Ignite presentations - learner response

• read off PPT at start - not best presentation style 
• brilliant use of clip- really captures audience attention
• reference to target audience - could be in more detail
• clear rehearsal - good pace and timing
• good textual analysis and use of media terminology in trailer analysis
• would investigation benefit from focusing on one film rather franchise 
• good to see representation and stereotyping but again a little more depth would be good
• again, social media links show research but not a huge amount of analysis/depth
• excellent structure and good delivery but probably needed to address wider media issues and make it clearer 

significance - 2

structure - 4

simplicity - 4 

rehearsal - 4

 

 

My presentation led to a more critical investigation as there were many questions raised after my presentation had finished. Some of the questions were should I focus on one text or use a multiple to make my critical investigation look in depth as I would be able to use many more examples. In terms of my critical investigation, I believe that I have to make my question more clearer and focus on the main question of ‘Audience Pleasures’ to make my critical investigation more clearer.

Questions

Media Representations 

• Who is being represented? In what way? By whom?

Children - being possessed, child has been possessed by the evil

Male - Masculine, father goes on a journey to save his child

Female - Feminine, mother stays at home cares for the children and her husband

• Why is the subject being represented in this way? 

Typical nuclear family, represented in a way where their would be a resolution and a cliff hanger

• Is the representation fair and accurate?

The representations are accurate as the mother emphasises her feminine side and emotional side by crying when the family was in trouble, and showing her motherly nature when the children were in trouble.

the father then decided to take upon the journey being represented as a hero to save his family.


Media Languages and Forms 

• What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?

the denotation is evil, children, mother, haunted, possession
the connation is child being possessed, family move into a haunted home

-sequel to the first chapter

• What is the significance of the text’s connotations?

INSIDIOUS -  '

proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects'

• What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?

facial expressions  - mother scared looking above, shows her powerless character, she is hugging her children tightly trying to protect them from the danger that could take place.

clothing - the characters are wearing dark clothing to emphasise the genre -horror

• What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings (CLAMPS)?

Lighting - key light on the characters faces and filler lighting to soften shadows - under lighting+ low key lighting.

Camera Framing- long, close up shows that the film consists of a family; able to see the facial expressions of the mother who is scared and is protecting her child. 

Stereotype of women - loving protecting feminine side.

Review: The movie picks up right where the first left off, and really gives you the back story of the family and why they are going through everything they are going through.

Setting - dark room - shows how they are trapped.

• What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?

evil witch - face covered in white - evil from the dead, image keeps appearing in child's dream

baby chair - family, the child is affected too

bed - the child keeps waking up from nightmares

• What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?

slow music which gradually becomes louder, creates tension between the characters and creates suspense for the audience

Narrative 

• How is the narrative organised and structured?

starts of with a cliff hanger and ends with a resolution. The cliff hanger is that the child is being possessed and is taken to the dead, however the father fights for his child and fights the dead bringing back him family together.

• How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?

the heroes and villains are presented differently, as during one point the father becomes the villain as the evil enters his body and tries to kill his family, however he turns out to be the hero towards the end and fights for his family.

• What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?

the music sound and iconography matches the narrative as when the narrative becomes intense the sound becomes louder and faster which builds tension and when the narrative has a softer touch to it, the music is slow.

• What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?

Horror

Genre 

• To which genre does the text belong?

Horror

• What are the major iconographic features of the text?

INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2

The use of black and red immediately tells the audience that this is a horror movie

The use of red in the number 2 and SI is effective as it stands out, connotes blood, horror.

• To what extent are the characters generically determined?

high extent as the character who plays the witch plays it with the correct facial expressions and the correct use of tone.

• To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?

the text does conform the characteristics of the genre and the text is being fulfilled as the actors play the characters correctly to suit the genre of the film. For example, the child who is playing the character plays it correctly as they show the possession clearly throughout the movie.

• Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?

Media Institutions 

• What is the institutional source of the text?

The films institutions are entertainment one, Blumhouse productions and IM Global in which these institutions specialize in horror and action films. Also these institutions are linked with the previous film; Insidious, also keeping the low budget of the film from the last carried through to the second. The target audience of the film is for the younger ages of 15-35 this is because this audience are at the age where they like the thrill and scare of the film, and therefore enjoyed the previous film, which interests them to go an watch the second.

• In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?

influenced by the previous insidious as it was popular; the institutions also produce many other successful horror movies which make it easier to promote.

• Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?

yes because that's how the film could gain more viewers as the institutions are linked to many other movies which make insidious popular and therefore become more popular. It is important on who the institutions are as they need to be known for other views to gain access to the film and know of it.

• How has the text been distributed?

social media, youtube, posters, magazines, newspapers etc.


Media Audiences 

• To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics)

The target audience of the film is for the younger ages of 15-35 this is because this audience are at the age where they like the thrill and scare of the film, and therefore enjoyed the previous film, which interests them to go an watch the second.

• What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?

The primary target audience are males 15-35. The promotional material relates to the target audience because the trailer is jumpy a representation of horror and also the poster only using dark colours, showing the film will be scary which then links with the audience who are looking for a scare in a film.

• In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?

youtube, commercial breaks, posters

• What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?

they are into horror movies and the institutions that present the movies

• What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications?  (Refer to theory).

the thrill, the excitement, explorers

• How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?

people who belong to the same age range also view what I view, they enjoy the thrill and also love to watch horror movies as they enjoy the excitement that the movie presents.



https://wcsfmedia.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/insidious-2/

Research

AUDIENCE PLEASURES OF HORROR MOVIES

TEXT:  INSIDIOUS 1,2,3

 

CHAPTER ONE: 

A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

Lighting - filler lighting+ back lighting to soften any shadows, as well as making the character look dark and the house stand out which shows the main subject 'haunted house' - silhouette - low key lighting.

Camera Framing - close up of the child to show the significance of the character; the eyes are spooky highlighting that its a horror movie.

Review from IMDB: ''The film Insidious has done something many horror movies have failed to do recently, and that is to be scary''

                                          Overall rating - 6.8



SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER CAMPAIGN



TRAILER



CHAPTER TWO:  

The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

Lighting - key light on the characters faces and filler lighting to soften shadows - under lighting+ low key lighting.

Camera Framing- long, close up shows that the film consists of a family; able to see the facial expressions of the mother who is scared and is protecting her child. 

Stereotype of women - loving protecting feminine side.

Review: The movie picks up right where the first left off, and really gives you the back story of the family and why they are going through everything they are going through.

                                      Overall rating:6.6

SOCIAL MEDIA:

 



 

TRAILER:

RED CARPET

CHAPTER THREE:

  

 A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family that reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity

Lighting - Key light on the middle of the page to show the separation between the character and filler lighting used to soften shadows - under lighting+ low key lighting.

Camera Framing - close up of the girl shows her scared facial expression and her body language showing her stiffness in her body.

Review: ''I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through this movie. It brought me back to when I first watched The Exorcist as a young boy''

Overall rating: 6.3


SOCIAL MEDIA

TRAILER

RED CARPET