Institution information
This film is called Anchorman and was made in the year 2004. It has been certificated 12A in the UK and was produced by Apatow productions as well as distributed by Dreamworks pictures. The film was directed by Adam McKay and made $90.6 million worldwide in total theatrical run.
Target audience
The target audience for this film is 12-50 year olds, but largely bases its fan base around older teens and young adults. This film also focuses on the genre of comedy, or for fans of certain stars that feature in the film such as Will Ferrell and Steve Carell.
Title and credit analysis
The aren't any expectations when it comes to the conventions of a comedy film. The typography and layout, however, should somehow relate the to the theme of the film and give the audience hints about what the film is going to be about. The typography used to introduce the distribution/production company gives off a "glow" effect. It is underlined using the same effect, and the use of underlining the text makes it stand out more and make it seem more important. Also, the use of capitals makes the text seem bolder, making it stand out more and giving it more importance.
The use of introducing the actors using text tells the audience the importance of that actors role in the film. The fact that the text uses the same typography as it did with introducing the distribution/production company links in with the characters and the film. This text style is then used for introducing the title of the film, in which further relates with the film. The fact that the character was introduced before the film title tells the audience the importance of this character and their roll in the film. Also, using the character along with the title screen of the film further tells the audience that the film is about this character.
The sound used within the credits is dialogue from the character shown on the screen, which helps to set up a narrative for the audience as well as gives hints about the characters personality, where they work, etc. The frame used around the edge of the video clip in the title credits, makes the character appear as if we would expect to see on a vintage television set, which gives hints to the audience about what the comedy is going to be about. Within the mis en scene of the clip, there are props used as well as the costume on the character, in which the audience would associate with a television news setting. We know this through the conventions of a television studio set up e.g. desk, television studio logos in the background, etc. The costume used for the character within the scene is one we would also typically expect to see on a television news report e.g. smart casual suit, well groomed, etc.
In the establishing shot, we can see a city landscape setting, which tells the audience where the film has been set. The use of tracking the helicopter in the shot has the effect that someone important is travelling within the helicopter, as we associate helicopters as being belonging to someone rich or important, but we could associate it with action adventure when there are lots of chase scenes in helicopters. The sound used in this shot is non-diegetic, but uses both a soundtrack and a voice over.
In conventional terms, a voice over in a comedy would help set up a narrative and also introduces us to the protagonist, which is what they did in Anchorman. The soundtrack used is uplifting and works well with the narrative which gives the audience a feel good feeling, but also helps them to connect well with the protagonist. The location the helicopter then lands in appears to be a very sunny, clean location with lots of palm trees, which again we would associate would be where someone who was important or rich to live in.
The shot then cuts to a close up of a foot stepping out of the helicopter. The use of showing the foot before the face creates an atmosphere, building up to the face which tells the audience the character is important if they are "saving the best till last". The use of costume within this shot also tells us that this character is important and our protagonist because the shoes used are a bright white, which shows he is rich enough to afford to keep his shoes clean or buy new ones, and also the trouser leg has no creases in it which further tells us that he can afford smart, crease free clothing.
The camera cuts to the close up of an on-screen script, which tells us more about the characters job and lifestyle (we'd associate on-screen scripts with television studios which links back to the narrative as well as the voice over introduction). It then zooms out and pans over to the location, in which we can see a small area with two cameras and a map in the corner, which again we would expect to see in a television studio. The camera then cuts to closeups of the protagonist getting changed. Each shot shows a different item of the outfit being placed, but still not showing the protagonists face so it builds up suspense and leaves the audience hanging. The camera then doesn't reveal the protagonists face until it introduces the actor along side it (title).
After the title credits, we then get some narrative about whats happening in the film. At this point, the target audience now know about the protagonist, his job as well as what the film is going to be about. The dialogue is then laid out as if it were an introduction to a news report, but also uses this to introduce the other characters involved in the film. It introduces the main character first, which we now know is the main character because of his feature appearance before the title credits and during the title credits, which put the character before the film title which signifies importance.
The use of the character introduction along with the narrative gives the audience the idea about what the character personality is, as well as what they do, etc. The order of introducing the characters is also important as it ranks the characters in order of importance in relevance to the film. After the introduction of the main character, the camera cuts to a mid shot of a man with a baseball bat and, what we would associate to be a a "western" styled hat. Even without the voice over, we can tell that this character is going to be the "sports man". This is because the use of prop of a baseball bat gives us hints about the characters preferences, but also the name "Champ Kind", in which the word "Champ" is shortened from "champion" which means someone who is skilled at sport or is "victorious".
The camera then cuts to a medium close-up. The man within this shot has big glasses, sideburns and a neat haircut. This tells us that the character is very tidy and formal, maybe even seen stereotypically as a "geek" in terms of "high school cliques". The setting is in a barbers shop. We know this because within the mis en scene, there is a prop of a barber shop pole, which conventionally we would expect to see in a barber shop. This setting tells us about the characters personality, as if it is used as a character introduction then the character must feel like he has a personal connection with the shop, or that he visits there frequently, which tells us that his appearance is important to him.
