Introduction to Charity Advertising

Introduction to Charity Advertising

• What is the purpose of a Charity Advert?
• The purpose of a charity advert is to make the audience feel guilty. 

• How do they work?
• They guilt trip the audience make them think its their responsibility.

• What mode of address do they take?
• They use a mass amount of emotional issues, which touches the audience's heart they also try to build a relationship with the audience.

• What conventions do they demonstrate?
• They are always usually near christmas time, they usually have a midday slot/early afternoon in the middle of Jeremy Kyle, homes under the hammer etc. The people who will be at home watching are housewives, elderly.
• The people speaking have soft toned calming voices
• They use a mass amount of direct mode of address 'You could help them'.

• How do they position the audience?
• We are placed in a more fortunate position so we feel as if we need to help them as we are with them almost. 

NSPCC - Open Your Eyes Video Advertisement (2000) 

• Repetition - of the on screen graphics and of the lexis and the language, the connotations of this repetition makes the audience seem as if they dont have a choice and puts the responsibility in their hands. 

• Shot Type - high angle shots, makes the children look vulnerable so you need to help them. The shot is in back and white the connotations of this is that it is down, miserable. The child also looking up makes it seem like they're asking for your help so you connect with the child. 

• Slow Paced Editing - on the last shot of the child crying makes you feel uncomfortable and you need to look away as you cannot cope, you feel as if you owe it to them to pay that £2 a month. 

• Costume - The clothes of the young boy is all tatted and ruined so you feel uneasy and want to give them money to get better clothes. 

• If we donate to the charity then this shot of the boy crying will stop crying and we will help him. 

• Music - full on ambient electronic track makes it seem more intense and we get swallowed into the misery that these children are going through. 

• It makes us think that if we dont give money then we are just as bad as the abuser and we are letting them get away with it. 

WaterAid No Choice TV Advert

• Looks so realistic due to the setting in which it is placed, and we see these people go about their day to day whilst also drinking this scummy water. 

• Direct looks at the camera, shows how it isn' 'real', we see these people from african countries, we see flies on their face and drinking dirty water, and she is looking at us, we are positioned as her last chance and her hope, we are British. 

• Two halves of an advert to empower the idea of binary oppositions, the colours are dull and desaturated the mood is reflected into the colour, which is a symbolic code. 

WaterAid Claudia TV Advert

• Complete opposite approach rather than the other adverts we have seen. We see the positive outcome, rather than the negative.

• We get desensitised seeing the same advert of the dying children and suffering children, so then we engage to this advertising campaign much more than other ones as it is something different and a breath of fresh air.

• The victim is a talented singer, so people would be familiar with her and makes the audience feel more obliged to donate to the campaign. 

• The eye level shot we see of her makes us feel as if we are on the same level as her, which is a different approach to the other adverts we see when we are looking at these children from a high angle shot and they are put in a vulnerable position, whereas this one is eye level so we are on the same level as her and relate to her more and build a connection with her. 

• We also dont see direct eye contact from Claudia, unlike other adverts when we are placed directly in shot with the subject and we get direct eye contact from them, ruining the realistic aspect from the advert, whereas with this advert we carry on that realistic aspect and its as if we are following her and seeing how appreciative they are of this clean water rather than begging for it, so when we see this pure happiness it makes us want to help as many people as we can to be as happy as Claudia. 

• The setting in the beginning is clearly English, which creates a true Binary Opposition, between this muggy english setting, the radio and the rain outside, also the radio presenter has an english accent and is complaining about the amount of rain to then suddenly change to this setting of a Zambian bush, in the scorching heat, with no technology and in the broad sunlight, needing water, this is good as it also relates to the audience instantly as it is a UK based company so the audiences majority is English, so we relate, and feel involved in the advert instantly making us want to help these children even more, as we see how much we take for granted in a clear binary comparison through the use of the editing and settings. 

• Proairetic Code - in the first shot someone is getting ready, and we dont know what they are going to do, they could be going to work or going out for the day or just listening to the radio whilst laying in bed, but our attention is quickly changed when Claudia comes on the screen as we are disorientated. 

