A2 Media Coursework

1. A2 Media
Studies
Coursework
Research
and Planning
Zain

2. M.I.G.R.A.I.N –
Meaning/Media
Language:
• Symbolism
• Symbolic codes
• Technical Codes
• StuartHall

3. What is meaning?
Meaning is created by codes, conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures which all play a
part in helping the audience understand the meaning of media messages.
Stuart halls reception theory states that media texts can be understood in 3 types ways from an
audience.
Preferred reading
Negotiatedreading Oppositional reading
This is when the audience
understands the text the way the
producer wanted them to. This is
because they agree with the message
the producer has given. This is a
positive reading as the text has been
understood by the audience correctly;
meaning the advertisement the
producer put out is successful. An
example of this would be if an
adverstisment of a new cologne came
out, the targeted audience is appealed
to go and buy it. In order to ensure
your audience has a preffered
reading, you have to make sure to:
have a clear message, correct and
relavent advertisment that suits the
audiences demographics, easy for the
audience to understand the narrative
and of-course ensuring your audience
will be intrested in your product in
the first place
This reading is between preffered and
oppositional reading. It is when an
audience understand and accepts the
views of the producer and the intention
of their text, however they will have their
own opinion/understanding. This is a
neutral reading to receive from the
audience as they have understood the
text even if they are making their own
judgements. An example of this reading
would be if the audience were to like the
product on an advert but found that it's
cost is not worth it. The reason an
audience would receive a negotiated
reading would be if they were not the
right target audience and did not fit into
the procuts audience demographics so it
might not come across as appealing.
Another reason could be that they do not
completely understand the text and
therefore are unable to have a dominant
reading.
An oppositional reading is when
the audience does not
agree/understand the text the
producer intended them to. This is
a bad response to receive as the
text is not received by the audince
the way the producer wanted them
to. This is a bad response as it
means the people who view the
product will not want to buy it. An
example of this would be if a
company were to promote their
hairloss product – and someone
may view it as the company saying
women should not be comfortable
in their body. In order to avoid
your audience having an
oppositional reading you would
need to make sure that there are
no controversial themes, the
audience agrees and understands
the content and that it is relatable
to them.

4. ➢ There are 2 types of codes that help the audience understand meaning: symbolic and
technical.
Symbolic codes are visual codes that are easily understood by the audience and help the
audience see beneath the surface. An example of how symbolic codes help the audience
understand meaning is color. The color white will symbol innocence and purity while the
color black symbolises darkness and evil. Although the audience may not realise while they
are watching, they subconciously will accosiate the colors they are wearing to the characters.
Whereas technical codes are ways the equipment used behind the scenes can tell a story.
An example of how technical codes help the audience understand meaning is camera work
in a film. For example, if you were to film someone from low show shot angle it will make
them appear powerful and big.
Symbolic codes Technical codes
Lighting Camerashots
Setting Editing
Body language Cameraangles and
movements
Color Sound
Facialexpressions
Props and costumes

5. Lighting
In media, lighting is an important role to help create meaning as it is used in order to help set the mood and
create an atmosphere.
There's are two types of lighting: high-key and low-key lighting.
• High-key lighting is when the lighting is full and bright, it is often used in happier settings such as
comedy films. A bright setting can help the audience identify the mood of the film as well as help them
understand the characters. An example of this would be spider-man; he is the hero and when he is alone
the lighting is usually high-key lighting. However, when he conflicts with the villain the scene's lighting
may go darker in order to create an intense atmosphere for the audience.
• Low-key lighting is when the lighting is dim and dark, it is mostly seen in films such as horror because
horror is associated with 'darkness' and evil. Dark lighting may help the audience identify the genre
quickly as they can subconsciously make those connections.
This is a photo from the horror movie
'the nun'. The lowkey lighting creates
a mysterious and scary atmosphere .
Just by looking at the picture, the dark
tones help the audience identify the
genre.
This is a picture from the comedy sit-com
friends. The lighting in the picture is high-
key lighting which fits perfectly within the
genre and sets the correct tone for the
audience.

6. Setting
Setting plays a huge role in helping the
audience understand meaning. This is
because the location of your storyline
helps the audience identify the mood, by
this I mean if I were to set my movie in
Hawaii or Japan, they would be completely
different atmospheres for different
storylines. It also helps your audience
identify the genre of your film. That is the
reason setting is incredibly important to
consider when making your film.
There will be many different locations in a
film, however, the main setting will remain.
What I mean by this is you could film in
Dubai (main setting) however in the film,
you may have lots of locations to
visit (mall, house, park etc.) The settings
change in order to help your storyline flow
and it may reflect on your characters
moods or emotions too.
The setting of a movie also lets the
audience identify things such as time
period, location and the time
(morning/night)
By looking at this picture, the audience can infer that this is
an apartment, so it is mostlikely a sitcom.
Here the house is isolated, it is gray outside. This allows the
audience to assumethe genre is horror

7. Body language
Types of body
language
Example
Eye-movement Winking
Hand movement Waving
Facial expression Smiling
Body contact Hugging
Head movement Nodding
Sound Screaming
Posture Slouching
Body language is a non-verbal form of communication. It helps the audience understand how a character feels without them necessarily
saying it. When you are in a conversation with someone their body language can tell you a lot. Your body will send signals to the other
person which helps them understand you better. These signals can be positive and negative.
Types of body language Example
Arms behind back​ Indicates
confident and authoritive behavior
Arms crossed​, This is negative
body language as it
indicates defensiveness or stress
Hand on nose​, Touching/slightly
rubbing nose, this could mean
rejection, doubt or lying
Finger tapping​, Shows that a person
is growing impatient or tired
of waiting
Sitting with ankles
crossed, Defensive signal that
stems from insecurity
Biting nails​, Can be a habit or a
sign or nervousness/insecurity
Covering mouth​, Used to hid an
emotional reaction, e.g. smile/frow
n. Also used to express surprise

8. Color symbolism - Barthes theory
Colors can influence emotion; they also hold meaning
in religion and various cultures. Different colors can be
associated with different representations.
Red: excitement, energy, passion, speed, desire, strength,
power, love, danger, heat, aggression, fire, blood war
violence, all things intense and passionate.
Yellow: Joy, happiness, optimism, imagination, hope,
sunshine, summer, dishonesty, betrayal, illness, hazard.
Blue: Peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity,
trust, faith, confidence, security, cleanliness, order,
loyalty, sky, water, cold, technology, depression.
Orange: Energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant,
expensive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.
Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal,
money, envy, generosity, jealousy.
Purple: Royalty, spirituality, nobility, mystery, wisdom,
transformation, cruelty, evil, arrogance, mourning.
Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty,
maturity, dignity, conservative, practical, old age, sadness,
boring.
Brown: Earth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort,
endurance, simplicity.
White: purity, simplicity, innocence, youth, peace,
cleanliness, birth, winter, snow, sterility,
marriage, humility, precision.
Black: Power, sexuality, formality, fear, evil, death,
remorse, underground, grief.

