Super.human.

Question 1

First seconds of the advert

(scene one)

Answer 1

• montage of dramatic music, ambient sound (eg. news broadcasting), low key lighting and smoke
• creates excitement and drama

Kadeena Cox is in centre frame, making her appear important and powerful

Question 2

Montage of audio commentary

(scene one)

Answer 2

• creates tension, suggesting the we are during a race
• emphasises Cox’s power and important of the event

“already won two gold”
“set her sights on Tokyo”

Question 3

image of a tunnel

(scene one)

Answer 3

“tunnel vision” visually represented with a wide shot
- connotes the athlete’s mindsets

binary opposition of success vs failure

Question 4

gunshot sound effect

Answer 4

acts as a transition from the tunnel to real life

Question 5

reality after dream (Cox)

Answer 5

• shows kadeena wearing conventional sleep attire for a black woman (bonnet) - familiar item of clothing
• representing an aspect of black women’s lives which are often underrepresented

Question 6

reality vs dream sequence

Answer 6

visual binary opposition created
- dream like sequence contains dramatic images, music and a rich colour palette
- reality contains ambient lighting and the strident sound of an alarm clock

Question 7

montage of early morning realities

Answer 7

• shows a diverse range of genders, ethnicity and abilities

Question 8

pros of showing a diverse range of people

Answer 8

• allows people to relate to them as disabilities are so often unrepresented in media
• makes disabilities more visible, accepted and normalised
• allows audiences to be SEEN on screen

Question 9

criticisms of portrayal of disabled people

Answer 9

• people believe that the advert focused primarily on representing physical disabilities (eg. wheelchair users)

Question 10

Ellie Simmons at the swimming pool

Answer 10

• features a wide shot, emphasising her small stature
• competing against herself - a visual metaphor for how she is competing against her own anxieties and the fear of loosing

Question 11

auditory code of strapping joints and using tape + grunts and groaning

Answer 11

• creates a sense of drama and intensity - similar to preparations for battle
• hyperbolic noises, emphasises the strain and pain of athletes

sound effects underscore the music - emphasising the battle of training

Question 12

jump cuts of training (montage)

Answer 12

• emphasises the hard work and dedication
• sick bucket acts as comedic effect but also emphasises the idea that they are training to and beyond their bodies limits

Question 13

realities of athletes lives outside of training

Answer 13

• eg. balancing parenthood whilst being a sportsperson
• shot of a man singing happy birthday to his kid through a phone, he is having to miss important events to focus on his sport (tunnel vision)
• eg. normal events such as childbirth
• humanises the athletes, showing they have families and shows they are normal people

Question 14

pov shots of cyclist

Answer 14

• creates a sense of inclusion
• sparks flying, indicate the speed
• man flying, makes it feel like an action film
• emphasises the danger and drama of the sport

Question 15

animated and archive footage

Answer 15

• used to oppose the real life actions
• introduces humour and reinforces the narrative
• used in contrast to the gruelling routines of the athletes

Question 16

ultra close up shots of bruises and blisters

Answer 16

• emphasises the pain and danger the Paralympians face
• reinforces the idea that these sports are very dangerous and emphasises how hard the athletes have to train

Question 17

obstructions in reality for people with disabilities

Answer 17

• café step
• despite the success Paralympians have in the world of sports, they still face discrimination and difficulties in the outside world
• juxtaposition between being at the peak of athletic power and the inability to go into a café, tells a shocking story simply

Question 18

revisit to Kadeena Cox in tunnel

Answer 18

• surreal image, chasing a medal represents her dreams of success
• nightmarish tone, suggesting that her dream is so important to her it haunts her sleep
• stylised dream sequence, announces the postponement of the Olympics, shows the impact: athletes fall off the edge of the track

Question 19

revisit to Ellie Simmonds in the swimming pool

Answer 19

• nightmarish imagery of Ellie being weighed down by a medal
• shows the pressure of athletes
• Dutch angle, creates a sense of unease and uncertainty - reinforcing tension

Question 20

fast paced editing

Answer 20

• highlights a range of narratives and athletes with different disabilities, disciplines and challenges

Question 21

“you might as well quit” Boris Johnson

Answer 21

reflects Channel 4s values as being more predominantly anti establishment and has an alternative political perspective

Question 22

split screen montage of close ups

Answer 22

• emphasises the potential injuries and internal damage athletes gain from the sport

Question 23

“to be an Paralympian there must be something wrong with you”

Answer 23

• play on words which challenges the outdated mindset
• suggests that to put yourself through such struggles and pain to be an athlete on top of the training for your sport you need to be incredibly determined and resilient

Question 24

audiences perception of athletes VS reality

Answer 24

conceptual binary opposition
- challenges how language is used against the reality of the positive images in the advertisement
- this binary opposition is what the director encourages the audience to reflect upon

Question 25

images of cheering crowds

Answer 25

- creates a sense of success and winning - representation of Paralympians as successful, this can help change the audience perception of disability

Question 26

soundtrack

Answer 26

- Bugsy Malone, So You Want To Be a Boxer - familiar to all audiences (modern cover of an older song) - adds a touch of comedy and nostalgia

Question 27

'Super. Human.' super= smashed

Answer 27

- the breaking of the word 'superhuman' to 'super.human.' helps to connote the idea that athletes are human - further smashing of the word 'super' emphasises the human element of the catchphrase

Question 28

previous paralympics campaign

Answer 28

- 'meet the superhumans', criticised for treating disabled people as superbeings, elevated above humanity - previous advert glamorised what it meant to be disabled

Question 29

Stuart Hall, stereotyping

Answer 29

- focuses on athletes as ordinary people trying to achieve a goal with their own personal motivations (three dimensional) - visible positive recognition of disabled people - positive rep of disabled people in media

Question 30

David Gauntlett, identity

Answer 30

- offers a wide range of more diverse and inclusive range of identities, broadens what it means to be disabled as an athlete

Question 31

Stuart Hall, dominant ideologies

Answer 31

- personification and positive rep of the event and the athletes encourages the audiences to accept the ideologies portrayed and the intended meaning - the use of real athletes creates a preferred reading that the audiences should invest in their narratives and subsequently watch the games