Lego Movie

Tuesday 14th September 2021

LO: to understand the narrative and characters in the lego movie

Emmett, a construction worker, is a very normal person and no one knowns him very well and then he meets Lucy who thinks he is 'The Special' which turns out to be a mistake. Emmet is given a piece of resistance which when he has makes him a master builder and him and Lucy work with other master builders to try and stop president business from defeating everyone. He almost gets killed by the president but then manages to escape. Towards the end the president agrees with Emmett and uses the piece of resistance to save everyone. 

The main themes and messages are about working together, everyone being special and being creative

The main characters are Emmett (voiced by Chris Pratt), Lucy (voiced by Elizabeth Banks), Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) Unikitty (voiced by Alison Brie), Metal beard (voiced by Nick Offerman), President business (voiced by Will Ferrell) and Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman)

Batman, Superman and Wonder woman were referenced in the film. Lego sets featured in the film are Cloud Cuckoo Palace, Getaway Glider, Melting Room, Bd Cop's Pursuit, Ice Cream Machine, Trash Chomper, Castle Cavalry, Metal Beard's Duel, Super cycle chase,  Lord Business's evil lair, Metal Beard's Sea cow, The Flying Flusher, Creative Ambush and Rescue Reinforcements

                                              Industry Research

LO: to research the process, companies and regulators behind the film industry.

 1. In the film industry, Production is when the film is made and recorded the 3 stages in production are pre-production (planning), production (Making the film) and post-production(Editing) , Distribution is the process of making the film available for people to watch and Exhibition is the retail branch and is when they display the film at places like cinemas.

2. A media conglomerate is a mother company that owns multiple smaller companies.

3. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) regulates films in the UK

4. The lego movie had an age rating of U

5. The Games Rating Authority (GRA) which is part of the VSC regulates video games in the UK

6. They also gave the Lego Movie video game an age rating of 7+

7. Lin Pictures and Warner Bros were the 2 main companies that produced the Lego Movie

8. The Lego Movie was directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

9.  The Lego Movie video game was produced by TT Fusion

10. The Lego movie was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures

11.  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulate advertising content in the UK

The BBFC gave The Lego Movie a U rating with the BBFC Insight  'mild fantasy violence and very mild bad language'. According to BBFC Guidelines , mild violence may be acceptable at U 'if it is justified by context

The ratting U means that anyone can watch the film and is suitable for all ages so therefore it will reach a lot of people. They would therefore make more money as they have a broad target audience.

1. Why is it important for film regulation to exist?

It is important because if a film is to violent or graphic for a younger/vulnerable audience they could become influenced or distressed by it or could find it upsetting.

2. Can you think of any reasons why some people might be against film regulation?

Some people may be against film regulation because they may feel like they are hiding the real world from children which could lead them to be overly sensitive and censored and film companies could be against it if they had a certain age rating in mind yet it was given a higher age rating which restricts their target audience so therefore they won't make as much money.

3. The BBFC used to be called the British Board of film censors. Why do you think it changed it's name?

It changed it name because what they do is more about classification than censorship.

4. Why might film-makers worry about the classification they are given? For example why might some action films need to achieve a 15 or 18 year old certificate?

Film-makers may worry about the film classification they are given because if they are given a higher age rating than what they wanted they would have a more restricted target audience so therefore less people would be able to have access to the film so the film-makers would make less money. Film-makers would probably try to achieve a 15 certificate as opposed to an 18 because then they will have a less restricted target audience.

5. Why do you think Warner Bros. would have been very keen for the film to receive a U certificate?

I think they would have been very keen for a U certificate because it means that everyone will be allowed to watch the film and therefore it will reach a lot more people and make a lot more money.

6. Why was it important for the game to receive a 7 age rating.

It was important because there is some mild violence in the game and if a child under 7 sees violence they could then think its ok to be violent.

Vertical Integration

Vertical integration is the process whereby a single company controls both the production and distribution.

Two benefits of this kind of ownership for media companies would be that the money made from the production and distribution will always go to the same company so therefore they will make a lot of money. It also makes the process a lot easier because they don't need to pay other companies to show their film and instead they can use their own companies to exhibit the film. For example the Lego move was produced, distributed and exhibited by Warner bros. and the company the game was made by was owned by Warner Bros so therefore all the money made from the game and film will go to Warner Bros.

Tuesday 28th September 2021

The Lego Movie: Narrative Theory

LO: To explore the narrative and apply narrative theory to The Lego Movie

Postmodernism

Characteristics:

Challenges genre conventions: might be a mixture of many genres; challenge typical character roles etc.

Pastiche: imitates other texts, humorous take on society/culture

Hyper-reality: makes the audience aware that they are watching a movie

The lego movie is a postmodernist movie because it challenges typical character roles, for example Lucy has a more heroic role than Emmett and usually in movies the male characters are more heroic than the female characters. It also uses pastiche, for example, most of the characters do the same thing every day and represents society as repetitive in a humorous way. The film also has a sense of hyper-reality as Emmett will sometimes speak directly to the audience and then it also switches to the real world which makes the audience aware that they are watching a movie.

