BBC News Bulletin

What techniques are used to establish the text’s genre?

Various techniques have been used to engage the audience and establish the genre of news. One of these can include the fact that there is non-diagetic sound as there is a commentator who is stating the headlines of the popular stories that will be discussed further into the programme. The serious tone that is presented to us, as the audience, allows us to recognise that this is a hard news programme and is something to be thought about. It attempts to inform and educate the audience as all of the BBC’s news programmes intend to.

The way that the news is read to the audience allows the audience to be able to identify the genre and serious tone of the programme can reinforce this. Another technique that has been used can include the theme tune that is played throughout the start of the programme.

How are people/places represented in the extract?

As the first headline, meaning the most important headline is about contraception pills should be sold to young girls across the UK as young as 13. This is an example of the work of a hypodermic needle as parents will just inject this information about their kids and other youth. Furthermore it shows a sense of gatekeeping as BBC is erasing other aspects of the youth and is prioritising the negative about the youth and has chosen to portray this to the audience.

They are representing Rupert Murdoch in a negative manner as they are in competition with him and he has the ambition to control the UK media output and BBC is one of the few broadcasters that are not owned by BSkyB and the interview with Murdoch shows the negative parts that make him look as if he has done something wrong, which admittedly he most likely has but the BBC have chosen to focus upon this for other reasons.

How is this text typical of the BBC output?

The media text starts with the medium shot of the news man; which is one of the typical conventions of BBC news as just after the opening title sequence there is always a professional looking man or women that is represented and they are reading the news stories to the audience. The way they are conveyed to be intellectual and professional is purposely used by the institutions to imply into the audiences brains that we are consuming the most accurate and reliable information from them.  However, the montage of medium to long shots that allow the audience to preview the topics of what will be in the news connotes that they are trying to catch the audience’s attention.

 This will then allow audience demographics to be encouraged to watch the news. As we are aware that this montage will be repeated in an hour or two, also connotes a sense that if the audience are busy they still have another chance to consume the text. The montage is also typical of the BBC output as within the montage only the most serious news is conveyed. This then creates a sense for the audience believing that they have to watch this and that they can’t miss out on the important news that is reaching audiences globally (hypodermic model).

Who is the audience and what uses/gratifications does the text offer them?

Also the use non-diegetic music, as they use the same theme tune every time which makes the audience able to recognize the popular British broadcaster. Also the way of presenting the headlines as they show the first one as most important and then the rest. Also they use of voice over as the presenter we first see reads us the headlines showing that sense of "reliable narrator". Furthermore the use of the same old use of colours for example, the red and white where the red stands out reflecting BBC standing out and being different from the other news channels. Also the use of mid shots reflecting this natural idea to the whole news channel.

COD MW3 Analysis

What codes and conventions does the trailer use to establish the text’s genre?

The violence and gore that is represented within the trailer show that this is clearly a FPS video game (first person shooter). This is recognised because of the way that each played is perceived whereby we see a point of view shot and the player is attempting to shoot someone. This can relate to the key concepts of the uses and gratifications theory as this can fulfil some of the needs of the audience such as escapism where the audience imagine that they live someone else’s, fictional  life. The clips are assembled together in a montage, combined with diegetic music to ensure that the audience is kept engaged. The type of characters that are used can allow the player, to experience being a rescuer because of the apocalyptic message that is portrayed – that the world is at war.

How is war represented in the trailer?

War is being represented as something that can be made to be fun and it allows the audience to be pumped with adrenaline before playing the game. The reactions needed for the game are quick and therefore war is something that most audiences fear the most; however they could still be able to purchasing this video game simply because of interest. War is being represented as something apocalyptic whereby the world is in jeopardy and the player that can purchase the game will be able to save it. As war is being globalised within the trailer, it shows that war affects people across the whole world and can take place anywhere also which is also another representation of war.

In what ways is the trailer typical of the video game industry?

