Audiences are no longer just consumer to text but producers too.

The media of today are much more diverse and are intersected into three main platforms which are; broadcast, print and E-media. looking at my case study i will be explaining that the audiences are no longer just consumers but producers too. In the media a consumer is one that intakes information by either watching, reading or being virtually active. a producer is one who creates the things that the audience or the consumers intake. The three texts that i have chose as my case study are; Smallville, Dr Who and The vampire diaries. The common theme which runs throughout them is the genre of "Super-natural" and "Drama", though there audiences are quite different all three of these texts have a similar way of getting their audiences involved by using the three platforms of media.


 How has Smallville used E-media to involve their audiences into producers?

The online website for the TV show series smallville has given a whole new experience for their audiences. Through the internet the audiences have access to almost all information about the series including how it began, the cast, shooting scenes/bloopers, the history of superman and what future episodes contain. Discussion forums allow the audience to engage in conversation about the show and express what their opinions are; this is an example of how the consumers are now becoming producers as they are now not only in-taking the information that the broadcasting platform provides they are providing the website and other members of the forum with information about the show that is given by someone who is not an official producer. Elaborating on this, there are websites other then the official one made by fans to provide a more entertaining side such as interactive games that involve the characters from the series, photo galleries including a page where photo uploads are possible if you have any pictures with the characters. There are other means of connections about the series that may provide more then the official websites. Such as facebook or twitter pages which not only provide pages on the series and fictional characters but on the real people who play those characters, they give constant updates about the series and their own life. Now the audiences have began a personal relationship virtually over the internet with these characters, although they may not respond due to other personal issues they will certainly receive it. Buying the music that has been played during the show and also purchasing other merchandise that is connected to the show may be done online as-well, some audience member have even gone to lengths where they produce their own merchandise such as designing their t-shirts and selling them online for other fans to buy. The E-media has provided the audience to explore much more vastly into the inn’s and out’s of the show, also could be a tool to expand the smallville fan base to a greater scale.

How has Dr who used print-media to involve their audience’s intro producers?

The doctor who magazines have been running since 1979. It is known in the Guinness world book of records for longest T.V tie-in. Also sanctioned and run by the BBC, initially starting off as a weekly magazine it eventually turned to a monthly issue. The fact that that this magazine is famous for being the longest running magazine specialising to act as another branch of media to promote a T.V show proves that this particular text have always wanted to involve the audiences into producers. Even in 1990 when the show was cancelled the magazines continued running, which may of driven more of the broadcast audiences into the print sector.  In one of the issues of the magazine there had been a competition  where they asked readers to send in a drawing of a monster and from all the applicants, the drawings will be judged and the winner’s drawing of a monster will feature in an episode along with receiving various doctor who merchandise and a chance to meet with the actor’s. This competition enables the winner or all other participants to get involved in the actual production of the show, as what they produce in the drawings will be what audiences will view when they watch, therefore making the audiences of the show also producers as they are the creators of that particular character. Also the magazine occasionally gives out “free-bees” such as doctor who pencils/pens/bags or toy figures, when readers use these in public they are advertising the show as people will view it and may take into consideration to find out what it is therefore the audiences are now potentially producing new viewers.  

How does the vampire diaries use all three platforms of media to make their audiences into producers.

The vampire diaries does not to a great extent use their platforms to make or encourage audiences into producers, this could be because it is a fairly new show launched in September 2009 with only 2 seasons aired. Their fan base is continuously growing throughout the broadcast and e-media sector. They do not own their own magazine as of yet however have featured in numerous magazines and newspapers for reviews and article’s. Another reason could be because the shows is based on a book series written by L.G.Smith and they want to stick to what happens in the show according to the script of the book. Magazines they have been featured in includes vanity fair, sky and teen vogue these magazines include the show’s target audience of teenagers and young adult’s (in the early 20’s). They where mostly to advertise the show and gain reader’s attention by giving them a background knowledge of what the show will be about and exclusive photo shoots. In conclusion to the print media attempting to make the vampire diaries audience into producers it fails in the sense it is still new and after they have gained a loyal follow ship of the audience they will attempt to engage them in more in the production of the show.   

Hyundai advert analysis

what advert techniques are being used?

The techniques being used in this advertisement are common conventions found in most advertisements. As it is a car ad they have used a dramatic scene to persuade viewers in to promote their product. The moment the as starts there is dramatic music playing luing people in to watch. They have used babies as their main tool for the advert, this is a great technique for this ad and moreover for this particular car. From watching this ad we know this is a family car that is suited to fit the needs of all members, however when driving a babies safety is one of the main priorities, this could be why they have shown the baby as the main protagonist also in the ad the baby is seen as care free and enjoying himself, however he does have his seatbelt on, showing viewers features’ of the product. The happy music along with the “cute” scenes of the baby driving the car which is quite unusual, woos viewers and gives them a “happy” feeling as the ad is quite joyful. The technique of “awing” the viewers had always been successful as it brings out their sensitive side.

