http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFz5Zsh1GZY

This ad about Dolce and Gabbana makeup uses many different techniques. The major technique here is testimonial because the ad uses Scarlett Johansson. This commerical is basically a whole montage because the whole time their is old music in the background while showing different shots of Scarlett in sensual poses, makeup,Scarlett putting on the makeup etc. Also this ad is obviously using sex and snob appeal. Scarlett is used here to make woman believe they will look like her if they use this product. They have her in different sensual positions, making the product look irresistible because of how pretty she is. This uses snob appeal with the music in the background, and the fact that their is an actress and a designer name product. The shots alone with her applying makeup, and the way her hair is done gives it a very old hollywood glamor feel to it which alone causes a snob appeal feel. I think snob appeal is needed since this is a designer product. The music in the background also goes along with the whole montage and makes it feel very vintage and classy.

rocky balboa

The latest and last of the rocky movies were just as good as all the othersThe film brings us back to Rock's gritty hometown of South Philadelphia and dwells on the changes that have struck the title character and the city he loves since the saga began. The people are angrier, the old pet shop has closed down, the ice rink is now a parking lot, and most of all, the love of Rocky's life Adrian has died of cancer. Boxing too has changed from the "if he dies, he dies" days of Ivan Drago, to complete mediocrity and the current champion Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver) finds himself booed after his thirtieth uninspired knock-out. after see a mock fight between himself and the champ with him be victories rocky is interested in fighting for the title again but Rocky has some hurdles to climb. His son (Milo Ventimiglia) is a typical celebrity offspring, chronically self-involved and suffering an identity crisis. His work buddies rib him about his crotchety dad getting back to fighting, and he yells at Rocky for embarrassing him. The fight is universally laughed at, and Rocky is pronounced an underdog. He has to be, because if he’s the favorite, he always loses. Uncle Paulie is also inexplicably brought back into Rocky’s corner, after having been fired from his day job, and the team is back together for a classic training montage. And yes, he drinks the eggs. He also runs up the steps. He does it all. But this time, the camera is just a little unsteady. The fight takes place as scheduled, and the result is exactly what you expected when you saw the ads. The champ tries to go easy on ol’ Rock, but he’s having none of it. A few of his patented wild haymakers later, and it’s a slugfest. It’s a bit humorous watching a real boxer fight Rocky-style. He abandons any real technique, something a true fighter would never do. In the end, Rocky goes the distance, teaching us all the lesson that had already been railroad-spiked into our heads the whole movie. You’re never too old to go for your dreams. 

Full House

I recently watched the TV show Full House. This show was very popular to me in the 90’s when I was a child.  This is about a family that lost their mother. There are three daughters, DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. The father, Danny Tanner, is the only parental figure in their lives. The family also lives with their uncle Jesse, whom was the deceased wife’s brother and his wife, Becky, and their two twin sons, Nickie and Alex. There family friend, Joey also lives with them. Surrounding the family with people may make the hardship of losing someone so important may be easier for them to handle. This is unlike the typical family oriented shows that were normally on TV like The Cosby Show or All in the Family. Full House has a different structure that was similar but different to the other family oriented shows. In The Cosby Show and All in the Family, they are based on the typical American family, a mother, kids, and a husband. Full House can attract a different audience. Not everyone has a family with a husband, wife and kids. This was a change in TV history with not following the moral family audience that people were used to seeing.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride may be a classic tale of true love and adventure filled with "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."  but it is also a story of connection in relationships.

First and foremost, The Princess Bride is a story about the true and absolute love between Westley and Buttercup.  Short scenes at the beginning of the film show their relationship as curt seeing as Westley was Buttercup's family's farm boy.  But then close ups show the look in Wesley's eyes when he responds to his orders, relaying the audience that there is a budding love between the two.  The couple eventually fall in love but are separated by Westley's lack of money and then supposed death.  Buttercup's heartbreak is so intense that she claims she "will never love again."  However, this is statement is proven untrue.  Westley and she are reunited and finally get to find comfort in each other's love again.  True love even saves Westley from the murder attempt of Prince Humperdinck.

But Buttercup's and Westley's relationship is not the only one furthered throughout the story.  The grandson and grandfather go from tolerating each other to truly enjoying each other's company.  This attitude is mainly shown in the film by the grandson who originally ties to get his mother to dismiss his grandfather from his babysitting duties, actually invites him over the next day to visit.

Connections between the characters are, in my opinion, what makes this film a must see.  That and the "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, [and] miracles..."

So You Think You Can Dance

So You Think You Can Dance or SYTYCD, has returned for another season and I recently watched episode 2. The show is still in the audition process so every week they travel to a big city and the judges watch thousands of dancers perform. As with any talent reality show, there are always a ton of weird auditions. It's what makes the show entertaining. During this show they would introduce a contestant and then usually show a pre filmed video about their life. When the show spends the time to interview the contestant, it's when you know they're either going to be a big joke or they're going to make it all the way. Usually with these interviews, they do a montage sort of thing because they play music in the background as various clips of the contestant doing daily tasks are shown. Another film technique that usually occurs with these interviews is the sound. When a contestant is sharing their story and they get to a really emotional part and get all choked up, the background music turns all sad and really represents what the person went through. The interviews are what really makes reality shows interesting.

Four Brothers

The other day I watched the movie Four Brothers. It was a great movie with a lot of plot twists. As soon as the movie started there was noticeable symbolism. The first thing shown is a pair of fuzzy dice in Mrs. Mercer's car which has a pair of two's facing the camera. This is symbolic, one, because it adds up to four which is the amount of adopted sons she had, and, two, because it show how close they really are as a family. It shows that, even when the four of them aren't around, they are still with Mrs. Mercer in her heart. I also like the way they characterized Mrs. Mercer. She took in four unruly children and raised them on her own to the point that they fight for her. But, in the beginning of the film, they show that, even to the end of her life, she still worked to make people, mainly children, into respectable adults. Even when they show the security footage of her death it looks like she was trying to talk to her murderers and change them for the better.

Gatorade Superbowl Commercial

I recently watched the Gatorade commercial that aired during the 2010 Super Bowl. The commercial is a montage of clips of gameplay of various NFL teams and players, is narrated, and is set to music. The ad targets people who follow professional sports and sports enthusiasts, but appears to focus on individuals who are athletes themselves. One visual element used in the ad is repetition as many scenes of different parts of a football game (locker room, warm up, game play) are displayed in montage. The use of repetition highlights the intensity of the athletes, and therefore conveys the sense that Gatorade allows athletes to perform more intensely, an appealing attribute of the product. Close-up shots of athletes’ faces and the athletes’ body language also highlight the intensity of the athletes, and convey them as confident and competent. Testimonial propaganda is used in the ad as it features professional athletes consuming Gatorade, and thereby endorsing the product. Transfer is another propaganda technique used in the commercial, as the commercial may lead viewers to believe that drinking Gatorade will allow them to perform better, and more intensely. Selling the image is also used in the commercial. As the NFL players are constantly seen drinking Gatorade, they are selling Gatorade as a product used by the best. At the end of the commercial, juxtaposition is used as the bright color of the Gatorade logo is set in a black background, emphasizing it and allowing it to catch the eyes of the viewer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2JiCl6n7lQ