This video game trailer is typical of the video game industry by the use of point-of-view shots to allow the user to experience the feeling of shooting someone. The dark colours and shadows are something that the COD franchise is well-known for and can be largely recognised across the world. The shadows create the mysterious sense that surrounds the characters and the plot of the video game. The age rating is displayed at the beginning of the trailer to warn audiences of the forthcoming pieces. This is again something that is typical of the industry that sells video games. Additionally, all of imagery used is computer generated which again is something that most video game providers use to produce a video game such as this.

Who does this text appeal to and what pleasures does it offer?

This text targets the male audience more dominantly than any other. The reason I say this is because males are stereotyped for their passion of video first of all and secondly, this game is all about shooting and killing others which is again something the males are stereotyped to enjoy. The rating of the game is given at the beginning of the trailer – 17+ so we can assume that the audience being targeted is above this age; however the COD franchise has been known to target younger children who play games on their video games consoles (ps3/Xbox). If we split the audience into psychographic groups, then we can see that it targets the ‘carers’ of the world where these people care and want to save the world from disaster. Patriarchal societies are represented through this and therefore can give the male audiences pleasure in realising that they hold power in their hands whilst playing the game.

Easter Revision Homework

What techniques does the text use to persuade the audience to watch the film?

This text is related to the fast five trailer where there are various techniques that are used to persuade the audience and cause them to show an interest in the business. For example, one of these can include the fact that there are various action elements that have been implemented in this trailer to ensure that action-lovers are intrigued by the pieces of footage shown that display action themes. This can allow the audience to be aware of the genre of the film and be interested enough to go and watch the film. Additionally, there could be enigma codes that are created during the scene where they seem to burn a large sum of cash and say that they are not stealing it, which can force the audience to question the actions that the characters have taken and why they have done this. It does not make sense to the audience and this can catch the attention of them even further.

What audiences does this text appeal to?

This trailer can appeal to a wide range of audiences including various groups of people and socio-economic classes. For example, one of the audiences that can be targeted for this film can include women who can view the men through the medium-shots that are displayed. These men in the trailer are portrayed as well-built and their physicality of the characters are shown throughout, therefore this can appeal to women as this relates to the female gaze which is a contradiction of the male gaze which is a theory suggested by Laura Mulvey. Another audience that can be attracted to this trailer can include men, who enjoy action films and this is likely to be a very large proportion of male audiences. The socio-economic classes that are targeted by this film are the middle-class, and the working class. The reason for this is because it allows the viewers to experience a sense of escapism where they are imagining that they can live the life of a fantasy (one of the characters in fast five).

How is gender represented within the text?

Males are represented as tough and well-built because of the clothes that most of the men wear during the trailer. For example, Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel are constantly wearing vests which show off their masculinity and muscular bodies to show how rough and tough they are. They are constantly stereotyped as men that have no other motives in life, except for their own selfish reasons, because they seem to race for fun or simply to gain something. The women in this trailer are portrayed as objectified and as sexual objects. They are not focused upon as much as the men are because their characters may not be as important. The women’s costumes are scarce most of the time, and can give the members of the male audience pleasure in looking at them (male gaze – Laura Mulvey).

How can we tell that Universal has produced films similar to this before?

This trailer tells us that universal, which is the company that produced this film, is a company that are able to constantly use their previous experience of films to further develop films such as fast five. For example, fast five has had four prior films released previously, which has all been successful, especially with the male audiences as it relates to cars and women. This franchise has already been successful, and therefore this institution has been known to produce films similar to this previously and have promoted them successfully also.

How does the text engage the audience and what techniques are used?

This trailer uses various techniques that can engage the audience. Firstly, there are comedic aspects that are obviously displayed at the start which can allow the audience to be intrigued with the plot of the film and continue to show an interest in it. The jokes that are given, some have a crude sense of humour which can engage a younger audience into watching the film. This is one of the key conventions of a teen comedy which this film is. There is a shot of the two main characters whereby they are both standing proudly in their police uniform where they are both smiling which can then catch the interest of the viewer because it contrast most of the shots that are shown before this.

