You will now study an independent film which will allow you to offer comparisons with your mainstream film. Try to involve your parents. Watch films with them and see if they know any of Ken Loach's films.
Explore the links and take notes for your case study.
Your first task is to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of the director, Ken Loach. Hopefully this will be one of the finds of the course and you will come to enjoy his films and explore his many and varied works. He is widely revered as the best British director working at the present time. He is particularly well loved by certain audiences, which we will identify in detail.
Where do we start ! Well here is a list of some of his films that I would recommend. They have all had a profound effect on me and stay in my memory;
Kes
Land and Freedom
Carla's Song
Sweet Sixteen
The Wind that Shakes the Barley
The novella, 'A Kestrel for a Knave' was written by Barry Hines and has been on the GCSE English Literature syllabus for as long as I can remember. This is because teachers can use the film alongside the book. The film is now 50 years old and has a place in the hearts of the British public. For the first time many working class people saw the place where they went to school shown on film. The experience of Billy Casper was authentic and represented life in a Northern pit town. The scene that most people remember is of the PE teacher. I remember PE teachers when they picked you up by the sideburns and threw basketballs at you. Your parents and grandparents will all have stories of idiosyncratic teachers like this one played by Brian Glover. There was plenty of rough justice in those days meted out by harsh but fair teachers who had a real passion for their subject and enjoyed their job.
Another scene shows aspects of school life that have gone. Look at the performances of the schoolkids. Perhaps they haven't changed that much !
Could you get that authenticity or realism today? Andrea Arnold is a British director who we could compare to Ken Loach. Arnold found that the only way to find this level of realism for her film 'Fish Tank' was to use an unknown actor who she saw arguing at a train station. This allowed for a performance undiluted by acting classes which could create a level of artifice.
Here is the opening scene. It is not a Ken Loach film, rather less subtle and a bit more edgy, but I imagine you can see the influence on this generation of directors. The DVD is in the library.
Loach was born in Nuneaton about 10 miles form here as the crow flies. His breakthrough came on 'Play for Today' on the BBC where he made films representing working class life. This was a new direction for BBC audiences and ground breaking. It fitted with a movement in literature by a group of authors classed as 'the angry young men' and the new film genre was often referred to as, 'kitchen sink drama'. It was gritty and realistic often set in urban areas showing the reality of life in post war Britain. Themes often shone a light into areas that had not been filmed before such as pregnancy outisde marriage in 'Up the Junction'
'Cathy Come Home' deals with homelessness and had a profound effect on audiences as it raised the profile of this issue and its effect on society. Through film Loach was able to touch a nerve with the British public and the political nature of his work has been evident throughout his career.
He saw film as a powerful medium to expose injustice and to highlight abuse of power and inequity. He has influenced creative people to us their imagination to create art that has something to say and to enlighten the public. His films are about truth and challenging those who abuse their hegemonic power. They are as relevant today as they were then and this is why his filmography endures.
His first film is 1967 is Poor Cow is a bit more experimental is about working class London and great if you are interested in the swinging Sixties.
Loach tries to 'keep it real' and show life as it really was. This credo has been emulated by many British directors since. Most of whom will credit Loach as being a key inspiration. For example, British female directors like Lynne Ramsay and Andrea Arnold work in this realist tradition. Authenticity comes from representing reality. We could look at some short films and investigate the influence of Loach. For example, Andrea Arnold's short film 'WASP'.
My favourite film in this style is not by Loach but you can see the similarities. 'Saturday Night, Sunday Morning' stars Albert Finney in a gritty representation of working class life in Nottingham.
Not a lot happens but the character is convincing and the mise-en-scene reveals a time and a place in post war British society that was going undocumented and was under represented in mainstream media. Audiences were more likely to see Westserns and Hollywood glamour than people like themselves depicted on the silver screen.
This was adapted from a novel by one of the 'angry young men' Allan Sillitoe. Other notable films include 'This Sporting Life' starring Richard Harris and the more famous 'Look Back in Anger' starring Richard Burton. Shelagh Delaney was another writer of plays which were adapted into films such as , 'A Taste of Honey.' These landmark British films greatly influenced television and popular culture. After these 'realist' films creative people demonstrated a desire to show a true representation of British life. Up to this point the BBC had catered for a middle class audience predominantly. Accents were all similar in plummy tones, almost received pronunciation rather than standard English. These prejudices and stereotypes continued well into the late century as the BBC felt they had certain standards to uphold as part of its remit. Anything edgy or contentious was avoided. Popular music was avoided until Radio 1 was launched in response to pirate radio stations like Radio Caroline broadcasting from the English channel. This story is told in the Working Title film that we look at, 'The Boat that Rocked.' The BBC is always been behind the curve in response to societal changes as it is an institution and change has to be incremental. This leads to criticism that it does not represent the changing diversity of the UK. For example it did not have a soap opera until Eastenders in 1984. Populist soap opera aimed at the working classes such as Coronation Street was left to the commercial broadcasters like ITV who are reliant on advertising. This was because it saw the genre as low brow, although The Archers was somehow OK because it was on Radio 4 and accessed by the middles classes.
He doesn't always get it right and I don't think the set text is one of his best films. I think it is a bit overwrought and some of the acting is ropy. However, if you watch one and don't like it, then I encourage you to persevere as there is humour and love and passion in his films and they come form the heart. This is film-making a world away from most mainstream Hollywood product that will move you and make you laugh and cry. It is immersive as you believe in the characters and the narrative. In my opinion it provides a totally different experience due to its independent nature. The creative freedom enjoyed by the production team including the writer and the director allows film to feel authentic.