Todorov: Narrative Theory

1. Equilibrium

Everything in the film world is normal(not necessarily good)

2. Disruption(something happens to disrupt normal life

3. Recognition of disruption

The protagonist realises that something is wrong in their world or discover the disruption

4. Attempt to solve disruption

The main protagonist goes on a journey to solve disruption

5. New equilibrium

The disruption is solved and new normality occurs

Equilibrium

Emmett is following the instructions and living his everyday life

Disruption

Emmet discovers the piece of resistance (the lid of the kragle) and President Business tries to take the piece of resistance away from Emmett.

Recognition of disruption

Emmett realises what president business' intentions are with 'Taco Tuesday' and they learn about the 'Special One'

Attempt to solve disruption

Lucy and Emmett go on a mission to stop President Business from carrying out taco Tuesday by putting the piece of resistance on the kragle to stop him from using the kragle on everyone.

New equilibrium

Emmet manages to stop president business from using the kragle and everyone is freed from the kragle and everyone is happy and everything goes back to normal and Emmett is more liked than before.

Propp character types

The hero: Emmett because he stops the president from carrying out his evil plans

The villain: President business because he has the evil plans to 'kragle' everyone

The donor: Vitruvius because he is the one who tells Lucy and emmet about the 'Special One' and the prophecy

The Helper: Lucy because she helps Emmett to stop President business

The princess: The piece of resistance because the villain is trying to take it from emmett so he can carry out his plans 

The dispatcher: Vitruvius because he told Emmett and Lucy about the prophecy which inspired them to try and stop the President

The princess' father: Emmett because he has to stop President Business from getting the piece of resistance

The false hero: Batman because at the start he is helping Lucy and Emmett but then he begins to become more selfish

Thursday 30th September 2021

Lego Movie: Target Audience

LO: To identify the target audience using demographics and psychographics

The movie targets a family audience which can be split into the following 3 groups:

Young kids who play with Lego

This film would appeal to young kids who play Lego because if they play with Lego they could be excited that a film where everything is made of Lego is being released. There are also a lot of bright colours which would appeal to young children and there may be some characters that they recognise and there is lots of humour that would appeal to children.

Parents who played with it when they were young too

This film would appeal to adults because if they used to play with Lego it would be nostalgic for them and they would also recognise some of the characters as well as some of the voice actors. They may also want to take their child to see it as there are many themes that encourage creativity, teamwork and gives the message to children that everyone is special. The film is also similar to the Matrix which would appeal to adults.

Young adult cinema-goers

This film would also appeal to teenagers because they could recognise some of the characters and voice actors and some of the humour may appeal to teenagers. Another message in the film is that you don't have to conform which may appeal to teenagers. 

Infographic

Tuesday 12th October 2021

The Lego Movie: Marketing

LO: To explore marketing and promotion of The Lego Movie; to link the methods used to the target audience

What is a 'tent-pole' production?

It is a film which is expensive to produce and is expected and designed to make a large profit to go towards producing less profitable films.

Why was The Lego Movie one?

The Lego Movie is a tent-pole production because the main theme is Lego which is very popular and already makes a lot of money so when children hear about the film they will want to go to see it especially if they play with Lego and then after they have been to see it they will want to buy some of the merchandise or some of the lego sets and they could also tell their friends about it who will then go to see it and once again want to buy the Lego. Children also need their parent/parents to come with them so then adults will also have to buy tickets. This will mean that they will be able to make a large profit off of the film to go towards smaller films which may not make as much money as The Lego Movie.

The Lego Movie - 2014

The Lego Batman Movie - 2017

The Lego Ninjago Movie - 2017

The Lego Movie 2 - 2019

Ways of marketing and promoting movies:

Posters, trailers, brand partnerships, social media, websites and blogs, public events, influencers and celebrities, actor's social media, including other products/franchises in the film, billboards, interviews, magazines, reviews, newspapers, publicity stunt, video games, film premiers

Synergy - the promotion of linked products across different areas of the media

Lego Movie tie-in merchandise:

17 Lego world sets

 Lego Movie video game

16 collectable mini figures

 A range of school supplies

Activity books

Lego movie promotion:

Each week (for 6 weeks) in January 2014 a new character poster was released

Lego stores scheduled linked events

Free accessory packs were available in stores after building creative models in store

Video games released on 4th February

On 7th February, McDonalds released 3D cups with Happy Meals

A website enabled fans to make lego versions of themselves.

Vertical integration - where a single company controls both the production and supply of a product. One company is in charge of all 3 stages of a film. Production, distribution and exhibition. For example Warner Bros

Horizontal integration - where a single company controls companies in different media areas. For examples a conglomerate owning a film production company, a video game production company and a music production company.

1. What's the name of a company that owns lots of smaller companies?

Conglomerate

2. What's the benefit of being one of these?

All of the money that each of the companies that are owned by it make will go back to them and they share the profit with less companies so therefore they will make more money.

