The Jungle Book Exam Question

Explain how the production and distribution of major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960’s. Refer to the two versions of the Jungle book in your answer.

In your answer you must:

•Explain how historical and economic contexts influence the production and distribution of major Hollywood films.

During the production of The Jungle Book, Xerography was used to duplicate images which was easier than constantly having to hand draw them to produce fluid animation. Of course, much of the film still needed to be hand drawn. The films would have been physically distributed through shipments in lorries as would any physical product. The film would have been exhibited in cinemas for a limited time before Disney would recall them and have them inaccessible to audiences for a few years before re-releasing them. This method of scarcity would give audiences the impression that they may not have another chance to view the film which would keep anticipation to watch the film high amongst audiences. Disney infamously did this with many of their older films until it was possible to record them onto a VHR and own personally. Another way audiences may have been able to view the film would have been on television; after the film's initial release Disney would have auctioned the right for The Jungle Book to be broadcasted on television to the highest bidding TV station. These films would typically be broadcasted around the time of Christmas, being the most likely time for audiences to view the film.

The Jungle Book 2016 was produced mainly through the use of CGI and relied entirely on modern technology. There was no need for traditional methods of hand drawn images to be animated. The 2016 version is considered "live action" although most of the film is computer generated and its primary appeal is to children whose parents may have grown up with The Jungle Book 1967 and want their children to enjoy a similar experience as a form of sentimentality. Unlike the original Jungle Book, 2016's version was entirely digital therefore could be distributed digitally as well. There were no physical copies needed to be sent to cinemas for exhibition. The film would have been mass distributed, sent globally around the same time. The film would similarly be exhibited at the same time globally and also available on licensed streaming services to view.

Heaven Essay

With reference to Emeli Sande's 'Heaven', how realistic are the representations offered by the video? In your answer, you should consider the social and cultural context.


Emeli Sande's music video for her song 'Heaven' is a conceptual video that displays themes of struggle and hope. The music video was shot in Bethnal Green, East London which is a way to create empathy with the target audience as the area is local to some and likely well known to audience members who live in London. The video is composed of shots of different people who belong to different genders, social classes, age groups etc, who all appear to be struggling in some way. The decision to use Bethnal Green as the location to shoot the video establishes it as urban and real as many of the audience members have probably been there or are able to identify it. This makes the music video much more realistic and believable to the audience, implying to them that the struggles that are presented in the video are real. The video consists mainly of long shots and close ups which contrast each other however both serve individual purposes. The long shots are used to show the setting that the people are in to establish their position in life and society. These are contrasted by the close ups which utilise direct address to break the fourth wall and connect with the audience so that they can understand and relate to the music video, forming empathy. Often times when the camera pointed towards Emeli Sande a low angle is used to portray her as dominant and having greater significance. The lyrics are often synchronised with a shot that either personifies or just displays what the Emeli Sande is talking about. The cuts and editing are set at a mediocre pace, giving enough time for every person shown in the video to have their lifestyle and struggle exhibited to the audience. The music video is heavily theological as it links to the concept of heaven and there is angelic symbolism throughout the video. This of course suggests that the people shown in the video and Emeli Sande herself are heavily reliant on the concept of God and religion and are desperately trying to overcome the struggles of the current world and ascend to heaven. This is further suggested by the constant shots of Emeli praying and glimpses of the sky which is where heaven is known to be. This could however cause controversy amongst the audience as many of them may belong to different religions and have believe in different things or may not believe in heaven and God at all. Perhaps, the music video was intended to broaden the perspective of some audience members who may not agree with the ideas and concepts presented in the music video or the music video may just be targeting those who believe in God & heaven in a similar sense, maybe those who belong to Abrahamic religions as they follow very similar tradition of God.

Burn The Witch Essay

How are media language and intertextuality used in “Burn the Witch” to construct representations of groups, messages and values?

