INBETWEENERS AUDIENCE PLEASURES

The Inbetweeners is popular British television series on E4. It is based around a small group of suburban teenagers going through the common trials and tribulations of life and growing up together, forming new friendships, futile crushes, getting drunk and making a fool out of themselves. The sitcom has been running for three series from 2008 through to 2010. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, starring Simon Bird (Will), Joe Thomas (Simon), James Buckley (Jay) and Blake Harrison (Neil). At the British Academy Television Awards 2010, it won the Audience Award. Also in 2010 the show won the Best Sitcom award at the British Comedy Awards. In the 2011 British Comedy Awards the show also won the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Comedy.

There is a YouTube clip below to one of my favourite episodes when Will and his friends head out to Thorpe Park for a day out. The audience pleasures in Inbetweeners include familiarity, juvenile humour, genuine comedic moments, and a sense of nostalgia for slightly older viewers. For example; In series 1 episode 3 (Youtube link) there is familiarity as the boys are out at one of the most popular theme parks in the UK. Thorpe Park, located in Surrey, which is a watering hole for teenagers and families. The lifestyle the teenagers have also comforts the audience as they find it relaxing that the British suburban streets are recognisable and familiar. 

Another audience pleasure is the humour throughout the sitcom. The juvenile behaviour and silly adult humour creates an enjoyable viewing experience. The target audience is teenagers and young adults and the humour used in this series if perfectly suitable for the viewers as they relate to the characters the most. Being able to relate to the characters is important as it brings a sense of reflection and is also enjoyable to see how other teenagers are living their lives. The humourous situations they get in makes the audience feel relieved that they are not the only ones who embarrass themselves frequently. For example in series 1 episode 2, called "Bunk Off", the boys are playing a simple game of frisbee thinking they look ridiculous and seriously not cool. However, Will is enthusiastic about frisbee as he says it great because girls can join in so convinces the others to play too. Although all does not end well as Will inadvertently hits a disabled woman in the face. With apologises not being enough as the carer of the disabled woman is foreign the boys decide that all they can do is run away from the awkward situation. 

The slightly older viewers, not necessarily old but still older than teenagers and young adults may view this programme and enjoy it. This may be because they also find the awkward humour funny as well as the sitcom being a trigger to the memories they treasure from their school days. Reminding them of the antics they got up to in their youth and letting them see that teenagers these days still muck about and get into trouble like they did. Parents might watch it and compare it to how their children act to see whether they are being overcontrolling or not. It relaxes the parents and creates a sense of relief as they know that their child isn't the only one caught skiving school or accidentally insulting disabled people.

Each character is unique; there is Will McKenzie, the slightly awkward, very intelligent and socially inexperienced one. Simon Cooper, the desperate one who is always embarrassed by his friends and family but is a good friend. Jay Cartwright, the ludicrous, outrageous, desperate one who always tries to convince the others that he always gets girls falling at his feet. Finally, there is Neil Sutherland, the dumb one who manages to always get himself into daft situations. Each character has relatable aspects of their personality, whether it is to the viewer themself or if it reminds them of a friend. 

THE IT CROWD

The IT Crowd is a British sitcom on Channel 4. The IT Crowd is essentially a comic series based around a small group of support workers in an IT department of a large corporation going about their lives. The sitcom stars Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Parkinson as the protagonists. The television series piloted in 2006, written by Graham Linehan, who also wrote Black Books and Father Ted which are Channel 4 programmes as well. 

For my analysis of The IT Crowd I watched an episode called 'Friend Face' which involves the characters using social media to meet new people and catch up with old 'friends'. The graphics used for the title sequence are retro, old style graphics which I think shows the identity of the show as quirky, original and obviously computer related. 

The sitcom has three stereotypical protagonists, two types of geeky guys, one (named Maurice or 'Moss') seems very intelligent, socially awkward and smart. The other (named Roy) comes across as the type of nerd who still is well educated in the world of computers but also seems to be more interested in getting a girlfriend and being social although he seems repellent to all women. The woman, Jen, is the relationship manager of the company. However she has no previous experience with any technology, and only got the job offer because of multiple lies on her CV. They all appear desperate for a relationship. 