3. Explain why The Lego Movie is a good example of synergy.

The Lego Movie is a good example of synergy because they make many products such as lego sets and video games that are linked to the movie

4. What is it called when a single company controls both the production and distribution stage of a media product/

Vertical Intergration

5. What's the advantage of doing this?

They will make a larger profit as they won't need to share their profits with other companies and all of the money will go back to them

6. What is a tent-pole production?

A tent-pole production is a film which is expensive to produce and is expected and designed to make a large profit to go towards producing less profitable films.

7. What is an advantage of this for the production company?

They will be able to use the profit of the film for smaller films that are less likely to make a large profit.

Thursday 14th October 2021

The Lego Movie: TV Advertising

LO: To evaluate the methods used to market The Lego Movie; to link the methods to the target audience.

Guardian

1. What are the building blocks to success?

When a brand uses useful or entertaining content targeted at the consumers that are likely to buy products from the brand after seeing the content.

2. What did Lego do right?

They used actors from other famous films and they made it like one long advert for playing with Lego however it encourages children to be creative and play with Lego so therefore it is more personal and enjoyable. They also made it enjoyable for adults meaning that they are more likely to take their children to see it.

3. How has it laid the foundations for future success?

They can keep on making sequels to the film and children would want to go and see it if they liked the first one. When children who loved the movie are adults they could find it nostalgic to watch so they would be more likely to watch it and show it to their children

Zesty

1. How has it got heart?

It is an emotive storyline that explores the meaning of love, partnership and humanity.

2. How is it all about 'you'?

The film causes the audience to relate to the characters and question the characters and storyline and then themselves. The film also manages to keep the brand in the head of the audience by being more personal and emotive than commercial content usually is.

3. How does it show that it knows its audience?

It targets children (the players), parents (the buyers) and other adults (the nostalgics). The film has something for everyone and themes that appeal to different ages and genders.

Ad break

They needed as many people to hear about the film as possible. They promoted the film on ITV. This allowed them to get to their whole target audience.

In Dancing on Ice at 7:27pm on Sunday 9th February 2014 - 5 days before the movie launched - ITV broadcast a world first, an ad break made entirely out of Lego

British Heart Foundation, Confused.com, BT and Premier Inn - were recreated frame by frame in Lego

They use synergy to bring attention to the different brands and The Lego Movie.

The adverts were all recent adverts so the audience would recognise the adverts and notice the difference. They also ended the ad break with a 40 second trailer for the Lego Movie which would make the audience associate it with the Lego Movie. They made the adverts like a Lego world which is a big part of the film. They also put short clips of each character in between adverts to remind the audience it is about the film not just Lego. 

They thought that if they made an advert that had never been seen before and was a new concept, it would cause people to be shocked and would share it and everyone would be talking about it. Then even more people would see it as it was on youtube so even if they missed to advert they could still watch it.

6 million people saw it live on the advert and 1.1 million people went and watched it on youtube after a week. Over 1 million people watched the whole thing on youtube.

This made it the No.1 movie of any kind in 2014 instead of just the best kids movie. 

It created a massive buzz just 5 days before the movie was released making people excited for the film and more likely to go and see it.

They did something that had never been done before making people shocked and causing everyone to talk about it and share it which causes people to have the movie in there head so they are more likely to remember to go and see the film because by the time the excitement about the advert started to fade out, the film was out. They also put it on youtube meaning that even more people are going to see it and share it with everyone creating more of a buzz. They also made it clear to the audience that it was associated with The Lego Movie by including clips of the characters in between adverts so that people wouldn't just think of Lego in general.  

Thursday 21st October 2021

The Lego Movie: Intertextuality

LO: To explore the similarities between The Matrix and The Lego Movie

Intertextuality - When one film references other texts/films

Locations

The are both set in a city. The lego world and the matrix are both what they think is the real world but isn't.

Characters

Each of the main characters are similar to the main characters in the other film. For example WyldStyle and Trinity, Emmett and Neo (who are both "the one")  but then they turn out not to be "the one", Bad Cop and the agents, Vitruvius and Morpheus, President business and one of the agents

Themes/messages

In the Lego Movie Emmett thinks that the Lego world is the real world but it turns out that it isn't and in The Matrix Neo thinks the matrix is the real world but it isn't. There is also a prophecy in both films. Even though they turn out not be the "one" they can still know how to do certain things without learning how to and then at the end of both they turn out to be the one again.

Narrative

Tuesday 2nd November 2021

The Lego Movie: Trailer

LO: To evaluate the methods used to market The Lego Movie; to link the methods to the target audience

1. Why did Warner Bros choose to have their logos made from Lego?

Because the audience would be likely to pick up on that and it could cause them to remember it and associate Lego with warner bros which will then make them associate it with The Lego Movie making people more likely to watch other Warner Bros films if they liked the Lego Movie. It had also never been done before so when people hear about it they would be curious and it would make them more likely to go and watch the trailer and the film.

2. Why would they want their logos shown before the trailer is played?

So that the audience will associate The Lego Movie with Warner Bros and people are more likely to pay attention to the trailer if it was made by a big company as they could have enjoyed other Warner Bros films.

Equilibrium

The normality. Characters in their regular lives.