You need to compile a case study about 'independent film' as a contrast to the mainstream film that you have just studied.
Firstly you need to conduct research about the film. I, Daniel Blake by following the information in the web-log and making notes.
Ideally, watch the film.
This blog post is a general introduction which will hopefully interest you in realist film and some of the techniques used in more 'independent' form of cinema.
Ken Loach can be considered an auteur because his films have a certain style. Films have been ungainly termed 'Loachian.' So what does this mean?
His films deal with similar themes such as;
social injustice
oppression
exploitation
injustice
prejudice
poverty
abuse of power
Loach makes films in a different way to mainstream directors or classical Hollywood films where the script would dictate the days filming. Actors in traditional films have their lines and step up to the mark when called. For example, a classically trained actor like Patrick Stewart may find playing a character in X-Men quite straightforward. He turns up, says his lines and may not even watch the finished film. It is popcorn, a bit of fun and highly lucrative. However, another approach for an actor would be to take a script and then inhabit the character.
Method acting taught by Stanislavsky and others became a big thing in America in the late 60's. Actors like Marlon Brando would invest in the character and try to live the role. Actors needed to know their motivation if they were to be sincere. This is not quite the same in Loach's films but the idea is similar. If the actor doesn't believe in the role then how will the audience?
For an authentic performance a more independently minded director might as an actor to risk a little and introduce a bit of licence for interpretation; a bit of jeopardy for the actor to explore their raw emotion. Sometimes this works such as when Brando played Colonel Kurtz in 'Apocalypse Now' and other times it can be damaging to the psyche of the actor. Robert De Niro got very fit to play Jake La Motta, then put on weight to play the boxer in later years. There are a number of stories of actors who have made sacrifices to inhabit a role. In some cases like Heath Ledger this can have a debilitating effect.
Great actors are able to get a balance right and look forward to the challenge of working in this way with directors they admire. They often feel that their craft has been given more worth and that film is approaching the realm of art rather than commercial entertainment. I will try to explain through a film from another great British director Mike Leigh. If the acting is great we can believe in the characters and become immersed in the narrative.
Actors are given parts but not the whole script. In 'Vera Drake' a backstreet abortionist helps local women when they have nowhere else to turn. This is illegal and the audience become aware of the danger and the difficult ethical position Vera is in. Omnipotent narration is the term used when the audience knows more than the characters. This creates suspense. We know the truth but the family does not. When the police come knocking we feel tense as we know what will happen. Hitchcock explains this through the analogy of a bomb under the table. If it goes off and we are not aware of it, this creates shock rather than suspense. The actors did not know until the scene was filmed that their mother aborted unwanted pregnancies. The shock that we witness is real as the actors have invested in their characters. Arguably this lends more power to the performance. There is a British tradition of this style of film-making where actors are asked to move out of the comfort zone of using a script. There is also a tradition of using film to inform and educate as well as to entertain which can be attributed to the BBC and public service broadcasting.
It is this authenticity that realist film looks for. I think the most powerful film by Ken Loach is set in Ireland and deals with the reality of oppression of the Irish population by British colonising forces. The film is set post World War one and many of the soldiers sent to subdue the Irish independence movement are traumatised by war themselves. This also won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes film festival.
The bitterness and tragic consequence of oppression, invasion, coercion and abuse of power is exposed. Film is used to tell stories and to illuminate history in the hope that audiences are educated and moved to understand the tragic consequences of injustice. A writer can only hope to represent the actuality of events but with research they can aim for accuracy. This is the goal of 'realist' film. If a film engages on an emotional level it can have a huge impact. It also helps to have a great actor and Cillian Murphy has a presence that few actors can achieve. Amongst modern actors perhaps Tom Hardy has this X factor also. It is interesting to see how television drama is becoming as worthy as film acting.
This film leaves an impact as this blog comment shows...
'The Wind that Shakes the Barley was mostly shot in West Cork and, as far
as I understand what Ken Loach did... he didn't give a script to the
extras so much as gave them the idea and gist of what the scene was
about. He then let it up to them to act/talk as they thought they
should. The droll, laconic, sing-song nature and tones of Cork people
shone through. It lent an authenticity and immediacy to the film.'
'Realist' film is admired by those who see themselves as lovers of film as an art form. These audiences feel that film has the power to move people on an emotional and artistic level. Film has the power to communicate important messages. For example, French audiences are more likely to view film as an artistic achievement than mere than commercial entertainment. They may believe that films have the capacity to move you on a human level and must have something to say. This could be political or certainly emotive. The film should search for an emotional connection with the audience.
I will give two examples of the style of film-making that you will encounter in Ken Loach films. I encourage you to watch some of his work to gain a better understanding. We will then get onto your set text 'I, Daniel Blake.'
