Superhumans
Mise en scene - costume
- We see the athletes use different costumes to show that they are working hard daily to prove this hard, showing resilient and commitment
- Their costumes which they are using they have sweat which shows their hard work again
- The costumes of the Ellie Simmonds shows binary opposition (Levi Strauss) as she is faceing herself in a swimming race - the black costume shows her after she has won all those medals and the white shows how she is trying to face that anxiety and win - The black costume with all the medals represent the pressure she is under - she is competing against herself
- Kadeena Cox can be seen wearing her professional track race outfit which again shows that she has worked hard for and is an elite athlete
- The women on the wheelchair is also seen wearing very casual clothes to show that she is a normal human and not a ‘superhuman’ - the fact that she is wearing casual clothes shows that she has a normal life apart from being an athlete and the struggle of balancing both of those lives .
Mise en scene - Cast
Cast
Featuring a newly recorded rendition of Bugsy Malone's "So You Want to Be a Boxer?" by Jay Prince, it explores the sacrifices made by athletes to pursue their dreams of being crowned champions on a world stage.
The TV advert openly captures the preparations of several British Paralympians for the Tokyo event. Among those showcased are:
Ali Jawad
David Smith
Ellie Simmonds
Jody Cundy
Jordanne Whiley
Kadeena Cox
Kylie Grimes
Mise en scene - Props
- The scene where the athletes start changing into their sports gear signifies they are getting prepared for the day.
- The guy sitting in the wheelchair signifies there are people with disabilities.
The milk and cereal signify a healthy breakfast which is a requirement for professional athletes.
- The drum which says ‘Play Me’ signifies athletes must stay focused on their workout and cannot have any distractions in their lives as they refuse to get distracted by activities that do not help them. or it may be taunting him as oh you can't play it but we later find out that he adapts and plays the drums to show that he has overcome this setback (polysemic meanings).
- The gold medals show she is successful and perhaps would be confident in these competitions.
- The gold medal holding Ellie Simmonds symbolises it is a difficult job to be an athlete however it also the resilience and determination she has to keep moving forward. - the gold medal is dragging her down which signifies the struggles athletes have to endure - having perseverance to combat those that try to bring them down - she is still continuing to swim even with the heavy gold medal dragging her down
- 3rd place sign signifies the competition she faces during the race.
- The medicine signifies athletes struggle to continue to perform at a high level and this can take a huge toll on them. - the medicines represent the struggling and suffering Paralympians endure since there is something wrong with them for them to be taking all those pills - to be a Paralympian there has got to be something wrong with them
Mise en scene - lighting
- At the beginning, the lighting is very dark (low-key lighting) which signifies the anxiety and pressure they face however at the end of the video the lighting gets brighter which signifies a more positive atmosphere for the atmosphere.
- A further visual binary opposition (Levi Strauss) is created between the dreamlike sequences with dramatic images, music and the rich colour palette, and the reality conveyed through ambient lighting and the strident sound of the alarm clock.
Backlighting while the athlete is in the foreground, the backlighting creates a silhouette of the athlete, framing them, making them look important and the only focus point in the frame.
- The use of low-key lighting throughout the audio-visual signifies the tension and struggle that athletes endure on a daily basis and shows the obstacles they face when trying to reach their goals
Editing
- When the cyclist falls off his bike (at 1.40) - slow motion is used cut to the cyclist falling in space - this links to the idea that time slows when you make a mistake - links to the idea that these Paralympians are under lots of pressure
- Shot-reverse-shot (0.45) - establishes a connection between both of the swimmers - links to western firms (stand-off with herself) - the tempo of the song slows during this part - adding to this idea that it is a stand-off
- The editing cuts between the athletes’ gruelling routines and clips of cartoon moments, lightening the mood and engaging the audience through humour
- Opening shot is followed soon after by a shot of Kadeena Cox waking up - The order of shots suggests that previous events were part of her dream
- Due to advertisements have a limited amount of time to convey their message and so rely on technical codes (like the ominous music and the various “dings”)
- As well as fast paced editing to do convey the message in the time limit allocated to the advert
- Graphic match with the Ellie into the archive footage of diving into the ball landing as well as the cyclist flying off the bike into the cartoon sheep shot
- The editing and audio codes combine to construct a representation of the social group (disabled) thus raising awareness and creating positive representations of the Paralympians as athletes rather than disabled people just doing their “best”
Camerawork
- This extreme long shot of a person in the middle gives connotations of loneliness and isolation. It then starts to slowly zoom onto the girl and then extreme close up on her face to illustrate her emotions of how she feels in her dream sequence - the stillness in her face connoting that she is mentally preparing herself for the ‘race’.