In The Lego Movie trailer the equilibrium is when Emmett is at home watching the TV and going to work as usual.

Disruption

An event occurs to break the normality.

In The lego Movie trailer this is when President business is planning to "kragle" everyone. When he says release the Kragle.

Recognition of Disruption

Characters realise something is wrong. In the trailer this is when Emmett meets Lucy and are on their motorbike and Emmett drives through a house.

Attempt to Solve Disruption

Characters try to solve the problem. When Emmett has the piece of resistance and there are explosions and fighting.

New equilibrium

Problem is solved. Things return to normal or new normal. This is not shown in the trailer as it would give away the ending of the film so people would no longer need to go and see it.

Diagetic: sound that the characters hear in the film

Non diagetic: sound audience can hear

Inter title: the text used between shots

Colour Palette: the range of colours used in a media text

1. Given the length of the trailer, why do the equilibrium and disruption need to be shown so quickly?

They need to be shown so quickly because children have a short attention span so they are more likely to pay attention to the trailer is it is quick. The inter titles and non-diagetic sounds (voiceovers) also help to do this because they are quick and the children can get an idea of what is happening which supports the equilibrium and disruption being quickly shown.

2. If the target audience is younger people, why does it make sense to very quickly establish the disruption in the narrative?

They very quickly establish the disruption because children find humours diagetic language that is used by the characters in the equilibrium. They also find fighting and slapstick comedy funny and the disruption contains a lot of this kind of humour. A darker colour palette such as reds, blacks and greys during the disruption to show that it is the disruption and to help the children recognise that there is fighting and evilness in that part of the trailer which will grab their attention causing them to engage and watch the trailer and want to go and see the film.

Explain how The Lego Movie trailer uses 2 elements of media language to target different audiences.

Firstly, The Lego Movie uses editing to target young children by making the pace of the trailer fast as children tend to have a shorter attention span so they are more likely to pay attention to the trailer is it is quick.  For example, the equilibrium is quite short and the longest part of the trailer was the disruption and attempt to solve the disruption as this is the part of the film which is going to be more appealing and eye catching to children as that is the most exciting part of the film for them. If the equilibrium was very long they would get bored and stop paying attention to the trailer so they would miss the disruption and be unlikely to go and watch the film. This is done because if they don't pay attention to the trailer they won't know what it is about and won't be very interested in going to see the film. It also gets to the disruption very quickly which would also appeal to young children as they find mild violence and fighting funny and the disruption is where most of that happens.

Mise-en-scene is also used to appeal to children as in the equilibrium bright and neutral colour pallets are used to grab the attention of young children and during the disruption a darker colour pallet was used to help the children associate that part of the trailer with evil and action which young children tend to enjoy and this will also make them likely to engage in the trailer and want to go and see the film. The characters are also wearing clothes that may appeal to children. For example Batman would appeal to young children, older children, teens and adults as he is a well-known character outside of the Lego Movie and characters such as Unikitty would appeal mainly to young girls as her colour pallet mainly consists of pink. WyldStyle would mainly appeal to teens as her style was popular to teens when the film was released.

Tuesday 16th November 2021

The Lego Movie: Video Game

LO: To explain how vertical integration benefits companies; to analyse using Use and Gratification theory

Game developer: TT Fusion

Game publisher:  Warner Bros Interactive entertainment

Release date: 7th February 2014

Genre: Action and adventure

Platforms it was released on: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®Vita, Wii U™, 3DS™ and PC.

Game modes: Players can be in control of various characters from the movie

The environments are made completely out of Lego pieces and the game introduces 2 main character types.

Examples of film/video game releases:

Ghostbusters video game

Reck-it-ralph 

Companies often release tie-in video games because it means that it can broaden the target audience so more people are likely to go and watch the film and go and buy the video game so this will maximise

the profit made off of the film and video game. There is more familiarity and if someone's favourite film character is in a game they would go and buy the game and it is the same if someones favourite video game character is in a film. It also extends the pleasure of the film as it is a chance to be in the film world. It is also a form of cross-promotion as the game and the film can promote each other.

Vertical integration is a structure where a company owns the supply chain for it's product. For example Warner Bros Studio, Warner Bros distribution, Warner Bros exhibition

Explain what 2 uses and gratifications audiences might get from the videogame according to the trailer.

There are several uses and gratifications that the audience might get from the video game, firstly entertainment is used in order to distract the audience from the real world and make them have fun. For example in the Lego Movie videogame trailer there are multiple forms of humour such as jokes and it also shows the people who are playing the game enjoying themselves which shows that the game is entertaining to play.

Secondly, personal identity is used to help the audience consider who they are and to explore their interests. For example the trailer talks about using colour palettes that the characters like and being able to choose the character that you like or relate to the most. This will cause people to show an interest in the game if they like the characters that are in the game and as there is so much variety more people will be interested.

Tuesday 30th November 2021

The Lego Movie: Video Game Analysis

LO: To analyse using media terminology. To identify elements of media language and representation in a text.

Explain how the Lego Movie game cover is constructed to appeal to the target audience (7+ age rating).