9. Facial expressions
Facial expressions allows us to determine peoples moods and feelings. This is because
their feelings can reflect onto their face which helps the audience understand them. Facial
expressions can decide the tone and meaning of a scene.
Her mouth corners are
elevated, her cheeks are up,
and her mouth is slightly open,
all of which indicate that she is
happy.
His jaw is slightly lowered, his
eyebrows are elevated, nostrils are
flared, and his eyes are wide open,
indicating that he is shocked.
You can tell she's unhappy
because the corners of her lips
are down, and her inner brow
is lifted.
Her nose is furrowed, her cheeks
are raised, her upper lip is
elevated, her eyes are squinted,
and her eyebrow is dropped, so
she appears disgusted.
A study found that:
• 7% of meaning is in the words that are
spoken.
• 38% is the way that the words are
said, tone of voice, and
• 55% is in facial expression

10. Props and costumes
A prop isan object used on stage or on screen, by actors duringaperformanceor screen production. In practical
terms, a prop isanything movableor portable on a stage or on set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumesand
electrical equipment.
Costumeshelp the audience identify the characters personality and status, whereaspropsgivethe audiencea
time period of when the film wasset.
Costumesare what the actors wear while they are in character. The costumeis chosen by the wardrobeand
costumestylists, and they will choose something that best reflects the characters persona. For example, if they
weretryingto makesomeoneseem 'nerdy' they might givethem glasses, tucked in shirts, suspendersetc. This is
because if he wereto wear something like athletic attire, it would notmatch his character and be misleadingto
the audience.
Propsareused in order to help the audienceidentify the the time peripd of the film. For example, a film madein
20 yearsago might havea fliphonerather than iphone. These minor yetimpactfuldiffrenceslet the audience
know the time setting indirectly and subtly. Propsalso differ from genreto genre, for examplea science fiction
such as star warsmay uselightsabers whereas in a horror such as you may seean ouji board.
Here is Jackie Burkhart from that 70's show. Her personality is girly,
and her outfits reflect this as she is mostly seen wearing dresses,
skirts and preppy attire. The wardrobe stylists dress her in old
fashion attire because the show is set in the 70's. These outfits alone
tell the audience the time period the show is set, as well as a bit about
the characters personality as it represents her.

11. Camera shots

13. Editing
Shot-reverse shot: A continuity editing technique used in conversations or characters looking at each other or objects. Shot/reverse
shot is a trait common among every film or TV show and yet the audience can still learn a lot about tone, themes, story, and character
just by observing the composition of these shots (if done well).
Continuity: When the audience should not notice when the cuts have been made. A sequence of shots that appear together and
link with each other. 180-degree rule: The 180-degree rule is a cinematography guideline that states that two characters in a scene
should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another. When the camera passes over the invisible axis connecting the two
subjects, it is called crossing the line and the shot becomes what is called a reverse angle. Reversing the angle is commonly thought to
be disorienting and can distract the audience from the intent of the scene.
Match on action: An editing technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the
subject in the first shot. common example is a man walking up to a door and reaching for the knob. Just as his hand touches the knob,
the scene cuts to a shot of the door opening from the other side. Although the two shots may have been shot at different times, cutting
on action gives the impression of continuous time when watching the edited film. By having a subject begin an action in one shot and
carry it through to completion in the next, the editor creates a visual bridge, which distracts the viewer from noticing the cut or
noticing any slight continuity error between the two shots. A variant of cutting on action is a cut in which the subject exits the frame in
the first shot and then enters the frame in the subsequent shot. The entrance in the second shot must match the screen direction and
motive rhythm of the exit in the first shot.

14. • Jump cut: An elliptical cut that appears to be an interruption of a single shot. It occurs within a scene rather than between
scenes, to condense the shot.
• Match cut: A cut in film editing between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in
which an objects in the two shots graphically match.
• Cross cutting: Alternate shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places, usually simultaneous.
• Invisible editing: Editing that is so smooth that the viewers become engrossed in the movie and don’t notice the individual cuts.
• 180-degree rule: The 180-degree rule is a cinematography guideline that states that two characters in a scene should maintain
the same left/right relationship to one another. When the camera passes over the invisible axis connecting the two subjects, it
is called crossing the line and the shot becomes what is called a reverse angle. Reversing the angle is commonly thought to be
disorienting and can distract the audience from the intent of the scene.

15. Camera angles and movements

16. Sound
Sounds can help create meaning by:
➢ Enhancing audiences emotional experience/providing emotional focus. (E.g. imagine the movie Jaws without music.)
➢ Identifying characters/character types. (E.g. good vs bad in Star Wars)
➢ Tells the audience the unspoken thoughts of a character or unseen implications of a situation (through voice overs)
➢ Setting the location.
➢ Setting the time period.
➢ Helps build up a scene before rounding it off to create suspense.
There's two types of sounds that can be identified in media texts; diagtic sound is sound that has an onscreen source and belongs to
the world of film, and non diagetic sound which is sound that does not have an onscreen source and character's cannot hear it.
Diagetic sounds:
• Dialouge Speech
• Ambient sounds Buzz/surrounding sounds.
• Sound affects Sounds other than dialogue or music that are made artificially.
• Direct adress When the character speaks directly to the camera (the audience)
Non diagetic sounds:
• Voiceover Narration of a film – not accompanied by a synchronized image of a speaker saying the words.
• Background music A recurrent melody in a film.
• Theme music Music that is specifally written for the show/film to catch the viewers attention.
• Soundtrack The recorded sound element of a film.

