Thursday, September 8, 2022

LO1: Understand the purpose of audio-visual promos

 1) What is a promotional video? A promotional video is a video that promotes something such as an artist, movement or product.

2) What do you think the purpose of a promotional video is? its too reach/ gain a mass audience for a media product in order to gain a large profit.

3) Name two different types of promotional videos? Corporate videos and Event videos

4) Think of at least three examples of promotional videos you have seen recently/over the summer? Bullet Train, Nope, Top Gun: Maverick. 

SEEI:

Sell: Promos provide income-generating opportunities as they sell products (EG Music Videos)

Educate: Provide key information relevant to the product (TV Trailer creating awareness about a process)

Entertain: Important stage of building up excitement for a product (Film Trailers)

Inform: Provide information to the target audience (Film Trailers)



Types of promotional video



Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Music Video)


Informative: the video is teaching about politics and the government however it is anti-political i.e., against 'The Man' as well as Sell because they want to create income for their song and gain a fan base. The purpose is to show the idiosyncrasy of the American government at the time and to show what the whopping 468,000 American soldiers sent to Vietnam had to actually deal with opposed to what they were saying at the time. We can tell it is about Vietnam and that they're in Vietnam from the location/setting we can see the soldiers landing in and traversing through. The audience can denote them as soldiers because they are wearing combat briefs which are the standard green. They can also tell it from the use of props as they land in an Apache helicopter which is outfitted with light machine guns and rockets. We can also tell they are from the American military from the mise-en-scene as the soldiers are holding/using props which are M16's. M16's are standard issue assault rifles in the American military meaning they have exact connotations of the American Military and symbolize the government's influence. The music video was meant to target a wide audience as it was supposed to open the eyes of the public to what was actually happening in Vietnam opposed to what the government was printing in the papers and showing in the media. Its meaning is explicit in the sense that  whatsoever as outwardly stating what is happening is much more informative. The camerawork is mostly from a first person perspective beside the soldiers. This is meant to immerse the audience in the music video and make them feel like they are one of the soldiers there and are fighting alongside them which would promote an emotional response (Altman 1999 pleasures) from the audience. The editing is quite simplistic and blocky which isn't surprising based on the age of the music video. However this style actually complements it quite well because it connotes it as thrown together and as 'hashed.'  Which considering the point of the music video fits the codes and conventions well. 



Young Sheldon - Season 6 Trailer (HD) (TV Show Trailer)

This trailer fits under 'Inform' because it tells the audience about the content of the new series of the show what happens and who is in it. The advert is meant to raise viewer awareness of the new series of the show that is coming soon i.e., to create word of mouth, excitement and 'hype.' It is targeting fans of The Big Bang Theory and of the previous series of Young Sheldon they do this by showing the actors doing similar acting as they have from the previous series of the show, and we hear a non-diegetic narration from Jim Parson's who plays Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. As well as this they are trying to bring in any new viewership they can (targeting a mass audience.) The camerawork used in the advert is the same style of camerawork used throughout the show this is because they solely use clips from the show that are edited together.  The mise-en-scene such as the locations indicates the country, and content of the show as we can tell that it is set in America particularly somewhere hot and dusty such as Arizona or Texas (and we know it it is Texas based on information given in both Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.) They use the familiar 'nerd ideology' in Sheldon's costume because the stereotypical look for a nerd is shirt tucked in, he wears braces that support his trousers, has perfectly done hair and carries a briefcase. The other characters i.e., his family have relatable reactions to Sheldon's antics throughout the advert connoting Ideal Self/ Partner theory Carl Rogers (1959.)



Film Trailer - SMILE | Final Trailer (2022 Movie)

This trailer fits under both entertain and inform as it is firstly trying to get people both excited and intrigued about this new film but also to entertain horror fans by sticking to the main codes and conventions of the genre.The purpose is to create excitement and word of mouth for the film and to attract fans to/ set-up  a new franchise in the horror genre. There are mature and explicit themes throughout the advert such as violence, gore, suspense, and jump-scares connoting that it is for a 15+ age demographic and it also makes it appeal to horror fans as this trailer directly follows the codes and conventions of a horror film (similarity.) We can also the use of mise-en-scene with the props as we see an antagonist wielding a knife at our main protagonist. We can also tell it is a horror/thriller film from the denotations of the colour red such as violence, blood, death, and anger. They use bold red font for the title of the film, meaning it is the last thing that the audience see also meaning they're more likely to remember the name of the film. They use low-key lighting to further appeal to the horror genre codes and conventions as it connotes suspense and enigma due to the potential of hidden secrets, and antagonists in the shadows. On top of well this they edit between a mixture of low and high angles to connote the heroic protagonist as being in danger and being powerless compared to the antagonist which has further connotations of the genre. Due to the advert and the film only being a 15+ parents and guardians would feel Moral Panic theory (Stanley Cohen 1972) due to the film featuring a lot of violence and blood for the age rating. 



