Research on the Openings Pt 2

Continuation from my last post; on the samples for the genres I was looking for.

Genre	Case Studies
Drama/Coming of age	Moonlight (2016) By Barry Jenkins Observations: Rather than a piece from a score there is a radio quality sound:” Every N*gger is a Star,” appearing before the first shot is taken and within the first 2 min there are no opening credits Shot Composition: The scene starts with the shot of a car where a man steps out follows him as he walks to two other men. This is a master shot that doesn’t stop until he sees some kids run through the street; then it cuts to a handheld-tracking shot of a boy being chased. Analysis: The very beginning of the film starts with a black screen where there is some asynchronous beach water sounds that slowly overlap with the song with radio quality sets the scene. The master shot with the sporadic movements not only keeps the audience focused on who’s in front of the camera. Through the scene, we are shown the community as well as the conditions of their neighborhood that set the scene for the story. I think the lack of credits, in the beginning, makes this artistic decision force the audience to focus on what is being shown.
Drama series	13 Reasons Why (2017) By Brian Yorkey Observation: Music with vocals, and close-ups on characters to catch emotion; no opening credits Shot Composition: Starts with a close-up of a picture of Hannah Baker that zooms out to an out-of-focus shot to focus on a boy. Cut to a shot of Hannah Baker before transition that shows that she's not there. Over the shoulder shot of him looking at people’s reactions to Hannah Baker’s memorial. Medium to another over the shoulder of him looking at the memorial as he moves closer. Then we have multiple medium shots that follow the conversation between the two boys, before ending on a close-up on the first boy’s face. Analysis: This is different from a movie but the way that they go about preparing the story for the viewer. The use of slow-motion for everyone else but the first boy calls attention to him and the difference in attitude between the normal students and him. As well as starting the story from the end in a sense; the ending of something else. As well as the interactions that can’t be deduced by context clues and force the viewer to keep watching.
Drama	Akeelah and the Bee (2006) By Doug Atchison Observation: There are a lot of panning shots that usually go in the order of left consequentially and then right. The title screen coincides with the beat of the music. Shot Composition: A pan to the right, a pan to the left, then two still shots, followed by more left and right pans of the suburbs and the environment. Cut to a closeup of Akeelah, fade into more pans to the right showing the school before going to an over-the-shoulder shot of the teacher handing out tests. Before beginning a shot to shot featuring different angles during the conversation between Akeelah and her teacher. Analysis: The editing of the title to match up with the music makes for an engaging and fun introduction. The voiceover done by Akeelah helps set the stage for her goals and her situation.

Representation Analysis

 Tide Advertisement

This ad depicts a stay-at-home mother who is passive-aggressively praising Tide for washing out the stains from her daughter’s clothes. This ad plays into the gender role of a stay-at-home mom who is the epitome of femininity who displays disgust to anything that isn’t considered a ‘girl thing.’ Other than her conservative dress, hairstyle, and strict posture the color of her outfit, curtains and other accents in the room being pink contributes to gender roles that downplay females. This is actually addressed making the connection to females and the color pink saying “We tried pink” in an exasperated tone of voice hinting to distaste to her daughter’s interest diverging from the typical gender role  To add insult to injury she also mentions how her daughter always wears ‘hoodies and cargo shorts’  with the same tone of voice. 

This representation of the female gender is conservative and limiting to females who’d rather wear ‘hoodies and cargo shorts.’ This commercial puts females in this doll-like fashion that is best left at home maintaining the house, the kids, and put food on the table when asked. To people with firm beliefs against this gender role or those who are keen to analyze the advertisements, they watch this wouldn’t go unnoticed and may even be upsetting. Unfortunately, though the majority of the people who carelessly are waiting to continue their show are going to unintentionally internalize the themes portrayed in this ad that can be harmful to relationships and political views. This affects both genders probably more so for women staying at home who are supposed to either relate or learn this response. This could affect men as the aforementioned views on women become distorted into a set image that is offensive, manipulated, and sometimes violent. 

Axe Advertisement

This ad shows a bunch of women running, attracted to the cologne, towards a man who is spraying the Axe body spray before the words “Spray More Get More” on the screen and being said in a woman’s voice. As crazy as it is that with only one male in that commercial, men are the target audience.This ad rather than showing a typical housewife role for women like the Tide commercial instead portrays women as animals. The chanting music in the background, the swimming, and pushing women in bikinis gives the impression that a woman is like a beast who needs to be tamed and that their best assets are what you see. This ad uses sex as a motive to sell the body spray which makes it to be written as ‘Spray More [Axe]Get More[Girls]. ’ This objectifies women as a means to an end; the end being sex.

Heterosexual men who watch this are privy to the product simply because of the association with half-naked women running. It’s a successful marketing tactic but the moral repercussions of this ad instill any male young or old that woman is beasts that you can control to suit your needs. 

H&M Advertisement

Out of all the other advertisements this one doesn’t play into any stereotype but instead refutes them. By using visual and auditory aid to convey the stereotypes that they’re are breaking; an example is a male wearing pink and a female wearing blue. The switching of these colors uses that gender-associated color role by purposefully going against it. The same can be said for the Voice over with the phrases ‘wearing a skirt’ and ‘dress like a man’ and ‘dress like a princess’ that go against gender roles and stereotypes alike.

Another way that this commercial was so much better was that it reaches nearly every kind of audience; older people, younger people, different cultures, different styles, etc. This inclusion of all these different types of people makes it so that everyone is celebrated giving this ad an inspiring feeling that makes you want to give to their cause. This ad also has an accepting tone that encourages differences and has a much more positive effect on their audience than the other commercials.