17. How meaning is created in Suits
In this clip, the roles challenge gender stereotypes as Rachel seems to be the 'boss' which is interesting as Stereotypically men are
in charge so already from the beginning of the clip the audience understands that this isn't a cliché and in fact it might come as a
surprise to some people seeing such independent female roles. She appears confident and asserts herself and states her name to
Mike, who immediately calls her pretty, but she shuts it down as she is strictly business oriented again not falling into the gender
stereotypes acting flattered. There are back and forth over the shoulder shots of their conversation as they are both being quite
passive aggressive, so they did this deliberately, so the audience can see their reactions.
In the next scene, the setting is established with a long shot, and it appears to be that they are in an office. there is some diegetic
sound from the sounds of telephones ringing and people talking. You can tell they are at work due to the setting and the clothes,
Mike is wearing a suit which is formal attire that you'd see at a workplace, while Racheal is also wearing formal clothing for a
workplace it is quite tight, this supports Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory which states that women are presented to provide visual
pleasure to men and denies women's human identity relegating them into the status of objects to be admire for physical
appearance, further more suggests that woman can only watch films from a secondary perspective and only view themselves as
how men view them. This scene proves her theory as Rachel is clearly independent and strong minded however her presence
seems to have no importance on Mike and the audience due to the way she is dressed, and the way Mike keeps flirting with her
even though she made it clear she was not interested. This also links to alvarados theory as she may be dressed like this in order to
look exotic'.
Another thing you'd notice from the long shot is the camera is moving in dolly while the characters are walking this is to help the
audience feel like they are there walking with them which helps them focus on the scene more. Mike makes a comment as they are
walking and Rachel stops, Mike immediately gets nervous and lets her walk-in front of him, this shows how she is the dominant
one although she is a female which further proves my previous point with the gender stereotypes being challenged as normally it is
the woman who is submissive to the man. The camera does not pan while Rachel goes in a different direction and is no longer
walking straight to show Mikes reaction when she dismisses his question, the scene instead smoothly cuts into the next room
where you see Rachel coming in to with Mike following her. Then there is a wide mid shot of them both when they stop walking
and Rachel questions Mike about why he didn't use the notepad she gave him, the scene becomes tense so there is more over the
shoulder shots until Rachel accuses him of 'oogaling' over her, which he then sarcastically laughs with a close up shot to show the
audience his reaction. Mike proceeds to correct Rachel in effort to embarrass her and shut her up Rachel does not seem fazed by it
and she makes fun of him and walks away in the middle of him talking.

18. How meaning is created in Handmaids tale
At the beginning of this extract, it is clear to see that there is a somber presence as the camera pans round a woman clearly distressed.
The medium close up shows that she is unhappy as we can see the tears in her eyes. The snuffles and the shaking of her head implies
she is trying very hard not to let her emotions get the better of her. As the camera pans round some more, we can see there is a
shallow focus of a figure in the background wearing blue, which contrasts the red and white of the first lady. But there is a lot of space
between them, maybe signifying distance and isolation. The score is slow as well, with string instruments emphasizing the sad mood
of the scene. When the shot chances to a long shot we can recognize that this is the Lincoln Memorial, but it has been broken, implying
that this might be a dystopian world in America. As Lincoln symbolizes freedom, perhaps this could be to show that everything he
stood for has been demolished. The way the woman puts her head down could show she is devastated by an event that has just taken
part. She seems like she has lost hope and that could be why there is such as somber atmosphere. Once the woman has regained her
composure, she puts a mask over her face, which could be linked to the idea of loss of freedom, as she is covering her mouth. Perhaps
she is showing her lack of freedom of speech. The shallow focus continues to show that she is the main focus at the moment, so clearly
a main character. When the camera tracks her as she walks out of the memorial, you assume that she is isolated and alone, however
when it cuts to an over the shoulder shot, you see there are many stood in front of her all dressed the same. With the colour red being
predominant it could symbolize a warning, or danger. The slight lines show clear discipline and control. As these are the only women
with their mouths covered, it could imply a hierarchy system, in which these women are the subordinate characters. This is further
enhanced by the men in black standing at the end of each line – again reinforcing the idea of control and danger. Black often
symbolizes power and danger. The woman dressed in blue is in complete contrast with the women in red. Her mouth is not covered,
and she is holding the hand of her male counterpart. These two seem to be dominant members of society as they are positioned above
the women in red and looking down on them. The blue the woman is wearing could signify her importance and her position in
society. This is further emphasized by the low angle shot looking up at her creating a platform to show her power over the others. The
man is also wearing what seems to be a military uniform which again shows his power.. As the camera cuts to show the medium
shots of the women in their rows, you can see they all have their eyes faced down and the score begins to have a high-pitched choir
sound, perhaps suggesting their angelic nature. Many of them have their heads down and hands together in what seems like a prayer
position. As the camera cuts to behind the man and the woman in blue, you can see they are looking over hundreds of women all with
their heads bent down – again showing the sense of power and authority. Interestingly when the camera cuts to the original woman in
red, a low angle shot is still used on her – perhaps to emphasize that she is an important character that has a lot more power than we
might have originally thought. It is clear that this is a very religious place as the women are all covered, the Needle has been turned
into a crucifix and the man dialogue is connected to what sounds like scriptures. However there seems to be tension between the man
and the woman in red, as he glances at her through the corner of his eye. The score becomes drawn out, building up the tension as the
audience waits to see what is going to happen next. This is further enhanced as the camera cuts to one of the women in front and
zooms closer to her, to show her anxious expression. After what feels like a long wait, the woman in red eventually drops to her knees
showing her being subordinate to the man and woman in blue. The camera cuts to an extreme close up of the woman in reds eye
showing her focusing on the crucifix in front of her, giving the impression she is seeing past the authoritarian world, but looking
straight to the symbol of hope. While nothing big happens in this scene, it definitely implies a lot of tension and sadness throughout.

19. Institutions:
• Institutional research – Production Labels
• BBFC

20. Media institutions are large companies that tend to run the undustry through
media ownership. Media ownership is when an institution gains control and
dominance within an industry. This is usually caused when conglomerates own
several institutions and synergises across different media platforms creating 360-
degree status. This can cause gate keepers to potentially enforce hegemonies
onto passive audiences. There 5 major companies in the media industry such as
comcast, Disney and Time Warner. With these strong institutions in the media
industry creating an oligopoly, small independent institutions will struggle to
compete. As one of the five major institutions in the media industry, Disney holds
a gatekeeping position owning different subsidiaries maintaining a 360-degree
status. The CEO of Disney is currently Bob Chapek who oversees insuring that
Disney maintains a strong position within all the media sectors. Disney owns
Marvel and Pixar in the film institution as well as Disney plus online and
Hollywood records in the audio institution, helping Disney grow and increase
their $65.39 billion revenue through their horizontal integration.
What is an institution?

21. Example – Disney/Before I fall
Disney can use this money in order to grow their empire creating a 360 degree status which
means that they own companies in all media sectors. This allows them to use horizontal
integration, keeping all profits within their company.
In 2017 they had a production budget of 254 million in order to create the live action movie
Beauty and the beast. In the production stages they spent some of this budget on travelling to
France to film, as well as having high quality equipment such as Arri Alexa Plus, costumes,
editing tools, CGI for the beasts costume and salaries for the A-list actors such as Emma
Watson who starred in the well known Harry Potter series and earned 15 million dollars from
Beauty and the Beast and Josh Gad who starred in Frozen. This makes it difficult for smaller
independent movies to compete. In 2017 the movie Before I fall was created and produced by
Awesomeness films & Open Road films by Maria Maggenti. They had a production budget of 5
million dollars. They kept their cost down by renting cameras rather than buying it, they
rented a university rather than making their own set, they have unknown actors and only gave
themselves one month to film when Disney had two years. They spent their budget on camera
equipment, studio costs, salaries, and smaller independent movies tend to struggle to
compete as they can not afford the big celebrity names as large conglomerates can. For
example Disney had Emma Watson whereas Before I fall had an unknown actor named Zoey
Deutch.