How is gender represented in the advert?

The main protagonist is the male baby, he is the one who drives the car, this could be representing that the car is for male drivers as it is a family car he could be sitting in the “dad” seat. the advert has tried to fulfil the baby’s roll that of which a typical dad does including when he drives by he waves at his friend who is also a baby a gesture that is typical of dad’s to do. Also he is represented as the more dominant being in front of females as he is the driver or the one in “control” of the car and he picks up a baby girl hitchhiker portraying that the women are always second and are incapable of having their own or care or taking care of themselves. The female is presented as the male’s accomplice sitting on the passengers side who has no significant power. Also when the baby boy takes the girl to the beach to show of his surfing skills the baby girl is sat in the car watching as the male performs and shows of his practical skills, whilst the girl cheers him on another representation of the male being dominant whilst the female fits her role of sitting back and watching.

What is offered about the Hyundai brand and the experience it offers?

The advert presents the experience of this particular car as enjoyable, the blue sky, sunshine and beach views give the sense of freedom and openness which is a joy that may come with the purchase of this car. The Hyundai brand has expressed itself through this advertisement as a family brand who values the customs and lifestyle of a family and provides for their needs. It also suggests that the happiness is determined by this material object  as the car is what makes the baby happy.  At the end of the advertisement when the voiceover quotes “ the next generation of Hyundai Santa Fe is here”  this could suggest this car has been designed for parents with young children as they are the “next generation”.

Who is the target audience and how does the advert attempt to persuade its audience to buy this product?

The target audience for this advertisement would be parents of young children or large families potentially over the age of 18 as that is the age when you can receive your licence to drive legally  however this particular car is probably for more experienced drivers such 25+. The socio economic group would be C1/C2. The way in which the advertisement attempts to persuade its audience is firstly they show all different angels of the car throughout the advertisement so that the viewers can visualise the car as something they may desire, also showing the interior paying special attention to the radio and clutch section. The joyful music, happy expressions and various shots of the car are all intended to persuade the target audience into buying that product.

T-mobile dance advert analysis

What conventions of advertising are evident in this text?

There are many conventions evident in this advertisement of advertising techniques. Firstly to open the advert they have given a fact of the location and timing/date this has already drawn the audience in as they are wondering what it could be about since the usual adverts never start of this way. Secondly the camera shots are as they are being viewed from security cameras because of their position, the sudden use of music beginning also draws the audiences attention as it is slightly “random” and unusual to hear a person singing that loudly in the middle of a train station, gradually as dancers start to join in, thoughts begin to enter the audience’s mind as to what is all this about especially since it is so routinely done it must be a set up. There is no evidence of what the actual advert is promoting however they do leave clues such as zooming into people who are on their phones recording or taking pictures. The use of different style’s of music is another convention as they have attempted to invite all audiences in e.g. playing pussycat dolls ”Don’t cha” would attract a younger audience as it is a contemporary popular song and then playing “the mashed potato dance” which is a much older song of the 60’s would attract older generation in. The unity of all the travellers in the train station gives out the “feel-good” feeling of how they may be very different from one another e.g. we see black, white Asian people, old and young all coming together in the name of music. In the end when they give their slogan the understanding of the advert is made clear how absolute spontaneous events could happen randomly at any given moment and T-mobile could be there to help you share the moment.

How is technology represented in this advertisement?

 In this advertisement technology is represented as a positive thing and reinforces people about the greater good in what it can provide for you such as sharing the little moments in life that make you happy with other people. The scenario in the advertisement makes one believe it is impossible for that to happen completely randomly however those thoughts can be put aside as people are enjoying the moment with their mobiles. Every few shots we see people using their mobiles this represents the popularity of mobiles and how everybody has one and technology has reached everyone and it is more “shocking” to see people with out mobiles. The advert is trying to portray that it is the technology which is making these people smile seeing this abnormal situation then being able to share it with the world. T-mobile is trying to persuade viewers that it is companies like itself that help to make life easier and technology has simplified itself so moments like this can be shared in a matter of minutes.

What is communicated about the T-mobile brand and the experience it offers?

