What is ‘Super. Human.’?
Channel 4’s third advertising campaign for the Paralympic Games.
How did representations of disability evolve in the 2020 advert?
Shifted from ‘super-human’ portrayals to more realistic, human-focused depictions.
What did Lynsey Atkin say about the 2020 campaign?
It presents Paralympians through their mental determination, not just disability.
What is the 2024 Paralympics campaign slogan?
‘Sport doesn’t care about disability’.
Who directed the 2020 advert?
Bradford Young, the first African American Oscar-nominated cinematographer.
Which company created the advert?
Channel 4’s in-house agency, 4Creative.
What is the target demographic for Channel 4?
Primarily 16–34-year-olds who value inclusive representation.
What are the four areas of media language for audio-visual texts?
Camerawork, Mise-en-scene, Sound, Editing.
What is mise-en-scène?
Everything put in the frame: costume, setting, props, lighting, and more.
What is diegetic sound?
Sound that originates within the film’s world.
What is non-diegetic sound?
Sound added in post-production, like background music.
What editing technique links two simultaneous events?
Cross cut (parallel editing).
What is a match cut?
A visual cut that connects two scenes meaningfully.
What song is used in the advert?
‘So You Wanna Be a Boxer’ from Bugsy Malone.
What does the montage of flash cuts showcase?
A diverse range of Paralympians and their everyday lives.
What is Levi-Strauss’ theory of binary oppositions?
Meaning is created through contrasting pairs, like hero/villain.
Give an example of binary opposition in the advert.
Gruelling training vs. celebratory success.
What does the quote ‘To be a Paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’ challenge?
Audience perceptions and language about disability.
How does the advert use archive vs real-life footage?
To create humor and reinforce the narrative through visual contrast.
What lighting is used to show reality?
Ambient lighting, contrasted with dramatic lighting in dreamlike scenes.