22. • One of the advantages of the movie industry is the proliferation of technology, meaning
smaller independent movies are able to afford decent equipment. In the past technology was
expensive because colored cameras were rare and new. However, technology advances
quickly now so what was top standard a year ago is now much cheaper - meaning smaller
independent movies can produce high quality movies. In the production of Beauty and the
beast the company was able to use a range of impressive digital technology such as Aria Alexa
xt plus, leitz SUMMILUX-C lenses. Likewise in Before I fall, they could also use impressive
cameras such as the Arri Alexa Plus.
•
As well as having a production budget, movies will have a separate marketing budget.
Disney's marketing budget was 140 million dollars. Due to their name they are able to
synergize with other well known products to do joint advertising. This is called cross media
convergence. An example of when disney were able to do this during marketing of Beauty
and the Beast was when they advertised on gelish nail polish. Due to their 360 degree status,
they are also able to advertise on Good Morning America. With the proliferation of
technology, advertising has become a lot easier and quicker as well. An example of how
Disney utilized social media to advertise Beauty and the Beast was making an Instagram
account with a countdown to get fans excited and having Emma Watson who has millions of
followers advertise it. Smaller independent movies struggle with marketing because they do
not have the same power and influence as larger conglomerates. They have to rely on vertical
integration. This tends to cost them more money. For Before I Fall their marketing budget was
20 million. However, due to the expanse of technology, social media has made it easier for
smaller independentmovies to advertise theirproduct for free.

23. M.I.G.R.A.I.N
– Genre:
Genre Theorists (who,
what, examples): :

24. What is genre?
Genre is decided depending on category, style, narratives, storylines, themes and characters. In
order to define what genre is, it would mean there is only one meaning, however, there are lots of
theories and opinions towards genre making it difficult to define as there are many perspectives.
This is due to the fact the meaning of it changes over time, and new genres are being established
over-time. Genre is important as it helps the audience make sense of conventions and narrative
structures.
Genres
Drama- My sisters keeper
Comedy – Bridesmaids
Animation – Monstersink
Romance – The notebook
Horror - Saw
Sci-fi - Alien
Thriller – Paranormalactivity Crime– The godfather
Document- Catfish
Adventure -Jumanji

25. Film genres are identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that have
similar techniques/conventions such as:
• Content
• Subject matter
• Structures
• Themes
• Moods
• Periods
• Time
• Setting
• Reoccurring icons
• Characters
• Narrative events
• Situations
• Motifs
• Style
• Props
• Stars
Primary film genres include the following:
• Action
• Adventure
• Comedy
• Crime
• Drama
• Epic
• Horror
• Musicals
• Science fiction
• War films
• Western

26. Within genres, there are also sub genres (genre within a genre) They combine multiple
elements/chararestics of 2 or multiple genres.
Examples of different sub-genres include:
Genre Sub-genre Example
Comedy Romance, comedy, British British jones
Horror Comedy, horror, zombie Shawn of the dead
Family Family, sci-fi, romance,
thriller
Avatar
Action Thriller, kung-fu, western,
action
Kill bill
Drama Action, drama, natural
disaster
Rocky horror

27. Genre theorists:
positives​ negatives​
Audience already knows what to
expect.​
Lazy​
Structure.​
Boring, nothing you havn't seen
before​
Everybody understands it​
It could restrict the audience from
watching it if they don’t like a genre​
Industry knows how to develop and
Too many sterotypes
Rick Altman 1999: 'there is no such thing as 'pure' genre anymore. Genre is progressive and will always
change' Rick Altman in his book 'film/genre' has proposed whathe likes to call a semantic/syntacticapproach.
Semantic: this concerns the conventions of a genre that communicates to an audience such as characters, location,
props, music, shooting style and other signifiers. E.g in western films we would expect to see horses, guns, hats,
wilderness, Native Americans etc.
Syntactic: This concerns the relations between these elements and the structure of narratives in
genres. E.g in romantic comedies we expect the potential lovers to begin by not liking each other, then there are a
series of problems/enigmas which causes them to end up having a successfulrelationship
Daniel Chandler: Conventional definitions of genres tend to be based on the notion that they constitute are part of a specific type of content (such
as themes and settings) and/or from (including structures/style) which are shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them. "Itis difficult
to make clear-cut distinctions between one genre and another: genres overlap, and there are 'mixed genres' such as comedy thrillers." (Chandler,
2000)
Buckingham1993: 'genre isnotsimply givenbythe culture:ratheritisina constantprocess of negotiation andchange'
Tom Ryall 1978: Ryall argues that genres are recognizable through the repeated use of generic codes and conventions – as how the audience would
know if a horror filmisa horror film.

28. M.I.G.R.A.I.N –
Representation:

29. Media representations are the ways in which the
media portrays specific groups, communities,
experiences, ideas or topics from an ideological
value or perspective. They aren’t always completely
accurate, and that’s why they are said to be "re-
presentation" which may sometimes go so far and
create a new reality.
A clear example of media representation can be
found in beer advertisements, where they generally
make out like drinking beer is a key component in a
party for it to be fun – by doing this they are
creating the connotation that it is their product that
makes the party fun which further helps them
promote their product. Another example is Disney,
one of the most famous industries and film
producers of film and television who represent
stories and fairytales for children primarily in terms
of white, western, middle-class values. Disney land
and Disney world go as far as creating a new 'land'
through representation.
Representations in media are a key part of society,
as they shape, to a certain degree, the way we think
and what we believe. This is particularly true
for teenagers who are heavily influenced by the
media.

30. Racial and ethnic representation in media
➢ Ethnicity is an affiliationresultingfromracial/cultural tiese.g.African,Caribbean, Latino, Arab,Asian.
➢ A positive portrayal of people of color is crucial, especially in multicultural countries such as Britain and America as people need to be aware of
diversity andbe able tolearnhowtocelebrate andappreciate the differences.
Ways ethnicminorities are representedinthe media:
• Underrepresented
• Stereotypically
• Criminals
• Threats
• Culturally abnormal
• Unimportant
• Dependent
Stereotypes and misinterpretations can be dangerous as the representation that is constructed by the media might be the only experiences the
audience has. For example, in American Tv shows and films, Latinos will play gardeners and maids rather than lawyers and doctors. Furthermore,
Hispanic men and women have been sexualized a lot by Hollywood in the media. Latino men have been stereotyped as 'Latin lovers' and Latina
womenhave beencharacterizedasbeingexotic, sensual vamps.
In classic cinema, Arabs are often depicted as belly dancers and terrorists. When native Americans aren't depicted as being silent, they're depicted as
bloodthirsty warriors – and if a black person isn't a maid or nanny, they will typically be there to be the white person's black best friend. While Asians
have beenlivinginthe USforgenerations, theyare showntohave brokenEnglish, if not, they are incrediblysmart.
Thisall linkstoAlvarado'sracial sterotypestheory.