T-mobile has attempted to communicate a various amount of things. The first thing we notice when watching the advert is the diversity between people and then the unity between them. Everyone is so different in Race, culture, gender, age and social class however they have been united with the common purpose of music and dance. This tells us that t-mobile values all different types of audiences and intends to reach out to all of them. T-mobile is a network service available to everyone regardless of the ethnic differences. From the advertisement t-mobile are promoting that by joining their network service they offer an experience which will be enjoyable and they will be able to communicate and share moments like these much easily.

What target audience is T-mobile aiming to attract in this advertisement?

In this particular advertisement T-mobile have not specified a particular audience however has gone for reaching out to everyone from every background as they are trying to present that t-mobile is for everyone. Although their primary audience would be from 15-40 as they are the ones most in touch with technology, this precise ad reached to old pensioners as well as younger audiences. By portraying all the different characters of society in this one advertisement t-mobile have aimed to attract most of general public from every sector, including the business men who take the trains to the cleaners of the station 

Audiences are no longer just consumers to text, but prodcuers too

The media of today are much more diverse and are intersected into three main platforms which are; broadcast, print and E-media. looking at my case study i will be explaining that the audiences are no longer just consumers but producers too. In the media a consumer is one that intakes information by either watching, reading or being virtually active. a producer is one who creates the things that the audience or the consumers intake. The three texts that i have chose as my case study are; Smallville, Dr Who and The vampire diaries. The common theme which runs throughout them is the genre of "Super-natural" and "Drama", though there audiences are quite different all three of these texts have a similar way of getting their audiences involved by using the three platforms of media.

 How has Smallville used E-media to involve their audiences into producers?

The online website for the TV show series smallville has given a whole new experience for their audiences. Through the internet the audiences have access to almost all information about the series including how it began, the cast, shooting scenes/bloopers, the history of superman and what future episodes contain. Discussion forums allow the audience to engage in conversation about the show and express what their opinions are; this is an example of how the consumers are now becoming producers as they are now not only in-taking the information that the broadcasting platform provides they are providing the website and other members of the forum with information about the show that is given by someone who is not an official producer. Elaborating on this, there are websites other then the official one made by fans to provide a more entertaining side such as interactive games that involve the characters from the series, photo galleries including a page where photo uploads are possible if you have any pictures with the characters. There are other means of connections about the series that may provide more then the official websites. Such as facebook or twitter pages which not only provide pages on the series and fictional characters but on the real people who play those characters, they give constant updates about the series and their own life. Now the audiences have began a personal relationship virtually over the internet with these characters, although they may not respond due to other personal issues they will certainly receive it. Buying the music that has been played during the show and also purchasing other merchandise that is connected to the show may be done online as-well, some audience member have even gone to lengths where they produce their own merchandise such as designing their t-shirts and selling them online for other fans to buy. The E-media has provided the audience to explore much more vastly into the inn’s and out’s of the show, also could be a tool to expand the smallville fan base to a greater scale.

The Sun advert analysis

How does the advert use codes and conventions to appeal to its target audience?

This is an overt advertisement. The advert has used many codes and conventions to appeal to its target audience such as considering the technical, symbolic and written aspects. The white background colour of where the newspaper is placed is used to make the product seem simple and pure, just as the original ipod had tried to use this method. The shot is medium however the camera zooms in when showing certain images or is trying to highlight a point. Also just like in the iPod advert only the hands are shown, and some gestures are also imitated such as when describing the “26 inch panoramic mat” the hands touch the centre of the page and then the fingers separate diagonally as if on the iPod to zoom in. The sounds used are also that of which is the same to the iPod advert; the background music is playing along softly as the narrator is explaining the product. The narrator is another convention of an advertisement as it is someone verbally explaining the product to you which is always useful considering their target audience aren’t from middle class or above social groups and are from working class who may not understand certain advertisement techniques. Unlike previous the sun or newspaper advertisements this one does not show the price of the product which is unusual as it is a cheap product for only 20p and cheap prices almost always get more attention, however to make this advert seem like it is a well worth “expensive” product as it is a sophisticated advertisement in contrast to their usual exaggeration and role play adverts they have decided to not display the price instead show a few coins being exchanged for the paper, these actions in itself add to the simplicity of the paper and would appeal to its target audience who are mostly over the ages of 40, these are also the people who would appreciate the no fuss of “waiting for pages to download” .

How is new technology represented in the advertisement?