Approx 800 words

In the music video for Radiohead - Burn The Witch an abundance of media language and intertextual references are used to construct representations of groups, messages and values. The language in the lyrics links directly to the animated scenes in the music video which connote very strong and deliberate intertextual references. For example, in the lyrics of “Red crosses on wooden doors” which is also one of the early shots in the music video of an animated wooden door with a red cross on it. The lyrics seem to suggest that this is how people would be able to identify the residence of a witch however in historically speaking, the red cross on doors was a way of warning people to stay away from the marked houses as they were the houses of people infected with the plague. Red is often depicted in media, culture and religion as being a colour that represents either danger, evil or love, in this likely symbolising danger. Of course now the red cross is often known recognized internationally as a symbol of protection, neutrality and military medical services.

Throughout the music video there were many different methods of execution presented to the audience which when relating to the lyrics and the title of the song, it is made apparent that these were historical methods of exposing witches which often led to a dilemma or ultimatum for women who were accused of being witches as it was rumored that if the women were to survive their execution their identity of being witches would be confirmed however if they did not survive they would have been normal women. Examples of execution methods presented in the music video included hanging, drowning, waterboarding and burning. This may have been done with the purpose of sharing historical fascinations Radiohead may have had with historical life.

The music video is a narrative video composed of many long shots with occasional close ups to present the animated protagonist’s expressions reflecting his feelings. The animated protagonist represents the audience watching the music video as they are experiencing the wonders of this strange town and likely reacting similarly to the animated protagonist. It is however, not the typical narrative music video mainly due to the fact that it is animated along with an actual narrative that is heavily connected with the lyrics of the song.

The bird, the inspector and the woman in the house that is being marked with a red cross happen to be the only characters with mouths. The inspector of course is attempted to be burned alive by the town and the woman in the marked house was intended to represent the witch who the town’s people probably intend to execute as well and from the title of the song it can be assumed that the woman will also be burned alive when executed. Just like the woman and the inspector, the bird is oblivious to what is going on and is singing in the opening seconds and scenes of the music video. Perhaps this is a metaphor for those who are oblivious to what is going happening being unable to accept what they are unfamiliar with therefore they “sing” as a way of expressing themselves just like how mouths were given to the two oblivious characters to express their emotions. This could be a representation of society where people who are accustomed to how society operates do not speak out or express their concerns as they have adapted to it and accepted it into their lifestyles. It is often those who are oblivious, ignorant and unaccepting of society that tend to speak out against it often outcasting themselves and society trying to remove them.

Music Video form and conventions

Performance
narrative
conceptional

Exam - 2 music videos
one conventional and one conceptional

Things to analyse:
- Camera, angles, shot size, camera movement, shot type, framing
- Editing, cutting rate/rhythm, jump cuts, cutaways, transitions, including special effects (SFX)
- Mise En Scene
- lip sync, and authorage/star quality, which links to...
- representation of the star, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, culture, subculture amd genre, personality, celebrities and consumerism, 
- Audience and how the video positions them


Jorja Smith - The One
- presented as vulnerable however her sexuality is not subject to a male gaze. She has control of her sexuality,
- high angle shots, allows the audience to tower over her exposing her vulnerability,
- non linear narrative and performance music video, cross cutting between three different narrative strands


Beyoncé -
Performance and conceptual - dancing & lip sync, black empowerment, slavery, feminism, heritage, homage to Martin Luther King, Located in southern american states, post feminism, also in control of her own sexuality

Postmodernism: Mix and matched aesthetics, influence from different genres,
Intertextuality
mixing fantasy and reality


Andrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory
- Music Videos ignore common narrative as they are essentially advertisements. As consumers we make up our own narrative,

Their is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. They either complement or contradict each other. Create moods such as romance, nostalgia, nihilism
literal representations of the lyrics. simple technique

Thought Beats - we see the sounds (the relationship between the music video and the lyrics)
genre related style and iconography
Icons - memorable symbols/representations which transcend ordinary meanings. Instantly recognizable
e.g: Michael Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Freddie Mercury, Kanye West, Ariana Grande
Close ups help to create a star's image to promote a recognizable brand image.