'Land and Freedom' is a film about the Spanish Civil War, a pre-cursor to WW2. This was a war that many British men travelled to Spain to fight in, against rising fascism. They went with the ideal that there was a binary opposition between good and bad, fascism and socialism. This binary opposition is very clear in Pan's Labyrinth between the good socialists and the evil fascists. This is not always that clear cut in the theatre of war where atrocities are committed by both sides. The left fought between themselves and a lack of unity is one reason they tragically lost to the fascists who were supported by Hitler and Mussolini. The legacy of the war and the shared pain that Spain went through is clearly shown in the film 'Land and Freedom'. Families are torn apart and villages are set against each other. This legacy that still haunts generations of Spaniards. In a key scene Loach set up cameras in the corner of the room so that they filmed long takes. He directed mise-en-scene as accurately as possible such as food, costume and even weaponry to try and get the detail correct. He used villagers who had experience of this era or had parents who had gone through these times. The experience was still raw and painful emotions lie just below the surface. If you have ever tried drama and role played then this is a similar technique. Actors are asked to adopt a role and have empathy with a character. As the discussion got more heated, Loach let the cameras roll. He wanted the villagers to improvise and let the emotions build rather than provide a script. In using real people rather than trained actors Loach often achieves a more 'realist' effect. Results can often produce very powerful film-making. This documentary taught me a lot about how Loach approaches film making and gives a great insight into his craft. Perhaps it is a technique that you could try!
I have been asked to make direction for note-taking clearer. Therefore ensure that you have answered these questions in your notes;
What is an auteur?
What are the recurring themes in a Ken Loach film?
How is Loach's approach to film-making different to mainstream (Hollywood) film-making?
What is method acting?
Why would actors enjoy working with a director like Ken Loach?
What is omnipotent narration?
What is 'realist' film?
How might French audiences view film as an art form?
What are your first impressions of the films of Ken Loach?
Finally, watch this scene from 'I, Daniel Blake'. We will use this in class when we return, focusing on social issues and representations.
Write a paragraph analysing 'how the sequence creates 'realism'.
Continue to write your case study about this film using the questions and tasks to guide you.
If you have any questions then contact me via 'Show my Homework' or e-mail.
Black Panther has been used as a text because it is an example of a contemporary mainstream film. It is an obvious place to start research so make sure you have read the wiki-pedia entries about the film to gain an understanding of context.
You may get a question about film marketing which will lead into a discussion of how the film industry operates. Therefore we are directed to study how a mainstream film targets an audience through advertising.
Marketing
was initially concentrated on the American market which is the largest
consumer of Marvel films. In particular they targeted a traditional
audience of Marvel fans.
This was then broadened to include diverse range of audiences which led to spectacular box office success. The film has grossed over a billion dollars worldwide ($1.35 billion at present)so it is the most successful solo super hero film ever and the most successful film by a black director. Just before release, Black Panther was the
most-tweeted about film of 2018 with more
35 million tweets. Another indisctaion of its success with varied audiences is that on the opening
weekend 44% of ticket buyers were female.
Identify the traditional target audience for Marvel films.
This
is a task that should be familiar by now. Use your kowledge of
demographics (age-gender-job-regionality) and then ove on to
psychographics (habits, interests, consumption)
The
most interesting psychographic details are identifying what the
audience consumes. What other media does the audience buy and use? Firstly, study the teaser trailer and explain how meaning has been created for an audience.
The teaser trailer was released in June 2017
by Disney’s sister channel ABC, during
NBA Finals. Within 24 hours it had been
viewed 89 million times on You-Tube.
An enigma is created in the back story through a discussion about a secret world between two white middle aged males. One is the actor Martin Freeman who would be familiar to young male audiences of the fantasy genre as he played 'The Hobbit'. This audience would now be old enough to move on to Marvel films as they are more challenging but still adolescent fantasy and usually focusing on a male super hero.
The Afro - Futurist element is introduced in the second half and the voice-over clearly establishes the narrative of the super hero including familiar binary oppositions (Levi-Strauss). Although the 'world is changing' it is still a world of 'conquered and the conquerors' involving a 'good man with a good heart' versus possible badmen, warlords, dictators in a battle to become 'King?' The narrative is hinted at but still mysterious and oblique. The teaser is meant to intrigue audiences and pique their curiosity. This was a
new hero for a new world and an attractive twist for a tired genre.
Would the traditional audience be ready for an African super hero?
Black Panther’s teaser trailers were shown between NBA games and a special
collaboration with Lexus called ‘Long Live The King’ was shown during the
Superbowl.
What kind of audiences normally
watch these programmes?
How are they
different to the usual Marvel fanbase?
A 30 second advert during the Superbowl costs around $4 million. American Football is one of the few sporting events that can command a huge 'live' audience, particularly the final 'Superbowl' event. This is why we analyse the adverts shown each year. Along with the half-time show they are often more interesting than the match.
The fan base is being widened with this tactic. Traditionally Super Bowl adverts are aimed at conservative, patriotic, white males. A more inclusive and ethnically diverse audience is targeted here linking The Black Panther super hero with athletes as aspirational role models for American males. Sport can be credited with breaking down racial barriers and is credited with initiated breakthroughs in American culture and race relations. You can be the judge of this by analysing media texts and contemporary issues. Elsewhere we will look at the Nike 'Dream' adverts in relation to the NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to see how these tensions in American society are playing out. Since Joe Louis and Jesse Owens in the 1930's there have been athletes of colour whose heroic exploits have united Americans. Remember that the history of America is based on migration from all over the world and the population is a melting pot of nations and ethnicities. Although a WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) minority has hegemony this power is being increasingly challenged. The use of music from the rap genre also hints that mainstream audiences are engaging with aspirational role models from a more diverse range of ethnic and racial backgrounds, particularly from African American culture. However, it could be argued that we are still waiting for Native American and Chicano Latino representations to achieve the same exposure. Which is problematic considering the land of 'America' belonged to these ethnic groups originally.
Once mainstream audiences and traditional Marvel fans had been engaged, the marketing focused on the ethnicity of the super-hero more overtly. Study the posters for the film.
How does the film
celebrate African culture?
Why might it be
important to black children to have characters
like Black Panther?
