• Makers of consumable products-food, drink, beauty products etc
• Charities- to raise awareness and encourage donations
• Government Departments- raise awareness of social issues/health issues etc
• Organisers of events- boost ticket sales/ television views
• Educational establishments-
• Media Companies- film posters, trailers etc

How do advertisers use media language?

Establishing the genre-

The ‘type’ of advert is important, the codes and conventions of a beauty product.

Visual Codes-

Visual Codes include clothing, gestures, expression, colour and lighting. In charity adverts, the expressions used are often downbeat, elicits empathy from the audience.

A slogan-

A catchy phrase that is memorable and becomes associated with the product.

Language of persuasion-

Advertisers often use hyperbole and emotive written and spoken language to engage the audience. The definition of hyperbole: exaggerated language used to create a dramatic effect (not to be taken literally). e.g. The Borat film used a particular review “so funny it’ll burst half the blood vessels in your face”

Soft sell technique-

The audience is sold a lifestyle- main product isn’t the focus (it may only make one appearance in the advert) e.g. Heineken product in the James Bond film ‘Skyfall’

Hard sell technique-

This is the employment of more ‘in your face’ advertising. Used to get a clear message to the audience- technique used by charities to raise awareness.

Demonstrative action-

This is where the product is seen to be used in the advertisement, (cleaning products, cars)

Logos-

Many companies include a recognisable logo design on all the products. Association with products through repetition- logo for Apple, McDonalds, Nike etc.

The mode of address: This is the tone and the written/spoken style of the media product that establishes communication with an audience. When analysing the mode of a product, consider:

• Informal mode of address- Use of slang, direct involvement through the use of personal pronouns “I”, “you”, “we” etc. Often to younger audiences.

• Formal mode of address- Use of complex vocabulary and writing styles -averts for serious issues use this. Suggests the target audience are more sophisticated.

• Direct mode of address- Where product communicates directly to the audience- use of eye contact & direct speech. This occurs most of the time in advertising.

• Indirect mode of address- In some audio-visual adverts (particularly one with a clear story attached), there is little engagement with the audience. e.g. John Lewis advert

• Intertextuality- When one text is used or referenced within another. e.g. use of memorable scenes/characters from an iconic film in a advert.

• Celebrity endorsement- Audience attracted by the ‘endorser’. Some celebrity become brand ambassadors and appears in several adverts in the same campaign. It can become an issue is there are controversies, some companies use non celebrities have brand ambassadors like Barry Scott.

• Unique Selling Point- This is the element that makes the product different from its competitors and will be used in marketing. For a beauty product this could be “reduce signs of ageing”.

Layout and design (print/audio visual)

How is the advert constructed? Consider the placement of images and text in conjunction with each other.

Central Image (Print media)

What is the image and why has it been chosen? What does it communicate about the product?

Typography (font style) and graphics (print/audio visual)

What can you say about the different font styles used or any graphics that appear on the advert.

Visual Codes (print/audio visual)

How has the print advert communicated messages through the use of colour, expression and gesture.

Colour (print/audio visual)

Is there a colour scheme (if so, what does this suggest? Does it link to some elements of the product? Is it part of the branding? What connotations does it communicate about the product itself?

Print technical codes

Consider the camera angles, shots, lighting, editing techniques (airbrushing, sharpening of the image, removal of blemishes, marks etc) that are used in the advert. What are the connotations of these?

Audio-visual technical codes

Consider these aspects-

• Camera shots- closeups, long shots etc
• Camera angles- low/high
• Camera movements- zooms, tracking shots etc
• Editing- transitions
• Lighting- high key & low key
• Sound- music, voice overs, dialogue, sound effects

Language and mode of address (print/audio visual)

How does the advert ‘speak’ to its audience?

What kind of words or language devices, e.g. alliteration are used

Attitudes and beliefs (print/audio visual)

What attitudes and beliefs are conveyed through the advert?

Some adverts suggest that purchasing the product will change your life in some way

Associations (print/audio visuals)

Does the advert use intertextuality so that we make associations between the product and other media forms? Why have they done this? (e.g. Yoda in the Virgin Media advert)

Film Posters

A product of film advertising. They are a visual hook for the audience. There are two types of film posters:

• Teaser posters- quite empty, creates questions for the audience, gets them excited for the film.

