KEY TEXT: Riptide MV

Genre and audience:

Indie genre- 'indie' means 'independent', therefore the conventions of this genre are films that aren't produced by blockbuster companies, music record labels that don't sign global superstars...

, audience,

Vance Joy fits in the category due to similarities with shots of directors like Wes Anderson and David Lynch, two film directors which have deeply influenced the indie-genre with popular films (also influences).

Narrative and iconography:

No linear, clear narrative, as it's meant to be an interpretative video e.g. "Cowboy running from himself"- sounds meaningful but the shot literally plays out the line. It's more like a fragmented montage e.g. symbolic objects like guns which could signify crime motifs 

Representation:

There's a negative representation of women in the video. For instance, they are objectified through the initial image of a woman taking off her swimsuit, without showing her face, mirrored by following shots of women facing away from the camera. They are also portrayed as the victims and the damsels in distress through the repetitive "taken away to the dark side".

However, it could be argued there's also positive glimpses as the repetitive shots of women running away could represent freedom, and the low-angle shot which positions the woman in 1.15 as greater. 

Postmodernism: 

References to specific film directors like Wes Anderson and David Lynch, with similar shots and lightning and colour. For example, Anderson's iconic symmetrical shots like the opening of a case are copied in the video (1.57.: case for a holiday vacation), as well as his quick pans with 0.30.: the change of focus from the woman the other two people. Furthermore, the overall aesthetic through choice of colour-palette is mirrored throughout the music video. Lynch's dark undertones to his narrative seem to inspire the continued shots of the performer who becomes more visibly upset as the video goes on, with her makeup being smudged and her being shot in the neck. This part of the video links to Lynch's Blue Velvet as the same lightning and mood is created.

More postmodernist techniques are employed, such as intertextuality and parody+pastiche with references to horror films, (shots of women as damsels in distress). Also the pastiche is utilised, as this media text appears to have been done in the style of the previously mentioned indie directors. There's also reflexivity, as the media text is aware of itself, proved by the subtitles included as the woman sings, and the pan shot of the video being shot.

Overall, there's no grand single message, and it is up to the audience to reflect on the music video as the collage-style symbols included have to be deciphered due to the multi-layered nature of the text.

Film Marketing- CASE STUDY 2

Straight Outta Compton

Companies and brands responsible for the funding, production and marketing of the film

Production companies: 

Legendary Entertainment- produced movies like Interstellar, Jurassic World, Skyscraper (blockbusters)

New Line Cinema- produced movies like The Nun, IT, Creed II. An American film production studio of Warner Bros. Headquarters in Los Angeles, California (link to the setting of movie) 

Both co-funded by Universal Pictures and Legendary Entertainment- $28 million

+ links to to media industries that would help maximise income and audience. 

How were the members of NWA (Ice Cube, Easy E, Dr Dre) involved in production or marketing? 

Dr Dre and Ice Cube were attached to the project from the beginning as producers, becoming heavily involved in it. Other former members (DJ Yella, MC Ren) were creative consultants.

Identify target audience.

Given the setting is a known neighbourhood in Los Angeles, the audience is mainstream. It is not an independent film due to the budget, which is somewhat high. This is outlined through easily-identified iconography like the shot of the money, in the pool that is linked with a lavish rap-artist lifestyle. This could also mean they're targeting the movie to fans of rap and more closely, NWA, as it is a biopic of the group, with shots of their performances throughout. The names of the artists, Ice Cube, Easy E and Dr Dre, are employed as a mark of quality and promise of pleasure as they're well-known artists. This also plays on the marketability of the film as the names can be used to get more people talking about the film, especially as the actual artists being depicted worked behind the scenes in it (seems more accurate).

They're appealing not only to young black males (protagonists=representation) but to a wider audience like middle aged white people with empathetic characters featured in the trailer, and an era that relates to them. Furthermore, due to the binary deposits of police vs the people, and poverty vs success it appeals to the average viewer as they relate to current issues.

How the trailer has targeted its audience:
Shots: close-ups of stars; music throughout; mis-en-scene often contains police-cars and flashy cars which links to the drama storyline; dark and light lightning; dialogue- "our art is supposed to represent our reality"- theme of success from poverty + manager's sympathetic line of "you cannot harass my clients for what they look like"- theme of rights + glimpse of shots of protests
Reviews/ expert criticism: none
Stars: graphics of the names of NWA members as a promise of pleasure as they're well-known, so their names would attract movie-goers.