Shelter Analysis

The Shelter campaign advert aims to win over the audience's empathy and sympathy by presenting the brand ambassadors as potential victims to homelessness. All three adverts utilise direct address to paired with a nervous facial expression to show the audience their desperation. The close up shot of their faces is suggests a level of intimacy between every individual audience member viewing the advert, almost as if individual members of the audience are being asked for their help, making it more difficult to refuse donating which is the purpose of the advert. The decision to use a close up could alternatively be a way of reflecting to the audience what they themselves could potentially have been or be become, targeting their empathy to encourage or perhaps guilt the reader into donating. The colour scheme of black and red is a combination that symbolising danger and darkness; a representation of what the lives of people who seek Shelter are like. The contrast to this colour scheme are the faces of the victims themselves which is brightened by the lighting This may suggest that the the victims were once living bright, colourful lives and could once again live the same if not better lives with the help of the audiences donations. The slogans are pasted directly onto the faces in large, bold, red text to connote the urgency of the situation. The text is connotes doubtfulness in the sense that they are unsure whether they will be able to recover from the position they are currently in, pulling on the audience's string of sympathy. The victims are portrayed as normal, roughly middle class and consist of both male and females from different ethnic backgrounds, implying that anyone could potentially have to seek Shelter, supporting the argument for why audiences should donate to their campaign. This campaign avoids the portrayal of stereotypical homeless victims with rugged appearances, living on the streets as in most cases victims are not subdued into such positions. The victims portrayed in the adverts seem much more realistic, appearing to be as 'normal' as the majority of people placed into a desperate, undesirable situation; the campaign presents a motif of constantly targeting the audiences levels of sympathy and empathy to persuade into donating more, a strategy used by many advertising campaigns such as Shelter. The Shelter campaign was launched after the government had significantly reduced the budget on social housing in 2010, leaving numerous people to be evicted and left potentially homeless as they struggled to afford the inflated prices that the landlords burdened them with. The campaign advert's target audience does not consist of any children as their purpose is to raise money to support the Shelter seekers, therefore it would be a violation of the ASA guidelines as charity campaigns are prohibited from requesting any money from children. 

Lucozade Analysis

Lucozade's advert that featured Gareth Bale promotes their isotonic sports drink. The colour scheme is blue and yellow which contrast each other. The colour scheme is shared with the product itself being a yellow coloured drink with blue used to promote the branding of the drink. The brand ambassador Gareth Bale is featured on the advert in conjunction with the advert slogan "In A Different League" suggesting that Lucozade products are superior to its competitors. This can also be applied to Bale as he can be considered on a different league to other footballers, having played for Tottenham Hotspur and currently with Real Madrid. His image as a celebrity is clean, not being involved in any scandals or appearing much in the spotlight with the exception of football-related events. The advert also includes "scientifically proven" beside the product on the bottom right to enforce the legitimacy and making it difficult for audiences or competitors to doubt or question the brand. The decision to include Gareth Bale in the advert could be a link to the masculine appeal it brings to the advert and the product, perhaps linking to Butler's theory of Gender Performativity, being how gender roles are applied as a way of marketing to their mass audience consisting primarily of males who enjoy football. Direct address is made with the audience to draw their attention to the advert and suggests that the ad is intended for each individual viewer.

Old Spice Analysis

The Old Spice advert markets its “Bahama Scent” antiperspirant through the use of bright visuals and partially absurd imagery. The setting is likely to be an island in the Bahamas as the product name would suggest. The colour scheme consists of mainly a sky blue and the contrasting product colour red. The blue colour of the sky in a lighter shade could represent the peacefulness of the product, bringing calmness and peace to the audience’s life. This is starkly contrasted by Old Spice’s iconic product colour of red that suggests heat, danger or power which are typically associated with masculinity. The advert’s model has his face take the place of a volcano, perhaps as a form of satire to imply hot headedness, perhaps attempting to embrace gender stereotypes as men are viewed as short tempered and over energetic as a result of high testosterone levels which is directly linked to society’s views of masculinity. The advert targets men past adolescence who are looking to be viewed as more masculine.

The advert reinforces the standardisation of gender roles through the extreme definition and portrayal of what a man should be. This links to Barthes concept of Mythical Masculinity where what is considered masculine is taken to the extreme by portraying them physically strong, fit and muscular and are considered the alpha males that take control and dominate other men and women in power and authority. It is Barthes belief that this view of what the ideal masculine man should be is natural. However Butler's theory links to society's standardisation of gender roles and how we form our own stereotypes and normalise them. This could likely be the case as many attributes of what is currently considered masculine are implemented into the Old Spice advert.