The Crew - Launch Trailer (Video Game)

The trailer fits firstly under 'Sell' - So people go and buy the video game. It also fits under 'Entertain' because they want people to remember and get excited about the release of their game. They did this to target a mass audience in order to gain profit from them buying the game. Digital natives as it is a video game and relies on cross platform play. It also appeals to fans of similar games such as GTA creating synergy as they are both accessible on the same platforms. We can tell it is a fast-paced action game from the pace of the advert and we can tell it is an action/blockbuster game as well as a crime orientated game as we see big explosions, high speed car chases, uses of guns and explosives, characters wearing disguises/masks and money and jewellery which from the other mise-en-scene we can connote as stolen. The editing of the trailer is highly fast paced connoting high speed and chases which fits into the conventions of the action and adventure genres. As well as this the camerawork is mostly from in front of the car which is to accentuate the speed of the car and show off the multiple explosions. It also connotes the reason why the game is called The Crew due to the ensemble of characters that you will play alongside. The diversity in vehicles behind and to the sides of the car also connotes that the game offers a wide range of choice for the player. This advert could fall under Stanley Cohen's Moral Panic theory (1972) as parents would fear for their children being exposed to violence, reckless driving, speeding etc. in case it influenced their behaviours. If they tried to shield their children from this however it would likely have the opposite effect and make them want it more. 



BBC One Ident - Ident/Sting

The Ident fits under 'Entertain' - It is trying to get people excited for the next show that is about to come on, on the BBC One Channel, however it also falls under 'Sell' - because they are trying to create a band and reliability on their channel and create a loyal viewership. Trying to create/form a brand for the BBC One channel so viewers can expect reliability and normality in the channel and keep watching their shows. Everyone as BBC One is the BBC's main channel and therefore is meant to target a mainstream mass family audience. We can tell this from the lack of any mature themes, or anything in general there it is clearly meant to entertain as we see bikers going round and around in a circle which, as well as appealing to a younger audience, is meant to denote the BBC One logo which appeals to the regular viewers reinforcing their brand. The camerawork is made up completely of wide shots of the bikers going round not only shows  off the full set and all of the riders but also shows off them spinning around and speeding up to become the BBC One logo which is entertaining for viewers to watch. The editing of the ident is seamless as it slowly speeds up but seems natural at first. The high speed the bikers are edited to is to make it look more eye catching to the viewers/ audience. This partly to entertain them before the show hasn't started yet but also to make it more memorable for them. It also has connotations of early films where there was a roll of photos that was spun fast enough for them to appear like they were moving, arguably the first step into the film industry, also possibly creating nostalgia for the older members of the audience. The costumes of the bikers are quite casual connoting their anonymity 


Chapter 2 - Audio-Visual Promos

Mise-en-scene

Location & set design: Show where the video is set/time period.

Iconography: Something that shows the representation (buildings, landmarks & objects)

Costume & make-up: Items chosen for actors to represent them in a particular way

Lighting: Create an atmosphere through lighting (high & low-key lighting.)


Tilt: Imagine the camera moving up and down.

Pan: Camera moves from side to the other.

Tracking Shot: Moves alongside the subject who is being filmed.

Dolly Zoom: Moving camera towards an object in a zoom motion. 

Editing:

Visual Effects: Usually added in during post-production, needs to be planned as the footage needs to suit the effects (Animation, backgrounds, colour correction)

use of CGI: Computer Generated Imagery (Filmed using Green Screen and Blue Screen.)


Denotation: This is the literal meaning of what is in the frame (what can you see)

Connotation: Deeper meaning, what does it make you think of?

Significance and iconography: Physical representation of the genre. For example, in rap music videos the iconography of expensive cars and jewellery signify power and wealth.                   


Move onto the distinction criteria for me. So look at: 

 

  • Different purposes between the videos
  • What messages/meaning do they create. 
  • What different/similar approaches do they use?

 

Distinction: 

The promotional video message of Creedance Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son is to refute the system and protest against the man. It was meant to educate the masses on the American government's actions in the Veit-Cong as well as show what the conditions the recruits have to deal with. In comparison in the promotional video for Young Sheldon the video is about 

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