PRINT ANALYSIS:Contrasting James Bond Film PostersAS MEDIA STUDIES

Media Language / Still Images(Semiotic Codes)

Similar to moving image work we consider key concepts: Camerawork & Mise-en-scene & Editing in terms of SFX.

In the text studied look at how these are used:1. Subject – framing / shot distance / angle

2. Artist – dress code / posture

3. Composition – what is important?

4. Font – / STYLE / size / colour / placement

5. Quotes – Aggressive? Suggestive? Superlatives?

6. Colour & Lighting – bright / dull? Low / high key?

What impact do they have on the target audience?

Are they conventional for the genre?

Do they follow a print ‘house-style’? Do they link together?

Use these codes to analyse stills

Look at the two James Bond film posters.Annotate them with as much detail as possible.

Please write your answers in full prose to question 1.

Study the two film posters for From Russia with Love (1963) & Skyfall(2012). Qu 1. Analyse the two film posters commenting on: visual codes // layout and design // genre. [40]

Visual codes

• Use of muted colours

• Lighting

• Iconography and setting

• clothing and physical appearance

• expression and body language.

Layout and design

• positioning of images suggesting narrative

• use of colour

• construction of poster

• use and positioning of pull quotes

• font styles

• gaze.

Genre

• clues to genre in pull quotes, dress code, props and iconography

• suggestions of mystery and enigma

• film title

• cold/dark colours –connotations of metaphorical ‘darkness’ of the film.

• Representation of gender.

Now try to work through these sample exam questions –making notes as prompts.

Study the two film posters for From Russia with Love (1963) & Skyfall (2012).

1. Analyse the two film posters commenting on:

• visual codes

• layout and design

• genre. [40]

2. (a) Choose one of the film posters and suggest two different audiences for this film. Give brief reasons for your suggestions. [6]

(b) With reference to the other film poster, explore how audiences are attracted to this film. [9]

(c) With reference to your own detailed examples, which must not include the resource material examples, explore why audiences may respond differently to the same media text. [15]

3. With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the representation of gender in the media today. [30]

Qu.1/Visual Codes -suggestions

Visual codes

• Use of muted colours

• Lighting

• Iconography and setting

• clothing and physical appearance

• expression and body language.

Layout and design

• positioning of images suggesting narrative

• use of colour

• construction of poster

• use and positioning of pull quotes

• font styles

• gaze.

Genre

• clues to genre in pull quotes, dress code, props and iconography

• suggestions of mystery and enigma

• film title

• cold/dark colours –connotations of metaphorical ‘darkness’ of the film.

• Representation of gender.

Please answer questions 2a, 2b, 2c.

2. (a) Choose one of the film posters and suggest two different audiences for this film. Give brief reasons for your suggestions. [6]

(b) With reference to the other film poster, explore how audiences are attracted to this film. [9]

(c) With reference to your own detailed examples, which must not include the resource material examples, explore why audiences may respond differently to the same media text. [15]

Qu.2a/Different Audience -suggestions

Choose one of the film posters and suggest two different audiences for

this film. Give brief reasons for your suggestions. [6]

Suggestions may include:

From Russia With Love:

• Those attracted by quotes selling the film

• Audiences attracted by the enigmas presented in the poster through the

images

• Fans of a new franchise – the return of James Bond

• Audiences attracted by the suggestions of genre and narrative.

• Other secondary audiences.

Skyfall

• Fans of James Bond franchise

• Fans of Daniel Craig

• Fans of the action genre

• Audiences attracted by enigmas of narrative suggested in the poster.

Qu.2b/How are Audiences Attracted?

With reference to the other film poster, explore how audiences are

attracted to this film. [9]

From Russia with Love

• Through the enigmas established in the poster

• Suggestions of genre and narrative in quotes & images

• The name of the film

• The images suggesting the narrative – mode of address etc.

• The charismatic central figure in the poster

• The (un)dress code of the women in the poster.

Skyfall

• Through the suggestions of the action / spy genre

• The star billing of Daniel Craig and the use of him in the central image

• Classic Bond iconography – tuxedo & Walther PPK

• The iconic Bond iris opening behind 007 revealing London skyline

• Simplicity of image construction – what else do you need to know?

Qu. 2c/Varied Audience Responses

With reference to your own detailed examples, which must not include

the resource material examples, explore why audiences may respond

differently to the same media text. Answers may cover: [15]

(Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory is central to this answer.)

• Construction of the text – to attract a specific audience:

• Gender

• Age

• ethnicity

• Cultural experience

• situation

• How texts position audiences and audience responses to that positioning

(preferred, oppositional, negotiated readings of texts)

• Any other relevant points.

These points must be discussed with reference to 2/3 detailed examples:

Qu. 3/

Gender in the media today

With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the representation of gender in the media today. [30]

• Candidates must use 2/3 specific examples of how media texts represent gender and analyse them in detail focusing on the concept of representation.

• There is an expectation that candidates attaining the higher levels will demonstrate an understanding of the concept of representation and be able to anchor their chosen examples in terms of context and purpose.

• The chosen examples should be analysed in some detail and the more able candidates must engage with them on a more sophisticated level that goes beyond simple assertions of positive and negative. Similarly asserting a character is a stereotype does not show depth of analysis.

• The examples used must be contemporary in order to reflect the representation of gender ‘in the media today’.

Ideally candidates will engage with a range of media texts – film, television, music, games, magazines etc. and not limit themselves to just 3 films, for example. Candidates must not reference the stimulus material.

•

Qu3. REPRESENTATION – Questions to consider…

1. What is being represented?

2. How is it represented? Using what codes? Within what genre?

3. How is the representation made to seem 'true', 'commonsense' or 'natural'?

4. What is fore-grounded and what is back-grounded? Are there any notable absences?

5. Whose representation is it? Whose interests does it reflect? How do you know?

6. At whom is this representation targeted? How do you know?

7. What does the representation mean to you? What does the representation mean to others? How do you account for the differences?

8. How do people make sense of it? According to what codes?

9. With what alternative representations could it be compared? How does it differ? Are concepts such as the “Male Gaze” relevant?

10. Why are we being given these representations? Do these images serve any ideology? Are they hegemonic? Or subversive?

With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the representation of gender in the media today. [30]