FACTSHEET - WJEC

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FACTSHEETBatman V Superman

PRODUCT Details

• Batman v Superman was released on the March 25th 2016 with a budget of $250 000 000

• Duration 2hr 31m

• Based on the DC Comics

• Produced by DC Entertainment and Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures

• Boxofficetodate–approx.$873000000

PART 1: STARTING POINTS - Media language

Plot and Narrative

ThefilmfollowsonfromtheSupermanfilmwiththenarrativefocusedonBruceWayne(Batman)fearingthatSupermanandhisactionsareleftunchecked.BatmandecidestotakeontheManofSteel.Thenarrativeisfocusedontheirbattlewitheveryoneunsureastowhoisthehero.BatmanisonavengefulcrusadeandthrownintothemixisthemanipulatingLexLuthorwhohimselfwantstoendthelifeoftheMan of Steel.

The ‘Uses and Gratifications Model’ suggeststhataudiencesinteractwithtextsfordifferentreasons:socialinteractionandentertainment.Withregardstothefilmitmeetsthecriteriaforeachoftheseaspectswhicharewhatmakesthefilmsuchanappealingmainstreamfilm.Youngeraudienceswillwatchthefilmasaformofentertainmentandalsosocialinteraction.TheUSPofthistextisthestarimageandalsothesuccessofthecomicbookbrand.

Consider how media language creates and communicates meaning:

• The titleofthefilm, Batman v Superman,givestheimpressionofatypicalsuperherofilmthatwillattractaudiencesofallagesandfansofbothpreviousfilmfranchises.ThereisaclearsensethataudienceswillbegivenablockbusterduetothesignificantuseofCGI,starimagesandexcitingcamera shots and visual codes.

• Duringthecourseofthefilm,numeroussequencesofferarangeofvisual which reinforce the genre.TheseincludedarkbattlescenesinthecityofGothamandthesescenesarefardarkerand

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sinisterthanpreviousfilmsfeaturingeithersuperhero.

• DuetotheimportanceofGothamasalocationweseearangeofestablishing shots.Inaddition,duetothefightsequencesandotherscenesweseenumerous long shots, mid shots and close ups.

• This allows for any scene to be selected for activities in class to be analysed, focusing on purpose and effect behind each shot.

• The non-diegetic audio codeinthefilmisusedfrequentlytoenhancethefightscenesequences,developandbuildtensioninkeyscenesbutalsotoreinforcethereasonastowhyBatmanwantstoseekrevenge.Thedialogueusedthroughoutistypicalforafilmofthisgenrebuthavingseenbothcharactersasheroesinpreviousfilms,seeingbothinapositionofconflictchallengesaudienceexpectations.Comicbookenthusiastswouldhavepriorexpectationofthisnarrative.

• Thefilmincludesarangeofconventionsusedinaction/superherofilms.

• Mixtureofhybridgenres–Sci-fi/adventure.

• ProducedanddistributedbymajorHollywoodcompanies.

Highproductionvaluesincluding:

• TypicalHollywood3actstructure

• Predictablescenarios,visualcodesandevents

• Singlestranded,linear,closednarrative

• Significantuseofdramaticnondiegeticmusic

• Largenumberofnarrativeandenigmacodes,e.g.whowillwin?DoesSupermandie?

• Binaryoppositions–Superman(good)vBatman/LexLuthor(Evil)

• StarImage:(HenryCavill,BenAffleck,JesseEisenberg,AmyAdams)

• Humorousdialogueonsomeoccasions–WonderWoman’sintroduction–‘Isshewithyou?’...

• Introductionofnewtechnologyforyoungeraudiences–Batman’sweaponsandaircraft

• Technicalcodes–rangeofshotsandhighkeylighting(lowkeyalso)

• Dominantandsomewhattypicalrepresentationofgender:male/femaleactionhero.Mulvey’smalegaze–WonderWoman-outfit

• Thrillingactionsequenceswheretheherosavesvariouspeoplethroughavarietyofnon-realisticbutapparentlylogicalescapades–rangeofbattlescenes

• Characters and locations

• Thesearenotrealisticfilms,althoughthecharactersmustbebelievable.

• Amainprotagonistwhodevelopssuperpowers–theIronMansuit

• Therearealwayshelperswhoareateamofinnocentcharacterswhohappentogetcaughtupintheaction–Alfred,LoisLaneetc.