This episode showed me that this series contains lots of irony, extremely sarcastic comments and very awkward moments, for example; Jen attends a party with a woman she once vaguely knew from school that she had recently come into contact with via 'Friend Face' a social network. She wants to appear sophisticated so she brings Moss along as her pretend husband to make her seem more successful. They constantly lie throughout the party when suddenly Roy, who had been on a date with a emotionally unstable woman who comes across as being rather obsessed with him, bursts into the party claiming to the crazy woman that Jen is the woman he loves. Moss and Roy then get into a fake argument about who loves Jen more and then say they should take the fight outside. However when they do step outside they just flash a quick look at each other and run off down the street away from the party. 

I think the audience for this sitcom is teenagers and young adults as they use some adult comedy and more grown up story lines. Young kids or older pensioners wouldn't specifically want to watch computer related comedy as they do not use it as much as teenagers or young adults. 

My opinion of the show is that it is alright. The episode I watched only made me genuinely laugh about once. The use of canned laughter I find quite irritating as, to me, it says that you should be laughing but you aren't which I just find awkward if I'm honest. The canned laughter doesn't completely put me off as I don't mind the use of it in some circumstances. The IT Crowd is lighthearted and comedic but not my cup of tea. ALthough it does have elements of quirk that blend into the identity of Channel 4 itself. 

TOPIC SENTENCES FOR BULLET POINTS

Here are possible topic sentences for each bullet point for each advertisement that I have chosen to use in my assessment. 

Mavis: 

• Theatrical and extravagant representation

There is theatrical and extravagant representation in this advertisement, for example; the woman is in an exaggerated pose, pushing herself against a mirror as though she is lusting after herself. This suggests the fragrance is irresistible and overwhelmingly sexy.

• Glamour: evening dress, voluminous, rich fabric

The woman depicted in this advertisement is wearing a luxurious gown, draped over her shoulders. The heavy, seemingly expensive fabric represents glamour and wealth suggesting that buying this perfume will make you appear richer and more glamorous than you actually are. 

• Coloured: sensual and passionate

This advertisement uses deep reds and shades of black and darkened purple which are colours that tend to represent passion and sexiness. This adds a great amount towards the overall feel and perception of this advertisement.

• Art Nouveau: curves and rounded edges

The rounded edges on the words and the curves of both the woman's shape and on the mirror are typical of the Art Nouveau style. This makes the advertisement appear more feminine and appealing to a female market.

• Narcissistic: irresistible to herself, therefore irresistible to others 

The position of the woman looks as though she is attempting to imagine what a man would see whilst making love to her. Therefore, it is like she is making love to herself because she thinks she is so perfect and irresistible although she just appears to be self-obsessed. 

Charlie:

• Independence and confidence

The woman featured in this fragrance advertisement is great representation of confidence and independence as she is proudly striding across a public area, on her own showing she does not need other people she can do everything on her own. The perfume provides her with confidence and independence. 

• Professional: blazer and trousers

The smart clothing worn by the woman in this advertisement shows us that she is intelligent, classy and professional and therefore represents this perfume as one that makes you feel as though you possess these qualities more than you necessarily do. It gives off a view of a more business minded woman who knows what she is doing. 

• Self-Assured: doesn't need to wear revealing clothing to catch your eye.

Unlike many other fragrance advertisements this woman is not wearing revealing clothing to sell this perfume as sexy she is using her professionalism as her attractive feature in her appearance. She knows that dressing provocatively will not make her feel more sexy and she doesn't believe she needs that kind of wardrobe. This shows that you can be intelligent and sexy at the same time without wearing a certain type of clothes. 

• Charlie: unisex name

The unisex name 'Charlie' could imply that this product, when worn by women, is attractive to men. The feminine scents and elements within the fragrance will attract men without the woman wearing it needing to act flirty and dressing provocatively. 

• Hairstyle: her hair is down which shows a more playful side.

Although this woman is being portrayed as very professional and independent she wears her hair loose and flowing over her shoulders; this represents a more free and playful side of her personality, which shows that there are free and playful scents within the fragrance. 

Dior:

• Style: retro meets modern

This fragrance represents both retro, chic aspects of femininity as well as the more modern woman's flirty, cheeky elements. This appeals to a wider range of women; young to old, vintage to modern. This advertisement includes a constant mix of these two styles and flicks between them both during the advertisement.

• Attitude: youth and sass

The woman's attitude during the advertisement projects a vision of youth and freshness. She's always smiling or pulling a cheeky face to the camera. Her attitude is positive and she seems to be glowing with happiness and acts in a flirtatious, sassy way.  

