Exam Q8: Uses and Gratifications of the Lego Movie

One of the uses and gratifications of the Lego movie is personal identity. In the movie, this idea is represented through Emmit who is the main character. Throughout the movie, Emmit is shown to be a completely normal, average person who follows current trends and his most redeeming feature is his lack of redeeming features. This idea of Emmit being a normal person is hammered into the main plot of the story and expands Emmit as the ordinary person who despite all the odds becomes a hero. This is a vital part of the media aspect of the Lego movie as we, the audience, are supposed to reflect our own values with Emmit and relate to him. This is key when the idea of good versus evil later develops in the movie as the audience already relate and support Emmit and can see themselves in their own fight for good versus evil. Also, younger children can see Emmit as a role model. Emmit is just an ordinary person like you or I and so when younger children see Emmit as this figure who saves the world, they can also relate and admire him.

Another use and gratification of the Lego movie is the idea of escapism which is represented throughout the entire screening time of the film. The Lego movie is a perfect example of how media  is used in Movies and Games to draw out interest from a variety of audiences. For example, many people see the Lego as an ideal place where everything can be fixed and no one ever gets hurt, you can do whatever you want. This especially appeals to the younger generations because basically everything they know is what they can do and what they cant do. The Lego movie game is used as escapism to leave go to a place where rules do not apply and they have their won free will to do as they like.

Seb Hardy

MOJO MAGAZINE COVER

This Magazine features the name of the company (MOJO) featured in bold, obvious, font at the top of the magazine. The main splash of this Magazine cover is David Bowie who is placed in front of the logo so you cant miss it. Also, magazines often do this, they use part of the main splash, usually the head, to cover part of the Cover name. They do this as magazine company's such as MOJO are established and the readers know what the name of the magazine is from just 3 words that appear on the front.

The use of boxes and columns in the magazine cover are used so that the reader is attracted to the magazine when they see it in shops and also, so they can put small pieces of information in them that otherwise would have been missed. For example, 'Free CD' is in its own box in bold in the top left hand side of the magazine so that people who see it will be encouraged to buy it. In this magazine, the headline and caption stand out above all other things and tell the reader whats going to be inside the magazine and also give the readers encouraging information such as, 'untold, unseen David Bowie', this makes the reader intrigued as to what the magazine has inside.

Along the sides of the magazine cover there are other articles that are featured in the magazine. In  the sidelines, to make the articles look fun and appealing they use slang. For example, in the Liam Gallagher strap line, he says 'id do an oasis re union for a fiver'. This is not necessarily what he said but the magazine paraphrases to make for an appealing sub heading.

Seb Hardy 

MUSIC VIDEO CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Wheatus Teenage Dirtbag

SK8ER BOI

1. 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 mike close to her mouth. Close-ups show her every word (lip synching 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
2. Star - use of close-ups, sometimes direct eye contact with audience, to build relationship with audience. The star of the music video is obviously Avril Lavigne as she sings throughout the video and the story she tells directly relates to her love story about her and the 'skater boi'. Moments when, for example, they are in the car and she is with her friends all looking into the camera, almost involving the audience in her song and making it as though she is singing to them.
3. 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. Avril Lavigne spends the whole duration of the video jamming out on her guitar which relates to the sk8er boi and the genre of rock and roll that the song is based on. For example, she is holding and playing the guitar as she sings about how the skater boi is on mtv.
4. 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
5. 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
6. Refrain - repeated chorus, sometimes with variations
7. Intertextuality - references to other media, films, performances, events

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Editing In Cuffs

Editing is used in cuffs to create meaning throughout the extract. The first example of editing being used in Cuffs is when the police are training in the car park. Dissolves and fades are used to show time passing which shows the viewer that the police are training hard, which makes the audience both respect the police and their hard work and gives the audience an idea of how difficult their job's are.

My second point which shows how editing creates meaning in the extract, is when the father is about to jump off the building but the man talks him out of it and then eventually pulls him off the balcony before he can jump. Shot reverse shot is used constantly as the man tries to persuade him not to jump. In this scene we also see a cut to his daughter watching T.V in the room opposite. This makes the audience feel very sad as they now know that he has a daughter he's abandoning. At the end of the scene the police who stopped the man from killing himself walked off casually, walking away from the camera.

Seb Hardy

Mise-en-scene

In the first episode of Cuffs, we see Jake and Nathan go to the home of an alcoholic/drug addict and after calming him down and entering his house, we see mise-en-scene. The house is very dirty and un kept, also there is very little light. We are also shown bottles upon bottles scattered all over the house. This scene portrays the difficulty of being a police man and the painful situations they are in everyday through mise-en-scene.

In the nudist beach scene, we see drunken men intimidating and making fun of the naturists.The mise-en-scene in this scene is the drunken men's outfits and appearances. For example, the drunk men were wearing matching rugby jerseys and viking horns. This represents there masculine appearance and their ravaging relating to the vikings. When the police arrive, we see a contrast in the smart appearance and uniform of the police, to the drunken men all wearing viking horns.

Seb Hardy

Exam Q1 Camera Work

In cuffs, camera work is used to create meaning throughout the first episode. The show begins with an establishing shot of the city. This is  used to show the audience that the show is set in a urban place and gives the audience an idea of what the show is about. We are then shown a close up  of a police officers face, this is used to create emotion and show the audience how stressful police work is in cities. In the chase scenes, they use high angle shots to give the audience a better perspective and understanding of whats going on.

Close up shots are used to draw the audiences attention to details in the show such as the emotions and feelings of characters. For example we feel sorry for the inexperienced policeman after he was shouted at because before hand he looked worried and frightened. This all adds to the audiences sympathy towards policeman and gives the audience a better understanding of how stressful and difficult it is.