In this advertisement of the sun newspaper they are mocking apple’s ipod /iphone and trying to persuade viewers that this newspaper is much better than the ipod. To do this they imitate the original ipod advert by copying their style of advertising using the same white background, only viewing of hands, and the narrator’s voice. From this advert we can tell the sun dislikes this new technology as it is taking away their readers. Sharing content is just as easy as with a smart phone, simply pick it up and hand it out as opposed to e-mailing friends and posting links. – simple and effective. At the end they mention this newspaper has been this way since 1969 – Shows how they are proud of their heritage as a national newspaper and they look to the past for inspiration as opposed to the future where things become more complicated like “hidden charges, contracts” reception for network etc. they try to justify their high “newspaper standards” by mentioning all images are “photo real 3d” which is an improvement of their technology. “The UK’s best hand held for 40 years”  this is the headline of the paper Mocking Smartphone’s as newspapers were delivering this service a long time before Smartphone came around.  Another way they mock the new technology is when they mention the “Pen-touch interface” as a feature people can use on this product this is Sarcasm as using a pen is no “new technology” also as it is normal for touch screen smart phones   however they parody this by showing the hand holding a pen and writing on the paper then scribbling it out. , which shows they are trying a tradionalist point of view as u cannot simply erase what you have written on a screen by pressing the delete key. 

What does the advertisement tell you about the values and ideologies of the sun newspaper?

The advertisement tells me that this newspaper values the classic form of reading news and getting information from a newspaper as this has been the method to do so for hundreds of years. They dislike the ipod and point out their faults and use it against them to persuade readers to read the sun. They criticise the ipod indirectly by naming these faults e.g. there are no hidden charges and no contract. No squinting at sports on a tiny screen. No turning it sideways to see it better” etc. they have a very traditionalist and conservative point of view. They are pro status quo and value old traditions. From this advert we can tell that the newspaper does use forms of escapism as it does not show any real or international news about the current affairs concerning governments and people , this could be an ideology of theirs to keep the working class people narrow minded and not exposing them to too much information apart from “junk news”.

How does the advertisement appeal to its audience?

The suns target audience are working class males from a C2,D,E, social class. Who are into typical males things such as sports, girls and entertainment news. This advertisement however is opening up to a wider audience of the ipod industry, as when viewers first see this advert they may think it is an ipod advert because that is usually their style however they are introduced to the sun newspaper, as this advert looks more sophisticated in comparison to the actual newspaper they have not shown their usual explicit images of women on the page 3, the celebrity males shown are well known entertainers, however they do show one image if Rihanna  in a very revealing outfit which is typical of the paper and would grab attention from their usual audience. Also British formula one driver Jennson Button, this use of celebrity endorsement appeals to a younger audience of youths who are users of the new technology such as Smartphone’s. The readership of females are smaller however there are pages dedicated to them such as the fashion and gossip columns.  During the advertisement when they are describing the “photo real 3d” they zoom into the image of Simon Cowell who is contemporarily best known for his show the X factor, he is a very significant figure in the entertainment/music industry, this would appeal to a very large x factor audience and people who enjoy celebrity gossip. In the sport section to advertise to there more primary audience they have one of the world’s best known football team’s manager sir Alex Furguson which would largely appeal to the footballing youth.      

Lynx advert

The lynx advert follows codes and conventions of an advert by displaying various techniques to persuade viewers to watch the advert. The product itself is seen at the beginning of the ad on a pile of rubble, from this instant the viewers become aware that this is an advert for that particular product “the lynx deodorant”, when the man approaches it picks it up and then uses it, there is a rope that grabs his legs and starts to drag him. From this instant a loud, dramatic music is being played that follows the dramatic scenes which are happening as he is being dragged across the street/fences/tunnels. This use of making the advert seem very realistic and persuade viewers the theory that when you use this deodorant girls would be attracted to you it is very melodramatic, unusual and in contrast the situation is virtually impossible however the use of the “mythological mermaids’” adds the fantasy factor that every “man” dreams about, that being having good-looking, sexy girls attracted to them. As an advertisement has limited time to promote its product the shots in here are very fast paced which is a common convention. Towards the end of the add the voice-over expresses their tag line” All girls prefer dry guys” which is the message it is sending out to all the males out there to buy this product as if they don’t girls may not like them. The voice in which it is said in is a female slow sort of seductive voice. The mermaids in the ocean are naked although we don’t see their nudity, this is giving the sexual appeal that most men give into and is a successful technique found in many advertisements. This technique also used to gain their target audience’s attention. To conclude the advert they show the product once more and the narrator also state what the product is just so it may remain in the viewers mind.