31. Alvarado's racial sterotypestheory
Dangerous: This when a group is portrayed to be dangerous and violent rap has made the
stereotype on black males worse and has made as a stereotype that they are violent. As well as Yusef
Khan in EastEnders is shown to be violent and extremely dangerous.
Humorous: A good example of this is in the Simpsons, the character groundskeeper Willie who is
conveyed as heavily Irish through his thick accent and bright red hair. He has many humorous lines and
accidents that conveys him and his ethnicity as people who are humorous and should be stereotyped
this way.

32. Exotic:This is when a group is 'exotic' and 'sexy' for example there is a stereotype on Latina
women to be a sex symbol, this is because they are shown to be this way through
controversial behaviors and the costumes that they are wearing in the media are
very revealing.
Pitied: When adverts or documentaries are displayed for African children and families dying
of poverty, the impression this gives off to the audience creates a feeling of pity and makes
the audience feel as if they should help them.

33. Gender representations in media
Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the following:
• Strength – physical and intellectual power
• Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the point above)
• Physique
• Independence (of thought, action and finances)
Male characters are often represented as isolated, not needing to rely on others (the lone hero) If they
submit to being a part of a family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than integral
factors in the initial balance. Male physique is also becoming a more important part of representations of
masculinity.
Representations of women across all media tend to focus on the following:
• Beauty (within narrow conventions)
• Size/physique (again, with narrow conventions)
• Sexuality (as made in the points above)
• Emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• Relationships (as opposed to independence/freedom)
Women are stereotypically represented as being part of context (family, friends, colleuges) and working
in a part of a team. In drama films they tend to make the part of the 'princess'/damsel or the helper.
Often their passitivity leads to victimhood.

34. The media has also dominated white actors. For example, the TV
show friends, is set in New York, one of the most racially diverse
cities in the US, yet all the main characters are white. In fact, even
most secondary and minor characters were also white.
However, in recent years, there have defiantly been some
developments where ethnic groups have landed roles based on
their individuality rather than stereotype. Such as the show
Jane The Virgin.

35. Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory:
➢ In film the male gaze occurs when the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male POV and the audience
are viewing footage from his POV. The scene may focus on the curves of a womans body. However it is only the male gaze
theory if these curves are highlighted with specific conventions such as slow motion, deliberate camera movements, cut-
aways etc.
➢ The theory suggests that the male gaze denies women's human identity, relegating them to the status of objects to be
admired for physical appearance. Furthermore, it also suggests woman can often only watch a film from a secondary
perspective and only view themselves from a mans perspective.
➢ However the presence of a woman in a mainstream film is vital. Often, a female character has no real importance to
herself, it is how she makes the male feel or act this is the importance. The female only exists in relation to the male.
➢ Mulvey argues, for the result of media being presented from the perspective of men and through male gaze, women
find themselves at times, taking of the male gaze. Women will gaze at other women the same way a man would and end
up objectifying other women.
Mulvey states the role of a female character in a narrative has two functions:
• As an erotic object for other characters within the narrative to view.
• As an erotic object for the audience within the cinema to few.

36. Example of male gaze theory:
Beyoncé's “Partition” is an examplewhere the artist has chosen herself to
be represented in a way that supports the male gaze theory.
Beyoncé performs throughout the video in a sexual way outliningher body
through the use of lightingtechniques.
This is seen as part of her artist image and has become a recognizablelink to
her music videos.

37. M.I.G.R.A.I.N - Audience

38. Audiences are made up of individuals who read or consume media texts. All media industries must be
aware of their audience in order to form strategies which attract their target audience.
There are a range of different theories that help explain the different ways in which audiences respond
to texts and the reason for this. For example, Clay Shirky proposed a theory which states that the
internet and digital forms of technology influence the relationship between the media and people.
Meaning that we are more likely to use forms of technology to reply to texts.
There are two different types of audience: primary (target) audience and secondary audience.
• The primary audience is the group of people which the product is specifically aimed at. In order to
reach this audience; the product of the owner/industry which is responsible for the product would
need to consider their needs, characteristics, preferences etc.
• The secondary audience is the second most important group of 'consumers' that an industry targets.
The secondary audience is right below the primary audience. The only difference is the secondary
audience won't have as many demands and will not be as interested as the primary audience.
• Audience demographics include factors about your audience such as age, race, gender, economic
status, income level and employment. Demographics are used in the media industry in order to learn
about the audience and be able to have sufficient market research.

39. ➢Quantitative audience research is when companies gather information in
large amounts. They do this by collecting information from surveys of large
groups. The techniques used are mail surveys, telephone surveys, internet
surveys, and face to face public surveys. Quantitative research uses closed
questions within a questionnaire such as yes or no questions. This is
because they want to compare with numbers such as how many people
said yes for example.
➢Qualitative audience research engages with a relatively small group of
people in order to gain a complex, detailed and in depth understanding of
their opinions and experiences. Qualitative research uses open
questions within a questionnaire as they want to find out the reasons and
opinions for the answers given, instead of asking "do you like horror" the
questionnaire would say " do you like/dislike horror and why?"

40. Audience theories:
Hypodermic needle theory:
➢ A passive audience is the opposite of an active audience. This audience consists of people who do not engage much with a media
product and simply just accept whatever the deeper message of the other media product is.
➢ Katz and Lazarsfeld (1995) proposed a hypodermic needle which states that the message conveyed in a product represents a bullet,
which is fired from the media (representing a gun) before it goes into the viewer's head. This theory suggests that messages are
'injected' into a passive audience before the message is completely received and accepted.
➢ The audience is powerless to resist.
The bobo doll experiment is a controversial piece of research that proved children copy violent behavior. It was conducted in 1961 by
Albert Bandura.
In the experiment:
o Children watched a video where an adult violently attacked a clown toy called the bobo doll.
o The children were then taken into a room with attractive toys that they weren’t allowed to touch.
o The children were then led into another room bobo dolls.
o 88% of the children imitated the violent behavior that they had earlier viewed. 8 months later 40% of the children reproduced
the same violent behavior.
The conclusion was made that children will repeat violent behavior that they see in the media.

41. The cultivation theory:
➢By professor George Gerbner and later expanded by Gross and
Gerbner. The two began research in the 1960's attempting to
study media effects, and if watching television influences the
audiences perception of everyday life.
➢The theory suggests that media and television hold a small but
significant influence on societies attitudes and beliefs. Meaning
people who absorb the media are more likely to be influenced.
➢The separation between light viewers and heavy viewers is called
the cultivation difference. This describes the extent in which to
which a view and attitude on a particular topic is shaped by the
exposure of media.

42. Moral Panic:
➢The concepts of moral panic was first popularized in 1972 when Stanley Cohen
wrote 'Folk devils and Moral panics'. According to Cohen "moral panic has
occurred when a condition, episode, person or group emerges to become
defined as a threat to societal values and interest, its nature is presented in a
stylized and stereotypical fashion by Mass media and the moral barricades are
manned by editors"
➢The connection of moral panic to the media is not new. This idea has
been around for some time. In 1964 the media fueled fear over the British
youth culture known as Mods and Rockers. This group was portrayed as being
a new threat to public safety with exaggerated claims of danger posed
by unconventional youth after violence between two groups of young
people had occurred one day at the beach.
➢The media uses certain terminology to portray moral panic to the public. Words
such as "gangs, looting, villains" etc. As well as phrases such as "drive by
shooting" "a new menace threatening society" "crime is on the rise" - all this
terminology can result in people feeling fearful and anxious.

43. M.I.G.R.A.I.N
– Ideology:
Capitilism
Liberlism
Marxism
Socialism

44. Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system
and a mode of production in
which trade, industries, and the
means of production are largely
or entirely privately owned and
operated for profit.
Capitalism it is an economic
system based on 3 things:
• Wage labor
• Private ownership
• Production for exchange and
profit
Pros Cons
Health Waste
Economicgrowth Starvation
Equality Danger
Consumersregulatethe
market
Propaganda
Provideschoice Pollution
Effects capitalism has on the media:
- Doesn't provide all the pros and cons of the firm
- Only shows how capitalism makes money and not how effects things like the environment,
pollution, harmful to standard of living
- Promotes a culture of work and desire
- The common perception of the communist culture is "participate in activities that appear
beneficial to you

45. Liberalism
Liberalism defined is political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality. The concept of
Liberalism began in 1699-1800 by John Locke who saw great progress who saw great potential for human
progress in modern civil society and capitalist economy both of which could flourish in states which guaranteed
individual liberty.
Pros Cons
a positiveview of human
nature
Peoplemight take
advantageof freedom ,
such as pedophiles trying
to join the LGBTQ
community
a conviction that
internationalrelations can
be cooperativerather than
conflictual
Marketinconsistency
a belief in progress Over-dependance
supportsgender equality,
racial equality, human
rights
Governmentcriticism
wantsculturaldiversity Culturalissues
Preserveshuman rights
Providesindividual
freedom (freedom of
speech/association)
Over the years, liberalism has evolved into a
political stance in the media, primarily affecting
one of the world's largest sectors,
news/journalism in digital and printed media,
where they can have the most power and influence
to spread their beliefs to reflect all over the world,
for the drive of individual speech and stance.
Media such as Social media, broadcasting, Tv, News
etc. Is a popular way to promot liberlism, for
example when the black lives matter movement
with the death of george floyd – massive liberal
celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston would promote
it encouraging her audience to research into this
ideology

46. Marxism
Marxism began in the 19th century as a pragmatic view of history that offered the working classes of society an
opportunity to change their world. It offered humanity a social, political, economic, and cultural understanding of
the nature of reality, society and the individual. There are no social classes, and the reason for this is because
they believe that this will eliminate the social gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, and this will
eventually lead to communism. It began with Karl Max and Friedrich Engels, they began writing The Communist
Manifesto (1848), based on the Engels' Principles of Communism. Six weeks later, they published the 12,000-
word pamphletin February 1848.
Pros Cons
Equal gender roles, equal
education access and health
care.
Abolishes religion.
Protects the rights of the union. Negatively affects the
educationalsystem
Reducesthe tendency of debt, as
communitieschoose to work
together to achieve success.
Limits opportunitiesfor
entrepreneurs
Can lead to communism which
is believed to lead society
without anyonebeing
motivated, loweringthe
economy

47. Socialism
Socialism was created to progress the living situation of working class so that everyone was more equal for example a
historical examples of socialist countries include the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. It is a political and economic
theory which believes that the means of making, moving and trading wealth should be owned or controlled by workers.
This means the money made belongs to the people who make the things, instead of a group of private owners, so every
person in the community has an equal share of the various elements of production.
Pros Cons
Creates a society that focuseson
economicequality.
reducesinnovation opportunities
Reduction in poverty when
socialism has a chance to work.
Creation of a welfarestate can lead
to industrialdisincentives
Equality Forces the governmentto do all of
the spending
Environmentalprotections Create dividesbetween workers
and owners
Promotesthe common good

48. M.I.G.R.A.I.N –
Narrative:
• Narrative Theorists (who, what, examples):
• Todrovs theory : 5 stages – split beginning
middle end

49. Propps character types
Propps charactertypes suggested that characters took the role of narrative“spheres of
action” or a function. Stating 7 main charactertypes:
• The hero (seeks something)
• The villain(opposes the hero)
• The donor (provides an object to the hero)
• The helper (aids hero in his quest)
• The princess (reward for hero and requires protectionfrom the villain)
• The false hero (A characteryou first trust but turns out they are bad)

50. • Equilibrium - The first part of the story
will have a happy start, where most
characters are content, and everything is
as it should be.
• Disruption - The second part of the story
will contain a problem, or something will
disruptthe happiness.
• Realization - This is the part in the plot
when everyone realizes the problem and
it sparkschaos.
• Restored order - This is the part in the
plot when the characters attempt to
repair the damage and restore
the problem.
• Equilibrium again - This is the final part
of the plot when the problem is resolved,
and normality can resume.
Todorov's narrative theory states that most story/plot lines follow the same pattern/path. There
are 5 steps in the pattern.
The main protagonist - Teenage girl Katniss has
gone beyond her district to hunt in the forest. Her
hunting in the woods represents her practice for
the Hunger Games if she was ever to be chosen.
Then we have the disruption caused by the event
when Katniss’ sister gets chosen to be tribute. Katniss
then volunteers as tribute. This is a sign of self-
sacrifice.
Katniss then recognises what she has gotten herself
into. Katniss knows that she probably might not be
able to see her family again. The tragic part of this is
that she doesn’t have much time to say goodbye.
Katniss attempts to live throughout the film.She
is surrounded by difficulties
Katniss and her companion Peeta win the game
together. Katniss thenreturns back home to her
family and friends.
Todrovs theory

51. Barthes theory
Barthes’ said that a text had no beginning, that it is reversible, we can gain access to it by many
entrances and that there is no 'main' one.
He believes that:
• Text needs to be unravelled
• Unravelling can lead to several potential meanings
• We can look at text from one perspective and create one meaning
• You can continue by unravellingthe narrative from a range of angles and create new meanings
Barthes then narrowed down this to Five Codes which can be present in any narrative:
• The Action Code – resolution is produced through action
• The Enigma Code – where tension is built up and audience left questioning
• The Symbolic Code – new meaning comes from conflicts/ opposing ideas
• The Cultural Code – looks at the audience’s wider cultural knowledge/morality/and ideology
• The Semantic Code – story has an additional meaning/underlying connotation

52. Trailer
Research:
• What is a trailer/teaser trailer? Why
are they used?
• How have trailers evolved over the
years?
• How have movie trailers become
more contemporary?
• What makes a good trailer?
• Are independent films up to the same
standard as Conglomerates?
• Why do films include movie posters?
• Why is it important to include
branding across movie promotional
packs?

