My First Fragrance Advert

     This was my first finished perfume advert 'Blossom by Aurora', featuring my mum as the model.

Notes on Audience Pleasures In QI

In class we watched the QI episode 11: Nonsense, season N dated 19^th of January 2017 with the new presenter sandy Toxvig. There were certain audience pleasures that we as a classed looked out for. Firstly in this episode (but also shown in the series in general) there is constant repartee. This is the fact that all the panellists are able to quickly and wittily respond to statements made by other panellists. This is an audience pleasure because its verbal humour and the quick yet funny responses of the contestants makes it a lot more enjoyable for the audience to watch. In this specific episode Phill Jupitus is reading out a poem that he considers to be a ‘load of nonsense’ and after he finishes reading Sandy Toxvigs quick response is that the poem is ‘ half poem, half weather report’. 

There was slapstick humour shown in the episode as well which is an audience pleasure because it is physical humour in which people are moving around and doing things. In this episode the contestants are all trying out objects that are said to make the worst noises: Styrofoam on a mirror/glass; nails on a black board; recorder etc. This is an audience pleasure because it is something in which the audience can see and them relate to their own opinions as well as sharing weather they like that sound or not: active audience/audience participation. 

Alan Davies used a good example of platitude when he turned himself into a class clown. This is something that audiences like and can be classed as an audience pleasure because people are laughing at somebody else’s mistakes or wrong doings. In this episode Alan talks about how he had hit a beeping machine in his hotel room with his shoe because it wouldn’t stop beeping before complaining to the reception who then told him that that was a fire alarm and that he should evacuate immediately. This is amusing for the audience because it is showing Alan as being slightly stupid and giving us reason to laugh at him. 

In the episode a video of a worm sneezing was shown to the panellist and although it is disgusting it can be classed as an audience pleasure. It is shared disgust: the audience  will all see it and be disgusted or find it funny which means the audience or viewers will come together either being grossed or laughing about it. It gives people something to talk about and share their opinions of the video while also being taught something interesting about the different types of worms.

Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

Explain two ways in which the narrative (the characters and events) in the extract fits the action adventure genre. Use examples form the extract.

In this extract of ‘Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life’, there are certain elements that really showcase the action and adventure theme. 

The first part of the movie/extract is Laura croft herself. Laura croft is the heroine of the action movie and in the extract is shown as the only woman which sets her apart immediately. Action and adventure movies always include a hero or heroine with an objective and Laura croft is shown entering an ancient tomb with a group of helpers/men. The music illustrating the scene as they enter the tomb is very triumphant and victorious showing that the finding of this tomb must have been part of the objective. Angelina Jolie has been cast as the Laura which because of her popularity as a celebrity and in Hollywood means that the movie can borrow interest. A typical action adventure includes the hero or heroine as extremely attractive while the villain or the person trying to stop them reaching their objective is unattractive. Laura croft is very feminine in looks with long hair, big lips, petite nose and attractive figure however she is also shown as a typical hero/heroine.

 

We are shown that she is courageous when the tomb they are in begins to violently fall apart and instead of rushing out she says: ‘two minutes’, to her comrade showing that she isn’t scared and is more interested in reaching her objective. Her intelligence is apparent when the whole tomb has literally fallen apart and she has to swim deeper and deeper into the water to get away from the rubble and so she has to come up with a plan to get out. She cuts herself to release blood into the water attracting a shark that she then punches to stop it from attacking before grabbing onto its fin and letting it carry her to the surface of the ocean. The fact that she was willing to come into close contact with a shark also shows her courageous nature. Her athleticism is shown when she is shot in the leg and falls from a great height however is able to stay in control of the situation and carry on defending herself and when she climbs the statue and does all those acrobatic moves. 

Another way in which the extract shows the action and adventure genre is through its use of props and location. It is set in an ancient tomb or temple that could not be stumbled on but would have had to include an exploration to find as they characters came in through water. These kinds of places/locations are only seen in action and adventure movies otherwise they would be tourist attractions which this one definitely wasn’t. There was also a lot of props used that really conveyed an adventure, spy vibe for example at the beginning of the extract the character came through the water mobiles as well as they costumes worn which were all tight wet suits and body suits. Everything was very high-tech like the enemy’s scuba kit and the guns and weapons used for defense.

However this extract also has differences to many action and adventure movies. Firstly most action adventure movies have a male hero and so having a female heroine sets this movie apart. Also Laura croft is very much challenging the stereotypical views of woman as being weak and more of the prize or person who needs to be saved. However in this she is the heroine reaching her objective and surviving through the terrible occurrences.

Channel Idents

This is BBC one’s idents. As you can see BBC One is very much about circles and unity/togetherness. The first ident shows polar bears swimming in a circle around the words ‘BBC One’, emphasising the number one and maybe also saying that they are the number one TV channel. The second advert is showing a group of people round a table. This ident has a hint of the circle theme but is saying more that BBC one is the channel to bring friends and family together. The Idents are very precise and traditional in a way: straightforward/serious tone to the ident. 

Channel 4’s ident is more adventurous and bizarre than others. It is quite random while still incorporating where the brand came from like an origin of a person and that the channel incorporated many different types of programs. “We didn’t want to tell people what channel they’re watching. We wanted to tell them why they’re watching it the first place’, said Chris Bovill from an article in the independency magazine.

 

Dave’s Idents are very funny/comedic and are designed to make the viewer laugh. These idents are saying that Dave is humorous and silly and stands out from other channels like the cat in the first ident. Another example of a dave ident shows a golf cart and a babys toy car and is saying that Dave may do the same thing as other channels in the sense they all show programs however it is showing that Dave don’t do exactly the same but are unique and do things there own way.