The Lego Movie: Marketing (Poster Analysis)

The Lego Movie: Promotional Poster

TASK 1: Copy down the following definitions into your books.

Intertextuality: the relationship between texts.

Genre: a style or category of art, music, or literature.

Convergence: The interlinking of computing and other information technologies, media content, media companies and communication networks.

Conglomerate: a thing consisting of a number of different and distinct parts or items that are grouped together e.g.: Warner Brothers.

Vertical Integration: the combination in one firm of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate firms e.g.: Warner Brothers.

TASK 2: 

1. Open PowerPoint and open five slides. 

2. Place the images below into the middle of each slide.

3. Begin to label the media language present on each poster providing an explanation for each. Try to explain how each element is appealing to the target audience of families.

Image:

Colour:

Facial Expression:

Text:

Font:

Title:

Strapline:

Actor:

Example:
Image: The image is of Wyldstyle and in close up; she appears at a dutch angle to show her 'wild' nature. The city can be seen in the background along with what appears to be a train track suggesting action/adventure as she appears in a dangerous situation.

Posters freely available online: 
1. The main poster featuring an ensemble cast, running from danger (http://www.impawards.com/2014/lego_movie_ver9.html) 
2. Character poster of Vitruvius in close-up (http://www.impawards.com/2014/lego_movie_ver3.html) 
3. Character poster of Emmet in close-up (http://www.impawards.com/2014/lego_movie_ver8.html) 
4. Character poster of Lord Business in close-up (http://www.impawards.com/2014/lego_movie_ver5.html) 
5. Character poster of Wyldstyle in close-up (http://www.impawards.com/2014/lego_movie_ver7.html) 

TASK 3: In your books, copy down the following character descriptions.

Vladimir Propp was a folklorist researcher interested in the relationship between characters and narrative.
Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.
He claimed characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story.

These roles are:

The Hero:the person on the quest through which the audience follow the narrative
The Helper: offers help to the hero in their quest, this is usually a sidekick
The Villain: struggles to stop the hero in their quest
The False Hero: a character than initially appears as good but turns out to be evil
The Donor: prepares the hero for their quest
The Dispatcher: the person that sends the hero on their quest
The Princess: person the hero marries, and who is often searched for during the quest

TASK 4: Compare these to The Lego Movie and explain which character fits to each character type and explain why. The first one has been done for you. 

*If you find it difficult, explain why. Propp was researching Fairytales, so consider why this theory may not work with a modern audience, how have our attitudes changed? E.g.: feminism.

The Hero: Emmet is the hero of The Lego Movie as we follow his character arc throughout and watch him turn from a nobody to the hero of the narrative.
The Helper:
The Villain:
The False Hero:
The Donor:
The Dispatcher:
The Princess: