Tuesday 11 November 2008

The Cross Media Case Study . .

The Media texts I have chosen to look at is 'Mr Bean' (TV programme) and 'Mr Bean's Holiday' (Film). The reason I have chosen to look at these Media texts is because Mr Bean firstly started off as an cartoon which was aimed at young people. As the cartoon became very successful, there were films released too which aimed at a more wider audience including young children and families.

Trailer of 'Mr Beans Holiday':



Audience && Social Class:
The trailer 'Mr Beans Holiday' shows that the film appeals to a wide range of audience. It appeals to families as it involves humour which a family would enjoy watching together. Also, Mr Beans Holiday may appeal to young children as Mr Bean already has a cartoon which young children are familiar with. This means that young children will also be interested in the Movie as they know about his cartoon. As Mr Bean's film is not a cartoon, it will attract families as it involves family humour. The trailer shows, it would attract an audience of B to C1 and C2 social class which would be the primary audience as the trailer shows that it is a film including humour which would attract many people. The secondary audience of this film would be class D/E as people would enjoy watching this film with families which shows it would attract a large audience.

Institution:
Also, the films institution is Universal Pictures, which is a well known institution. This is because Universal Pictures have distributed many films. The influence this would have on the audience is that they will then trust the institution and will know what sort of films they distribute. This will allow the audience to want to watch the film as they will be familiar with the institution Universal Pictures.

Setting && Link to Genre:
At the start of the trailer, the audience is told where the film would be mainly set. This is shown by the trailer starting off with showing the country France. This gives an idea to the audience about where the film is mainly set. By showing the setting of the film at the start of the trailer, it would give the audience an idea about what the genre of the film is. For example, if the start of the trailer involved a setting of council flats in an deprived area, the audience would know the film will involve violence and will not be suitable to watch as a family. As the main setting is in France, it shows that the films genre will not be violence but may be a posh film as it is set in France.

Actor Introduced && Genre Confirmed:
As the scene which shows France, the words are being said in the background "France, a country of culture, beauty and peace. its always been the perfect place to take a holiday .. Not anymore". As the words "Not anymore" are said, the audience is then introduced to the main character within the film which is Mr Bean. Mr Bean is first shown in the trailer by popping his head out of the train which is shown in a medium shot. The use of the medium shot in this scene shows the main character and a bit of the train in the background to show audiences Mr Bean has arrived in France. As the audience has been introduced to the main actor, the audience would now definitely know the genre of the film. This is because Mr Bean is a well known actor who has his own cartoon programme targeted at young children which involves humour. This would confirm to the audience that the film involves comedy and is a family film.

Use of Lighting:
The beginning of the trailer, starts off with dull colours and a sort of black and white blend. This firstly would give the impression to the audience that the film is based on olden times. However, as the scene of France ends the next scene comes on to more bright and colourful colours. The change of lighting takes place when Mr Bean is introduced. This signifies that Mr Bean is a funny and cheerful character within the film as the lighting changes when he is introduced and in turns from dull to bright.

Also, the scene where Mr Bean gets his tie stuck in the money exchange machine is a scene which shows that people may be able to relate with the scene and get a sense of relief that it is not just them (catharsis). This would help people interact with the film and enjoy watching the film.

Opening Credits of 'Mr Beans' Programme:



Profile of Institution:
The institution that produces Mr Bean's animated series is Nickelodeon which is a very popular channel for young children from 7-14.

  • Nickelodeon is an American Cable Television Network.
  • The network is owned by Viacom International
  • The channel is found in many different countries e.g. UK and Australia
  • It has many similar channels e.g. Nicktoons, Nick HD, The N, Nick Too, Nick Replay.

Other Nickelodeon Projects which they have:

  • Nick.com . . . The original and official website of Nickelodeon which has over 500 games and allows visitors to register and become a official member.
  • Nickelodeon Magazine . . . It was launched in 1993 and contains non-fiction pieces, humour, interviews, pranks, recipes and a comic book section.
  • Nickelodeon Movies . . . Produces films based on Nickelodeon programmes and the films are released by Paramount Pictures.
  • Nickelodeon Toys

Web Content && Marketing for BOTH texts:

Mr Bean (Animated Series):

  • www.mrbean.co.uk >> Mr Bean Series have there own website where viewers can play games and get involved in polls.
  • www.youtube.com >> The series are shown on YouTube with clips and the actual programmes.
  • Wikipedia >> Information on Mr Bean's Animated Series and involves the history of the programme.
  • www.bean.netfirms.com/ >> A website for fans so that they can see episode guides, sound clips and news.
  • www.imdb.com/title/tt0280277/ >> Involves a short review on the film.

Mr Bean's Holiday (Film):

How does Mr Bean's animated series and Mr Beans Holiday link?

  • They link as both films involve Mr Bean in it
  • They both have the same genre which is comedy
  • They both are aimed for young children and families


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