• Exotic and elaborate locations

• Theaimistopleasetheaudiencebykeepingthemontheedgeoftheirseatsthroughaseriesofmind-bogglingchases,exoticlocationsandhairraisingadventures

• Action&Adventurefilmsaredesignedtocreateanaction-filled,energeticexperiencefortheaudiencewhocanlivevicariouslythroughtheexoticlocations,conquests,explorations,strugglesand situations that confront the main characters

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Consider how media language portrays aspects of reality, constructs points of view and conveys messages and values:

• ThetextisconstructedtofocusonthehatredBatmanhasforSupermanandhisdeterminationtotakerevenge.WeseetwosuperheroesgoheadtoheadwhilstLexLuthormanipulateseverysituationinwhicheverwaypossible.Whilstthenarrativeandmanyofitsaspectsofferasenseofreality(charactersrelationships,conflictetc.)thegenreisinevitablygoingtoofferfarfetchedscenarioswhichenthralaudiences.ThisisclearlyevidentinthecreationofthemonsterbyLexLuthorandSuperman’ssuperpowers.

• Throughoutthetext,camerashots,visualcodesandaudiocodesarecarefullyselectedandorganisedsothatthegenericconventionsaremaximizedforaudienceimpactandonlyspecificmessagesaredeliveredtotheaudience.

• This again is in area where teachers can select various scenes and set activities based on camera shots, audio codes, character representation etc.

Possible areas for further investigation and activities:

• Genre: codes and conventionsofactionadventure/superherofilms:construction,useoftechnical,audioandvisualcodes.Genreconventions–fastpassedsequences,stockcharacters,theirnarrativeandappeal (sub-genre – sci fi).

• Narrative–howisthenarrativeofthetextconstructedtotargetaudiences?

• The functionofablockbusterfilm–somepeoplemayarguethatblockbustersareconstructedusingelaboratevisualcodes,bignameactorsandelaboratelocationstoattractlargeandmakemoneywithoutmuchconsiderationofnarrativeappeal.Thisdependsentirelyontheresponseofdifferentaudiencestypes.

PART 2: STARTING POINTS - Representation

Clark Kent/Superman

Clarkisrepresentedasakindandgentleindividualwhocaresforhisjob,colleaguesandthepeopleofthecity.SupermanhasthesamequalitiesbutisrepresentedasfarmoremasculineanddominantthanClark.Hisdresscodesandisphysiqueemphasisesapowerfulindividual.ThewayhespeakstopeopleandconfrontsBatmanagainreinforcesthisrepresentation.Heisthetypicalsuperheroineveryaspect.

Bruce Wayne/Batman

UnlikepreviousBatmanfilms,heisrepresentedasavigilante.WhilstcatchingcriminalsandtheinterestsofGothammotivateshisactions,hisactionsaremisguided.Herefusestofollowthelawanddoesashepleases.HisvengefulquesttodestroySupermanatallcostschallengestheusualrepresentationofasuperhero.BruceWayneisrepresentedintheusualfashionofawealthyandsuccessfulbusinessmanwho controls others.

There are various scenes from within the film that can be used to analyse these representations. The teacher can select suitable extracts as activities to deconstruct the construction of representation. It can be focused on the characters Lois, Alfred and Lex.

Areas of representation –

• Gender–presentedwithavarietyofstereotypicalrepresentationsofgender.TypicalrepresentationsofgenderincludeSuperman,Batman,LoisandLexetc.Therearetypicalrepresentationofmasculinity and femininity constructedthroughbattlescenes,inadditiontosceneswhichchallengetheserepresentations.Despitethisgenrebeingquiteamale-dominated genre,therearemoremodernrepresentationsofwomennowemergingandthesesupportmodern dominant ideologies in society.

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Possible areas for further investigation:

• Theoretical perspectivesonrepresentation(couldreferencetheoristse.g.StuartHall)-stereotyping,selectionandperhapshow,insomeways,thefilmseekstoreinforceorchallengetypicalrepresentations,butinsomewayschallengethewaysomeaudiencesviewtherepresentationofthegenderinactionfilms.

• Youmaywanttoconsiderthepurpose and effect of the way the text is constructed. What is the preferredreadingtheproducerwantstheaudiencestoachieve?

Audience targeting and response:

• Beforeconsideringhowtheaudienceistargeted,considerationmustbegivenastowhothetargetaudienceisandwhywethinkthis.

• Factorstoconsiderincludeage,gender,socio-economicstatusetc.

• Howareaudiencestargeted?–Useoftechnical(rangeofcamerashots),audio(dramaticmusicanddialogue)andvisualcodes(locations,CGIetc.). Dress codes –thesignificanceofthevisualimpactofBatmanandSupermanassuperheroes.

• Manyaudienceswillrespondpositivelyduetothelevelofentertainmentthatthefilmoffersandthesuccessofthecomicbooks/brand.