polar co-ordinate and advert

Exam Question-genre codes

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. 




 

Question 8

Media is used to gratify people and is used as a means of relating to people.The Lego movie and video game may appeal to adults and children but for very different reasons; adults relate to the joke side. There are small jokes that are made in the beginning and throughout the whole film, the slightly older generations would understand these jokes and at points relate to them. Younger children wouldn't understand these jokes but could relate to these characters in a different way; the music within the movie children appreciate and it allows them to view the film in a positive upbeat way.
   
       Despite the Lego movie not being real younger children could relate to this movie and see it as how they want to be when they are older. For example, going to work everyday and seeing friends after work;it isn't something massive however small things within the film could cause children, maybe even adults to desire that thing in life. Adults also may relate their experiences in life through this film, they may have felt like emit in their life (isolated). Even though the film is made of Lego it can still provoke empathy or sympathy which sometimes is why people want to watch films; they want to be able to empathize and recognize experiences in their life within the film or game.This therefore allows them to relate and incites them further into the film they're watching  or game they are playing . In the film there are elements of jeopardy (sense of danger), Spectacle explosions, speed and motion, Enigma and action code (similar to a domino effect); these elements add moments of intensity and suspense that satisfy what the audience or game players of the Lego movie game would want to see.

There are characters that could possibly represent adults and children. For example, president Business has plans for a "perfect world" this could reflect parents wanting their children to do everything how they want and what is in their eyes perfect. Children could empathize with Emit with not having control over things or having the power to show what they're capable of. The ability to be able to relate to characters gratifies the audience.

Contrasting magazine covers

The Bowie magazine shows him as the center of visual interest; he is stood confident and proud showing his power and strength. This could possibly be showing him in his fight against his previous drug issues or simply his fight against society. He is being an independent man and his stance shows this; he is dressed in clothing both smart and casual. This shows us that he is happy in his own skin and style; he doesn't need to overdress to look good. The image at the bottom of the page is a representation of a journey or a path Bowie is taking and the people in society are taking. It is in German and he revealed an album at the same time as the Berlin wall crisis. The pug in the corner entices the reader to read because there's a free CD. The magazine cover has captions that mention other artists, however, they don't take away from the main splash.

   

Zayn Malik is shown as having his hand in front of his face and could be seen as having his thumbs up; he looks positive but also very subdued. The caption saying ‘own direction’ relates to one direction his previous band. It is a play on words but also his physical new direction in his career. This doesn't have a pug or a pull whereas the Bowie cover does.

                                                               
  Similarities  
Both have someone of significance in the middle
Both act with confidence in what they're doing and are trying
to portray an image to the readers.
They both have captions about other things yet they don't distract from the main splash.
Both show the music artists in their true self, comfortable in clothing.

Differences
The Mojo magazine has a pull and a pug
The billboard magazine has zayn looking very different to how Bowie looks.
Bowie is more pristine and airbrushed, Zayn looks rough.

Avril Lavigne codes and conventions

1. PREP MUSIC VIDEO CODES AND CONVENTIONS 
   To prepare for the exam, we look at the media language of music videos, such as their codes and conventions below. For prep, copy the points in colour then add your own points in black.= 
2. Performance - the singer / band are seen to be singing and playing (including lip synching), to provide authenticity, so that followers believe in the talent and can see their star. Record labels sign stars and promote them  to ensure sales. Avril Lavigne sings throughout the video using a mike and draws a huge crowd of fans around her when she jumps onto a car roof in the street. She sings with great passion, energy and conviction, holding the mic close to her mouth. Close-ups show her every word (lip syncing is a feature of music videos.) She performs for her fans and for her 'boyfriend' the sk8er boi who features in the narrative. Screens often feature in music video and the sk8er boi is videoing Avril Lavigne as he gazes adoringly up at her. She returns his gaze as she sings about 'we rock each other's world'. The performance element creates authenticity (fans have proof of her talent) because we see her sing.
3. Star - use of close-ups, sometimes direct eye contact with audience, to build relationship with audience.The close ups emphasize her attitude, she's explaining the story where she appears to be right. It shows her cockiness about the situation, the use of her eye contact with the audience shows us she's trying to persuade us and get the audience on board. She has a determination to make us agree with her, she's right and that's all that matters. The close ups further into the video show us her scowling, punching the air and performing gestures in a very aggressive manner.
4. The visuals (what the star and other characters are seen doing) illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics (the 'story in the words'). Illustration = the visuals play out the story more or less literally; amplify = the words in the lyrics are only the starting point and the story develops in other directions; contradiction / disjuncture = the visuals do not interpret the words of the lyrics and may even show something contradictory. Throughout the video the symbolization of Avril being the most important, her aim is to promote her gang which is revolving around her. She is supposed to seem the most superior. The visuals are almost violent which matches the tone of the song. When she's sings about the other girl being at home we don't actually see the girl for ourselves, we are focused on what Avril is doing which contrasts completely with someone sitting at home alone, disjuncture is used. The punches are in time with the music which creates so much power, it is rebellious power.
5. The narrative usually features the performer in 'real life' situations but often with experimental types of film making such as hand-held, dramatic camera angles, symbolic codes and lighting. A lot of the camera work is hand held, it allows the audience to feel as if we're traveling with her.. Extreme close up on the boy as he reflects her love and he admires her. She looks at the camera in the audience in such defiance. She looks triumphant as she defies society and the people who opposed.
6. The visuals are usually cut to the beat of the music; the editing is often fast-paced; there is often use of montage, ellipsis and intercutting, stylish effects. The opening montage sets the tone for the whole video, it is edited so it's cut to the beat of percussion and electric guitar. The Editing is a serious of very fast pace cuts which is complementary of the fast pace music. It is clear at the beginning that Lavigne's gang are putting on a concert we see this because they are marking their territory by showing the location.
7. Refrain - repeated chorus, sometimes with variations. During the refrain the visuals intensify the pace of the video.The refrain helps tie the whole story and video together.

Wheatus mise-en-scene

In the music video for teenage dirtbag we see Wheatus dressed down rather than up. They are dressed in very casual clothing that can be seen as almost comical. We see the 'bully' or more 'popular' people dressed in a way which makes them appear more important and we view the people more comically dressed as below them. The way the more popular people are positioned around the 'teenage dirtbag' shows us he is meant to be seen as the joke or someone of far less significance. The mise en scene used in this video shows us the relation between the lyrics and what is actually happening in the video, him getting rejected by the popular girl he appears to love.