Superhumans

Question 1

Who made ‘superhumans’

Answer 1

Bradford Young - an Oscar nominated cinematographer and the first African American cinematographer to be nominated for an award in 2017 for his work on the film ‘arrival’

Question 2

What channel was the advert ‘superhumans’ for ?

Answer 2

Channel 4 - ‘Superhumans’ was the third trailer campaign for the Paralympics undertaken by Channel 4

Question 3

What does the advert ‘Superhumans’ do ?

Answer 3

The advert explores the sacrifices made and the trials endured by Paralympic athletes in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic games

Question 4

Institutional context for Channel 4 ~

Answer 4

. Channel 4 is known for comedy and has a high influence over its audience

. Channel 4 has a built in audience / pre built audience

Question 5

How did Channel 4 make the athletes of the advert ‘superhumans’ to be relatable to the audience ?

Answer 5

Channel 4 made the decision to :

. Change the focus to emphasies the ‘Human’ rather than the ‘super’

• doing this by juxtaposing the images of the training regimes and the everyday lives of the athletes - with the intention of making them relatable to the audience

Question 6

What is the purpose of the advert ‘superhumans’ ?

Answer 6

To promote the 2020 paralympic games

Question 7

What is the stereotypical representation of Disability in a wider society ?

Answer 7

Disabled people are typically seen as ‘others’

Question 8

How does the advert ‘Superhumans’ represent Disability?

Answer 8

not to represent disability but to push disability into the eyes of ‘normality’

Question 9

What is the significance of Editing in the advert ‘superhumans’ ?

Question 10

Analysis of the opening frames ~

Question 11

Analysis of the ending frames

Question 12

What is the significance of Costume choices in the advert ‘superhumans’ ?

Answer 12

. Swimming costume - represents the persons ambition for swimming by not allowing her disability to get the better of her - she still prevails and puts on the swimming costume despite her ‘drawback’

.

Question 13

What is the significance of Iconography in the advert ‘superhumans’ ?

Question 14

What is the significance of music in the advert ‘superhumans’ ?

Question 15

What is the significance of Lyrics in the advert ‘superhumans’ ?

Question 16

Application of Levi strauss ~ structuralism

Answer 16

. The gruelling training frames VS the celebratory frames

• Denotes the struggle that disabled people have to overcome just to be ‘normal’
• Further denotes their success over said struggle

Question 17

What is the representation of Gender in the advert ‘Superhumans’

Question 18

What is an issue when creating adverts

Answer 18

Compassion fatigue

Question 19

What is ‘compassion fatigue’ ?

Answer 19

Where audiences have been exposed to the ‘sympathetic’ style of adverts that they become numb to it

Question 20

How did the producers of this sub-genre of advertisements challenge this ?

Answer 20

By offering a different perspective on the issue / event usually one that is more upbeat / positive

Question 21

What is the significance of audio codes in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 21

The non - diagetic upbeat music effectively communicates the challenge of disabled athletes whilst giving the advertisement a positive feel - prevents ‘compassion fatigue’

. Voice-overs + dramatic music that appears from the start of the video - contrasts the alarm and the realities of daily life

. The diagetic noises - grunts, groans and tape being applied - emphasise the battle of training disabled athletes have to undergo

Question 22

” you might as well quit if you havent got it “

Question 23

What is the significance of technical code - editing in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 23

Editing techniques :

. Montage like editing style -

. Slow motion is used during the cycling frames where a crash combined with muting the sound of the crash adds for a more dramatic effect.

Question 24

What is the significance of technical code - camera angles in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 24

The Advert uses a range of camera shots like :

. Close up shots of the expressions of the athletes to engage the audience and to potray the aspects of disability in a non-victim way.

. E.G. The usage of both close ups and establishing shots to capture the strength and determination of the swimmer Ellie Simmonds

• Establishing shot - showering her alone in the pool - makes her ‘dream’ seem impossible
• Close-up - of her putting on goggles - she is
  prepared to conquer this challenge
• Low angle shot - creating power
• extreme close up - of her eyes showing concentration

Question 25

What is the significance of iconography in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 25

. Swimmer putting on goggles

Question 26

What is the significance of Costume choices in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 26

The costume choices throughout the advert are used to place the athletes within their sport - e.g. swimmer in swimmers costume, cycling athlete in cyclist clothing

• These costumes in turn contrast the everyday life of the athletes
• The hospital clothing when the woman is giving birth or casual clothing where the woman in the wheelchair tries to get into the cafe
• These signs serve to illustrate aspects of the lives of the people and creates realism

Question 27

What is the significance of Settings in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 27

The settings used in the advert are juxtaposed to the settings of everyday life as a disabled person - suggesting the normality of their ‘situation’

. Swimming pool

. The gym

Question 28

What is the significance of Gestures in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 28

Gestures / visual codes - like frustrated or a pain like facial expression - communicate the competition or celebration that highlights their hard work

Question 29

What is the significance of **narrative ** in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 29

It depicts the lives of the Olympians and their battles through training the sequence
- the frames showing an athlete trying to sing ‘happy birthday’ whilst training on a bike reinforces the clash between the sport and the family - further establishes the athletes as ‘normal’ people

• The animated and archival imagery is further used to introduce humour and reinforce narrative

Question 30

What is the significance of Humour in the advert ‘Superhumans’ ?

Answer 30

To counteract compassion fatigue the advert uses humour to convey information - The imagery of the hampster on the wheel and the ‘puke bucket’ are seen as visual signifies of struggle

• the animated sequences also insert aspects of the comic into what is a gruelling regime
• The animated and archival imagery is further used to introduce humour and reinforce narrative

Question 31

How does the advert ‘Superhumans’ target and reach its intended audiences ?

Answer 31

. Relating the athletes to the audience allows the audience to find consolidation in the similarities they both face - their struggles

. Technical codes - using uncomfortable close ups - e.g. the popping of the blister - gives the audience access to viewers that may be unfimiliar - e.g. athlete attaching the prosthetic blade

. The editing cuts between the athletes grueling routines and clips of cartoon moments that lighten the mood engage the audience through humour

. The music choice is upbeat and a stirring tune that grabs the audiences attention with its connotations of struggle and hard work paying off
- the older audiences will be familiar with the film from which it is taken

. The unique selling point is the showing of the athletes story - by giving a realistic portrayal of the lives of disabled athletes the audiences are left towards the end of the advertisement encouraged to examine their own misconceptions of disability in the light of what they have just viewed

Question 32

How would audiences react to the advert ‘Superhumans’

Answer 32

. Some may feel uncomfortable as the advert uses shock tactics to make audiences aware of the issues facing disabled people in their sport as well as in their everyday lives -
- e.g. time lapse photography of the bruise developing / blister popping

. The advert allows audiences to challenge their own views of disabled people

. Advert allows the audience to be encouraged to see the positives of disabilities not just the negatives - ” to be a Paralympic theirs got to be something wrong with you”

Question 33

Halls ~ reception theory

Answer 33

Dominant reading - the encoder is creating the advert - the use of real people creates a preferred reading that the audience should invest in their narratives and subsequently watch the Paralympic games

Negotiated reading - Some may understand the encoders intended purpose but feel more distanced from the sporting theme of the event

Oppositional reading - may come from those who are not supporters of Channel 4 and its ethos of giving voice to those who are under-represented
- they may be older and not regular viewers of Channel 4 or not interested in sport of any kind