How does it also represent
black women in a powerful way?
How does
it also appeal to fans of blockbusters?
The film’s release also harnessed a political
element to add gravitas. The name 'Black Panther' has political connotations as you have discovered. It links it to movements protesting about abuse of power and inequality and injustice in society. We have also looked at the 'Black Lives Matter' movement in America in relation to other set texts.
Some marketing strategies included;
Crowd-funding projects
to buy under-privileged children a ticket won
support from celebrities
the film was released
during Black History Month
The
stars and the costume , hair/make-up , production
designers all gave detailed interviews on television and in print publications about how
the film celebrates African culture.
There was also a ‘Welcome to Wakanda’ catwalk
show at New York Fashion Week and features in numerous fashion magazines
Interestingly the New York Times provides a good quote about the film as
'A defining moment for Black America'
Answer the following questions posed by the exam board in their fact-sheet to accompany the film.
How do Disney collaborations such as merchandise, music and press articles combine in a synergy to make
Black Panther ‘more’ than a superhero film?
How to Disney use brand association deals to target a diverse audience?
Disney, the film’s distributor adopted what they termed a ‘360-degree consumer experience’
to their marketing (i.e. wherever you
look, there’s Black Panther! )
Market research and data analysis proved that there was a large 'potential' market for the film. The Marvel franchise was already wildly successful in commercial terms. With new audiences being targeted with this film and established audiences being loyal, Disney banked on Black Panther being another successful part of the franchise. They decided to market the film aggressively and financed an ambitious marketing campaign.
'The aim was to establish the film as a ‘cultural event’ across a variety of
media and platforms and raise its profile
from being ‘another superhero’ film into
something more politically resonant.'
In terms of academic theory you can apply the theory of HESMONDHALGH in this answer. Like CURRAN and SEATON he would say that films are made for profit. All media texts are made to be consumed. They are produced for a specific audience who will pay for the content.
explore the concept of profit in relation
to the film industry and in this case specifically
to the film franchises.
Often films within a
series can become formulaic and lack risk. Is
this the case with Marvel Studios? Or Disney?
Explore Hesmondhalgh’s idea that media
conglomerates operate across a range of cultural
industries.
Consider the way the film was
released as part of a synergy combining fashion,
music, video-games, sports tie-ins, even a car!
You might also usefully introduce the idea that
this film has a very low risk for the producers. The character of T’Challa and Wakanda were
introduced in Captain America: Civil War, the
comic is over 50 years old, and all previous
Marvel films have been hugely successful.
Here are some pointers from the exam board on areas that you should consider;
Consider how films/marketing
is circulated and distributed;
Where and how is film marketing most likely to be consumed by audiences?
How has this consumption changed or been impacted by the internet, including
YouTube and smartphones?
Are audiences now more likely to seek
out, for example, new trailers online as
active consumers? (Think about ‘reaction’
videos of people watching trailers!)
Consider the way people share trailers
or movie gossip (casting decisions, plot
elements etc.) especially those with a
strong fan community. How is this is an
example of ‘word-of- mouth’ marketing?
How does this impact the relationship
between audience and product?
How did Black Panther harness other,
more political social media campaigns
to create a ‘cultural event’ rather than
just another summer blockbuster?
In order to help you write a case study about the film I have created a series of questions and research tasks. If you answer each of these then you will have covered the essential information. You will need to conduct research to make sure your answers are informed. Ideally you will have watched the film. If not here are some clips to help you to understand the content.
Black Panther is the 17th film in the ‘Marvel
Cinematic Universe’, the highest-grossing film
franchisein history. It was directed by Ryan
Coogler (Creed) and released in February 2018.
What is a film franchise?
Why is the Marvel franchise the most successful film franchise in history?
Who is the primary target audience for Marvel films?
Which are the five highest grossing 'Marvel' Films?
Marvel is a subsidiary of which conglomerate?
The film shows us the fictional African kingdom
of Wakanda, which has avoided European
colonisation and achieved a technological
superiority through the use of a mineral called
Vibranium. T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) must fight a number of foes who oppose him
becoming king after the death of his father.
Why set the film in a fictional African Kingdom of Wakanda?
What binary oppositions (Levi-Strauss) are set up in the narrative?
Why is the use of a valuable mineral used in the narrative?
How does colonisation link with Hollywood?
How is the narrative of colonialism commenting on the American film industry?
Black Panther was extremely successful. The film broke records for the highest opening weekend in
the USA, and also performed well globally.
The film has grossed well over $1 billion
worldwide, with 48% in non-US countries.
Why do you think the film is so successful in terms of box office?
What are the current box office figures ? (Use IMDB)
How does the film appeal to a global audience?
How does the film appeal to an American audience?
Which OSCARS did the film win?
Conduct research into the following areas and explain them fully. Your ability to explain each area will show that you have processed the information. Use these clips as starting points. The Black Panther movement
The Black Panther Party (October 1966-82) was a political activist group established
initially to provide armed monitoring of police
behaviour and prevent police brutality in the US.
It was controversial, with many Panthers being
arrested or killed in confrontations with police.
The Harlem Renaissance
During the early 20th century, African-
Americans attempted to establish a new
black cultural identity with movements
such as the Harlem Renaissance.This was mostly a literary and artistic movement celebrating African American culture.
Black Lives Matter Movement We have studied this before in relation to 'Formation'. Ensure that you are familiar with its development in American society and the reasons for its instigation.
Afro-futurism
The cultural movement
of ‘Afrofuturism’.