- Suddenly the gun is shot - shown using close up which wakes her up (medium close-up). This signifies that they are normal people waking up - which makes it more relatable to the audience as the shots connote normal daily life.
- This low-angle shot signifies that she is tired and maybe having stress (the baby is heard crying in the background) - The connotation of that they must have strong mental health because she massages her head the first thing in the morning which connotes that she must have a struggling lifestyle.
- This medium shot displays the man sitting at the table eating breakfast and establishes his surroundings, also displaying that the man is in a wheelchair.
- The camera then begins to zoom in into the drumset which could connote that these athletes and Paralympians have other hobbies that they could indulge in like music which would be fairly easier than being a Paralympian, put with determination and resilience they choose to train and compete.
- This low angle shot informs the audience that this is going to be depicting a day in the life of these people who have disabilities. The low angle illustrates them as dominating and powerful to be carrying out these things to train for the Paralympics.
- The shot then shows that he is preparing for the day as puts on his socks and then switches to a medium shot of him putting on his prosthetic leg.
- The variation of different angles and shots connotes the fact that even to train for these sports the Paralympians have to put into a lot of effort to prepare themselves like the man putting on his prosthetic leg and socks and then switching to the woman in the wheelchair putting tape around her wrists to avoid injuries.
- Then switches to a eye level shot of an a man carrying weights, the camera tracks his movement as it slowly pans to the right to illustrate again the physical endurance and strength they have during training.
- These wide shots and close-up shots of a new paralympic athlete is introduced.
- Extreme close up and close-up to show the determines and- power to swim
- Medium shot - - shot of her gold medals to show winners mentality
Sound
- Intertextuality - Song : ‘So You Want To Be A Boxer’ from the film Bugsy Malone - Bugsy Malone - So You Wanna Be A Boxer
- The choice of this upbeat, stirring tune grabs the audience's attention with its connotations of struggle and hard work paying off
- The song is also on a sports on boxing and motivating others to do better
- Played throughout the audio-visual, starts at 0.21 in the visual - creates nostalgia for the audience as they may have seen the movie - older audiences will be familiar with the film from which this soundtrack is taken
- The other diegetic sound includes heavy breathing and grunting at 0.38 - 0.42 which makes the athlete seem human as they represent struggle.
- The song and the sounds are all quite upbeat and fast paced matching the editing and the shots of the advert . It builds an atmosphere or high intensity matching the lives and emotions of the paralympics .
- Diegetic sound from 0.00 to 0.15 of a commentator talking to replicate the atmosphere of possibly a stadium and the crowds cheering and it is quite loud to possible show that she is being clouded by all this noise and pressure from people around her and herself .
- (Synchronous sound effect) Loud gunshot at 0.15 which often connotes the start of a race and the loud sound wakes up the paralympic which leads to her starting her day and may be trying to say that they are in a constant race with themselves ,time and competitors .
- 0.18 - 0.24 sounds of alarms and baby crying to show that these people with disabilities are all the same as people who don't have disabilities and have normal everyday lives. Diegetic sound effects
- 0.38 - 0.44 we see the paralympics grunting to show that they are going through struggle and pain but they aren't stopping necessarily showing their determination .
- 0.46 - 0.55 we hear a bell sounds which we often relate to a clock tower which rings hourly to show it is a certain time and this instance it may be showing that is it time to preform and she dives into the pool as soon as it ends .