Tracks are used in the car chase as the camera keeps up with both vehicles. This effect is important as it immerses the audience in the thrilling chase and as the tracks allow the camera to stay with the car, it make the audience feel as though they are in the action themselves.

Seb Hardy

Exam Q5

Social contexts influence our opinions on the television show  and give us an opinion on what the show will be like. For example, we build an impression of the show just from the setting, the language used and even how people are dressed. In the Avengers we can instantly tell that the scene is set in the 1960's as the men are all wearing suits and refer to the women as 'dolls' and use very old fashioned sayings that wouldn't be used today. We can see how the social context of the 1960's is portrayed in the Avengers through blown up buildings and bunkers resembling a war that is still largely in peoples minds at the time. There are lots of examples of T.V shows doing this as to be popular, a television show needs to stay relevant to the time and be up to date with the social context of the time.

Also, there are many old fashioned hints throughout the episodes, for example when John Steed and Emma Peel were on the train and they get out an entire tray and from their bag and have 'afternoon tea'.

Seb Hardy

EXAM Q2

Analise how far the extract depicts the polices point of view rather than the criminals point of view

Before the scene even begins, we hear a voice over as the police man is being called to action. The voice over tells us that ‘police need courage and conviction’ this is played over the sound of the police sirens as the policeman rushes to action. This makes us see things from the polices point of view and we already, before the action even begins, side with him. We are told about how much training they had to go through to become a policeman. This makes us trust the policeman as we know they are dedicated enough to go through all the training and have lots of experience.

 The scene on the beach shows us how difficult it is to be a police and from the opening scenes we feel admiration towards the policeman as he is trying to break up a fight even though he is being treated disrespectfully and he is vastly outnumbered. He only uses force after he was pushed by the drunk people so he is a respectable officer.

The scene when the 2 officers are outside an urban house trying to help the man who is shown covered in blood and threatening the police officers with knives. The police officers are very gentile and nonthreatening as the music from the scene suggests. They ask permission before touching him to help his wounds. This all adds to our opinion of the police officers and after these scenes we see things from the polices point of view instead of the criminals.

Seb Hardy

EXAM Q1: SOUND

In the extract from cuffs, we hear lots of sounds as the police are arguing. The most prominent sound through out the whole of the scene is the sound police talking over the radios, this shows us how hectic being a police man in Britain can be, they take a 5 minute break to sort something out and already they are being called back to work by other police on the radios.

Another example of sound in the extract is the noise from the motorway behind them, this sound of fast moving traffic is automatically a stressful situation for the police and adds to the tension of the on going argument. It also gives the effect that the police have a tough job which requires them to go to all sorts of different places such as a loud motorway.

Sound is used in series for many different reasons, Sound can be used to create an atmosphere, to create tension and suspicion sound can even be used to represent characters. Sound is a key role in creating a popular series because without it, the audience will struggle to get immersed in the show.

Seb Hardy

FOREST GUMP

At the moment we are learning how to make films and how to edit. We have been looking at Forest Gump as our first mini movie. In class we were shown the trailer to the movie so we had a good idea of the movie. Then we saw a sweede, a remake of the trailer/mini movie, and we were told which scenes we would be acting and filming. After being taught how to use the cameras properly, we began to make our scenes. Once we had finished acting out all of our scenes, we downloaded them onto our computers and began editing and turning them into mini movies.

Seb Hardy

TV SCHEDULING

BBC1 Sunday 9p.m. Strike

BBC1 Monday 9p.m. Rellik

BBC1 Tuesday 9p.m. Dr foster

BBC1 Wednesday 9p.m. How to stay young

BBC1 Thursday 9p.m.  Ambulance

BBC1 Friday 9p.m. Master chef

BBC1 Saturday 9p.m. Mrs browns boys

BBC1 Sunday 9p.m. Strike

Long form narrative seems to be a very popular form.

 

THE AVENGERS

In the avengers lots of values from the times emerge some still influence our society today.

-The show features lots of obviously over the top comedy scenes designed as a form of escapism for a modern person. For example, the scene when the man is shrunk in his car.

-The show also shows us a glimpse of feminism, this was a time in which women were not considered equal to men. Nowadays, there are many lead female actresses, such as Jennifer Laurence but in that time there were very few. We see a female lead along side the main character in the Avengers which at the time had not been seen or even considered before hand.

-The show features an upper class selective lifestyle shown through fancy parties, clothes and obviously the hats.

-Patrick is the lead and his classic, to the time quick thinking is ideal in many situations. Emma peel is a modern woman, fighting beside Patrick driving fast cars and living expensive lifestyles.

CUFFS

An opening sequence in a TV show  creates an atmosphere which makes the watcher want to continue on. It draws the audience in and leaves a  question in their minds, "what happens next?"

For example, the opening scene of the show where the people are fighting on the beach and when the police man tries to break them up, automatically we are left with the question, why were they fighting? Who is the police man? What comes next?

The opening sequence was very intense and the audience are deliberately left confused and intrigued to the plot.

In the title sequence, the naked people fighting on the beach show the class of the area and tell us instantly before the actual plot emerges that Brighton is quite a brutal place.

Different characters come out in different parts of the episode  and this helps draw in different people towards the show with different interests and different opinions about what they want to see on the internet. For example, the man who stabs the Indian man appeals to people who like violence on television.

I think that the idea of cuffs is quite adult and the themes of the show should mean that it is after the watershed, no child under the age of 12 should watch it.

Seb Hardy