• Freedom: dancing through the streets

This advertisement features the woman sashaying through the streets of St Tropez, she seems as though she has nowhere important to be or anyone important to get back to, she's free to roam around and do whatever she feels like. This represents scents that may be light, fruity or floral as these are commonly associated with freedom. 

• Attention: only girl in the whole advert

The woman in this advertisement is the only woman featured in the entire advertisement, this means that the fragrance will make the owner not only feel like the only girl in the world but also will be the only one who gets attention from any men. 

• Two-sided: both sexy (red and black outfit) and sweet (retro outfit)

This advertisement shows that it has two different sides; a sexier one and a sweet one. It does this by using different outfits, for example, the retro black beach outfit which is also paired with pastel colours and vintage accessories which is the cuter look as well as a black top and vivid red skirt which is paired with a red and black bar showing the more sexy and cheeky side of the fragrance. 

COMPARATIVE ASSIGNMENT

Introductory Sentences:

Mavis: 

Mavis features a painted woman with sensual colours, for example; red and black, to create the idea that this fragrance is both sexy and irresistible.

• Theatrical and extravagant representation
• Glamour: evening dress, voluminous, rich fabric
• Colours: sensual and passionate 
• Art Nouveau: curves and rounded edges
• Narcissistic: irresistible to herself, therefore irresistible to others 

Charlie:

Charlie, unlike my first choice, features a black and white 
photograph of a proud woman striding across the road creating the idea that this fragrance is confident and bold. 

• Independence and confidence 
• Professional: blazer and trousers
• Self-Assured: doesn't need to wear revealing clothing to catch your eye.
• Charlie: unisex name
• Hairstyle: her hair is down which shows a more playful side.

Dior Addict:

Dior Addict, unlike my other two choices, features a young, cheeky and flirty woman dancing around St Tropez. This gives the idea that this fragrance is fun, free, floral and flirty. 

• Style: retro meets modern
• Attitude: youth and sass
• Freedom and Location: dancing through the streets
• Attention: only girl in the whole advert
• Two-sided: both sexy (red and black outfit) and sweet (retro outfit)

FRAGRANCE ADVERTISEMENT CHOICES

The three fragrance advertisements I have chosen from the 1920's, 1970's and 2010 to do my analysis on are:

1920 - Mavis (Vivaudou)

1970's - Charlie (Revlon)

2011 - Dior Addict (Dior)

ACTION HEROES

In films there are many different types of characters. Stock characters are the ones most commonly used or seen. The types I'm going to be looking at are The Chief, The Bad Boy, The Best Friend, The Lost Soul, The Charmer, The Professor, The Swashbuckler and The Warrior. 

The Chief: Winston Wolf (Harvey Keitel) 

I chose The Wolf from Pulp Fiction as The Chief because his character is calm and collected but he also knows how to get a job done and keep everybody else in line. His character is demanding and strict which shows his authority and he is a respected business man. 

The Bad Boy: Cato - District 2 (Alexander Ludwig)

I chose Cato from Hunger Games as The Bad Boy because his character is portrayed as brutal and merciless. He is strong and muscular as well as being good with weapons. He always tries to make people feel threatened by him and doesn't make friends easily so people tend to give him space. 

The Best Friend: Ed (Nick Frost)

I chose Ed from Shaun of the Dead (left) as The Best Friend. His character plays Shaun's sidekick who, although he may be a pain, is always there with Shaun to try and help him. Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are commonly seen playing best friends and make a great pair. 

The Lost Soul: Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore)

I chose Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption as The Lost Soul because his character is kind however as the film progresses he gets more mentally unstable. When he is released from the prison he doesn't know what to do anymore and so he commits suicide because he can't cope with change. 

The Charmer: Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) 

I chose Jack from Titanic because his character is sweet, cheeky and handsome. His gentlemanly approach to women is endearing and his attitude to life is so positive it is almost impossible, as a woman, to be unhappy around him. He tries his best to please people and likes to take risks. 

The Professor: Digory Kirke (Jim Broadbent)

I chose Digory from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as The Professor. His character is very intelligent, he is old and wise and quite mysterious. He seems to know everything and the children think he is a mad scientist type figure, which is partly true. He may not know everything but he does know a lot and his stories of narnia make him look crazy. 