Example:

Point: Identify the Media Language used

Evidence: Describe the element in detail

Explain: Explain why it is used: the effect or message given.

Link: Link this to the appeal for the TA

Specific props are used to convey ideas about the narrative. In the foreground, Emmett is holding a large spanner. A spanner has connotations of building, fixing and creating. The large size of the spanner also suggests that this idea is important. This would appeal to those people in the target audience who value creativity and suggest that they would have to build  or create something in the game.

My Answer: 

The logo of the Lego brand is used to appeal to the target audience as children around the ages of 7 are usually still interested in lego so they would be likely to be interested in a game that is made of lego. The typical Lego logo is at the top of the cover and it is in bright primary colours making it very noticeable and eye catching. Lego is a popular and easily recognisable brand so people who have played with Lego before will be able to identify the brand logo and people who like Lego would see the logo which would make them want to play the game. The target audience is children who are the main ones who play with and are interested in lego and even adults may see the Lego logo and be interested as they may get nostalgia from Lego is they used to play with it as a child.

The character WyldStyle who is wearing makeup and has dyed hair and is stood next to Emmett in the foreground could appeal to the target audience as WyldStyle has dyed hair and wears makeup. This implies that she is trendy, fashionable and mature. This would appeal to the girls in the target audience as female children tend to like the idea of having brightly coloured hair and wearing makeup. Young girls also like to look up to older female characters like WyldStyle so seeing a fashionable female character would make them more interested in the game and more likely to play it.

In the cover there are lots of different characters who are all different to each other such as Batman (who they might recognise and already be a fan of) , Emmett (who looks very normal compared to the other characters), WyldStyle (who is fashionable and appealing to young girls), Vertuvius (who looks very mysterious), Lord Business (who looks evil), Cops ( who may appeal to male children who aspire to be cops when they are older) and Benny (who parents of the children may recognise from their childhood). This implies that there is a large variety of different characters that you can play as and that there is a character for everyone. This would appeal to the target audience because everyone is unique and will personally relate to different characters so when they see that there is a large variety of characters they will know that there will most probably be a character that they will like and want to play as in the game. 

Lots of different things are taking place in the cover which could suggest that there could be lots of different narratives in the game. For example Batman is stood on a tall building, Lord Business is in the background, Emmett and WyldStyle look quite happy and Emmett is holding a spanner implying he is going to build something and Vertuvius is looking into the sky and the cops are all heading towards Emmett and WyldStyle.  When all of the characters are doing different things it shows that the game must also have a variety of different features things that you can do. This would appeal to the target audience as everyone has different things that they like to do in games like building or fighting or going on missions so if the cover is showing this they would be interested in playing the game.

The bulmer and Katz gratification theory of personal identity is used in the game cover. For example, there are multiple different characters on the cover implying that there are multiple different character to play in the game so when people see the game cover they will know that there will most probably be a character that they like/relate to.

Tuesday 14th December 2021

The Lego Movie: Poster Campaign

LO: To explain the effectiveness of the campaign; to analyse the representations on the poster campaign

Denotation: What is actually there

Examples: Blue and red cape, serious facial expression, a certain pose

Connotation: The meaning behind it

Examples: Blue and red together and capes are usually associated with superheroes which connotes that he is a superhero. His serious and intense facial expression connotes that he is focussing on something. He is posed in a way that could be associated with magic which connotes that he could have something to do with magic or be some kind of magician. 

Denotation: Fire in the shape of a bat, batman (without a bat symbol on him), another bat symbol behind the title, a building being destroyed in the background, clouds in the sky, in a city. 

Connotation: The fire in the shape of the bat tells the audience that it is Batman and as batman does not have a bat symbol on him in the poster, there needed to be a way of telling the audience that it is a Batman film. The fire symbol also implies that the film is an action film as fire is usually associated with action and danger.

The building being destroyed in the background also implies that the film is an action film as explosions and buildings being destroyed are usually in action films.

Genre codes and conventions: The typical features that symbolise a genre. For example, a genre convention of horror films would be darkness and blood.

Hybrid: When a film mixes elements of different genres. For example, sci-fi horror would be when  genre conventions of both sci-fi and horror are in the film.

Iconography: The visual elements like props that help to symbolise a particular genre. For example horror could be knives or other weapons that are associated with murder and death.

Intertextuality: When one text references another.

1. The visual elements use to convey genre conventions in The Lego Movie poster would be the bright colour palette, bright lighting, blue sky and lots of different things happening. 

2. The Lego Movie poster combines different genres of fantasy, action and comedy by using different genre conventions of all of the different genres. For example, cartoon characters are a genre convention of fantasy, the setting of a city is often associated with action films and the characters all have humorous facial expressions which are associated with comedy.

Stereotype: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. 

An example of this would be that women are obsessed with beauty and makeup whereas men are strong and enjoy 'masculine' activities.

In the Lego Movie poster, WyldStyle does wears makeup which is stereotypically feminine and she wears feminine clothes. Whereas Emmett is a construction worker which is stereotypically seen as a masculine job.

