Half-Term Assignment 1
Like the previous half, I will try to dissect the micro-codes from another media text, but rather from a segment of a television drama I'll try to analyse a short television advert of a videogame known as "Batman: Arkham Origins" (2013) . Please click this link to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48MBXU2cTq8
The narrative is basically showing how the fictitious character Bruce Wayne's' mission to become a crime-fighting avenger began early in his life, moulded from tragedy, honor, and will power; representing him as a tragic hero. These events are shown as a montage which shows time moving forward. After watching the link, you will notice that each jump cut shows a close-up/ tight frame of Bruce Wayne, showing the characters' importance and possibly to empathize with the character. Logos of the companies responsible for the creation and distribution of the game appear and disappear one at a time by gusts of snow, hinting the season and/or time of the setting.
At the 00:10 second mark the screen is black but at the 00:11 second mark, the non-diegetic sound of a piano is being played, the rhythm and the tune is melancholic. At the same time we see a boy positioned at the center and the camera is focused on him, from our view the mother is presumably at the left behind the boy and the father at the right behind the boy; judging by their costume and hair they are part of the high class. The facial expression of the boy is happy but in few seconds something catches his attention, with a flash of light and a bang you can see the boys emotions quickly changed from happiness, to concern at the sight of the unknown assailant, surprise at the gunfire, and a mix of shock and fear at the 00:15 to 00:16 second mark as his mothers grasp is released and her pearl necklace falls apart and a smoking gun shell falls, signifying death.
At the 00:17 second mark, there is a jump cut signaled by the sound of another gun shot but it isn't diegetic, the child is positioned at the center looking directly at the camera, same age yet further on in time and a different setting. The location is now a dreary, rainy day with people clad in black suits using their umbrellas, a funeral.
One individual is behind the boys' left and he has his hand on the boys' shoulder showing sympathy and connection between these two, the boys' skin is almost deathly pale (matches with the event) and his eyes denote misery yet no tears. Another jump cut occurs signaled by the gun shot, the boy is now an adolescent and is being bullied by two other adolescent males, judging by their matching uniforms these characters are in a private school of some sort, or rather outside one by looking at the unfocused background. He appears filthy, disheveled and bleeding but as one of the boys restrains the main guy from behind and the other is about to attack from the front, the main character is looking directly at the camera still and his eyes show no fear. Two other shots involve training, one is him being defeated in some form of martial arts, presumably by the uniform and his shaved head with little expression of pain. The next is one is quite different, just like the previous shot the main character was sparring and his face shows hardly any emotion, but in this one the lighting is darker and he's wearing peculiar armour as he spars with unknown individuals and the tip of a sword barely cuts him.
Finally at the 00:27 second mark the setting is in a dark urban area snowing down, still a direct close up shot of the same character as an adult but now as Batman. At the right side we see a fist approaching, throughout the entire advert the motions and movement has been similar to slow motion finally pulls up to speed when the fist at the right side punches Batman, the music stops and you can here hush distortion. Match on action editing has been used as the movement is continued and minor jump cuts of the villain pummeling Batman; as he staggers to his feet match on action editing is used again as the shot shows a medium close up shot of the villain laughing. The camera shot shifts back to a medium close up of Batman, his eyes denoting determination and fury; as he lunges the motion slows down again and fades to black. The melancholic music returns as the title merges from the dark and gusts of snow, a voice or lyric can be heard saying: "It's all still with me".
Those lyrics at the end of the advert possibly reflects on the character on how all the grief, training, and will power from the very beginning is still with him; to show that he intends to keep his promise to fulfill his goals.
The narrative is basically showing how the fictitious character Bruce Wayne's' mission to become a crime-fighting avenger began early in his life, moulded from tragedy, honor, and will power; representing him as a tragic hero. These events are shown as a montage which shows time moving forward. After watching the link, you will notice that each jump cut shows a close-up/ tight frame of Bruce Wayne, showing the characters' importance and possibly to empathize with the character. Logos of the companies responsible for the creation and distribution of the game appear and disappear one at a time by gusts of snow, hinting the season and/or time of the setting.
At the 00:10 second mark the screen is black but at the 00:11 second mark, the non-diegetic sound of a piano is being played, the rhythm and the tune is melancholic. At the same time we see a boy positioned at the center and the camera is focused on him, from our view the mother is presumably at the left behind the boy and the father at the right behind the boy; judging by their costume and hair they are part of the high class. The facial expression of the boy is happy but in few seconds something catches his attention, with a flash of light and a bang you can see the boys emotions quickly changed from happiness, to concern at the sight of the unknown assailant, surprise at the gunfire, and a mix of shock and fear at the 00:15 to 00:16 second mark as his mothers grasp is released and her pearl necklace falls apart and a smoking gun shell falls, signifying death.
At the 00:17 second mark, there is a jump cut signaled by the sound of another gun shot but it isn't diegetic, the child is positioned at the center looking directly at the camera, same age yet further on in time and a different setting. The location is now a dreary, rainy day with people clad in black suits using their umbrellas, a funeral.
One individual is behind the boys' left and he has his hand on the boys' shoulder showing sympathy and connection between these two, the boys' skin is almost deathly pale (matches with the event) and his eyes denote misery yet no tears. Another jump cut occurs signaled by the gun shot, the boy is now an adolescent and is being bullied by two other adolescent males, judging by their matching uniforms these characters are in a private school of some sort, or rather outside one by looking at the unfocused background. He appears filthy, disheveled and bleeding but as one of the boys restrains the main guy from behind and the other is about to attack from the front, the main character is looking directly at the camera still and his eyes show no fear. Two other shots involve training, one is him being defeated in some form of martial arts, presumably by the uniform and his shaved head with little expression of pain. The next is one is quite different, just like the previous shot the main character was sparring and his face shows hardly any emotion, but in this one the lighting is darker and he's wearing peculiar armour as he spars with unknown individuals and the tip of a sword barely cuts him.
Finally at the 00:27 second mark the setting is in a dark urban area snowing down, still a direct close up shot of the same character as an adult but now as Batman. At the right side we see a fist approaching, throughout the entire advert the motions and movement has been similar to slow motion finally pulls up to speed when the fist at the right side punches Batman, the music stops and you can here hush distortion. Match on action editing has been used as the movement is continued and minor jump cuts of the villain pummeling Batman; as he staggers to his feet match on action editing is used again as the shot shows a medium close up shot of the villain laughing. The camera shot shifts back to a medium close up of Batman, his eyes denoting determination and fury; as he lunges the motion slows down again and fades to black. The melancholic music returns as the title merges from the dark and gusts of snow, a voice or lyric can be heard saying: "It's all still with me".
Those lyrics at the end of the advert possibly reflects on the character on how all the grief, training, and will power from the very beginning is still with him; to show that he intends to keep his promise to fulfill his goals.
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