The Swashbuckler: Zorro (Antonio Banderas)

I chose Zorro from The Mask of Zorro because his character is witty and chivalrous. He is heroic and rescues damsels in distress which perfectly describes a 'Swashbuckler'. His mysterious identity with his mask and courageous sword fighting skills also define his role in the film. 

The Warrior: King Leonidas (Gerard Butler)

I chose King Leonidas from 300 as The Warrior because his character tries to show courage, fearlessness and brutality. He stands up for what he believes in and fights for it. He is a leader not a follower and makes decisions based on his thoughts and not someone else's. He has passion and will not hold back. 

ACTION FILM SCENE ANALYSIS

For my action film scene analysis I chose an extract from the Sam Mendes film Skyfall. This is a James Bond film full with action scenes, the one I chose in particular is the opening scene of the  fight that takes place on top of a moving train in Turkey and specifically, Varda Bridge, Adana, Turkey. 

The first shot we see is of a middle aged man being violently strangled with what appears to be a security chip encased in clear plastic on a chain. At first we might assume that the man that is being strangled is the hero in this film and the one that is attacking him is therefore the villain. However, shortly after that shot, after another shot establishing where this attack is taking place, the camera rises up higher and more zoomed out for us to discover that the "attacker" is the iconic MI6 agent James Bond, the actual hero. The villain manages to get free of Bond's grasp and stands up, Bond then turns around sharply and the shot that follows is barely even one second long and of an extremely low tunnel in which the train is going through from the two men's perspective which is the roof of the train. Both men quickly flatten their bodies to the roof of the train continuing to struggle whilst laying low on the roof. The shots flash fast, one showing an extreme close up of the security chip being fought after, another of the same place but a long shot so we can see the men's faces and bodies as well as the fight for the security chip. The shot changes quickly and shows a view down the train tunnel and in the left corner you can still see the struggle. The next shot we see is a close up of a woman driving a jeep  along the edge of a cliff which then  almost instantly changes to a point of view shot of a bridge. 

This all takes place within 15 seconds of the clip, and there are already approximately shots from different angles at a fast pace which captures the atmosphere of the scene. The feel we get from just those first 15 seconds is that this film is fast, intense, action filled and entertaining. We get this impression from the speed of the shot changes, the actual content of the shot and also the music they play during this particular part. We, as the viewing audience, have already worked out the genre of the movie within the first 15 seconds. We get more shots of the fight scene at all kinds of angles capturing the intensity of it, the tunnel is very dark keeping the flashes of action entertaining and keeping up the suspense. After another view of the woman a shot goes to 'M' in a London office also a well known agent and we then realise that the woman is also an agent. 

This paints the scene as a battle between 'good and evil' and we start understanding more and more what is going on. We then go to an establishing shot of the bridge and the jeep driving closer to the opening of the tunnel. There has been barely any dialogue at this point and the dialogue has only been between the woman and 'M' over earpieces. Not much dialogue is needed in this scene as the actions speak for themselves. We then see the woman stop the jeep, jump out and position herself with a sniper gun at the ready aimed at the opening of the tunnel, in a point of view shot, out of which the train appears. Before Bond and the villain are seen by the woman more shots of them in the darkness of the tunnel are shown just before Bond is lifted up and flies into the open air as they emerge. We now see the fight through the sniper gun which is the woman's point of view. The shot flicks between the sniper gun's aim, the close up of the woman's face looking down the eye piece on the gun and a shot of 'M' in the London Office, to a slow zoom to the speaker box and a shot showing some other agents close by to 'M'. The music is still fast and intense orchestral music. 

The woman is speaking to 'M' and is instructed to "take the shot" at the villain although as he is still fighting Bond, Bond is therefore in the way of the shot. The music gets more intense and the shots flash faster between each character; the woman looking down the gun, 'M', the speaker box, the other agents, the fight closely from different angles and the point of view down the sniper gun. There are many canted angles and technics used in this scene, for example; they create a sense of jeopardy with the gun pointing at the villain but the hero, Bond, getting in the way of the shot. They create a sense of action whilst flicking fast between many shots at many angles, they create suspense with the tense music building up as the fight gets more and more dangerous. They show the conflict and combat between the hero and the villain in a violent fight scene capturing the conflict perfectly. We can tell that this film is a high risk, dangerous AA film not a historical one from the technics used. We, as the audience, feel sympathetic towards the hero and hope he defeats the villain and also as well as sympathising we worry and become tense as the gun is positioned and we are not sure whether the hero will manage to get out alive. 