Straight Outta Marketing Campaign

Summer 2015, Universal Pictures partnered with Beats by Dre, the headphone company's founding father and billionaire.

The purpose of the campaign was to promote the film by targeting a global audience, allowing people to change "Compton" to their own hometowns, claiming the message is to be proud of where you're from. #Straightoutta became an universal statement for everyone to "rep [their] city". In this way, social media was used to maximise audiences by raising awareness of the origin of the hashtag, the film. (website: StraightOuttaSomewhere.com)

It went viral, after several famous celebrities like Ringo Starr from The Beatles, Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashians joined in without receiving any endorsement. In less than 24h it became the no.1 trending topic on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, the first brand in history to achieve this. Other brands joined in, creating their memes e.g. Snickers; even the White House created its own meme with "Straight Outta Uranium" posted on @TheIranDeal. Overall, there were over 6 million downloads generated before the film's release. Due to the massive success, the campaign was picked up by media outlets, helping to build excitement around the film a week prior to its release. 

Commercial reception of the film 

It was hugely successful, financially-wise, as it made £201,634,991 worldwide, 79.9% domestically and 20.1% globally. The budget was $28-50 million,so  the film was commercially successful.

Media products linked to the film- e.g. second global trailer was attached to with theatrical screenings of Universal's Furious 7 + in Ice Cube's concert in Sydney, Australia, he gave concertgoers a sneak peek of at a trailer for Straight Outta Compton. 

There was a synergy with Dr Dre's and Ice Cube's film production companies, which aided to the success of the film, as they were really involved, so it had a huge impact on the depiction and authenticity.

The film was nominated to one Oscar, for "Original Screenplay" by The Academy.
Genre-wise it was successful as it became the highest grossing musical biopic of all time (since August 2015 until Bohemian Rhapsody in December 2018).  The themes represented (e.g. police violence) were ones that even the average person in this era can relate to. This relates to the audience, as many would feel represented, therefore they'd be interested; the global-target the production took made the film commercially successful as well.

Extension: BBFC's regulation

The production company wanted an age certificate of 12A-15 for the film as it is better for financial success due to a wider demographic being able to watch it.

The BBFC granted Straight Outta Compton an age certificate of 15 due to 'strong language, violence, sex, drug use)

Advertising Questions

Five slogans for products recently advertised 

Kit Kat- Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat
Skittles- Taste the Rainbow
Maybelline- Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline
Max Factor- The Makeup of Makeup Artists
Nike- Just Do It

Which advertisers have used shock tactics recently and why are they shocking?

WWF- #Fightforyourworld. The advert features various images and videos linked to the dangers of climate change e.g. establishing shot of presumably a trash 'island', a fish dying, a polar bear attempting to not fall of a thin sheet of ice, etc. It's also accompanied by voiceover and emotional music which attempts to make the viewer feel guilty for examples that contribute to climate change e.g. "are you for the world or against it?" "the way we live"  + someone fuelling their vehicle, another one drinking from a straw.

Find an advert where you can justify Maslow's hierarchy of needs in play

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel- it plays on the need of love by society, by suggesting that if the perfume is used the buyer will be attractive and gain male attention, just like the protagonist.

Write down stereotypes found in advertising, try to link them to actual campaigns

Perfume adverts- usually just a girl chasing a guy or vice-versa, while both always look attractive, developing the idea of looks before personality
Echo by Alexa- somewhat sexist as it implies fathers can't properly take care of a baby without the help of the mother, e.g. the mom keeps setting reminders like of the baby's 'play-date'
Toy adverts- e.g. dolls for girls and cars for boys

Find an example of intertextuality in a radio commercial

Find as many different uses for music in adverts as you can

Entertainment (e.g. just as fun upbeat background music) 

For memorability, to help us visualise and hear the advert in our minds

To lyrically convey what the audience is supposed to feel e.g. emotion

Give an example of an elite person in a current advertising campaign

Usain Bolt for Virgin Media. It is effective as he's a well-known sprinter who is an Olympic Games champion, therefore he's the perfect brand ambassador to convey the benefits of the company and its super broadband speeds and entertainment offering.

Find examples of "reward and punishment" persuasion in current adverts

Anti-ageing creams' ads make you think you need the product to have good skin