53. • A trailer is a collection of different shots from a movie that are put together to show viewers what the movie
is about and get them interested in watching it. It is a quick snippet edited to make the movie seem exciting
and is a way producers advertise their movie. A trailer doesn't contain any spoilers of any kind, it showcases
thrilling moments from the movie that would be sure to grab the audiences' attention. Producers try to
achieve this by making the duration of the trailer last around two minutes, any longer and they could lose the
audiences' attention.
• Over the years, the way in which trailers were made has changed. Back in the early 2000's, trailers
contained many spoilers that the audience would know how the movie was going to end. The movie 'cast
away' showed Tom Hanks getting off the island which practically spoiled it for the audience. Nowadays, they
use spoiler free marketingwherethey avoid any spoilers to the film but keep it exciting to attract audiences.
• Trailers have become more contemporary throughout the years due to developing technology such
as smartphones. Social media is used to inform fans about releases, updates and anything else related. This
allows the trailers to get more noticed as the more people who interact with your posts the more people are
awareof your film.

54. Trailer – 3 Act Structure:
The three-act structure is a model used when writing and evaluating modern storytellingwhich divides a screenplay
into three parts called the setup (beginning), the confrontation (middle)and the resolution (end).
The first act is used to establish the main characters, their relationships and the world around them. The protagonist
is usually presented as content in their situation so that when it is interrupted, the protagonist wants to fight to
regain their world. Earlier in the first act, a dynamic, on-screen incident occurs that confronts the main character,
whose attempts to deal with this incident leads to a second and more dramatic situation, known as the first turning
point, which signals the end of the first act, ensures life will never be the same again for the protagonist and raises a
dramaticquestion that will be answered in the climax of the film.
The second act, also referred to as "rising action" typically depicts the protagonist's attempt to resolve the problem
initiated by the first turning point, only to find themselves in ever worsening situations. Part of the reason the protagonist
seems unable to resolve their problems is because they do not yet have the skills to deal with the forces of antagonism
that confront them. They must not only learn new skills but arrive at a higher sense of awareness of who they are and
what they are capable of, in order to deal with their predicament, which in turn changes who they are. This is referred to
as character development. This cannotbe achieved alone and they are usually aided by mentors and co-protagonists.
The third act features the resolution of the story and its subplots. The climax, also known as the second turning point, is
the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most intense point and the dramatic
question answered. The protagonist can never return to the same life they lived before the confrontation occurred
however; they are left with a new found senseof who they really are.

55. Analysis of Trailer 1: I see you
It starts off with a long shot of the house with a dark scenery which indicates death and mystery. There is a
long shot of the whole house the start to bring and introduce the audience into the setting. Then a match
on action is used to follow the man going to another house. The camera stays outside besides the wife. By
doing match on action, it makes the audience feel more interacted with the movie which keeps them more
involved and interested. It also uses closeups at times of the doll it's to show the freakish smile she
has. It shows the doll sitting still and looking straight at the camera several times in the trailer to remind
the viewer that the reason all these creepy things keep happening is because of the doll. At the start the
editing is made so that the beginning of the film's most important shots are played with black fades, the
scene happens in a fast pace a which creates suspense, this is used lot by horror movies so that at the
beginning of the trailer the viewer is immediately interested to see what happened so there's more watch
the whole of the trailer. All scenes fade out with a black onto each other. It started off scary and dark with
invisible cuts in order to catch the viewers' attention to watch the rest of the trailer. There are overlays of
people talking and explain what is happening whilst showing the setting and location where they
are moving too, then when a scene that something scary happens they leave it to be completely quiet. In
the middle of the trailer a score of an old-song begins to play through out some scenes to build suspense
for the audience. The contrast between happy music and scary footage creates an uneasy feeling to the
viewer because they don’t match which makes the viewer feel more thrills towards the trailer. The music
then lowers to a quieter volume to the sound of the sewing machine so that the viewer focuses on that. The
music is low but can still be heard in the background now. Then the sewing machine gets louder and so
does tinfoil on top of the stove so the music cannot be heard anymore, and the noises of the sewing
machine and tinfoil overlap each other repeatedly and gets louder progressively which creates suspense
and then suddenly there is creaking noises/effects added once the problem occurs because this makes the
problem and situation look and sound more interesting.

56. Analysis of Trailer 1: I see you
All the locations are based in late 1900s/1970s . This is because old locations and are usually dark,
dark colors connote themes of death and fit perfectly with the horror genre. It also gives off the
sense that the situation is dangerous. There is a 'villain' in the movie which
goes with propps character types. The villain is the doll. Children toys such as dolls and teddys are
used a lot in horror movies because they conflict with the real purpose of them - they expect the
doll to stay still or to be played with. Dolls are made for young kids so using a doll makes the victim
seem vulnerable. We also control their actions completely. So, for them to get up and run around the
house on their own, or try to strangle us, that leaves us powerless and terrified. Its the juxtaposition
between a cute doll and the doll wanting to kill the whole family that leads to an underlying feeling
of unease. This trailer used the 3 act structure: The wife was pregnant at the start which showed
how out of control and vulnerable she was. First part is the establishment, where the
characters and introcuced, at the start they both wake up and night and the guy acts like the hero
and is shown to be more brave by going to explore what happened, the wife is holding her belly
which shows she is pregnant at the very start of the film. After this happens, they explain what
happened before and starts to introduce the storyline of them moving to a new house and having a
baby, then that’s when the development of a problem starts and that’s that the house is haunted
because of the doll and start to experience supernatural occurrences. And then a montage of
different scenes showing what could of happen are played which keeps the viewer guessing what's
going to happen next and therefor want to watch the whole movie.