The woman objects to taking the shot but 'M' demands she does so, the music is very intense and high notes are played as the climax of the scene builds. 'M' sounds nervous but angry as she shouts at the woman to shoot in the direction of the villain and Bond. We hear the gun fire and see one of the men get shot all fall off the train roof and off the very high bridge, we recognise the suit but hope for the best, although are hopes are shortly ruined when the limp body is plunged into the river below the bridge and we see a shot after of the villian crouching low on the roof of the train speeding away only to disappear as the train goes through the tunnel on the other side of the bridge, shock has spread across the woman's face as she trembles thinking about what has just happened. 'M's face scowls and the other agents look over to her nervously, then at the speaker box which is being zoomed into as the painful silence fills the room. We then hear two words come from the speaker box, these words are "agent down" clarifying what the other agents feared most. 

This scene is very well shot, in my opinion, it keeps the audience on their toes and holds suspense. However the scene would be far less tense and exciting if there was no sound in it. I believe that in action films like this you should vaguely be able to tell what is going on without actually watching the film. What I mean by this is that the music, dialogue and sounds effects should create their own atmosphere and not rely on the visual, so you should be able to hear what is going on as well as see it. In this film if you closed your eyes and listened to the scene I chose you would be able to tell it was an intense scene because of the fast, orchestral music. You would also be able to tell it was on or near a train as there is the sound of a speeding train playing. There are the mumbled sounds of a struggle which makes you aware that there is some sort of unrest happening. The dialogue shows that there are more than two people and as the dialogue and music get more tense and panicked there are two sounds that end the struggle that we have previously become aware of. The sounds are the shot being fired and then the sound that follows which is a heavy splash into water. We, if we only use our ears, are not sure whether good or evil has won but we do know someone died or is badly injured by the splash sound that followed. After the sound of the train whizzing off we then have an intense silence before finding out who was hit. The patience of the silence is great for tension. We then hear the two words that close the scene; "agent down" and know. 

In conclusion, I think this scene was directed well as used the camera shots, sounds and other technics well. It captured the right atmosphere, it was easy to follow but still tense and exciting and also showed a wide variety of shots keeping it interesting like 'shot reverse shot' for example. The even mixture of speed, jeopardy, suspense, conflict and combat as well as very little dialogue creates a great clip of a typical action and adventure film. 

Click here to view clip

READING LYNX

In our lesson on Wednesday we looked at both the Lynx and Dove advertising campaigns. Lynx and Dove are owned by the same company, Unilever, which is an Anglo-Dutch multinational consumer goods company. Unilever owns many brands including; PG Tips, Ben & Jerry's, Lipton, Domestos, Cornetto, Pot Noodle, Marmite, Lynx, Sure, V05, Hellman's, Magnum, Peperami, Persil, TRESemme, Impulse and Flora just to name a few.  


We looked into Lynx in more detail, in particular the 2011 advertisement for Lynx Dry Full Control. One specific ad got banned by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) this advert was banned because the messages expressed in the advert were too sexually suggestive and inappropriate for the regulation standards, not only this but the advert was also rather degrading to women. This advert not only contained frisky content of Lucy Pinder but also the caption at the end read "prevent premature perspiration" which can be interpreted in an extremely rude way. Therefore the ASA banned this from the UK after only very few complaints. Lynx still pushed the boundaries with their adverts including some shower gel adverts which had the line "the cleaner you are the dirtier you get". 

These sorts of adverts are completely aimed at the male population and even the way the adverts are lit make a substantial difference to the sales as the women in them need to look completely flawless, perfection even. The backlighting in the Lynx Dry Full Control image that we looked at in the lesson made the Lucy Pinder's skin look blemish-free and also created a type of glow highlighting her figure in an obvious yet also subtle way. The advert also positions Lucy so that she is in a 'T & A' shot which clearly is for the male audience. One feature in the ad that i noticed was not just the woman and her revealing clothing but the background. The ad was placed in a set that replicated a 50's style home therefore throwing in the ideas of women and their perception as the housewife. This means that subconsciously the advert is telling men that if you purchase this Lynx product that you will be in control of women much like the 50's and they will do anything and everything the men want. The ad is therefore saying that Lynx will mke you the one who is in charge and you can handle anything, including her. This is also very demeaning to women. 