• Theatrical posters- shows more characters and enigmas

Different types of poster- Analysing film posters

Key conventions of film posters:

Genre indicators- Images/typography/language indicate genre of film

Visual Codes- How has the poster communicated genre through colour, expression and gesture

Iconography- Another indicator to the genre of the film. Includes props, backgrounds, clothing, setting, character looks

Star Billing- Positioning of the images, hierarchy of the importance of the characters.

Stars- Can indicate the genre of the film too, e.g. Liam Neeson is associated with Action/Adventure films.

Tag line and the image- a memorable phrase or slogan that becomes associated with the film and appears on its posters. e.g. Jurassic Park “a film 60 million years in the making”

Language and mode of address- This will be persuasive and often uses hyperbole

Expert criticism- Quotes from newspapers, film magazines and online reviews suggesting the quality of the film- making it a ‘must see’.

Mark of quality- This is the use of the film logo, the directors name/references to other successful films made by this director. This is included to convince the audience that it is a high quality product.

Advertising is one of the most powerful forms of media. Generally used to promote/sell product, but is used to generate awareness of issues/events. To do this, it is important that advertisers establish a recognisable brand identity.

Brand Identity: The image that a brand projects and the associations the audience makes with the brand. (e.g. Nike suggests good quality sports clothing that is also fashionable leisure wear. The high budget advertising campaigns, sponsorship at world events and use if celebrity endorsement have helped reinforce the brand)

Amazon Alexa Advertisement:

Task One

Research and write a 300-word summary of the political response to I,Daniel Blake during the film of the release of the film.

The political response to the film starts with the conservative party politician Iain Duncan Smith who worked as The Secretary of state for work and pensions (and is responsible for over £15 bn of cuts to the benefits system in five years since 2010) claiming that Ken Loach “painted an unrealistic picture and treated Jobcentre staff unfairly”. Many conservatives MPs such as Tim Laughton have also attacked the film and its creators for being “unrealistic” with its portrayal of the benefits system and the film has been mentioned in Parliament.

In the press at the time of the release of the film, many right-wing newspapers such as The Sun criticised the anti-conservative message behind it. Even to date, most articles written about the film cover the same negative aspects and very few compliment the film for its overall message. The Guardian reported that the film “doesn’t represent reality”, a common phrase found around the context of the film when looking through articles. This claim was made by the senior manager at Jobcentre Plus that the film focuses almost entirely on the very worst case. Reports like these all have the same element of denial to them, which is all part of the problem itself.

Right-wing viewpoints highly criticised the film yet put this further into the public’s view, not only the film itself but the message it brings. Likewise, many viewers of the film have had similar experiences with the benefits system and therefore it represents their untold story. Many of these people were glad that Ken Loach was raising this awareness, and left-wing politicians such as Jeremy Corbyn supported the film and told conservative Prime Minister Theresa May to watch it to understand the benefits system. This is not the first time Ken Loach has released a controversial piece, nearly 50 years ago he released ‘Cathy Come Home’, a drama (which was like a documentary) about a homeless woman and her family, which sparked its own controversy.

Task Two

Write a 400 word report on how the film I,Daniel Blake represents class and age.

The film represents people who have been cheated by the benefits system, and does so with two main characters Daniel Blake and Katie Morgan. Daniel represents a hard-working old man with ill-health being treated badly at the hands of the state and Katie, a single parent, being forced by the housing system to move 400km north away from her family to Newcastle with her children. These two characters portray both northern and southern working-class people having the same experiences and problems with the benefits system. This film was created with a working-class viewpoint to underline the issues with the state itself.

Daniel Blake is depicted living on a council estate to suggest that there are many people living like him and he is not as lonely as he may feel. The audience see many scenes in Katie’s house where it is badly damaged which Daniel attempts to repair for her, portraying a sense of community coming together to help each other, which is further reinforced by Daniel’s neighbour helping him as well. The food bank scene also shows many working-class people queuing outside beforehand to constitute the vast number of people living like this. This scene depicts the harsh reality of a single parent mother being so desperate and practically starving for food that she literally could not wait to eat it. Both Katie and Daniel are kicked out of the benefits agency at the same time which further regarded towards the discrimination of classes.