• We see a low angle shot which empowers her as she gets her water rather than a high angle shot which makes her feel vulnerable so us as the audience feel proud rather than guilty which makes us want to help out other people like Claudia, its slowed down aswell to emphasise her getting her water and the importance of her getting her water, we also see her costume is not tatted it is quite nice actually again a completely different advert to the 'conventional' charity adverts. 

• Shot of flowing water is in slow mo so it is a symbolic code and the connotations with this water is the future, and the pureness of water. 

• The shots of water shows the binary oppositions between Claudia on her own and everyone together enjoying the water coming together as a community. 

• The empty establishing shot at the beginning of the advert when we arrive in Zambia, we are unknown to where we are so it is an example of a Hermeneutic code as we have a sense of mystery. 

Representation and Identity

Anchor Spreadable Butter Advert

• The groups represented in this advert are the elderly and the young, all in the same family. The boy monkey is a teenager and a the girl monkey is a pre-teen. 

• It also represents dementia, as its a stereotype of elderly people loosing their memory and forgetting everything. 

• It also represents grandmother and grandchildren relationships

• The grandma is Jamaican, stereotypes of these people is that they enjoy cooking, as they have a large food culture. 

• Her voice is very soft and makes her seem very chill, it empowers the stereotypes of jamaican's being so laid back. E.g Usain Bolt and Bob Marley. 

• The young boy is very sarcastic which empowers the stereotypes of teenagers. 

• The shot of the siblings is a mid shot so we can see the teenagers body languages. 

• Representation of a close family - we can see a photo of the kids on her fridge so the mise-en-scene suggests the closeness of the family. 

• The advert is being inclusive to attract potential customers attentions,so a more mass market will see this advert. 

Pot Noodle Advert

• Start off with establishing shot, to portray the group of 'messy teenagers', his room is messy he looks as if he is working class due to the state of his room, his walls are tatty. 

• His accent is from up north the stereotypes of this is that he is working class as Glasgow is one of the poorest cities in the country. 

• Family of 10 all sitting round a small table eating pot noodle, emphasises the working class, as they are having this for their dinner which is very cheap and not a full dinner. 

• We see a huge example of binary oppositions as we see the bleak and stripped colour of 'home' and then the vibrance and enhanced colour to vegas, showing the difference. 

• Our expectation is completely flipped, as we thought he was going to be a boxer but instead he comes out as a ring girl.

• When he comes out he is stereotypically dressed as a female, with his walk and the clothes that he is wearing.

• His family accepts him and are proud of him, while eating a pot noodle, so it shows 'with pot noodle you can do anything and be accepted' an idea of a changing generation. 

• The black guy looks like he is rich as he is wearing chains and chains could be associated with gangs/rap stars. This also stereotypes black people as sex obsessed, as he is licking his lips at him finding him sexually attractive.

How do we define ourselves?

• Our Hobbies
• What we wear
• Taste in music/film
• Where we live
• Accent/Language
• Ethnicity/Race
• Grades 

Key Theory - Stuart Hall - Theories of Representation

Key Theory - Stuart Hall - Theories of Representation

Representation - The way in which a media product (eg. the producer of the media product) constructs the world and aspects in it, including social groups, individuals, issues and events.

Lindt Lindor - 'Do you dream in chocolate?' 

• Sound - Women's Voice - Well spoken middle class women, connotations of luxurious and classy, so makes us think that the chocolate is high end and classy and will taste like luxury as this middle class women is talking about it in a very calmly way. The chocolate is represented as a luxury. 

•  Shot Types - close up of melted chocolate, the connotations of this is that it makes the audience want it and emphasises the smooth texture which makes us think its pure, clean and luxurious. 

• Shot Types - close up of women's face represents the sexualised nature of the video, and she is also in bed, which makes it more sexualised so then the representation of this is that its a luxurious item and replacing this man figure with chocolate, as chocolate can fill their needs. 

• Shot Types - Transitions in editing, rather than a hard cut, there is some kind of movement, this represents the chocolate as soft flowing and reflects the smoothness of the chocolate compared to the editing, it also adds to the sexual nature aswell and also adds to the calming vibes of the chocolate. 

• We've got a representation of chocolate, as its saying if we have this chocolate then we can lounge around on these cream chairs and lay in bed and be in this luxurious state that everyone else is in. 