We also looked at another Unilever company which was Dove, this campaign however is very different to the Lynx one as it promotes women in a healthy way. For example the advert we looked at shows average sized women, not super skinny models, smiling and being proud of who they are and what they look like in contrast to the Lynx ad which makes women look like objects and accessories to men. This expresses the ideas of freedom, independence and confidence which was a much more popular advert for the female population as it made them think that if they bought Dove then they would feel all these things even more so than they might have before. 

We found out what Cultural and Technical codes are and all about decoding which is a process in which we work out what the image actually means and what it is about instead of just simply understanding it. Overall in the lesson we learnt a lot of information about all the small things that are considered when making an advert as well as things like how strict the ASA are and how seriously they take complaints into consideration. However this advert was banned for reasons that are very clear to me. 

LUCOZADE AND LARA CROFT

In our media lesson on Thursday we looked at Lucozade energy drink and its advertising campaigns. Lucozade was first formed in 1927 by a pharmacist in Newcastle who wanted to help children with a cold or the flu. It was created as a glucose drink that was both palatable and easily digested which boosted their energy levels when they felt ill and didn't have an appetite. In 1938 the drink became a known cure for energy recovery and was distributed worldwide after it was bought by the company, Beecham. 

Around the 1950's - 1960's Lucozade began heavyweight national advertising support. The classic advertising of the times depicted sick children enjoying the 'nice part of being ill'. A few decades’ later people became healthier and so Lucozade changed its target audience of sick people to healthy people that wanted an energy boost in order to become even healthier. Using the Olympic Decathlete Daley Thompson as a brand icon, Lucozade's popularity increased again in the market as the new re-designed energy drink. 

The increase in sales lead to more flavours being released and mass popularity of the brand. In 1990 the brand then furthered its potential by releasing a range of isotonic sports drinks re-branded as 'Lucozade Sport'. It promised to 'get to your thirst, fast'. Lucozade Sport was the first brand to launch with a sports sponsorship deal and continues to be endorsed by some of Britain's leading athletes including Michael Owen and Jonny Wilkinson.

“Launched in 1927 as a provider of energy during recovery from illness, Lucozade is the original energy drink and has been the category driver ever since. Lucozade Energy is currently the category leader with sales worth £150 million in 2003.”

Even though Lucozade have changed a bit since 1927 their values are still the same they have continued to be known as the reliable drink that gives you a boost, making you feel energised  During several flu epidemics in the past Lucozade became well-known as a trusted household name. The brand is gutsy and committed and truly savvy, offering real performance benefits. The message is simple - whatever your level or sport, preparation is key, and Lucozade Sport is an essential part of this. Lucozade Sport Hydro Active's advertising is different again. The iconic campaign features a female figure made of water running, flipping, diving and swimming.

“Lucozade is a bold and dynamic brand, with an independence of spirit, a 'can-do' attitude and a 'never-say-die' approach to life”

Lucozade also tied their energy product to the well-known video game Tomb Raider series’ character Lara Croft. A female archaeologist-adventuress who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world. Lucozade’s previous advertisements had been more male targeted and they hoped that the Lara Croft advertisement campaign would still attract men but also women who would hopefully aspire to be like Lara and therefore purchase the product. Lara Croft has a curvaceous figure and an unrealistic body image however this appeals to the male demographic. In Lucozade's Lara Croft advert it uses graphics from the game and shows Lara running away from some angry dogs. When she then reaches in her bag for a refreshment as she is low on energy and she selects Lucozade as it is the most beneficial for her in that situation. The screen flashes up with the choices and when the option of Lucozade comes up a picture and caption flash on the screen of the bottle and the words 'glucose hit'.   

COCA COLA ADVERT ANALYSIS

Hilltop Advert - Click Here

The Hilltop advert from 1971 was definitely one of Coca Cola's most famous advertisements and publicity gaining campaigns. The song in the advert includes the lyrics "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" which promotes the company as it uses the brand name and also promotes the idea of sharing, sharing together and sharing a Coke. 'Share a Coke' has also been used very recently in current Coca Cola adverts in which they have put names on the bottles and people are encouraged to 'Share a Coke with...' so the theme that was used in the 1971 advert is still used today. Some other lyrics in the song are 'I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony" this has two hidden meanings in it. One meaning being the obvious which is 'harmony' as in singing together, the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions with a pleasing effect. As well as the second meaning which ties into the theme of war and living together in peace and harmony. 