The prejudice against people using the benefits system is also presented in the film, from Daisy being bullied at school to Daniel being bullied by the employees at the Jobcentre. This is done to further highlight the issue of how poverty effects all ages. Many of the people throughout the film are close in age to Daniel and should therefore show a presence of sympathy towards him but do not. The inclusion of Katie’s children conveys the idea of pure and innocence in society and how future generations suffer at the hands of people older than them. Younger people offer to help Daniel throughout the film, particularly in scenes where he is trying to understand the concept of a computer as most of the services for the system were created online/over the phone. Daniel’s next door neighbour assists him online, developing the idea of the future generations taking control and dictating the present day. The ending of the film summarises that although Daniel Blake had died, Katie was still affected by poverty and consequently generations are still affected by this issue and will continue to be until governments take control.

Month/Year of release: October 2016

Actors/Actresses: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires

Director: Ken Loach

Production Companies: Sixteen films, Why Not Productions and Wild Bunch

Distributor: eOne

Budget: Unknown (Low budget)

Box Office: $15.8m

What major award/prize did it win? Palme d’or at Cannes

What is a British film?

The notion of what makes a ‘British Film’ can be a complex subject.

Institutional (Origin of filmmakers, financial backers, studios etc), Cultural Factors (Film based in the UK/focused on British characters)

This is complicated by the large amounts of US production filmed in the UK, as well as US-backed film like James Bond and Harry Potter.

Marketing- I,Daniel Blake

Often films utilise the actors in films to sell their films, however this is not the case with I,Daniel Blake

Ken Loach, the director of I, Daniel Blake was the star of the marketing campaign, his name was over many posters and trailers, he appeared on number of TV/Radio shows, often with a political edge.

Left-Wing political figures like labour leader Jeremy Corbyn supported the film.

The films are anti-conservative/anti-right wing message was criticised by many in the press, typically right-wing newspapers such as The Sun yet these political issues propel the film more into the public eye.

Exhibition

Low budget independent films like this often find it more difficult to get into multiplex cinemas in the UK.

I, Daniel Blake’s message was shown as a controversial choice for the multiplex cinemas.

Across the UK, 100 cinemas showed I, Daniel Blake compared to 600 in France.

As a result of the lack of multiplex support, eOne decided to put on free/”Pay what you want” screenings in the community. It was available on Amazon Prime

Historical Context

• Compton is mainly working class city in California
• 65% of the population is Hispanic/Latino, 32.9% is African American, 0.8% is non-hispanic white
• 26.3% of the population is living in poverty- It is one of Americas least funded cities
• Known for notorious gang culture- partiucarly the rival gangs ‘The bloods’ and ‘The Crips’
• Many musicians deprived from Compton including NWA and Kendrick Lamar.

1992 LA Riots

March 3 1992- A video shot by George Holliday where Rodney King was stopped by and beaten by several police officers.

29 April 92- The police officers were aquitted for the charges in court.

On the same day, In Florence and Normandie avenues reports of beer cans being thrown at passing motorists, The riots retreat and dont continue for three hours,

Social, Cultural & Political Context

• African American group
• Set in late 1980’s/ early 1990s but was made in 2015, it shows the link between both time periods that “nothing has changed”.
• N.W.A both positive (musical progression) and negative (gang association and misogynistic lyrics) stereotypes
• The film mirrors these stereotypes, including positive representations of black characters but the film has also been called misogynist for the lack of representation of women.
• #BlackLivesMatter campaign
• #OscarsSoWhite campaign – producers and actors feel like the lack of oscar nominations were down to the race representation in the film

Economic Context

Commerical success- highest grossing music biopic of all time

Ice Cube & Dr Dre produced- They were used as a marketing tool

N.W.A have an established set of fans

Synergy- link to soundtrack for the film, as well as Dr Dre’s first studio album in 16 years, Compton

Celebrity endorsement is essential aspect of marketing, especially in relation to mainstream entertainment.

Straight Outta Compton- Guerilla marketing

• Exhibition of low rider cars used in the film at events promoting the film
• Promotional party celebrating East coast hip hop held in Seattle

Who is the potential audience targeted by the film?

Many people such as fans of the hip hop/rap genre, the music has an established fan base which can be maintained through well-managed marketing of the film. Fans of the N.W.A (typically may be an older audience) who can relate to the period of time when the band was most popular. Other audiences include people who are intriged by the hype of the film and decide to see it out of curiosity. Fans of Ice Cube and Dr Dre and how they have been represented in the film, also young people who may relate to the main characters and situations in the film (the misrepresentation of the urban youth)

What was the audience response to the film?

The film sparked controversy surrounding the intentional exclusion of Dr Dre’s abuse towards women. However the film was a massive success in box office gaining $201.6 million because of the unexplored topic of institutional racism.