'A social, cultural and political philosophy that dates back to the 1950's, reclaiming black history by positing an alternative future. ' For the first time people can identify with an African super hero which is a radical shift in representation from a past history of the genre dominated by white Americans.
#oscarssowhite meme
This meme drew attention to the lack of diversity in the films nominated for OSCARS. This was widely discussed and the lack of representation in Hollywood films has been addressed to some extent.
However, it is a live debate and you need an opinion and an understanding about how things have progressed over time.
News Values
You have studied changing representations of Africa in charity adverts
US/European news media tends to portray Africa as an under-priviliged, developing country,
focusing on civil wars, famine and terrorism.
The Victorian branding of Africa as ‘the Dark
Continent’ has not evolved very far. Very few
feature films from Africa reach the Western
mainstream, and films like Blood Diamond
(2006)
and Captain Phillips (2013),
Though
featuring sympathetic African characters they still
portray Africa as a dangerous and barbaric place.
Find another three films which portray Africa in this light.
There is a common theme in Hollywood films where a male character is the hero in a foreign land despite being the only white American in the film.
The Constant Gardener is set in Africa
The Last Samurai is set in Japan.
A criticism of both is that they place the Western character as the hero or saviour which can be intrerpreted as culturally imperialist.
You will be exploring this text for the next two weeks. It is a good case study for the BTEC exam on 'representations' and it is on the EDUQAS specification for the 2021 exam.
Your task is to define how Black Panther has targeted an audience with this trailer.
Write an essay using screenshots to illustrate your ideas. Alternatively you could present your analysis as a web-log like this one. You can then submit your work as a web address.
Begin by answering these questions in paragraphs;
How does the trailer build an audience for the film and raise expectations?
What
genre or hybrids of genre would you say the film is and what codes and
conventions of genres are recognisable in the trailer?
Why have the exam board picked this film for us to analyse?
Would you go and see this film and why?
Firstly use your de-coding skills to analyse the micro aspects of the trailer. Move from the specific to the general. Remember to identify the evidence, make your point and then evaluate and expand upon your ideas. Aim to evaluate how meaning has been created for an audience. If you can identify audiences this will help as the essay progresses.
For example, you could begin by discussing the voice-over. Analyse the choice of accent, style of delivery, tone, intonation, the pace of delivery, and the use of volume. Explain how meaning has been created for an audience?
Then consider how editing has been used. Consider the pace and style of editing and the use of a fade to black. Make reference to the codes and conventions of the film trailer and how this medium engages audiences.
Pick out five shots and analyse how meaning has been created.
For example;
In this wide shot three figures are positioned in the centre of the screen but they are back lit, by moonlight, so that they are in silhouette. (Evidence) Their body language is martial, giving a sense that they are soldiers, on guard. The figure in the centre is seated and this gives this character a central role, perhaps they are the hero or the villain. This character radiates power as if they are protected and important. This figure is looking into the world beyond suggesting thought and contemplation. The colour pallete is a dark, metallic blue and lighting is low key. This suggests that the genre is science fiction. It links with other texts in this genre and computer games which use this colour and lighting scheme. I am thinking of examples such as the 'Halo' games franchise and futuristic films such as 'Blade-Runner.' From this shot I think that the seated figure may be a King or leader pondering how he can solve a situation. The prop he/she has could be a significant aspect of mise en scene, I would compare it to Gandalf's staff in Lord of the Rings. The body language suggests other texts from the genre of fantasy and kingdom building like the 'Game of Thrones' franchise. This could be a monarch or ruler faced with great responsibility, possibly on some kind of a quest. It hints at the quest narrative as if they are contemplating a journey, either physical or philosophical. The infinite universe stretches out before this character and we empathise with this search. Intertextual references are made in the trailer. This is where past films or cultural artefacts are alluded to explicitly or implicitly. Depending on the audiences knowledge or awareness of the genre they will read these references and deepen their understanding. This is often referred to as reading the film on different levels. You could enjoy the film as a straightforward action romp in the super hero genre or read it as a clever post modern rendering of tired generic tropes, representations and cliches. I would compare the city scape in the trailer with the iconic neon city in Blade-Runner. Perhaps this character has seen many things already such as the replicant, Roy Batty, in Blade-Runner who has seen fighter ships on fire on the shoulder of Orion. When the voice-over states, 'I have seen God's fly..' is this an inter-textual reference to the clip below? Science fiction films in particular seem to be referenced in addition to the narrative being familiar to audiences of the super hero genre.
I will let you use your imagination with the next sequence of shots. Take screenshots of your choice and use them to illustrate your analysis. Analyse them using your toolkit for analysis, demonstrating understanding and using subject specific terminology (Mark Scheme)
Consider the following;
Voice Over
Mise en scene
Lighting
Music
Diegetic sound
Non diegetic sound
Use of Stars (Richard Dyer - Star Theory)
Use of audio and video editing
Shot types
Movement of the camera
locations
The next few posts will help you to expand your analysis by completing these tasks;
Identify audiences for the film 'Black Panther' and how have they been targeted
Consider the representations in the film 'Black Panther'
If you have access to Disney+or the DVD then watch the film. We will be dipping into the content first and then exploring audience and industry issues.
Finally, a research task. Find out as much as you can about this song, originally by Gil Scott Heron, 'the revolution will not be televised'.
I am using an early submission to offer feedback on this assignment so that you can add to your analysis. My comments are in red. In class we conducted a close textual analysis, also called a micro analysis of the trailer for your set text 'Assassin's Creed Liberation' The task was to move from the 'specific to the general' and explain the connotations.