Who does this text appeal to?

This text appeals to a younger audience and one of the reasons for this include the type of humour that is used. It is something that mostly young teenagers are most likely to find funny and thus will be more likely to watch the film.  This text can also appeal to women because of the actors which they can enjoy watching them acting and this could relate to star appeal/sex appeal of the star (female gaze). Teenagers are most likely the targeted audience because the plot relates to high school within America and this is something that most teenagers find amusing and interesting. Moreover, another audience that can be targeted is a slightly older audience between the ages of 23-28. The reason for this is because they can experience nostalgia when watching this trailer and will want to experience the a form of escapism where they can imagine going back to high school as the characters have done.

How does this text entertain the audience?

This trailer can cause the audience to be entertained for various reasons. One of these reasons can include the fact that most members of the target audience are expected to be young as the genre is teen comedy, and in order to entertain these members, there is a sense of humour that relate to young people and doing stupid things that make others laugh. The audience normally laughs at the way the actors portray a joke and how they express their views about something which can sometimes seem idiotic but also comedic in some ways. Also, the intentional breaking of rules can also cause the audience to laugh and therefore lead to the audience being entertained and kept engaged. 

How is the brand image being promoted throughout the text?

The brand, Bugatti, is being promoted through the use of language of music combined which creates an effect on the audience. The voice that is being used is of a male figure and is very soft and sounds heavenly which make the brand seem as if it is something luxurious, which it is. The music is slow and blissful and creates an effect on the audience to receive a reaction that Bugatti would like to see. They want to know that their product is being advertised and interpreted in the way that they want to, which is to promote richness and quality to a customer. The voice that is speaking about the product sounds poetic and this makes the product seem more vibrant and wanted by the audience.

Who does this text appeal to?

This text appeals to the bourgeoisie class, for the reason that these members are able to afford this product as this is a very highly priced quality product that is a luxury vehicle and there are no other models that are available that are cheaper. This can relate to the Marxist theory which states that capitalist valued members of an audience belong to the bourgeoisie because they are the wealthiest members of the target market. Other people will be attracted to this product but not to purchase it, but instead simply for the dream that they wish that they could afford it. Even within the commercial, the voiceover asks the audience “Do I meet your wildest dreams?” which can make the some members of the audience experience a sense of escapism and then imagine what it would be like to own a Bugatti for themselves.

What techniques have been used to persuade the audience to go and watch the film?

The codes and conventions that have been used include various action and adventure elements which make the audience interested by the film. Additionally, the fact that this film has been based on a comic and is produced by marvel, it allows fans of comics to identify the film and if they have had a previous interest in this plot, then the film trailer aims to simply reinforce this story into the minds of fans. The audience can recognise the different superheroes that have been portrayed in this film and this can relate to previous star appeal, however, in this case, it can be both the character’s appeal and the actor’s appeal because they could both be well known such as Robert Downey Junior who also plays Iron Man.

What audiences does this text appeal to?

This text can appeal to a various number of people ranging from audiences also. For example, the range of characters that are present within the film can be identified from previous films that have been released not too long ago, and this can allow them to become genuinely interested in what this film is about because of the amount of superheroes that star in it. They have purposely shown that there are various superheroes that have been portrayed in the duration of this trailer and each of them can attract different audiences. The male superheroes will be able to attract male and female audiences, the latter because of the female gaze and the male because of the uses and gratifications of the audience that are fulfilled through the use of escapism.

How is the institution that produced this film promoted throughout the duration of the text?

The film has been combined of various previous comic book adaptations and have used the same actors (except for the Hulk) to ensure that the audience is kept entertained. This can show the audience that they have combined elements of all these films to promote this film and its plot.  Marvel Studios has partnered up with Paramount pictures (Viacom) in order to complete this. This institution has been lucky enough to experience success with previous films and therefore has a well-established fan base which most audiences can identify the film that is being released and is aware of the production company that is responsible for the production of the film.