Why is regulation important to the marketing and global reach of the film?

Regulation is important because the producer and distributor want the film to reach as broad of an audience as possible.

What was the BBFC’s response to the film? How was it classified?

The film itself was rated a 15, but the directors cut was given an 18 certificate, as was the video release.

Hollywood is made up of major studios and independent studios which hold the most power: (The Big 6) They make up for 81% of film profits

• Buena Vista (Disney)
• Warner Bros.
• Universal
• Sony/Columbia
• 20th Century Fox
• Paramount

Oligopoly: A small number of companies control a large sector of a market.

Power & Media Industries Theory

The idea that media is controlled by a small number of companies, typically driven by the power & profit.

Marketing

The action of promoting and selling products/services. The distributors of Straight Outta Compton utilised a number of different marketing strategies in order to promote the film.

Straight Outta Compton

They used viral marketing in order to promote the film. Beats by Dre launched a campaign that people were encouraged to promote their own town as “everyone is straight outta somewhere”. Beats by Dre also created limited edition wireless headphones. The #straightouttacompton was the largest 2015 social media campaign (11 million visits, 300,00 twitter posts, 7 million unique visits & 8 million downloads).

Straight Outta Compton Trailer Controversy

The adverts on Facebook were catered towards different trailers being shown to different people based on their race, class and location. The idea that white people aren’t shown as much rap music in the trailer than people of other races.

“Straight Outta Somewhere” Campaign

It became the biggest social campaign of 2015, trending #1 on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. It encouraged people to rep their own city creating memes all around the world.

Viral Marketing

Using digital resources in order to promote products/services.

An example of this is the marketing campaign for Inception, where there was a online game which upon completion, reveals the film poster exclusively to the audience.

Guerilla Marketing

An advertising strategy that focuses low-cost marketing tactics often on street level in order to yield maximum results. The purpose is to create a buzz for the film.

An example of this is the Grand Theft Auto IV promotion with displaying wanted posters of the main character around the streets of a city in America.

Universal Pictures was founded in 1912, the CEO of the company is Ronald Meyer. Their most popular films include Jurassic Park, Jaws, Back to the future & E.T. They own franchises such as James Bond, Star Wars, Fast & Furious & Harry Potter. They own Universal Music Group, Universal Pictures Entertainment & DreamWorks Animation. Their estimated revenue is $4.239 billion & they are worth $11.7 billion.

Straight Outta Compton was released at a time where systemic racism and police violence against African Americans were beginning to become more publicised in the media. This was at the time were international movements such as ‘Black Lives Matter’ were gaining more popularity as police brutality in America has become more pronounced in recent years. These movements help campaign against the unnecessary violence and discrimination that we often witness in modern day America. This film covers the controversial topic of racism and the rollercoaster the NWA group partake on to their rise to fame.

The representation of men and women are contrasted throughout, with all the main characters being male on all the film advertisement posters so there is this sense of empowerment for male African Americans yet a form of discrimination against their own race by not including a whole gender as a marginally important role. Typically, women of colour are subject to more victimisation, harassment and exposure to abuse than men. However by having only minor roles in the film for women, it constitutionalises the dehumanisation of women of colour who are typically more oppressed than the average black man. An example of this in the film is the exclusion to address the issue of public and repeated abuse that one of the members of the group (Dr Dre) inflicted on several different women. It is clear that producers decided to not include this as it would damage the reputation of Dr Dre, but adds to misogyny, which the group are known for in their music, and disrespect to the victims of this abuse. Nevertheless it would be hard to damage a group with talent and style which has had a significant impact on hip-hop culture in America and all around the world. Likewise it could be argued that the film was produced to be realistic and complimentary to the artists’ lives and by having smaller roles for women in the film this makes it more focused on the group themselves.

Masculinity is explored in the film as the group are presented as a collective rather than individuals when it comes to Connells Theory. The group are very dominant of their roles as they represent true rebellion against not only police but general law enforcement as they were targeted by the FBI during their career. The NWA align with complicit and marginalised masculinity, they feel defined by their race and therefore embrace it, but are willing to fight for their cause. The NWA are shown as an extremely powerful and influential group, they aren’t necessarily politically correct yet they express a form of power for their race and people living in Compton which was not previously seen through the genre of both music and film.