Superbowl Commercial Break 2015 

• Disabled people are being represented, they are being represented in a positive way saying how you cannot stop them and that they are trying their best to do what they could normally do. 

• In the first advert we had a very clear representation of America, through the hard and empowering music and the big american truck, portraying america as empowering and hard. 

• The american revolution was portrayed and its a cultural code so us as British people do not understand it, the assumption in this is that you should know the American history, and the American viewers would be expected to know so it shows that they know their history.

• A women reckless driver is funny as it goes against a stereotype of women being caring mothers and worrying about their children with strangers, while this women is telling a little boy to get in her car. 

Stereotypes

Definition - A commonly held belief about a certain group of people. 

Richard Dyer - The Role of Stereotypes

• An ordering process
• A short cut (for producers)
• A reference point (for audiences)
• An expression of dominant societal values.

Ideology

Ideology

The function of an advert is;

• to promote something
• make them feel like they need in their life
• gives them a sense that their lives aren't very interesting and we need that product to make it better.
• makes looking good and using a product seem effortless
• portrays people's 'stereotypical' roles, through adverts, so you buy this product as its stereotypical for your culture, and you need to be like that to be 'accepted into society' 

Ideology - the beliefs and values of a media text

Producer is the maker of a media product. 

Dominant Ideology - The set of ideas or culture that is most common or widely accepted in a society. The dominant ideology can change over time.

Tide Advert Ideology;

• portraying that women enjoy to clean, it is a glamourised job, and not only do they clean, they want to.
• The idea of men cleaning doesn't exist, in more modern times it is comical men cleaning but men cleaning does not even exist in the Tide advert, it is purely a women's job. 

Old Maybelline Advert Analysis

• Model - A beautiful women, who has good makeup, so the ideology is that you need makeup to look pretty, and she follows the rules of being attractive which is done through her makeup which is the product in which they are trying to sell. 

• Stereotypical 'large' eye, which is viewed as really attractive.

• "A pretty great way to keep your eye's in line." - Saying that she's in line so she does as she's told, so she's good, and if she was out of line then she would be considered unattractive as she wont be wearing makeup, so again the idea of you need makeup to be happy. 

• It says it doesn't come off so she doesn't need to re apply, and if she did re apply then it would mean that her makeup came off, and when she doesn't wear makeup she is considered unattractive. 

Key Theory - Claude Levi-Strauss - Structuralism

Key Theory - Claude Levi-Strauss - Structuralism

Binary Oppositions - Where two concepts, messages or values are presented in direct opposition with one another. Levi-Strauss suggested that our perception of the world is based on binary oppositions.

Binary Oppositions are an element of narrative, as they can quickly tell a story, and establish characters and archetypes.

'Tides Got What Women Want'

First Impressions

• Sexist 
• Stereotypical
• Aimed to working class or middle class, to someone who doesn't have enough money to hire someone but is still looking wealthy. 
• Being sold through romance
• Idolising women who clean
• No men to be seen
• In a romantic relationship with this washing powder
• Extremely colourful and bright which has connotations that this washing powder will give you a better life and will brighten your life like the advert, also the colours used are appealing to the feminine eye so they're more to take interest in it. 
• Advert is full of text, compared to the more modern adverts. You would really have to sit down and read this advert to know what it is about when in more modern adverts we have very minimal text.

Context

• Designed specifically for heavy-duty machine cleaning, Procter & Gamble launched Tide in 1946 and it became a brand leader in America, and still is today.

• The D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) advertising agency handled P&G's accounts throughout 1950's. Its campaigns for Tide referred explicity to P&G because their market research showed consumers had high levels of confidence in the company. 

• DMB&B used print and radio adverts, they all included the 'housewife' character, and the public claimed to 'love' Tide. 

Textual Analysis

• Font - Sans-Serif so this means that the advert is marketing their product towards the working class as Sans-Serif is informal which shows that this advert is aimed at the working class who cannot hire a maid to do their washing for them.

• Colours - Feminine colours used, such as light blue's, reds, oranges, yellows and vibrant white. The colour also isn't stripped, its extremely bold so it stands out even more. 

• Proairetic Code - She's doing the washing, and she's hugging the box enthusiastically so she might go to fall in love with it in the long run. 

