Section A



Link for high definition version of Kung fu Panda extract is here
TAKE NOTES OF ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN TO YOU.

LEVEL	Q1, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 8	Q2 & 6	Criteria	Grade
No Level reached	0-4	0-9	No actual media knowledge shown...a common sense response only	U-E
1	3-4	10-11	Implicit sense of media terms/concepts but not fully understood or exaplained	D
2	5-6	12-13	Emerging media knowledge. Some media terminology but the candidate has not fully grasped key ideas.	C
3	7	14-15	Sound media knowledge with emerging media theory to validate response.	B
4	8-10	16-20	Clear sense of media knowledge. well informed use of theory and terminology. At the upper end of the mark scheme, the candidate is beginning to apply institutional learning to the question.	A-A*

Question 1 -
Elephant's Dream is made from Blender which is an open source program. This means anyone can create an animation and studios like Pixar are not needed for creating and promoting the product. (This can also be linked to Q4, as using only new media forms of promotion, filmmakers can bypass traditional gatekeepers)
Elephant's Dream was chosen for this question as an example of an unexpected video....it doesn't matter if we've seen the animation or not as it is only stimulus material.
Mise en Scene - 'Putting on the stage.' What is in the frame at any given moment. (Composition of the frame, lighting, costumes etc)

Kung Fu Panda -
Editing -

• Low tilted camera angle used to heighten the status of the panda and the main protagonist.
• Fast pace - MTV editing - fast cutting engages digital natives (Marc Prensky 2001)
  
• Use of speed. Speeding up and slowing up of shots for building up of tension.
  
• Simple use of traditional cell-block animation
  

Characterisation/Narrative -

• The panda is playing the archetype of the 'outsider.' (E.g. Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns or The One-Armed Swordsman) Note how his eyes are initially shrouded in the manner of a western.
  
• Panda is clearly the hero because he is slaying the demons/villain (Propp's theory, Levi-Strauss...use of binary opposites of good and evil)
• The villains are archetypal...nasty, we feel no sympathy for them as Panda cuts them down. (Black colour connotations etc)
  
• Binary opposite - panda (symbolic, Chinese icon) ox (working animals) - hero/villain
• By repeating the word legend, it becomes a parody of fables and traditional story telling as this is clearly not to be taken seriously. (Half the animals are blinded by his 'awesomeness!')
• Use of personification although Mr Ryan tells me that this should strictly be applied to objects only and that the correct term for animals with human characteristics is Anthropomorphism. So now you know...
• Panda's use of an emerald sword (intertextual link to the Jade Sword in Crouching Tiger?)
  

Sound -

• Traditional Chinese instruments establish the setting. Note that imagery of the sun could be interpreted as Japanese as there is need for further anchoring of the setting. Clearly the introduction of a Panda as the main character does this!
  
• Voice-over...deliberately exaggerated and including a great deal of American colloquialisms
  
• Diegetic sound - part of film...although all sound in an animation film is actually external and therefore non-diegetic

Elephants Dream -
Characterisation/Narrative -

• Representation of age
  
• The old man is teaching the younger figure of Emo (Connotations of the name).
  
• Stereotypical representation of character - (old man - hunched back, balding white hair, although this is challenged in the chase scene when he runs with great dexterity)
  
• Emo- Young, rebellious and doesn't listen, placing both in danger. Dirty face, like some kind of a street urchin. Sense of poverty...
  
• Surreal imagery that doesn't make sense in places
  
• Science Fiction (Dystopian, futuristic setting? All conventional of the sci-fi genre)
  
• Imaginary world.
• The two characters are very emaciated manner (Very skinny lack of food...enigmatic as we ask why?)
• The cut between the chase scene and the the telephone is presumably a flash back.
  
• The telephone trying to bite ear - foreshadows something bad will happen.
  

Mise en scene
* Deliberately faded palette...does this connote a dystopian setting?
* Use of black and white in chase scene to demonstrate danger
* Use of wide angled shots to showcase unusual, futuristic environment
* Deliberately disorientates the viewer by flipping above and beneath the giant metal stepping stones...we no longer know which way is up and down

Question 2 - Storyboard - rough sketches. remember that to score L4 we need to make sure that we incorporate institutional points into our response. The best way to do this is to discuss media synergy or the way in which a multi-nataional can use its own subsidiaries to help promote a forthcoming film. For instance, Dreamworks can use Nickelodeon as both are owned by the parent company, Viacom. (Owned by Sumer Redstone)

Question 3 -
In Media Studies, traditionally WJEC have engaged with the big four 'social group' categories of Gender, Race, Age & National Identity
Kung Fu Panda
- National identity/ethnicity
- Representation of class- working class hero?
- Chinese representation? The film was received indignantly by certain members of the Chinese community- the Panda is presented as a Chinese icon and subsequently the traits of laziness, obesity, etc are foregrounded. Also, the choice of animals for enemies, when considered in relation to the Chinese zodiac could be seen as culturally insensitive.
- Dark colors and light colors for Binary Oppositions?
- Iconography-- Chopsticks, dumplings, the Panda [given a colloquial Americanized language] <-- have Chinese ideas been exploited for Hollywood? Negative stereotypes
- Is the West only interested in China when it is a Kung Fu movie? [Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan have all made it in Kung Fu genre only] Suggests everyone in the East does Kung Fu. <--marketing stereotype? Does it matter if it sells?
- Can stereotypes lead to the perpetuation of a myth? In other words, audiences believe what they see at face value? Would young people be affected? Are they so stupid they buy into stereotypes? [See Hypodermic Needle Theory as opposed to Uses and Gratifications]
- West is interested only at a special form of violence in China. China has so much more to offer than Kung Fu movies as such, stereotypical narratives.
- Portrayal of all Chinese people interested and knows Kung Fu.

Further debates on this issue can be found here
Another famous example of China's negative interpretation of Chinese related American produced representation can be found in the Le Bron James, Chambers of Fear advertisement:



QUESTION 4
- Yes, there is clearly a growing importance attached to new media technologies from a marketing perspective, however, traditional media technologies are still important too. TV advertising is still the biggest form of advertising. Many members of the grey market still getting the information through TV, newspapers etc
- EXAMPLE: Youtube videos <-- rating, sending links within your social network: two step flow (Lazersfeld)...which also relates to word of mouth advertising techniques.
Used-based advertising: caters the user's interest according to needs (remembering what you bought last
time...e.g. Amazon)
- Mobile technology: Multi-media strategy (advertising on different forms of media) the i-phone is often used for watching films and trailers and is subsequently a potential advertising medium.
- Synergy: Advertising for forthcoming animated films can make use of synergy...for instance, the forthcoming release of Cars II is almost certainly going to promote many brands of cars, through the merchandise associated with the film. The new plot will engage with Lightning & Mater going 'international' so clearly European car brands can be featured. This is a form of embedded advertising.
- Media network on deamand, i-Phones are increasingly become multi functional, like mini computers.
- You still need to talk about how old forms of media are still important