In many Hollywood films, there are a repeated structure of including few minorities for the sake of ‘diversity’. Straight Outta Compton breaks that LA tradition of white main characters in order to portray the realism of what they have created. The characters in the film are well developed which further adds to the conflicting typical Hollywood film narrative. There is also the controversial decision element of no white extras in the film to reinforce this idea of realism. Some of the first scenes depicting white people include the NWA management and crowds watching their shows, creating a symbolism of acceptance for their music and the message that it holds.

The narrative of the film follows the subject of racism which at the time the film was set was not common knowledge to most privileged people. The film covers sensitive and controversial topics of racial stereotyping which is the judgement and oppression on the black community throughout history up to present day. Racial stereotyping was clear in one scene were the police show up to where the NWA are recording, presuming they are a group of drug dealers primarily due to their race. Even after explaining the misunderstanding to police, they motioned their weapons and forcefully push members of the NWA to the ground. This physical behaviour further illustrates the brutality that the black community face at the hands of the enforcement which are meant to protect them. Furthermore the police officer in charge of the orders himself was a person of colour, along with the groups manager maintaining and defending their innocence in the matter was a white man, presenting the fine line and sometimes confusing concept of racism.

In conclusion, the film illustrates the theme of racism which is rarely spoken about in film and media. The NWA’s success and relevance highlights how you can make a difference in society regardless of your background and the successful outcome of the film further demonstrates this. Since NWA many members of the black community such as Kendrick Lamar have continued their legacy and story behind the hidden concept of police brutality. Overall the film grossed $201.6 million worldwide, which represents more than one race joining to experience the history behind NWA. The film helps shed light over Compton and help reveal the topic of institutionalised racism and stereotyping within urban culture.

1)Define what a mainstream, high-concept film is?

A concept of the Hollywood mainstream ‘big budget’ films. Originally it consisted of a ten-point formula that ensured the film conformed to the high-concept model.

2) Give four examples of films which meet this criteria.

Star Wars (1977) & Jaws (1975)

3) What is an independent film?

An independent film is made outside the financial and artistic tool of a large film company. An independent film is typically privately funded and conceived.

4) Give four examples of British indie films.

This is England (2006), Calendar Girls (2003), The Bounty (1984) & Maurice (1987)

5) Define regulation

Changes in the ownership of media organisations can be referred to the media regulator if there is a possibility that they may not be in the public interest.

6) Who regulates films in the UK?

The BBFC regulates films in the UK to ensure that the content is appropriate for audiences.

7) Define exhibition and distribution

Distribution: The link between the producer and the audience; refers to all the strategies used in the release, marketing and promotion of the product.

Exhibition: All the opportunities available to an audience to view a film, including a multiplex and independent art house cinemas, at film festivals and online.

Media Regulation: the control/guidance of media content by governments and other bodies. This means that media production/consumption are monitored. The media industries are subject to regulators of various types. Some are government-appointed (state regulation or statutory regulation).

UK film regulator: BBFC

BBFC Ratings: U, PG, 12A, 12, 15 &18

Four different categories:

• Sex & Nudity
• Violence
• Taste & Decency
• Bad Language

Ownership Industry Structures

Conglomerates are big companies which own smaller companies (e.g. Disney) & Subsidiaries are the smaller companies (e.g. Pixar)

A cross media company is a company which operates and utilises more than one type of media.

Time Warner owns HBO, Warner Bros., TNT, CNN, TBS, DC Entertainment etc

Vertical Integration

It is where a company can control the production, distribution & consumption of its products. For example, a magazine publisher that owns a printing company.

Comcast and Vertical Integration

Comcast is a huge media conglomerate, based off of revenue, it is the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world. It owns Universal Pictures. Comcast owns companies at each stage of the supply chain enabling the institution to maximise profits and go into new global markets.

Production & Distribution

Straight Outta Compton was created by Legendary Pictures, distributed by Universal Pictures.

Exhibition (the presentation of the product)

Comcast was able to use Xfinity streaming service to exhibit Straight Outta Compton after initial cinema release.

Synergy: The cross-promotion of products (Straight Outta Compton soundtrack will help promote the film and the film will simultaneously promote the soundtrack). Therefore synergy is about different products and processes working together.

Straight Outta Compton Research

Month/Year of release: August 2015

Actors/Actresses: Jason Mitchell, Corey Hawkins, Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown Jr, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Paul Giamatti

Director: F. Gary Gray

Producers: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, F. Gary Gray

Studio: Legendary Entertainment

Budget: $50 million

Box Office: $201.6 million

Oscar Nominations: 1- Nominated for best original screenplay