Improved Questionnaire for audience expectations of independent/mainstream film

1.What age are you?


2. What gender are you?


3. Do you normally watch independent or mainstream films? (please tick)

    Independent        Mainstream         Both          Neither
   

4. Where do you normally watch films?

Television      Internet       Vue       Odeon      Cinema city

5. What words best describes these characters?

Gangster, Hero, Dodgy

Untrustworthy, Funny, Alcoholics

Formal, Romantic, Deceptive

6. Which location do you think is an independent and mainstream?






7. What do you think about Mainstream films?



8.What do you think about independent films?

The Male Gaze

The Male Gaze was first founded Laura Mulvey in her essay ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which was published in 1975. Mulvey states in film women are typically the objects, because of the control of the camera (thus gaze) comes from the assumption as men are the default target audience for most film genres. This was true when Hollywood protagonist were male because the audience were men and women watched still applies today, despite the number of growing movies aimed towards women and feature female protagonists. The Male Gaze can also be seen in media such as adverts, as the creators are men, they make the advert what they think and what other men want to see or think to be true. There are a lot of adverts which stereotype women from example as housewife if she was standing next to the sink. A lot of women don’t do their housework guys do it too, also another reason it that as well as men, women have high aspiring jobs rather than just being a housewife. If some adverts it is as the women is being bought and sold, or buy the product and get the women. But also today in the media there is an advert were a guy is doing laundry, this helps show that women and men are in fact equal and here none of them are being stereotyped.

Preliminary Exercise Practise

My partner and I used a camera around school today to practise what sort of shots we are going to use in our final preliminary exercise. We decided that it would be a good idea to use close up shots of the cards when the two are playing cards. We decided to do this because it will make the game more tense as only the audience know what cards the other player has and who is going to win. When the two characters are walking in we are going to do an over the shoulder shot so you can't see this character until they have actually sat down at table. Also to keep the characters a mystery we have decided to film the other characters feet walking to the common room. Using these two ideas we can keep it a mystery from the audience who the characters are. Also its as if the other character doesn't know who they are playing which makes the game more exicting and tense as you don't know how the characters are going to react to each other. This is a video I found on youtube which helped me make sure I knew the main principles of the task and how to do them correctly:

Media Studies Advert Essay

Media Studies Advert Essay

Codes and Conventions

The model is female and she is lying on a beach in a bikini, when the sea right behind her. This shows that she is relaxing, having fun at the beach. It tell the audience that the product is relaxing and to be worn when having fun. Using the beach is a good idea as you can tell because it is a beauty product and so is the location, model and flowers are also. Another idea is that the product is fresh like the sea and the sky, the sky and sea represent the sense of freedom, latitude and opportunity which you can receive when you wear this product. They have added a picture of the perfume, the Roxy logo and flowers to the original photograph. I think this because not everyone has heard of the brand, having a picture of the perfume bottle and box reminds you what the product is if you’re buying it and you forget. They put the logo on to advertise as people might recognise the logo from their clothing range. Also people might think it looks like the Quicksilver logo (the men’s version) and might appeal to them more. The flowers make the advert more girly, also flowers represent a lot of different meanings such as love, happiness and youthfulness. The location is on a beach in somewhere probably like Australia this tells you that the product/brand is something to do with the beach or water sports such as surfing. Also the beach is a really good setting to take photos because hardly anybody sees it everyday and everybody loves going to the beach. The picture is very bright and I don’t think any lighting would have been used here. But the picture being bright makes you feel like it’s really sunny and glowing which makes you feel happy and makes you wish you could be there. No actual objects are used in the shot as the bottle is added on by computer. The product is placed in the bottom right hand corner which is a quite easy place to remember and the bright pink makes it stands out. The pink colour is the brand main colour which represents love, romance and beauty. So if you use the product it can make you feel these ways. The advert doesn’t have a slogan and I don’t think it really needs one because the photo says it all really; also not many perfume adverts have slogans.      

            I think the photo is culturally specific to somewhere that is well-known for surfing as Roxy is well known for Surfing, so I think it would be a place like Australia, New Zealand, California or an American east coast. Also it looks quite like an Australian beach as you can tell from the colour of the sea, sand and sky.

               I think this advert is inter-textual and reminds me a little bit of the film ‘The Beach’ starring Leonardo Dicaprio as the beach in the film reminds me of this one. Also how amazing the character finds the beach reminds how amazing this beach is. It also it has mountains in the background, in The Beach there is a rocky cave around the beach.

            I think there is no genre to this advert but a narrative which is she is waiting go surfing or into the sea with her friends/boyfriend or wait till sunset and having a beach party. She has quite an exciting fun life and she earns a good- wage because the product is quite expensive.

            I think there is some secondary selling in this advert such her bikini is Roxy, so as well as marketing the perfume also their brands clothes. I think also a country like New Zealand or Australia is getting sold. Definitely her lifestyle is getting sold lying on a hot, sunny beach and she can do that whenever she likes, being able to afford Roxy branded clothes and perfume.

