'Live!' is a 2007 mockumentary / media satire film charting the story of a television executive (played by Eva Mendez) and her struggle to get her idea for a television program broadcast. Her program is controversial reality TV. show in which 6 participants play Russian roulette and the 5 surviving players get $5,000,000 each. The film acts as a satire to the reality TV. audiences watch today and questions how far production companies will go to have to please the ever-changing demands of television audiences. I will analyse this text, and look at different ways my text can be influenced by the use of genre conventions and other features in this one.
Media Representations:
Many different characters shown and represented and many different stereotypes are supported and challenged.
The protagonist, Katy (Eva Mendez) challenged what we would expect of a top television executive, mainly because she is female (though clothing and personality are very conventional). She is initially shown to be innovative, strong, independent and somewhat ruthless but towards the end of the trailer, as it grows more dramatic, there are close up shots of her showing emotions (i.e. crying) which show her more emotional side and imply that she is questioning the ethics of her program.
Contestants of the show are all practically stereotypes and also average everyday people (shown by clothing and the general way they act): Blonde young adult who wants to be an actress, young adult male who dreams of not being a 'wage slave', a middle-aged man who wants the money to help his family keep their home; only one possibly controversial character is a homosexual Mexican man, (the possible controversy is cleverly picked up on and used for the program in the film's narrative).
Male television executives (all suited)- portrayed negatively, only caring about the ratings and not caring about the ethics of the programme (like Katy was initially), one jokes about being 'aroused' when thinking of the ratings caused by someone being broadcast dying on air (very negative portrayal).
Media Language and Forms:
Mise-en-scene:
many different settings and costumes shown
Program set - dark with bright lights, modern, innovative, implying how people within the diegesis feel about the programme (dark, modern, possibly promising)
costume gives insight into personalities i.e. Katy and television executives wearing dark suits (they only care about their greed for money and ratings - stylistically evil). Program contestants initially wearing normal clothes (everyday people) but on the program set they are all dressed formally (this is their chance to make it big, live out their dreams and be some body). This is the Ideology of the American dream which is also signified in the themes of the program (contestants risking everything for their dreams) and even in the colours of the 'Live!' logo: Red, white and blue.
Family homes and workplaces are shown to give audiences a chance to get to know the characters.
Bullet and gun shown on a cushion t imply how significant they are in both the plot of the film and in the fictional program.
One scene showing the contestants on screens in the centre of a large American city implying how big the program gets and how famous they are
Board room meetings showing how the film will give a fictional yet accurate look (within the premise of the film) at the more business-like side of getting a television program on the air.
Newsrooms and shots of Katy at home signify the behind the scenes documentary feel of the film
Contrast between the business and personal sides of the program are shown near the end when there are juxtaposed shots of a control room with workers celebrating, and contestant's families in the audience crying.
Title slides in bright lights like the program logo showing themes in the programme ("Beyond Fame" "Beyond Money" "Beyond Reality" "Beyond Morality").
Sound:
Non-diegetic soundtrack initially really upbeat and modern (with almost techno influences), which implies how within the narrative of the film the program is really modern and becoming really famous and a 'big' thing. The soundtrack changes towards the end of the trailer to more dramatic music as we are shown negative sides of the program, such as the emotions of characters as they come to terms with the fact that on of the players must die and we are shown scenes of people pointing the gun to their heads.
Dialogue is important in letting audiences getting to know characters (i.e. "I've always wanted to be an actress" - young adult girl
"It wasn't the best place to grow up but..." - homosexual Mexican man
"My father worked this land... and I don't want to let my family down" - middle aged family man
"You have to ask yourselves, are you in, or are you out" - Katy
also in showing themes of the programme: e.g. "I will risk it all"; "I'm going to give you the future of prime time" and "What I do is give an audience what they want, but we do it in a way we can somehow justify"
The sounds of a gun being loaded are also heard and amplified for dramatic effect and to show the importance of the gun in the plot
Editing:
Montage editing to portray main themes/characters/narrative of the programme, with small excerpts of continuity editing in film extracts (i.e. shot/reverse shot when people conversing, and abiding to the 30 degree rule in boardroom sequences).
Editing fast paced to compliment the music and general feel of the programme (goes with the tension built in the film as well while contestants are playing the game).
Ends with slow paced shots of contestants pointing the gun at themselves to act as a pivotal moment before the tension should be released, but the tension is not released which keeps the audience wanting to know and see what happens to the contestants, making the film appeal more to them.
Cinematography:
Mid-Shots and Medium Close-Ups used mostly to introduce characters like they would be in the fictional programme.
Extreme close-up of bullet to imply the importance it plays in the plot of the film.
Internal framing on shots of news-coverage of the programme, provided by the television screens – give the film realism to complement the documentary aspects, as they show how the programme is impacting upon the ‘real’ world.
0:30-0:33 – Eva Mendez is internally framed by people to imply the impact she is having upon society with the program idea, and how she (and the program/contestants) are becoming famous in America).
Throughout the trailer, most shots are medium close ups or mid shots of people related to the programme, shown onscreen as if they were in the actual program to add to the documentary feel of the trailer.
The realism also makes the film appear more interesting to audiences.
Narrative:
The trailer portrays the narrative of the film clearly and effectively.
Handheld shots, news-footage and interviews among other techniques show that it is a documentary.
It shows the progress of Katy (a TV executive portrayed by Eva Mendez) as she tries to get her program idea broadcast – Live Russian Roulette with the 5 surviving (out of 6) contestants winning 5 million dollars each.
The film shows her battling with censors to get her show on the air and then picks up on the emotional and ethical sides of such a program, using the program to satire modern reality TV and the lengths producers and companies will go to bring in the ratings, which, in the film, Katy is successful at (“Half of the homes in America are watching your show!”).
Genre:
Drama/Satire film presented in the form of a Documentary.
Satirical of reality TV in the media.
Drama because emotional problems are shown, and the problems of the contestants lives are shown so that audiences can emote with them (i.e. man who could lose his land, people wanting to get out of their normal lives and fulfil their dreams). Emotions are even displayed by Katy towards the end of the trailer when it is made apparent that she feels bad that her program has caused the death of a man.
Media Institutions:
Primary purpose of the trailer is to market and sell the film, so the production companies who helped make the film will be involved, which are identified at the start of the trailer as: Lionsgate, Fortissimo Films, Mosaic Media Group and the director Bill Guttentag.
Also Eva Mendez is recognised in the trailer, and selling her own image as a strong, independent, powerful female.
Trailer would have been played in cinemas, (possibly) and on television, around programs/films aimed at the general target audience of the text.
Media Values and Ideology:
Shows a woman as a powerful, influential figure in a male dominated company.
Issues raised involve the ethics of reality TV, and the emotional effects of such programmes on the families/friends of participants and the producers themselves (though to a higher degree in the film).
The issue of what people would do for life changing money (i.e. risking their life) which is relevant to many contest shows today is also handled.
Media Audiences:
Fans of Eva Mendez and the films of Bill Guttentag.
Fans of reality TV? Due to the fact that it is a large part of the film picked upon in the trailer, and the themes of people lives being shown on the television and playing the game for money would obviously, and ironically, attract audiences.
Not exactly a mainstream audience, due to the mockumentary nature, but Eva Mendez and the increasing popularity of documentary-style films (i.e. Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, REC,) would help in the marketing, as these sorts of films are growing more popular.
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