Explain how The Lego Movie theatrical poster is constructed to appeal to its target audience

The Lego Movie theatrical poster uses genre codes and conventions in order to appeal to its target audience. For example, the colour palette of the poster mainly consists of bright colours which usually appeals to young children who are the target audience. Bright colours are also generally associated with fantasy/children's films which also generally appeals to young children. Another example would be all of the characters running away from something which connotes that there is something dangerous happening which is associated with action films however since there is no blood or violence on the poster it shows that it is an action film that is children friendly. This would appeal to children because children generally like watching eventful things happen like explosions however they don't like being upset by certain events that happen in action films. The Lego movie poster may also appeal to the parents of the children. For example, Benny the space boy is on the poster which may make the parents feel nostalgic as a lot of them may recognise that Lego character from when they were children. This would make the parents more likely to take their child to watch the film. The poster may also appeal to teenagers as WyldStyle's clothing, hair and makeup may appeal to teenage girls as well as young girls. 

Tuesday 11th January 2022

The Lego Movie: Representation

LO: To analyse the representations throughout The Lego Movie campaign

The stereotypes that are represented in frozen are that women like to wear big dresses and want/live princess-like lifestyles and that all women are very feminine. It also supports the stereotype that women are the need the need saving in the story. There is also a happy ending which is a stereotypical representation that children's films always end happily. However, some stereotype representations are subverted for example, stereotypically in children's films the first man that a female character falls in love with is the man they stay with forever but it is different in frozen.

In Moana, the stereotypes that are represented are that men are always the big strong ones with a lot of muscles. However, some stereotype representations are subverted, for example, the character Moana is not overly feminine or princess-like. Moana also ends up being the hero in the story despite men stereotypically being the hero.

The Lego Movie presents men as always being the hero. This is done by Emmett being the protagonist of the film who saves everyone. WyldStyle seems like the hero at the beginning but then Emmett ends up being the hero which reinforces that stereotypically men will aways be the hero instead of women.

Emmett is also made to seem very hard working which supports the stereotype of men always being hard working and practical. However, he is not made to seem very dominant or brave which subverts the stereotype of men being dominant and tough.

Examples of stereotypical representations being subverted:

1. In the theatrical poster, Emmett is in the very centre of the image but his facial expression shows him running away, terrified from the danger. (Especially when you compare his facial expression to WyldStyle and Batman)

2. In the TV ad break we hear him scream "I want to go home!" during the high speed chase.

Gender

WyldStyle:

Which elements of her portrayal support stereotypical representations of gender?

She is presented as a stereotypical woman (which is very feminine and girly) on her character poster as she is wearing makeup such as lipstick and eyeliner, her freckles are very visible, she has dyed hair and is wearing a necklace. These are all features that are associated with femininity. 

Which elements of her portrayal subvert stereotypical presentations?

She is wearing all black which is not usually associated with stereotypical femininity. She also has a serious, brave facial expression in the video game poster and she is generally more brave than Emmett which subverts the stereotype that women need to be saved and that women are weak and cowardly.

Ethnicity

In comparison to Emmett and WyldStyle, who appear in classic Lego yellow, Vitruvius' skin is dark and he is clearly an old man. He subverts the media stereotype of ethnic minorities often being seem as troublesome. He is presented as powerful and not troublesome.

Age

In The Lego Movie, the stereotype of younger people being  irresponsible and naive is supported. For example, Emmett is made to seem like he doesn't know anything and he is constantly scared of everything which suggests that he is not very responsible and does not know how to control his emotions. However, at the end this is subverted as he ends up being the hero and he is presented as good compared to Lord business who is older.

In The Lego Movie the older generation are stereotypically more controlling. For example Lord Business who is older than and controlling over Emmett.

Tuesday 25th January 2022

The Lego Movie: Put It All Together

LO: To explore exam style questions and how to answer them effectively. 

Type of Media                          UK Regulator

Film                                          BBFC

TV & Radio                              OFCOM

Advertising                               ASA

Magazines & Newspapers        IPSO & IMPRESS

Video Games                            VIDEO STANDARDS COUNCIL

Question 1.         (1 mark question)

Will ask for a simple fact based answer showing knowledge of film, advertising or video games. It is most likely to be on Media industries but it could be on any area.

Convergence: The interconnection of information and communications technologies, computer works and media content.

Narrative: The storyline of a film.

Tent pole: A program or film that supports the financial performance of a film studio or television network.

Synergy: When 2 or more organisations/products work together to promote each other.

Active: When you have to fully engage with it to take in the information

Passive: When you don't have to fully engage with it to take in the information.

Audience: The person viewing the film.

Franchise: A collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original 

Promotion: The publicising of a film.

Conglomerate: A company that owns other companies in different parts of the media industry.

Regulation: 

Vertical integration: When a company owns both the production and distribution companies.

Production: The making of a film

Distribution: Selling the film

Question 2:  (4 mark question)

Is likely to be a give reason why question which shows knowledge and understanding of film, advertising or video games. You may be asked to refer to The Lego Movie, 2 marks will be given for an explanation and 2 marks will be for a detailed example. It is most likely to be on Media Industries but could be on any.

