivation?
Gerber’s theory suggests that the producers plant an ideology within a media text; with constant exposure to this ideology, the audience will begin to believe it as well and shapes audiences perceptions. In terms of SuperHuman, audiences may have become used to the conventions of this sub-genre which raises awareness of a particular social group. SuperHuman subverts Gerbner’s cultivation theory as viewing this advertisement, which aims to raise awareness of disabled athletes and give a voice to previously under-represented groups, may cause audiences to question their assumptions and be more open to representation in other advertisements. Superhuman offers a refreshing and more realistic perception of what it means to be disabled, whilst challenging common preconceptions and mainstream values.