57. Analysis of trailer 2: Woman in black
From the moment we begin watching, it is evident that the genre of the film is horror because of the
conventions that have been used. For example, the narrative of a young child holding supernatural
powers is common convention of a horror film narrative, as we are left feeling feared and scared of the
young child. The use of eerie/scary non diegetic music also adheres the conventions of the horror genre
and fits with the haunted house location that has been used. The trailer starts off with an establishing
shot of the surrounding location to give the audience a look into where the action will take place and
familiarize the setting to the audience when they come to watch the film in a cinema. Additionally,
tracking shots are also used to give the audience an insight of the haunted house that is the main setting
of action of the film, which enforces the feeling of anxiety and fright about this house. Throughout the
trailer they are cuts between establishing shots and close ups which are important in the genre of horror
as the facial expressions of the characters are the central focus in reaction to the setting. By using close
ups to show characters’ faces, the fear and distress they feel is emphasized to the audience. Close ups are
additionally used to focus on ‘scary’ objects that play a role in the actions and disruption of the film.
(Disruption linking into Todorov’s theory of narrative.) Two shots are used in the trailer to display
conversations that are had by the characters and are effectively used in this trailer as we tend to hear a
conversation that is followed by an insert cut of what they were talking about, in this case the house and
who may be in it. A typical convention that has been used in the trailer is the fade outs between each
scene to create a tense and spooky atmosphere. The use of the colour black for these fade outs also
adheres with the horror genre as it is a typical colour that is commonly used and associated with horror.
The face past editing of the shots towards the end of the trailer has been done in order to build on the
tension created through the narrative of the ghost of a young woman.

58. The overlapping of sound at the beginning of the trailer creates tension for the audience as
they are anxious to find out what that particular sound is, in this case it is ambient sound of
the engine of a train along the tracks, within the field of vision. This technique is a typical
convention used in horror film trailers in order to create tension and build fear within the
audience watching the trailer. Sound is of huge importance in horror trailers as it is used to
draw on the anticipation of something bad about to happen and adds tension to
the watching of it. In this trailer, a non diegetic sound of a nursery like song is played in the
build up of the disruption, creating a tense atmosphere before the music turns to a more
series down beat rhythm that fits with what is going on in the narrative, after the disruption
has began, in this case the protagonist has learnt of the spooky events happening. In
particular parts of the trailer where the scenes are cut through either an action or motivated
cut, the non diegetic sound stops for a few seconds before speeding up again making the
audience jump or panic as they watch. The chosen setting of the isolated surroundings
and the scary/haunted house are stereotypically associated with horror and scary films. The
overall feel of the trailer connotes old age, death and fear which has been effectively
portrayed through each elements of mise en scene. Symbols such as the The Cross are
typically associated with the genre of horror. The use of dark colours and shadowing of
figures and objects creates a tense and spooky atmosphere. In addition, the stormy like
weather is also a typical convention of horror films that we see in many films. The use of such
elements make the audience feel nervous and frightened as they watch the trailer.
Analysis of trailer 2: Woman in black

59. Analysis of Poster:
Background is a neuatral blue color
rather than pink/red which is what is
normally used in rom-coms. This could
be because they are supposed to be
'friends' and therefore would not use
any colors that would connote love or
romance. There is a gradient that gets
lighter, they could have done this to
draw attention to the actors.
Hand signals may reflect on what will
happen in the film. It adds a immature
comedic aspect, hinting on the tone of
the film.
Website mentioned in order to help the audience find out
more about the film and share it with others. Social media is
mentioned to promote the film and get people more
involved.
Beginning of each word in blue,
adds intrest to the title. The
neutral color emphasizes they
are friends.
Make-up highlights her
femininity; her eye color is
also enhanced to make her
seem more attractive.
Serif font in capital letters of the main
characters, this helps sell the film to the fans
of the actors. Names are almost the same size
as the title indicating they are famous and
important.
They are close together implying
they have a close relationship. They
are dressed in casual clothes, his
shirt is untied, and his tie looks
scruffy, implying he was undressed
giving an indication of the storyline.
Image slightly darnkened to
allow the text to stand out
without being drowned by the
image behind.

60. Analysisof Poster:
Behind the actors is a desert situated in
South Africa. This shows where the
movie is set. Both of them don't look
like they are around that country,
therefore, the audience could infer they
are on a vacation, possibly a
honeymoon.
They are stood close and are facing each
other. Which could emphasize that they
have a special relationship.
Both characters are smiling at each other to show that they have a
close bond. The woman's facial expressions are similar to a reaction
a person gets when they hear something out of line but funny. from
the way he is looking at her, it seems like he does this often. She is
also pointing at him, indicating that she has a more serious
personality compared to him.
The title color matches the south african
desert in the background. There is a red
border on which the title was written on. The
names of the actors are written in red with the
South African desert in the background. This
makes the both title and name stand out to the
The names of both actors are
positioned above the title with a
slightly smaller font. The name
of the guy is under the woman
and vice versa. The names are
the same size as they are known
actors. This would draw more
attention to the movie. The
names are flipped as it could
mean that either the characters
have relationship in the movie,
or they put Sandler's names first
due to him being a bigger
celebrity and attracting more
viewers.
The guy's collar is up, possibly to
imply that he isn't a very serious
person.

61. Analysis of Social Media Page 1:
Verified logo indicates that they are
established as well as having 4.5million
followers, this shows they are backed well
with big companies such as Instagram. This
makes them respected and would more
likely attract attention for being well-known.
Also a good ratio of following-followers
makes them seem prestigious.
Highlights labelled and profiled in red –
the color of Spiderman's suit. Red is also
known to attract attention and
especially contrasting with the white
background it allows it to pop out - titles
for highlights are written in all caps to
also draw attention and make viewers
wantto press on it.
Hashtag in bio, if fans were to click on it they would be led
through millions of posts about spiderman with that
hashtag, this can be viewed as free branding as fans may
post with the hashtags in hopes of getting noticed. They
put it in the bio to keep trending
The yellow ring around the profile picture
illuminates the inner content, with the title is
colored red and blue which correlates with
the theme color of the main character of the
film – spiderman. As there have been many
spider-man movies, to previous fans of the
series, these colors are seen to be familiar
which will grab their attention.
The website is also linked in the bio to
direct fans to buy tickets/learn more about
the film such as the release date.
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62. Analysis of Social Media Page 2:
The text states different
ways to view the movie
which widens the audience's
variety. In effort to make this
easy on the eye for readers
the text is in bright yellow
with a black background, this
makes the phrase stand out
and easy to read.
The title is written in a large text, in
comparison to the words below and
underneath it, indicating it is written
to be explicit as the title of the movie.
This makes it noticeable to the viewer.
To show this, the two words 'THE
WOLF' is written in bold which again
gives us a direct message and glimpse
of what the movie is about. Wolf's can
be seen as predatorial creatures which
links to the main character who is
played by Leonardo Dicaprio as the
character is seen to be 'THE WOLF OF
WALL STREET'
There is a clear button
that says 'shop on
website' where they
redirect the viewers to a
website where they can
buy the film on iTunes.
This makes the film easily
accessible to viewers.
Click to add text
There are subheadings which
categorize the information in a
compact layout which gives the viewers
an idea for whattheyre in for.
The background indicates the genre of the
film, high key lighting as well as the people
smiling and him shouting in a device that
would already amplify his voice. These all
indicate it could potentially be a comedy.