How has meaning been created and what is the preferred reading of the text for an audience?
Hopefully your analysis and use of the fact sheet will open up discussion of issues about the games industry.
'In the first shot I have chosen we can see a medium shot of the female protagonist. The fact she is at the front of the screen and stands out to the people behind her clearly shows her importance in the game. In the trailer, we also learn she is the daughter of a very rich French man but her mother was an African-American slave. This is important as she still has upper class quality which means she is above the slaves who are behind her. The choice of the slaves being lower down, being in the background and being behind her shows that they are very much lower class within their community. Also, the female protagonist is looking forward not paying attention to the slaves which could also represent the upper class background she gets from her father.'
Yes, you identify power relationships in this community and link them to types of shot. Exploitation of social groups based on ethnicity. Slaves were transported to the New World by European countries such as Spain, England, Portugal and France. Liberation is set in New Orleans, Louisiana during the era of slavery. There are direct links to make with another set text 'Formation'. Beyonce also uses iconography of the plantation and the lyrics celebrate her mixed heritage , ' Creole, Texas Bama.'
Creole is the name of a dialect which is a mixture of English, French and West African languages which developed in French colonies. Slaves would address owners in French but developed a language of their own to communicate. Slaves came to the New World with a range of tribal West African languages such as Yoruba and Ibo and all these languages mixed to create a new dialect which could be used to communicate apart from the exploiters. Often it is through wiping out language that oppressors gain power and subdue oppressed groups. By taking away the means to communicate they are taking away a key tool of resistance and trying to force assimilation. This is happening in China where one million people from the ethnic group 'Uighurs' are being 're-educated' as the government want to force assimilation and wipe out the Islamic nature of their culture. Using Chinese and forbidding other languages is a key method of wiping out identities that may be a threat to the hegemonic class. In the case of slavery, wiping out the many languages spoken was a method of gaining control and subservience. I once lived in Turkey where the Kurdish language was forbidden. People were arrested for speaking Kurdish in the street. The protagonist in the trailer has a lighter skin and she would be treated differently. There is a wealth of American literature from Tom Sawyer to the Harlem Renaissance that delineates the power relationships that skin colour denotes and this shows the powerful hold that the dominant culture has over self image. Oppression is not just physical it is psychological. Power structures in this society are clearly delineated and this allows clear binary oppositions to develop in a short space of time. We identified these in class and discussed the theory of Levi Strauss. You could mention them here and identify opposites that drive the narrative through conflict.
In this shot we can see a wide angle medium shot of her stood in a very upper-class, wealthy house. The fact that she is stood high up and looking over the top of the other people, shows her status and shows from her father’s background that she can be above everyone else. Also, from the choice of clothing we can clearly see she has a higher status that everyone else in the area she is in. we can also include social and cultural context in this game. This is because they have chosen a female protagonist in Assassins Creed which is quite unusual in the video game world and we normally see male protagonists. We could consider within the game whether she is subverting female stereotypes within video games or if she reinforces expectations of female characters. In my opinion she is subverting them. This is because the typical female in video games always seems to need saving or the one that is in trouble and needs help from a male character.
It is unusual and perhaps an attempt to engage female gamers and broaden the appeal of the franchise which has been overwhelmingly masculine thus far. Established fans would also enjoy the varying perspective and engage with the narrative of liberation and justice. The first person element increases a sense of righting wrongs and become an avenger which is common in modern blockbuster narratives. Is the role of Assassin just accepting violence as a means of liberation and appropriating masculine characteristics and therefore just re-inforcing stereotypes and encouraging aggression? You mention costume and the 'heroine' is wearing dresses associated with this period of history which have become synonymous with slavery through depiction in a range of film, literature and TV dramas. Some of you are studying Tennessee Williams play, ' A Streetcar Named Desire' , and there is a character called Blanche du Bois who is sort of lost in this mythic past of the Southern plantation era. Beyonce appropriates this costume in 'Formation'. Academic and literary theory refers to the 'Empire Writing Back', re-appropriating the tools of a discredited past to address issues. In wearing a dress from the plantation era, Beyonce is recognising her history and the history of Louisiana and appropriates the costume of exploitation in a political act. The connotation of this image is powerful and can be read in different ways by different audiences. One reading is that Beyonce is saying the story of women of colour in the history of America has been overlooked for too long and her music and use of a range of art forms from dance to music video is her way of addressing the many themes and debates that need to be discussed. The great thing about popular culture and social media is that this debate is stimulated. Texts are accessible and hopefully stir further interest and discovery. Beyonce has the power to get people talking about these issues and to recognise that history plays a key part in life. Whether that be through healing and understanding or protesting injustice. There is still a lot of injustice in society today and media texts are good ways to educate new generations and to get people to engage with ideas and further exploration of history. Whether Assassin's Creed is an educative experience you will have to decide. We discussed how placing the action of the franchise in different time periods such as Ancient Egypt or Rome could have educational aspects. It definitely places the player in an immersive first person situation where we empathise with the oppressed and fight to overcome injustice. This is a powerful narrative used in mainstream film and in gaming. There is a clear right and wrong in these media which some in power dislike, often blaming Hollywood or the BBC of a liberal bias.
