Codes and Conventions
The iconography and settings are related to the athlete and the sport, for example Ellie Simmons putting on her goggles in the pool, or training in the gym, but these settings are juxtaposed with domestic scenes of everyday life as a disabled person, suggesting the normality of their situation
A further visual binary opposition is created between the dreamlike sequences with dramatic images, music and the rich colour palette , and the reality conveyed though ambient lighting and the strident sound of the alarm clock
Representations
Representations that challenge accepted ideas regarding disability and disabled athletes.
The advertisement actively avoids negative stereotypical representations of Paralympic’s as victims to be pities, or heroes, ‘superhumans’, to be viewed in awe. Instead, the representations create a realistic, ‘blood and guts’ feel to the advertisement.
The narratives are centred around real people, up through re-presentations, a representation of reality is constructed focusing specifically on the challenges that the athletes face.
Close up shots of the athletes and their challenges during training and their home lives create positive representations of ordinary people who eat their breakfast, give birth, and play the drums, with whom the audience can positively associate.
The fast paced editing enables the advertisement to highlight a range of narratives and athletes with different disabilities , disciplined and challenges.
Audiences
The use of personalisation will reach the audience Superhuman deals with real , human stories focusing on the day to day struggles of being an athlete in training and disabled
The technical codes includes a lot of close up shots, some of which are uncomfortable, for example , the popping of the blister
The editing cuts between the athletes gruelling routines and clips of cartoon moments, lightening the mood and engaging the audience through humour .
The audio codes address the audience. The soundtrack is a recognisable sing from the musical Bugsy Malone So You Want To Be a Boxer. The choice ofthis upbeat, stirring tune grabs the audiences attention with its connotations of struggle and hard work paying off.
Social and Cultural Context
‘Super’ - which makes them more accessible to the audience
Relatable to people with disabilities
Stuart Hall - Reception
The upbeat soundtrack , use of personalisation and positive representations of the event and the athletes as both ‘super’ and ‘human’, encourages an audience to accept the ideologies and intended meaning of channel 4 , the encoder, in creating the advertisement. The use of real people creates a preferred reading that the audience should invest in their narratives and subsequently watch the Paralympic Games.
Some audiences may adopt a negotiated position, acknowledging the legitimacy of the encoders position, but may feel more distanced from the sporting theme of the event. However, this audience may be more open to the positive approach of the advertisement and examine their misconceptions about disabled people and their lives more generally
Oppositional responses may come from those who are not supporters of Channel 4 and its ethos of giving voice to those who are under represented. They may be older, not regular viewers of Channel 4 or not interested in sport of any kind
This theory can be challenged
Gerbner - Cultivation Theory
People will become more open to disabilities with repeated exposure
Strauss - binary oppositions
Binary oppositions is created between the dreamlike sequences with dramatic images, music and the rich colour palette, and the reality conveyed through ambient lighting and the strident sound of the alarm clock
What does Compassion Fatigue mean
That the producers know that people don’t have a capacity to have compassion for every advert they see on TV, so add uniqueness
Who created it and why?
Bradford Young and to promote the 2020 Paralympic Games
