Whiplash
Synopsis
An aspiring young jazz drummer (Miles Teller) seeks guidance from a hard-nosed mentor (JK Simmons) and is pushed to his limits trying to achieve his dream of becoming 'one of the greats'.
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2014
Developed from a short film
Limited release in US and Canada in October 2014
Expanded to over 500 screens by March 2015
Budget was $3 million, took over $48 million internationally ($13 mill in US, $35 mill internationally).
'Audience' is a very
important concept throughout media studies. All media texts are made
with an audience in mind, ie a group of people who will receive it and
make some sort of sense out of it. And generally, but not always, the producers
make some money out of that audience.
Key term: Discourses (verb) speak or write authoritatively
about a topic.
"she could discourse at great
length on the history of Europe"
Starter:
Define the following terms in relation to film.
Target audience - The media industry is highly competitive and all media texts are created with a target audience in mind.
Media producers define and categorise their audience through demographic profiles.
A demographic audience profile defines groups based on things like age, gender, income, education and occupation.
Psychographics
Defines an audience by their values, attitudes and lifestyles. Advertisers consider different ways of categorising audiences.
Young and Rubicam's Four C's is how advertisers define audience.
Mainstreamers - 40% of the population. Like security, tried & trusted brands and like to think they belong to a group of like-minded people. Like value for money and are less likely to take risks. Aspirers - This group want status and prefer brands that show their place in society, happy to live on credit and will buy designer labels. Stylish and dynamic and may be persuaded by celebrity endorsement. Explorers - Like to discover new things and are attracted by brands that offer new experiences and instant results. Succeeders - People who already have status and control and have nothing to prove. Prefer brands that are serious and reliable and believe that they deserve the best. Reformers - Defined by their self-esteem and self-fulfilment. Tend to be innovative and less impressed by status. Not materialistic and are socially aware. Inclined to buy brands that are environmentally friendly or those considered healthy.
Defines an audience by their values, attitudes and lifestyles. Advertisers consider different ways of categorising audiences.
Young and Rubicam's Four C's is how advertisers define audience.
Mainstreamers - 40% of the population. Like security, tried & trusted brands and like to think they belong to a group of like-minded people. Like value for money and are less likely to take risks. Aspirers - This group want status and prefer brands that show their place in society, happy to live on credit and will buy designer labels. Stylish and dynamic and may be persuaded by celebrity endorsement. Explorers - Like to discover new things and are attracted by brands that offer new experiences and instant results. Succeeders - People who already have status and control and have nothing to prove. Prefer brands that are serious and reliable and believe that they deserve the best. Reformers - Defined by their self-esteem and self-fulfilment. Tend to be innovative and less impressed by status. Not materialistic and are socially aware. Inclined to buy brands that are environmentally friendly or those considered healthy.
Audience positioning - Each media text that is created is constructed to place the audience in a particular position in relation to the text. It concerns the relationship between the text and the responses that the audience will have to that text. The text will be encoded with messages and signs throughout that the audience will have to decode. Different audiences will decode the messages in different ways, causing them to have different views and opinions on that text.
Audience responses
An active audience
A passive audience
Demographics
Psychometrics
Task 1: watch the
first part of the film Whiplash
Whiplash is rated
15. It is categorised as a Drama/Music genre film.
Who do you think the target audience for the film is? How are they
targeted? Make detailed notes.
Task 2 and
homework to be completed by Monday 24.4.17:
With task 1 in mind, you are to create a power point presentation
which will be an exploration of
Social Media Marketing for the movie
Consider: Twitter, Facebook,
Between 6 and 12 slides. Email to Tony.
Target Audience - a particular group at which a product such as a film or advertisement is aimed.
Who are they? Ways of classifying the Whiplash audience.
Discuss demographic and psychometric profiles and apply audience theories.
Audience Positioning
How does the film allow us to side with and identify with the characters?
What techniques does Chazelle use in order to ensure this? Can the text be read differently? (Consider notions of preferred readings and audience reception here)
B1. Discuss the different ways audiences are positioned by your three main texts.
[30]
This question invites candidates to consider the content of their studied texts in relation to audience positioning. There may be some definitions of ‘audience positioning’ – which is acceptable and should be marked on merit. Candidates may consider how texts are encoded to encourage a preferred reading and the ways audiences are positioned to accept this. Candidates may make references to the following:
Mode of Address
Male Gaze theory (Mulvey)
Camera, technical codes, point of view shots etc.
Stuart Hall: ideologies, preferred readings etc.
Narrative – plot
User involvement; interactivity
Situated culture
Stars and characters
Genre devices
Visual/direct appeal of print texts
Use of narrator/voice-over
See Key Scenes next post.
Audience reception
Audience Debates
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