- 0.56 - 0.57 we hear a old airplane noise as the paralympic dives down and then we hear the ball hitting the ground and it is quite clear cut and the music and all sounds ends to possible show a dead end or a moment of failure .
- 1.04 - 1.33 there's diegetic sound from the paralympics of screaming / grunting and moans to show the struggle they are going through and show the hard work. - synchronous sound - emotions are matching the scene of the paralympic athlete giving birth and then the baby also screaming along
- During 1.49 - 1.59 the music stops and we hear a thud coming from the women's wheelchair from hitting the step and there's complete silence from the individuals inside the shop shows isolation from the person in the wheelchair and everyone else and then proceeds to say “ for f**k sake” - dialogue to showcase her anger and frustration towards the situation .
- Diegetic sound towards the end of the audio visual - the doctor and Boris Johnson saying ‘you might as well quit’ at 2.21 and 2.25.
Tokyo 2020 paralympics
- Supposed to happen in 2020 but due to covid it was postponed till 2021
- Tokyo is the first city to host the Paralympic Games for a second time.
- 2.3 million tickets were available
- 6.2 million used mobile phones collected, a total of approximately 32 kg of gold was extracted and donated over 2 years. They also recovered 3.5 tonnes of silver and 2.2 tonnes of bronze.
- The Ceremony presented a story of an airplane with one wing that dreamed of taking flight, performed by 13-year-old Yui Wago, a Japanese student who uses a wheelchair.
- The ad was created to promote the 2020 paralympic games by Bradford Young
- Bradford Young is african american and people with disabilities are often underrepresented therefore he would make a good choice to be the cinematographer
4 creative
4creative forms a core part of our Marketing and Communications division. About 40 people work here, writing and producing risky, innovative and culturally relevant materials for Channel 4 brands and services
They would understand the ethos can culture of channel 4 and the paralympics making the advert better
Serial pictures and somesuch
Serial Pictures, a full service production company for commercials, music videos, new media and short films
A London based commercial production company.
Theory - Roland Barthes
Advertisements have to communicate meaning rapidly due to lack of time. Meaning is often shown through costume/props rapidly placed to show the athletes in their sports and events which creates a sense and elements of realism e.g. the track cyclist clothes or swimming goggles on the swimmer
theory - Levi strauss
The idea is that texts can be best understood through an examination of their underlying structures.
Meaning is dependent upon pairs of oppositions.
The way these are resolved can have particularly ideological significance.
- The on-screen copy ‘there's got to be something wrong with you’ creates a conceptual binary opposition between the audience's perception of paralympic athletes and the reality
- It challenges how language is against the reality of the positive images in advertisements. it is this opposition that the audience is encouraged to reflect upon
- The juxtaposition between being a paralympic athlete at the peak of your powers and being unable to get into the cafe for a drink is pretty shocking. and tell the story in a very simple way
Music - ‘might as well quit if you haven't got it‘
Theory - Stuart hall representation
The idea of representation is the production of meaning through language, with the language defined in its broadest sense as a system of signs, stereotyping reduces people to very few simple characteristics or traits.
We see individuals are more human through the shots of their everyday lives, having different struggles and different journeys therefore seeing them as more three-dimensional than flat therefore subverting stereotypes
We see them as human not as a part of ‘other’ as we see their everyday lives and their training lives, and breaking the super towards the end of the adverts shows them as in the same category as everyone else. Having many different traits and characteristics
Theory - Stuart Hall Dominant
The upbeat soundtrack, use of personalisation and positive representation of the event encourage the audience to accept the ideologies and the intended meaning of channel 4.
Negotiated
Some audiences may adopt a negotiated position as their representations are not realistic
Oppositional
Some people may think that it is what it is and the resigner
reception
Background
The ad was created to promote the 2020 Paralympic Games by Bradford Young
Bradford Young is African American and people with disabilities are often underrepresented therefore he would make a good choice to be the cinematographer
Compassion fatigue - no longer caring about certain events, feelings or situations
Show a different perspective and viewpoint
We see the people/actors are normal people as we see them do everyday normal activities such as eating breakfast, visiting cafes, taking care of children, and having occasions such as birthdays . we still see them as athletes when they are training and taking part in the events
Channels 4s superhumans campaigns was hugely influential but a decade on some people with disabilities pointed out that it has created new stereotypes : the sports superhero .