You could also apply academic theory here. bell hooks fights to end injustice also. hooks interrogates the messages that we are bombarded with and explains how they can be damaging to society. She focuses on how messages re-inforce patriarchy but it is more nuanced than that. Discrimination and oppression has many forms and also relates to ethnicity and class. Therefore this theory is applicable to this text as there is no simple binary opposition between women and men. Oppression and hierarchies of power are linked to language, skin colour, ethnicity, gender and class, amongst other things. It is a useful prism to approach a number of our texts from as bell hooks is a key commentator on American society and culture.
hooks' message is clearly about empowerment and how putting others down is a form of social control. Calling someone stupid or dumb harms their self esteem, just as repetition of certain power relationships or images or characters in the media has a damaging effect and re-inforces hegemonic power relationships in society. hooks also recognises that within African American culture there is an issue with patriarchal control. This is a common occurrence across the globe but one that is identifiable to audiences in American popular culture as it dominates our screens. In another text 'Straight Outta Compton' it is clear that the musical genres of hip-hop and gangster rap have issues with misogyny and violence. The film also raises the question of when is violent or non violent resistance necessary or justified to fight oppression? Is the creative process and use of the media another useful method of protest and resistance from oppression by a hegemonic class of people in society who abuse their position?
It is an issue which Beyonce tackles head on in Formation and you could argue that Assassin's Creed interrogates these issues also to a lesser degree. Can you think of other texts where these issues are addressed?
Here is Mrs Fisher again with her explanation.
hooks take on Beyonce led to a lot of debate about how celebrity and popular culture can have a powerful effect on self image and how young people learn about their identity. For example, what is the impact of early Destiny's Child music videos on the primary audience of young American women and how they packaged and objectified Beyonce ? Whether it was this debate that led Beyonce to radically alter her representation is unclear but it is a live debate that would be hard to ignore. In 'Formation' Beyonce is politically active and the narrative is about female empowerment which definitely engages with the messages that hooks outlines.
In this scene we can see her mother, centre screen and stood up. While this scene is happening we can hear the voice over of the female protagonist saying ‘my mother was a slave’ so from this we learn the context of her family and her background.
The fact that her mother is black and a slave already shows her father must come from a wealthy background for her to live a good life without being born into slavery. The background also makes it clear to see her mother suffered greatly. The use of the Mise-en-scene of the grey costumes and the grey houses behind her shows the misery her mother lived in and represents that she didn’t have a good life.
The body language displays in this mid shot shows yearning as if she is looking at her daughter but powerless to contact her as she is denied by the patriarch. It may also be a point of view from the narrator, her daughter, adding another layer of meaning as they are denied contact. The abuse of power is cruelly captured in this image. A mother separated from her daughter but forced to see her every day shows the incredible brutality and psychological horror of the slave era. The wounds of history are very raw in American society and this is why race and ethnicity are key themes in a lot of popular culture. We also looked at Childish Gambino's 'This is America' which identified similar themes.
As a young nation, if we discount Native Americans, this element of history and segregation is never far away and the civil rights movement and injustices in society are still very much alive. It is hard for artists to avoid these issues especially with a divisive President. This is perhaps why Beyonce has become more political. Is the Queen Bee the new liberator, leading her sisters to emancipation from patriarchal oppression.
In this scene we hear her say ‘My Father, a man of opportunity and wealth.’ This shows that he had a lot to live up to and the fact he was a man of opportunity shows he had many valuable things in life. We can clearly see a binary opposition between her father and her mother from the background and the setting. Her father’s background and setting is full of expensive items such as a big table, expensive chairs, a grandfather clock, a piano and paintings on the wall. Also the way he is dressed compared to her mother shows extreme opposites. Yes, refer explicitly to Levi Strauss and narrative theory. Explain why these extreme opposites are used. A trailer has about 60 seconds to establish a narrative so simplicity and emotional engagement is key to its success.
In this scene we can see a black slave in the middle of 2 men who clearly are there to punish these people. The medium shot clearly shows us the difference between the two people and what is about to happen. The way the man in the middle is looking at one of the men clearly shows anger and disgust towards them. As this is happening the protagonist then says ‘when my people were robbed of their humanity…’ so this is clear to the audience that they are treated like animals and it is very inhumane. The faces of the two men look evil and menacing. Clear and concise expression as you warm to your theme. We empathise with the defiance of the oppressed and the injustice in this inhumane treatment. The audience wants to literally join the fight. We also discussed the power of computer games to place the user in an active position dictating the narrative. This is a more immersive experience than passively watching a narrative unfold and suggests why the games industry has overtaken film in economic terms. We talked about virtual reality and the future of these industries and where the games industry could take the technology. This also led to a debate about media effects and regulation.
In this scene we can see the female protagonist centre screen but this time she is wearing an outfit similar to the two men shown in the scene above. However, we know she is a good person with good intentions to help her people. She also states ‘I watched’ this is very upsetting to the audience as she I literally watching her people die. The way she is knelt down now compared to earlier on in the trailer could suggest she is trying to put herself in their position and is trying to be empathetic. We can also interpret that the body on the floor is dead and the fact she is kneeling down beside it is quite shocking as no one should experience that.
This medium shot shows to us how strong the female protagonist is. She nearly gets whipped by one of the ‘masters’ but instead she grabs his wrist and fights back. Again, this subverts the stereotype of female characters as we wouldn’t normally expect them to fight back. The way she has grabbed the man’s wrist also shows how much power she has over him.
Like you say the use of a female protagonist is addressing a lack of representation in the franchise and the games industry. We also looked at the Lara Croft franchise which was the first computer game to employ a female avatar. We looked at the problematic representation of Lara Croft and you could go on to compare the two characters. We looked at the changing shape of the Lara Croft character. Initially she was created for a male audience primarily and her features were anatomically enhanced to a ridiculous degree for the adolescent male's fantasy.