The location in which this advertisement took place in seems like it is a city near the sea. The set where it was shooted along with all characters in the advert where decided with the main product in mind, as the product was called lynx dry obviously being an anti-perspirent a sea resort would definitely bring out the irony and contrast in this, as it is the ocean/water/wet and the purpose of the deodorant is to “dry” out the “wetness” or sweat from men. The advert represents alternative ideology of where the male is the inferior protagonist and the female “mermaids” are the ones in control. They do this by making the man seem like the naïve male. Traditionally fishing is a male’s job however in this advert the roles are switched as the female mermaids are “fishing” for men they lay out there bait which is the Lynx deodorant and wait till their target approaches, as the male takes the bait they grab him n begin dragging him in. the mystical mermaids are portrayed as superior as they manipulated the male which is unusual in the real world. However the male does escape suggesting that overall men “always win”.

The target audience for this advertisement is male’s 15 and over and their social economic group would be from a C2,D,E audience. Though the audience is predominantly young and is trying to attract the “young, fresh and cool” guys as they are the ones who would like to be attracted by so many girls. The male protagonist shown seems like he himself is young around the age of 20 or so. The sexual appeal given by the mermaids is also a technique the advert has used as they are well aware of the young male’s constant attraction towards women. The projection of the product at the beginning and at the end of the advert is also something the target audience would keep in mind perhaps for later use when actually purchasing the product.  

The institution for the lynx product is uni -lever it is a fairly new corporation that owns many of the world’s consumer product brands. Being the modern business that it is the ideologies of contemporary society has had a massive influence in how it delivers their products. Over the years the development for the increase of equality for men and women has been on the rise and in the western world it is now considered the norm for men and women to be treated equally. Uni-lever have taken these thoughts in mind when creating the advertisement for the lynx product, and as is evident however they have reversed the roles and portrayed the women in this particular advertisement as superior then men. Traditionally it is as the women who enjoy dressing up in order to impress or attract men; the lynx advertisements in contrast represent the men applying products to themselves in the aim of attracting women. The message the advertisement is trying to get across is that it is perfectly fine for men to want to look and feel appealing, and this particular deodorant will make them feel that way as well as attract women towards them .  

Mr Bean’s Trailer Analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV_HYwmEi_k

There are a number or trailer conventions presented here in this trailer, the first one being as an introduction to the movie they give a preview of the last movie Mr bean was in as a reminder to viewers who has previously seen this movie. Another convention is as this was a comedy film; the narrator had a light-hearted humorous tone as to invite viewers who enjoyed comedy to watch the film he along with the scenes followed gives an insight as to what can be expected from the movie. Also the music playing in the background was light and bouncy and fitted well with the events on the screen, so much so it almost seemed diegetic. Also at the beginning of the trailer they give the name of the company which produces the film which was “universal studios” this is a very important convention as it is seen in virtually all trailers. In order to show the highlights of the film in such a short time, they must even it out, as to show some long scenes and some short ones, but all together there aim is to make people laugh so they show the funniest scenes in the movie. All the conventions mentioned are typical of trailers, however there are also some specifically for this film. Not only because it is a comedy but because of who it is starring who is already known as a comical genius worldwide, so it quite familiar to the comedy audience.

The trailer has used many forms of media language such as camera shots/angles, mis-en-scene, editing and sound. The very first scene of the trailer starts of with the bouncy music in the background and the scene of which Mr Bean is opening a tap in a public toilet, however all the water splashes over his trousers and in order for him to dry them he stands underneath the dryer. The camera zooms into the tap as it is splashed and also onto his trousers to show the audience that it looked like he had “urinated himself” this use of comedy in the very first scene of the trailer draws the audience in immediately as they have now identified it is a comedy and will want to continue to watch the rest of the trailer. The trailer has used sound very effectively in attempting to establish the film’s genre in addition to the music they have used “cartoon like” diegetic sounds e.g. when he is thrown of the train there is a sound of a cat screeching. Another example when he is waiting for the car and he puts his thumb out there is boomerang like sound you would expect to hear from cartoons, also the horn of the car does not seem diegetic. They have used a lot of editing of sound in this trailer in order to add humour as it emphasises the situation.

The target audience for this movie trailer is more vast than usual, because it is based on a family comedy T.V series that started of in 1990, so children, teens and parents from that era would be interested in the new 2007 movie and now this would include grandparents too. Also as it is child-friendly humour, children of this age would be interested too. The socio economic group would be C1,C2,D. Males and females would be attracted to this as Mr bean’s humour is on no sexist view and is just for general laughter.

The trailer is very effective in promoting the film, this is because it has shown a preview of the previous film and then leads on to this new film they want viewers to go and watch. There is a narrator telling the audience what the narrative of the story is about, therefore giving an overview so viewers are persuaded to watch it. The trailer shows the best parts of the film which are the funniest, so when people watch the trailer and laugh they will be encouraged to watch the film too.