Example: Explain two reasons why a film company would release a video game linked to a film.

The first reason would be that the film would be promoting the video game and the video game would be promoting the film. For example The Lego Movie promotes The Lego Movie video game and the Lego Movie video game promotes The Lego Movie because if they are playing a video game inspired by a film and enjoy playing the game they are likely to go and watch it and if they like the film they are likely to play the video game.

Question 3: (10 mark question)

This is a short essay question and you will be expected to support your ideas using The Lego Movie as an example. It is most likely to be on Media Audiences.

Blumler and Katz

P- Personal identity. Choice of over 100 characters meaning that there would be at least 1 character for everyone.

I- Information. More information on the characters and narrative.

E- Entertainment. If they enjoyed the film they will enjoy the video game.

S- Social Interaction. Multiplayer game

Example: Explain at least two uses and gratifications of video games using Blumler & Katz's theory. Refer to The Lego Movie Video Game to support your answer.

Blumler and Katz stated that there are 5 uses and gratifications in the media industry; Personal identity, Information, Entertainment and Social Interaction. The first uses and gratification that is used in The Lego Movie Video game would be Personal identity as in The Lego Movie Video Game there are over 100 characters to chose from. This means that there will be a character for everyone that they identify with or relate to. For example female children would probably identify with or want to play Unikitty or WyldStyle as they have stereotypically feminine characteristics whereas male children may prefer to play as Batman or Emmett as they relate to them most due to their stereotypically male characteristics. There are also many other characters that other audiences would find appealing meaning that the target audience is much more diverse and more people are likely to play the game.

The second uses and gratification that is used in The Lego Movie Video Game would be Social Interaction. This is because the game can be a multiplayer game meaning that people can spend time with their friends whilst playing a game that they enjoy. This also allows them to socialise and discuss with them about their interest in The Lego Movie. They may also be more likely to play the game with a friend as they may find it more entertaining playing with someone else. 

Question 4: (10 Marks)

This is a second short essay question and you will be expected to analyse the set products in relation to media language and/or representation. You might also be asked to discuss the context.

Example: Analyse how genre codes have been used in The Lego Movie poster campaign to appeal to a family audience

Tuesday 8th February 2022

The Lego Movie: Intertextuality

LO: To explore the similarities between The Matrix and The Lego Movie.

Intertextuality is when one text references another.

Locations: The Lego Movie has in real life settings (kid playing with Lego in the real world) and computer generated worlds. The Matrix has real world settings (compared to the simulated Matrix) and computer generated worlds.

Characters: The Lego Movie has a protagonist VS antagonist scenario, Emmett is the chosen one, WyldStyle is the sidekick with more skills at the start and Vitruvius is wise and guides Emmett. In The Matrix Neo is the chosen one, Trinity is the sidekick with more skills at the start, Morpheus is wise and guides Neo. 

Themes/messages: In the Lego Movie it was that you can be anything and special. In The Matrix it is about believing yourself and the power of your mind.

Narrative: The narrative of The Lego Movie is that Emmett has a boring job and is nothing special in what he knows as the real world however, he then finds the piece of resistance and is found by WyldStyle and Vitruvius and is then referred to as the chosen one and finds out that he can program himself to be a master builder and realises that there is a different world which is a real life world. In The Matrix Neo lives a boring life and is nothing special in what he knows as the real world however he is contacted by Morpheus and Trinity and he is then told that he is special and learns that he can program himself to learn how to do things and is told that his life nn the Matrix is just a simulation.

Friday 5th May 2023

Revision

LO: To explore exam style questions and how to answer them effectively.

Lego movie ad break- adverts were already existing and had celebrities as the character voices. Was aired at 7:10 pm during Dancing On Ice on the 9th of February which was a Sunday.Consisted on character stings between ads to remind audience of the Lego Movie soon to be released. Went viral because it was unique and had not been seen before- advert made out of Lego. Mass shared online.

Movie released in 2D and 3D to cater to different parts of the audience.

The video game was targeted mainly towards male children and potentially teenagers. More aggression and threat in video game poster so targeted towards older children and teenagers. Main focus on Emmet so appeals mainly to boys. Produced by TTFusion

Video game available on many devices to expand target audience and make the game more accessible.

Context: Released in 2014, streaming sights not overly popular so it was popular to go to the cinema, superheroes popular at the time (batman etc), Vitruvius follows wizard trope that links to Harry Potter and Lord of The Ring which appealed to teens and adults. Trump was gaining popularity in 2014 and is represented by Lord Business who has similar characteristics to Trump and references to capitalism associated with Lord Business.

Movie Poster: A lot of action taking place in the poster, main character at the front of the poster 

VGA age rates video games in the UK. Warner Bros produced and distributed the movie.

Synergy: Releasing multiple products that are related for example The Lego Movie and video game to promote each other.

Vertical Integration: When one company produces and distributes etc the film so all of the profits go towards that company

Convergence: Offering different platforms

Tent pole: A film that is designed to sell very well and make a lot of money to support and fund making more niche films that may not sell as well.