• Symbolic Code - The red stands out and is the symbolisation of a relationship and love, so she is going to fall in love with this product or they already are. 

• Symbolic Code - The white in the background connotates the purity, innocence and cleanliness of the product and the way women feel about it. 

• Z-Line - There is a lot of text but the photo's show a narrative, and also follows the Z-Line, so by just looking at the photos, you get the narrative. 

• Symbolic Code - The women is wearing makeup, so it kind of shows that by doing the washing you feel good and look good, persuading women to buy this product. 

Textual Analysis on Lexis / Modes of Address

• Direct Address - "No wonder you women buy more tide than any other washday product", more direct towards women, siding with them, understanding them, almost building a relationship with the potential customer.

• "No wonder you women buy Tide" - got a sense of authority, talking down to the audience but in a way that they know best. 

• "Only Tide does all three" - saying that they're the best and if you're using any other product then you should stop and move to Tide, giving them the sense of empowerment. 

• "Sudsing Whizz" - Very archaic language, informal

• Hyperbole - "It's a miracle!" Exaggeration of the product, giving them false hope

• "Whitest" - The inference here is that white is the best colour and white is better than any other colour, aimed at white people aswell as white is clean. 

Definitions

Define The Terms

Z-Line - The way in which the human eye reads a text/media. Our eyes follow a Z shape over an advert.

Rule of Thirds - When anything is put into 3x3, and the subject is placed along a line to make the s subject seem more visible and lining things up so its not too cluttered and looks effective.

Headings and Subheadings - A word which summarises the product or focus point. The Heading is always larger and the subheading is smaller, but they're both important statements.

Serif Font - Font with feet, it is formal and classy.

Sans-serif Font - Font without feet, it is an informal typography.

Lexis - The choice of language. Slang/Formal.

Mode of Address - The way a text/media product speaks to an audience, the way that the text/media product is addressing to the audience.

Introduction To Media

Introduction

Three Components; 

Component 1 - 35% Exam

Component 2 - 35% Exam

Component 3 - 30% Coursework

Component 1

- Analysing media language and representation

- Section A ; two questions, one on unseen media product (print or audio-visual), and one question comparing the representation to one known and one unseen product. 

- Section B ; understanding media industries and audiences 

Advertising

Print

• Codes and conventions
• Layout and design
• Composition
• Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus
• Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif), colour 
• Mise-en-scène – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 
• Graphics, logos etc.
• Language – slogan/tagline and copy 
• Anchorage of images and text
• Elements of narrative

Moving image

• Codes and conventions
• Camera work – framing, shot types, angle, position, movement
• Editing – pace, type of edits, continuity/montage Structure/narrative
• Sound – music/dialogue/voiceover 
• Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 

- The advert is selling handbags, I can tell this through the shot type used in the second image of the close up on the bag.

- The mise-en-scene of the props/costume used in the advert, the jewellery she wears which you can visibly see in the close up makes her seem quite fashionable and almost like a role model to other girls, so they see this advert and want to look as fashionable as her so they think in buying this bag it will help them to do so. 

- The print used to show the branding is very minimalist and visible making it obvious of the brand. 

Key Theory 1 - Roland Barthes - Semiotics

Anything that can have meaning

The thing that creates meaning

The meaning that is created

Signs, Signifiers, Signifieds

Signifiers - Lion

Signified - Roar, Big Cat

Hermeneutic Codes - Also known as the enigma codes, these refer to something within the media product that creates mystery and suspense. 

Proairetic Code - Also known as action codes, these refer to something within a media product that suggests that something will happen. 

Symbolic Code - Something within a media product that creates a deeper meaning for the audience

- Statistics - to convince the audience that their lashes will be much longer as its got the statistics to boost the selling of the product. Symbolises quality and trustworthiness 

- The model is pretty and her face is well defined, she's also got plump limps which is considered the new in beauty trend, so they're trying to convince people if they buy this mascara then they will have all these 'natural' beauty features along with it aswell. 

- The layout is extremely cluttered, perhaps targeting it to a C2DE audience (less informal people, as you have the top A1BC target audience) appeals to a more working class audience rather than a high end fashion magazine. 

- There is a close up on the models face clearly enhancing the volume and length to promote the advert. 

