Exam question: Analyse how genre codes have been used in The Lego Movie poster
campaign to appeal to a family audience. (10 marks) Write the equivalent of a page and a half A4 in the exam. This is a major question.
The Lego movie posters appear very relatable through the way in which they are designed and presented. There are a number of visual codes that entice the reader, enabling them to build a relationship with the characters within. For example, the title on the main poster is made out of Lego and appears to be carried by a crane, this can be relatable to the people that build Lego; they can recognise what they build on screen. There are characters that can be recognised by both older and younger generations,for example batman has been around for years and is clearly recognisable by anyone. There are other characters that keen lego makers may have previously built, it appears therefore relatable to those people. The crane and ground are made of lego which can almost entice the audience into the whole world of Lego. Emmet is an 'everyman' figure, meaning he could me either me or you in our daily life; his facial expression as the central of visual interest draws us to him and is a hint he could be the main character. The bottom of the poster says' assembling February' instead of 'coming in' this is effective because it ties in with the whole idea of lego and adds an element of comedy and shows us there is comedy to come. There are several characters made of lego on this poster which is ideal for the whole family, each person could relate to one of them and possibly follow them as if it were their won adventure. The characters are clearly running away from something which shows an element of danger however, it isn't extreme danger that could lead to death it is suitable for family viewing.
There are also individual posters that show the main characters and the actors that play the voice of those characters; Vitruvius is played by Morgan Freeman, he is well known by older generations as well as slightly younger generations. This makes people want to watch this film because they like the actors that play, the famous actors add to the concept of the film. Vitruvius is seen to have two glowing eyes, long hair and a beard almost just how most people may interpret God to look like or the whole look could be taken from films like the lord of the rings. He is portrayed as a very wise man and all knowing, children could look up to this character and possibly older generations could relate slightly. There is a dragon in the background maybe showing what he must defeat or what to look forward to within the film.
Emmet is played by Chris Pratt who is also a well known actor which will want to hear and see how he plays the character. He is described as an 'everyman' which means anyone can relate to him, he appears a normal working person just like most adults. His facial expression on this poster shows that he isn't used to anything extraordinary happening to him and it has been sprung on him, this is relatable because life springs things on you at random times and adults could relate to this as they go through the trials and tribulations of life.
The poster of Wildstyle, has many appealing colours that represented her personality; this can appeal to either boys pr girls but in the main probably the girls. She can be seen as quite different to the rest and audience of different ages are intrigued by this intrigued by this. She is seen as independent, defying any gender stereotypes that may have been put before her. She is played by Elizabeth Banks who is also very well known and could entice fans of hers.
Lord Business is the antagonist in the film and his poster shows this. He is played by Will Ferell who is known for playing big roles in very comedic films which is a hint that this could be a comedic film. His face is menacing and portraying the stereotypical villain in a film. Lord Business is a tall character and towers above everyone else which represents the idea of a villain being far more powerful than the normal citizens.
Mark 8 out of 10. Intelligent work, Gabby, which would be improved in the exam with a few more points, such as below.
ReplyDelete1. In the ensemble poster, you could comment on what else is visible in the poster that attracts audiences, such as the chase and explosions promising the thrills of action adventure movies. Equally, as there are superheroes running away from an unknown enemy, this creates intrigue and subverts the genre.
2. You notice the depiction of superheroes. The merging of film franchises within the context of the globalization of the media industry is clear from the depiction of the superheroes Batman, WonderWoman, the Green Lantern and Superman. This ensures that even larger audiences are reached. You observe that a range of ages will have grown up with these familiar characters.
3. You make relevant comments about the representation of Emmet as 'everyman' and could hammer home the point that, as an underdog, he appeals to a family audience as we can relate to him. You should also explain that the tagline anchors this message: the nobody who saves everybody. 'Underdog overcoming odds' themes appeal to family audiences. You could draw attention to the 'reluctant hero' in Emmet who inspires us to believe that we could all be heroic when up against the forces of injustice, like Lord Business.
4. Strong analysis of Wyldstyle. You could employ the term 'post-feminist audiences'.
5. Sensible analyses of the individual posters but draw attention to more of the details such as way in which villainy (being evil and scary) is constructed in Lord Business through the teeth-like imagery, the use of extreme close-up, the monobrow frown.