Simultaneous releases: Release of a film on multiple platforms.

Cross-media marketing: When two related products are released.

Film regulation: Deciding age ratings and whether it is suitable for certain audiences

Uses and gratifications: Personal identity, information, entertainment, social interaction.

What Lego features did The Lego Movie have to reflect?

The Lego itself (the entire film was made out of lego) and Lego sets/products that people will already be familiar with. Toys, different worlds, fun and creative values associated with Lego.

Redeveloping their digital content was done for what reason?

In order to make up for debt by raising the profile of it's fan bases and appealing to more customers as it was new and more technologically advanced.

What launched and flopped in 2010?

The online Lego universe.

Why was the collaboration with Star Wars so important?

It would have appealed to star wars therefore expanding the broadness of their audience. It would have also made Lego and online Lego platforms much more popular due to the popularity of Star Wars.

Who did Warner Bros purchase in 2007? Why was this done?

They purchase TT Games in act as a subsidiary of Warner Bros in order to continue the Lego Movie game franchise.

Tuesday 9th May 2023

The Lego Movie: Revision Lesson

LO: To recap on the key content areas and explore how to answer exam style questions.

Film: BBFC

TV & Radio: OFCOM

Advertising: ASA

Magazines and newspapers: IPSO & IMPRESS

Video games: VSC

The exam:

Q1(6): Fact based 

Q2(7): Industry understanding

Q3(8): Film or video game understanding

Q4(9): Analysis of trailer or poster

Media language, representations, audiences, industries

Target audience:

1. Young children who play with Lego (the lego itself, slapstick comedy, bright colours)

2. Parents of those kinds who used to play with Lego (Benny the space boy, the lego itself, based on the matrix)

3. Young cinema goers (15-25) (intertextual references such as batman)

Personal identity: Some audiences will identify with certain figures in the media and may see them as role models and aspire to be like them.

Information: Watch films and play games to gain information of world around us. Especially children.

Entertainment: Escapism from the real world into fictional film or game world.

Social Interaction: The video game can be played across different platforms, multiplayer.

Film poster Genre Conventions: 

Action: explosion, running, colour palette exciting colours

Comedy: Mise-en-scene facial expressions. Slapstick comedy/ melodramatic exaggerated comedy appeals to children

Both: Placement of characters, protagonist at front yet looks more scared that the rest of the characters.

Iconography that associates with action: Skyscraper- city landscape for action, villain, helicopter

Intertextuality: Batman, Wonder woman, Benny the space boy. Batman targets male children, teens and adults whereas Wonder woman appeals to female children, teens and adults. Benny the space boy may trigger nostalgia for adults who used to play with Lego.

Stereotypes character posters:

Emmett: 

Reinforce- Blue colour palette, high vis jacket, short plain hair, construction worker. Masculine.

Subvert: Scared facial expression seen as a feminine characteristic. Not particularly brave.

WyldStyle: 

Reinforce- Feminine. Hair dyed, makeup, freckles lashes, smiling.

Subvert: Brave compared to Emmett which subverts stereotype of men being more brave.

Videogame trailer:

The video game trailer provides the entertainment use and gratification for the audience. It does this by having lots of different scenes in a short span of time and increasing the speed of the video itself in order to create a fast pace. This provides entertainment as it connotes excitement and adventure due to the fast pace almost replicating the sensation of an adrenaline rush which is usually experienced by someone in a state of excitement. This connotes that the game brings excitement and adventure to the players therefore entertaining them and giving them an interesting and thrilling experience. A fast pace also caters to the short attention span of children who are the target audience therefore appealing more to them and engaging them; if the trailer is fast paced it is likely that the game will be too meaning that the game will appeal to the children watching the trailer.

It also provides social interaction for the audience due to the clip at the end showing the large variety of platforms and devices that the game can be played on.

Film Trailer

Camerawork: Close-up shots of key characters have been used to introduce the characters to the audience in order for the audience to identify or gain interest in the characters. It also shows their facial expressions which connotes a sense of narrative and different emotions and events occurring within the film.

Sound: Diegetic sounds such as gunshots and explosions connote genre conventions of action and adventure which suggests that the film is full of action and has an eventful, exiting narrative that consists of dramatic scenes.

Editing: There is a short length of time between cuts which creates a fast pace in order to connote a sense of adrenaline and excitement appealing to children and suggests that the film is very eventful and fast moving which is key in children's films due to their short attention spans.

Mse-en-scene: There are various different characters shown in the trailer including ones from intertextual references. This suggests that there is a large diversity within the film therefore appealing to and making it more relatable to a wider audience. The costumes of the characters tend to reflect their personality therefore making it easy for the audience to identify which characters they are likely to favour and relate to. The audience may also recognise some of the characters from films that they already liked.

Ad break:

British Heart Foundation, BT, Premier Inn, Confused.com

Had character stings between each ad. Showed advert of Lego Movie at the end. Created discussion and first adverts made out of Lego. Shocking to audience as it was not made a publicly known thing before hand.