The camera then cuts to a medium long shot of five guys wearing glasses and drinking/smoking. This tells us that the next character is more sociable and mixes well with other people. The use of costume tells us that the character in the middle is one of the character involved in the film, as he is wearing a suit and tie (which matches along side the dress code of the other main characters) where as the others are wearing casual clothing. We also know that he is the main character as the camera then cuts to a close up of his face, in which he then takes off his glasses in a melodramatic manner, almost as if he was revealing his identity to the audience.
The use of walking towards the camera as a group collective, tells the audience that these characters work alongside together. The effect of the character walking in after being introduced adds to that idea that they must be a main character if they are working alongside the protagonist.
The use of introducing the actors using text tells the audience the importance of that actors role in the film. The fact that the text uses the same typography as it did with introducing the distribution/production company links in with the characters and the film. This text style is then used for introducing the title of the film, in which further relates with the film. The fact that the character was introduced before the film title tells the audience the importance of this character and their roll in the film. Also, using the character along with the title screen of the film further tells the audience that the film is about this character.
The sound used within the credits is dialogue from the character shown on the screen, which helps to set up a narrative for the audience as well as gives hints about the characters personality, where they work, etc. The frame used around the edge of the video clip in the title credits, makes the character appear as if we would expect to see on a vintage television set, which gives hints to the audience about what the comedy is going to be about. Within the mis en scene of the clip, there are props used as well as the costume on the character, in which the audience would associate with a television news setting. We know this through the conventions of a television studio set up e.g. desk, television studio logos in the background, etc. The costume used for the character within the scene is one we would also typically expect to see on a television news report e.g. smart casual suit, well groomed, etc.
Preferred readings
In the establishing shot, we can see a city landscape setting, which tells the audience where the film has been set. The use of tracking the helicopter in the shot has the effect that someone important is travelling within the helicopter, as we associate helicopters as being belonging to someone rich or important, but we could associate it with action adventure when there are lots of chase scenes in helicopters. The sound used in this shot is non-diegetic, but uses both a soundtrack and a voice over.
In conventional terms, a voice over in a comedy would help set up a narrative and also introduces us to the protagonist, which is what they did in Anchorman. The soundtrack used is uplifting and works well with the narrative which gives the audience a feel good feeling, but also helps them to connect well with the protagonist. The location the helicopter then lands in appears to be a very sunny, clean location with lots of palm trees, which again we would associate would be where someone who was important or rich to live in.
The shot then cuts to a close up of a foot stepping out of the helicopter. The use of showing the foot before the face creates an atmosphere, building up to the face which tells the audience the character is important if they are "saving the best till last". The use of costume within this shot also tells us that this character is important and our protagonist because the shoes used are a bright white, which shows he is rich enough to afford to keep his shoes clean or buy new ones, and also the trouser leg has no creases in it which further tells us that he can afford smart, crease free clothing.
The camera cuts to the close up of an on-screen script, which tells us more about the characters job and lifestyle (we'd associate on-screen scripts with television studios which links back to the narrative as well as the voice over introduction). It then zooms out and pans over to the location, in which we can see a small area with two cameras and a map in the corner, which again we would expect to see in a television studio. The camera then cuts to closeups of the protagonist getting changed. Each shot shows a different item of the outfit being placed, but still not showing the protagonists face so it builds up suspense and leaves the audience hanging. The camera then doesn't reveal the protagonists face until it introduces the actor along side it (title).
After the title credits, we then get some narrative about whats happening in the film. At this point, the target audience now know about the protagonist, his job as well as what the film is going to be about. The dialogue is then laid out as if it were an introduction to a news report, but also uses this to introduce the other characters involved in the film. It introduces the main character first, which we now know is the main character because of his feature appearance before the title credits and during the title credits, which put the character before the film title which signifies importance.
The use of the character introduction along with the narrative gives the audience the idea about what the character personality is, as well as what they do, etc. The order of introducing the characters is also important as it ranks the characters in order of importance in relevance to the film. After the introduction of the main character, the camera cuts to a mid shot of a man with a baseball bat and, what we would associate to be a a "western" styled hat. Even without the voice over, we can tell that this character is going to be the "sports man". This is because the use of prop of a baseball bat gives us hints about the characters preferences, but also the name "Champ Kind", in which the word "Champ" is shortened from "champion" which means someone who is skilled at sport or is "victorious".
The camera then cuts to a medium close-up. The man within this shot has big glasses, sideburns and a neat haircut. This tells us that the character is very tidy and formal, maybe even seen stereotypically as a "geek" in terms of "high school cliques". The setting is in a barbers shop. We know this because within the mis en scene, there is a prop of a barber shop pole, which conventionally we would expect to see in a barber shop. This setting tells us about the characters personality, as if it is used as a character introduction then the character must feel like he has a personal connection with the shop, or that he visits there frequently, which tells us that his appearance is important to him.
The camera then cuts to a medium long shot of five guys wearing glasses and drinking/smoking. This tells us that the next character is more sociable and mixes well with other people. The use of costume tells us that the character in the middle is one of the character involved in the film, as he is wearing a suit and tie (which matches along side the dress code of the other main characters) where as the others are wearing casual clothing. We also know that he is the main character as the camera then cuts to a close up of his face, in which he then takes off his glasses in a melodramatic manner, almost as if he was revealing his identity to the audience.
The use of walking towards the camera as a group collective, tells the audience that these characters work alongside together. The effect of the character walking in after being introduced adds to that idea that they must be a main character if they are working alongside the protagonist.
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