This also promotes "Make love, not war" which is an anti-war slogan commonly associated with the American counterculture of the 1960's. It was used primarily by those who were opposed to the Vietnam War, but has been invoked in other anti-war contexts since. The Hilltop advert was also good for Coca Cola's publicity as it was telling the world how to love and share and that we didn't need to fight, but if we had to we would fight side my side. This helped Coca Cola's popularity as it became a positive product which was opposed to the Vietnam War but also supporting all the men fighting for our side. 

The Coca Cola slogan for that advert was 'It's the real thing." This slogan was not only saying that Coke had a nice, good, original thing but was also for the soldiers who were fighting in the Vietnam War which was the reason the Coke was quickly scattered around lots of countries as there were bottling plants set up in all these countries just so that the soldiers would always have a Coke. No matter where they were in the world there would be a Coke which was something from home. Reminding the soldiers of their homes and families and also reminding them that they had a little bit of home with them whilst they were fighting. Hence, "It's the real thing." meaning that it's something from their own home and it is comforting to the soldiers. 

Coca Cola has gone on to make many memorable advertisements and still to this day are known for being one of the most powerful companies in the world. An example of the companies power is in the London 2012 Olympics where Coca Cola managed to make a deal as a sponsor so that their drink products were the only ones allowed to be advertised in small shops throughout the whole of London during the games. Coca Cola will probably always be an incredibly powerful company and has been going for about 100 years which is an impressive amount of time for a drink to go on for, especially one that was originally created as a tonic to help sick people made from cocaine and wine. However it has and i think Coca Cola will always be a recognizable brand, certainly for another few decades. 

SHOT TYPES

We looked at camera angles in our last lesson and took a few photographs of these shot types in the lesson. As homework we had to find an example of some of the shots, these were; establishing shot, two shot, over the shoulder shot, close up, extreme close up and point of view shot. 

 This is an establishing shot, it is usually used in the opening of a movie introducing the viewer into the scenery and world in which the film lives. It gives the viewer an insight into where the movie is set and the genre of the movie as well. This establishing shot is from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It shows us Hogwarts from the outside, most of the film is shot inside so it gives us an idea of the size of the castle. 

 This is a two shot, it is mainly used when showing a conversation, a kiss or a moment where there are only two people needed in the shot. This two shot is from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and is during a conversation between two characters it helps the viewer keep focus on what is happening between the two people.

This is a close up, it focuses on one person and it shows the viewer the reactions of the character and the detail as this would be hard to see from another shot types like an establishing shot for example. Close ups are more for focus on a particular character or object instead of capturing atmosphere or setting the scene. This close up was taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 

 This is an extreme close up. This shows the viewer reactions and details in even more depth and closeness. It completely engages the viewers attention and makes sure there is nothing to take attention away from the object or person they want to show. 

 This is an over the shoulder shot. It is, like a two shot, commonly used in conversations or moments between two people and gives a more interesting view for the viewer and makes them feel as though they are in the same room as the characters in the movie. These shots can also be used if a character is looking into a mirror. 

This is a POV shot, also know as a point of view shot. It is taken from the characters perspective so that the viewer is seeming to be looking through the eyes of the character and therefore becoming the character. 

OUR FIRST MEDIA LESSON

Today was the first media lesson of 2013. We looked into advertising and how companies tie their products to another franchise to create an effective advert. We looked at a Coke Zero advert from 2008 which also promoted James Bond's new movie Quantum of Solace. The advert contained lots of links between the drink product and the movie. Including; some Bond girls, car chases, gun barrels, bubbles and the bottle of Coke Zero. The angles used in the video made it more exciting as there were diagonal shots of cars chases like in actual action film making the advert into more of a mini action movie. This advert made its target audience obvious. The target audience was clearly men, young men. To get the attention of the target audience the Coca Cola company chose a movie which was also aimed at the same audience, there were girls, flash cars, drinks and secret agents therefore appealing to men. What the audience get from this advert is if you buy this drink you will be as cool as James Bond, get all the girls, be a smooth secret agent and people will aspire to be like you. This of course makes them go out and buy the product.

We briefly discussed the GCSE course that we would be taking over the next two years and what we will be covering over the next two years. We also created our own blog which we would use to post media assignments on and make a digital document of our work.