- Font is all sans serif, showing that the advert is informal, showing again the appeal to the 'cluttered lifestyle' audience. 

- Symbolic Code - Close up of models face symbolises desires to be attractive. 

-Symbolic Code - New York - setting, expensive, busy, appeals to people in a busy lifestyle, so its quicker to apply, so its showing the importance of makeup and the need to want it done quicker. 

- Hermeneutic Code - close up of makeup being applied, mystery of why model is doing her makeup/ where is she going.

- Proairetic Code - Close up of mascara wand floating over eye suggests makeup will be applied. 

- Symbolic Code -  The washed out colour in the background enhances the models face, making you think if you are wearing this then you will stand out. 

- Leather Jacket - connotations of  independence

- Numerous times of mascara shot, so we are extremely clear on what is being advertised to us as the target audience, so we don't need to look into the advert very much and it is a quick thing to scan and see and understand. 

Self Evaluation on Short Film

Self Evaluation


In the task of the short clip, I took on the role of directing, so I was making sure we had enough shots to fit the criteria of 3 empty shots, 2 low angle shots, 2 high angle shots and 3 extreme close up's. I think that I done my job quite well as I was checking off what shots we needed to do and what shots we had already done, but unfortunately when it came to exporting the clips over to the laptop we lost a few vital ones which pulled our piece together, so I should've double checked all the shots we took were on the laptop before taking out the memory card, even after it saying it had successfully moved all clips into the folder.

When actually filming I was in charge of the camera for the majority of the shots, purely because I could picture what I wanted so it was easier for me to take the shots rather than directing the shots in which I pictured, but at the same time still giving everyone else in my group the chance to film.

When editing the piece we had produced, I took to the editing first and started off the short clip with what we had pictured as a group, I got the hang off the software quite easily and knew what I was doing, if I could go back and do something different I would not spend so much time on the editing of the clips but more on the sounds of the clips, as it was a case of we don't have much time so we had to rush to get something done, and the sounds we recorded we didn't have enough time to line them up with the clips we had so carefully edited together.

When it came to the final piece, I think other than the sound the piece looked visually good, we even added black spaces to create suspense on what to happen next, which worked in our favour as initially we were going to have clips in the spaces but due to the exportation fail we lost our clips, but the black spaces worked just as well and made the final piece effective.

Key Terms

Key Terms

Editing - where you cut your shots

Shot Duration - how long a shot lasts before its cut, a long shot duration creates a sense of suspense, whereas when it is a slow shot duration then it gives the idea of fast motions. 

Mise-en-scene - 'put in scene', lighting, blocking, colour, props, people, costumes etc. 

Cinematography - Everything to do with the camera. 

- Low angle shot - the camera is positioned below the subject - makes the subject look big.

- High angle shot-the camera is positioned above the subject-makes the subject look small/vulnerable. 

Shot Type - different types of shot, for example, long shot/close up etc

Positioned - The ways in which a text locates members of the audience, this is one of the primary ways in which a producer can effect.



Short Horror Film

Title - No Answer 
Location - 'Forest' 

Sounds
- Wind blowing
- Twigs crunching
- Phone ringing
- Voicemail
- Blocked number ringing
- gasp (stand on twig)

Shots

Low Angle Shots 

1. Leaves blowing 
2. Trees

High Angle Shots

1. On Talia
2. Phone

Empty Shot

1. Forest path
2. Leaves
3. Trees

Extreme Close Ups

1. Talia's Hand
2. Phone on Voicemail
3. Feet crunching twigs

A-Level Media Induction

First Blog Post

1. Top five films

• Safe Haven
• Me Before You
• Kingsman

2. Top five TV shows

• The Vampire Diaries
• Pretty Little Liars
• 90210
• Gossip Girl
• Hollyoaks

3. Top five artists

• Kehlani
• Tinashe
• Bryson Tiller
• Khalid
• The Weeknd

4. Best albums of [year/decade]

• Kehlani - SSS
• The Weeknd - Trilogy

5. Best actors

• Kieran Richardson
• Samuel L Jackson 

7. Style icons

• Sophie Rimmer

8. Top bloggers/vloggers

• Emily Canham
• Saffron Barker

9. Best Youtube channels

• imhereforever
• saffronbarker
• jakeboys