Rio 2016 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocLkk3aYlk
London 2012 :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuAPPeRg3Nw
In the past the most successful campaigns tended to employ to elicit a response from the audience. Some campaigns have been hard hitting as they were not selling a product ,but trying to reach the audience on an emotional level to raise their awareness of an issue or event.
Launching the campaign , Lynsey Atkin, 4creative executive director said :
‘Following the last two paralympics adverts was no small task-they exploded attitudes around disabilities … yet we potted an opportunity to present paralympians in a way they hadn't been shown before - by pointing a camera at their realities of lives, and, as with any elite athletes , the sacrifices they make in pursuit of greatness … collectively these choices paint a story of mental determination , not a disability .
typography
Type treatment
The handmade natures and imperfections brought humanness across the entire campaign
The drags on the letter as if someone has pulled it through the photocopier, creating a subtle not to motion. The branding is consistently imperfect across the campaign, working long side the high contrast in colour palette and imagery.
Why are particular social groups underrepresented or misrepresented?
Dominant groups in society largely control what is produced and as a result, minority groups tend to be marginalised, creating an unrealistic view of the contemporary world
This advertisement attempts to address the marginalised of certain groups, in this case, those with disabilities
Its aim, reflecting the ideology and ethos of channel 4, is to give a voice to those who are not usually represented positively in the other areas of the media
The positive representation of disability in the advertisement and the coverage of the games changed attitudes according to YouGov research :
65% of viewers felt that coverage of the Paralympics has a positive impact on their perceptions of disabled people
82% of viewers agreed disabled athletes are as talented as able-bodied athletes
- Choices have been made by the producers of the advertisement to create representation that challenged accepted ideas regarding disability and disabled athletes in general
- The advertisement actively avoids the negative representation of them being pitied, or heroes, ‘superhumans’ to be viewed in awe.
- Instead, the representation creates a realistic, ‘blood and guts’ feel to the advertisement
The representation covers both genders and gives a different view of the world of disability to that of the ‘having something wrong with you ‘.
- The narrative is centred around real people, but through re-presentation, a representation of reality is constructed focusing specifically on the challenges that the athletes face.
- The filming, editing and audio codes combine to construct a c presentation of this social group, raising awareness and creating a positive representation of the Paralympians as humans and athletes first, rather than disabled people ‘ doing their best ‘.
audience
4cs - Young and Rubicam
Split them into 7 categories - mainstream, reformer, succeeder, aspirer, redesigner, explorer, struggler.
Channel 4 TA :
Male and female
16-34 year olds
Channel 4 viewers
Fans of sport - (shows a wide range of sports)
Reformers (socially aware)
Uses and gratification
The audience can relate to the parenthood aspects, the external pressures, the inner thoughts, the daily struggle
to build relationships with the Paralympians and the aspects of everyday lives
Relatable as there are changes over time therefore you can build a bond as you know the struggles behind their success. We understand their character better and them as a person
Intertextuality
Use of the song of brings the factor of nostalgia to the older section of the target audience and the audience. Can bring in fans of the song/film as they would recognise it .
Positive connotation as it was upbeat
We hear the everyday life noises such as the alarm ringing , weights clinking, baby crying etc.
USP as we see them as ‘humans’ not superhuman and we see their everyday lives
Breaking misconceptions it has relating to people with disabilities
How audiences interpret it
The ad sets out to challenge audience perceptions of disabilities
The regular audience of channel 4 may be familiar with the approach taken by the broadcaster when promoting the games as the other two campaigns were successful in their own right
The last leg was a talk/sketch show that originally ran alongside the 2012 Paralympics.
Paralympics were as thought of as an add on
Shock tactics makes the audience feel awkward to get an emotional response out of the audience
Challenged perceptions as people thought there was something wrong with them but in reality there isn't anything wrong with them .