This objectification is challenged in later versions but there has been lots of debate about lazy stereotyping that suggests that gaming is still behind the curve on this. For example, why do female characters have to undergo a particular type of trauma at the hands of men to become strong characters, willing to fight. Research this debate about representation of gender in the games industry to see if things are evolving. This is lazy writing which perpetuates stereotypes. What are their limitations and are they created to appeal to a female audience or a more traditional male audience ? Or has gaming got to a point where gender is not significant to those playing? I have just played Marvel Lego with my daughter and she mentioned that there were no female superheroes. We played Hulk, Iron-Man and Spiderman. It is alive debate and worth a whole lesson exploring gender representation in the super hero genre. We will return to this with 'Black Panther'. You begin to analyse audio codes. Thus is often overlooked in textual analysis and the soundtrack in the trailer is like a blockbuster film cinematic in scale with accentuating the epic scale of the struggle. The voice-over is dramatic and anchors the meaning of the quest . Powerful words like 'tyranny' raise the stakes for the heroine who is a 'symbol of hope for the broken..a liberator of the enslaved.'
This close up on the protagonists face almost shows realisation. The fact her eyes are wide open shows she has realised what she needs to do for her people and how she needs to help them. This shows us the impression of a strong, female character that will do anything for her people.
In this scene we can see a medium shot of the protagonist holding a sword and looking down at it. Over the top, we can hear her say ‘I would need to become a symbol of hope for the broken.’ The noun ‘hope’ shows that she is going to do anything to help her people get out of these tragic times. The fact she is also looking down at this sword also shows bravery and how she is going to fight and prove her bravery. As an audience we can also the determination on her face as she knows what she has to do.
This wide shot of her jumping off a building clearly shows the extreme lengths she will go to, to save her people and bring hope to them. The fact she in centre screen again also shows her importance within the game and her as a person. It also shows her bravery and determination. The audience will definitely see this as straying away from the normal stereotype as usually we see the male doing this.
This is also an iconic part of the gameplay, 'the leap of faith' linking the trailer with the game. Much of the latter half looks like action from the game itself rather than the more cinematic prologue.
This scene is extremely violent and full of danger. We can see the female protagonist with her back turned to us, stabbing a man in the throat which obviously will kill him. The use of the blood also creates the sense of death and danger which makes the audience question the game. For example the game was classified 18 by PEGI and this can be seen as censoring certain things from children and they minimise certain risks so children cannot be harmed. However, this can be taken further by saying that parents can still buy their children these games and no one can stop them from buying it. We can include Bandura’s social learning theory into the games industry. This theory was to test if children are more influenced by violence than adults. He did this by putting an adult and a child in a room together with a Bobo doll and getting the adult to act violently towards it. Once the adult was removed from the room, Bandura found that the child copied exactly what the adult did. This could link to games and children could be influenced by the violence they see in these video games.
This medium shot of the protagonist helping up a prisoner shows she is caring and will help her people get through anything. Also, the man will now be on the same level as her so it’s also as if she is creating equality between her and her people. Levels in games matter because it shows the importance of the people within them.
Yes, you engage with some of the key questions regarding regulation. Should this game be regulated ? What do you think of Bandura's experiment? What is your opinion of the regulation of computer games? Is it realistic? Does it work? Is the targeted audience really over 18? We will look at theories of regulation by Livinstone and Lunt when we return but research these to gain an understanding and use the EDUQAS resources on their web-site. We need to know about the history of PEGI and the efficacy of its regulatory system. Ultimately parents are the regulators. Has society passed responsibility for regulating children's media consumption onto government. Is this a concern if true?
This wide angle shot of the main protagonist shows the intensity of this game and how far the gaming world has come with the graphics and the different levels. We could also interpret that this game was made for a different demographic because of the constant use of the female protagonist. The explosion of fire behind her also shows how she is willing to take risks until she saves her people. We could also say it is almost ‘cool’ in a way where it has a shock factor to it.
Is the game 'cool' or is it cynically promoting violence? Is it merely made for profit? Employ Curran and Seaton's theory here. What are the ethics of using such important and sensitive historical events to create a narrative for a computer game? Is UBISOFT (conglomerate) exploiting the history of slavery for entertainment? Like criticisms of the Lara Croft franchise (see earlier blog) does the narrative rely on 'lazy journalism? A quick shorthand to engage an audience with a short attention span who crave simple binary oppositions in their narrative rather than to explore something as complex as slavery and its legacy in any detail. Or is it a good entry point for audiences to engage with the issues.
Conclusions Use the fact sheet to broaden the discussion to issues around the games industry Read widely and use the internet to follow up on the many issues and debates that surround the text. The text is always just an entry point for further reading and developing your interest and in turn your knowledge and understanding. The examiner will always know who has read around the subject and engaged with the wider debates. You need to be informed and have an opinion. In the exam you will be thrown a question to unbalance you and the skill is not to regurgitate facts but to interrogate the question and to illustrate your response with secure knowledge and understanding. This is why your teachers keep saying read widely, continue your research and don't just rely on what you do in the classroom. The point of most subjects is to develop an enquiring mind and to question. Then you can hone your arguments and develop a coherent point of view. Many of these final points are direct quotes from the mark scheme. My final suggestion for now is to read articles from Media Magazine. They are invaluable. ...and finally, watch or listen to 'Lemonade' by Beyonce. It is incredible. Here is my favourite track..play it loud...