Representation

I think a relaxing, exotic and safe life is being represented on this advert. She is able to lie at the beginning of the sea and no one is interrupting her and she can relax. I don’t think the model is represented as a ‘sex object’ even though she is in a bikini because it seems like she would do this anyway even if she wasn’t if this advert. I think she is Australian as that’s were the brand was founded (but based in California), but I don’t think it would matter what race the female model was, because I think this advert would with any race because any race can wear their products. Also in other Roxy advertisements they use models from different cultures, religion and backgrounds. I would say the model is in her late teens I think most models are about this age or a bit older, to change this advert they could use a different any range of people. I don’t think you can really give the model a social class as she just she just seems like an average female, but if I did I would probably guess around C1/C2. I think overall the representation of this advert is very positive because I don’t think this advert could offend anyone and the advert just seems so natural and life like.

The values that are being communicated are that I assume that the advert is traditional for Australians and maybe people from California as they are used to this weather and this brand, especially as it was founded in Australia in the 70’s also Australians can lay on the beach all year round, also surfing is a big sport in Australia and Roxy is a surfing brand.
Audience

I think that the demographic audience for this perfume are about aged from 15-20, you can tell this because she is in between these ages. Obviously the advert will appeal to women mostly as it reflects the gender of the model, also the bottle and box are pink which is usual associated with girls. I think because of brand it will appeal to people who are interested in water and snow sports. I think most likely a girl age from 15 to 20 who wears the Roxy brand would be highly interested in this perfume.

Institutions

            I found this advert on a perfume website with a range of different perfumes but this one stood out most for me. It was also advertised in a magazine called ‘Surf Girl’ who also has a website where it could have been posted. So there is many ways to see this advert.

Evaluation

I decided to use this advertisement for analysis as I like the brand and also when I first saw the advert it caught my eye and I really liked it. I think the strengths are that it will appeal to people who like the brand, as it is well known for making wetsuits and holding surfing competition, so having the advertisement of someone lying on the beach a bit in the sea is a good idea, as the consumers can imagine themselves doing the same, e.g. maybe after they have won a competition on one of the surfboards. I think how nice the location is will help sell the product as it is selling a lifestyle as well as a perfume. I think the bright pink box and bottle stands out and will catch people’s eyes easily because the bottle is bold and brave and so can you be if you wear the perfume. Weaknesses of this advert is that people might not see how it advertise a perfume, but I think you can tell because it is a beauty product and the location, model and flowers are also beauty. People might think this advert it quite boring as not much is not going on as it doesn’t have a slogan, it can be quite hard to find a narrative also that advert doesn’t contain any humour compared to some of there adverts, but others will find it relaxing and gentle. But overall I think the advertisement it good and will catch people attention well and will sell the product well especially to people it appeal to.   

Preliminary Exercise

What do teenagers find scary?

Blood and Gore


Violence


Being Followed


Drug Dealing


If these were scenes from a film, which would you find the scariest?

Participant 1: Being followed
Participant 2: Blood and Gore
Participant 3: Being Followed
Participant 4: Violence

What music do you think would suit the opening to a thriller best?

Water Circles
http://www.audionetworkplc.com/production-music/water-circles_35022.aspx

City Lights
http://www.audionetworkplc.com/production-music/city-lights_38083.aspx

Flaregun - Tell It To The Marines (Unsigned Band)




Fire Comet
http://www.audionetworkplc.com/production-music/fire-comet_22546.aspx


What music do you think would suit the opening to a thriller best? Or more than one? Or none of these?

Participant 1: I think that Flareguns - Tell It To The Marines and Fire Comet would both be good songs to use for the opening of a thriller.
Participant 2: I think that water circles would be a good choice.
Participant 3: I like the sound of flareguns, but i dont know if the vocals would go. Also i think fire comet is a sound that could suit the feeling of your opening.
Participant 4: City lights,as it sounds quite mysteriuos and threatening.

What types of thrillers do teenager prefer?

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels



Sin City



Casino Royale




Which film do you find most appealing and why?

Participant 1: I found Sin City most appealing because I like the black and white colour scheme that the creator has used, also the use of random bright colours to make elements more important and stand out.
Participant 2: I think the film I found most appealing was Casino Royale as it has lots of action scenes which I enjoy and also it has Daniel Craig in who is a good actor as I have see from different films he is in.
Participant 3: Casino Royale, because i prefer the storyline.
Participant 4: They all appeal to me, and as i haven't seen lock, stock and two smoking barrels i would be interested in watching it, as it seems like a crime thriller that could also make you laugh.

Questionnaire for audience expectations of independent/mainstream film

1.What age are you?


2. What gender are you?


3. Do you normally watch independent or mainstream films? (please tick)

    Independent        Mainstream         Both          Neither
   

4. Where do you normally watch films?

Television      Internet       Vue       Odeon      Cinema city

5. What do you think of these characters?

6. Which location do you think is an independent and mainstream?





7. What do you think about Mainstream films?



8.What do you think about independent films?

Thriller Film Audience Research

What I want to find out:

1. The audience expectations of independent/thriller film
2. What type of thrillers do teenagers prefer
3. What music is scary/tense
4. What are teenagers are scared of
5. What storyline would appeal to teenagers

How I am going to find out:

1. Video clips or/and questionnaire
2. Interview with film clips/posters
3. Interview with music clips
4. Interview with picture/ film clips or questionnaire
5. Interview by giving examples

What I expect to find out:

1. Not many have seen independent films. Mainstream - good actors, location and effects.
2. Action/jumpy/British Gangster
3. Tense/ Jumpy Music
4. Villains or Real life situations
5. Real life situations but everyone is different, so it is hard to judge.