Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Cancer Research UK television advertisement Essays

Cancer Research UK television advertisement Essays Cancer Research UK television advertisement Essay Cancer Research UK television advertisement Essay Cancer Research UK is Britains leading charity and is dedicated to the research, treatment and prevention of cancer. With a team of 3000 scientists, and an annual research budget in excess of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½130 million, they are the largest independent cancer research organisation in the world. In todays world, adverts have a great deal of influence over what we buy and do. Nearly everywhere we go some type of advert bombards us. For example, there are adverts on buses, on television, in magazines and on the street. This essay will identify the techniques used by the Cancer Research UK advertisement, by looking in great detail at the colours, music, fonts and other techniques. More than one in three of us will develop cancer at some point. Few of us go through life without coming into contact with the disease in some way either through personal experience or through that of a friend or family member. Cancer Research UK is an organisation set up to find new and effective treatments for cancer quicker than ever before. The genre of an advert will determine its audience and most adverts are geared towards a certain target audience. For example, if the advert were for Mountain Biking UK it could use a famous mountain biker and detailed technical terms, which would appeal to the target audience. They would therefore be interested in and could identify with the product and the message the advert portrays. However, the Cancer Research UKs advert doesnt seem to clearly indicate who the intended audience is, probably because cancer affects everyone. It does however convey the fact that cancer affects not only the victim, but also those closest to them. In the advert a women dies leaving a child mother-less, it is a potential sorrow that many can identify with and is immediately understood even by children. In the advertisement there is two scenes in contrast with each other. The first scene shows to the viewer the affects cancer can have over a family. In the other scene, there is a family who has benefited from the organisation. This shows to the viewer the big impacts they could create from donating a small sum of money. The advertisement uses a number of techniques to convey to the viewer why they should contribute 2 a month to Cancer Research UK. The music in the background makes the viewer feel mournful, empathetic, and sad. There are lots of other effects like the voiceover, which is slow and meaningful, together with powerful visual images.  The advert starts with a high angle over shoulder shot at a boy who looks to be about seven years old and his mother. The director has chosen the location of the advert to be in the hallway whilst the child gets ready for school. This is a vital part of a mothers role to prepare her child for the day ahead. This makes the boy so vulnerable because he couldnt cope with a loss of his mother. This is why it is so important that the viewer contributes a sum of money smaller than the cost of their daily coffee in a caf This is a technique used in many adverts where the viewer is made to feel guilty for not participating in the event. Eva Cassidy who is a singer became famous posthumously, writes the music in the background. She has a distinctive soft and delicate voice that is instantly recognizable. It is a well-known fact that she tragically died of cancer at the age of thirty-three. Her voice used as the musical backdrop in this advert, is particularly poignant and apt. The lyrics to the music Youll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley can also have a reminiscent and nostalgic affect upon the viewer. The hallway portrays family life with shoes on the floor and coats hung up. However the lack of colour in the hallway creates a stark sterile atmosphere that is bereft of the busyness of everyday life. The camera then pans across to the right, the cancer research logo appears on the screen, the camera now gives an over shoulder view with the mothers back to the camera. The mother leans forward and whispers softly into the boys ear Dont forget your hanky and slowly disappears into the mirror. At this point the voiceover says, We dont have a magic mirror, but at Cancer Research UK, were helping more and more people survive cancer everyday. The voice is emotional, saying that there is no magic mirror, nothing will bring someone back, but the organisation is developing the cures for cancer. Were helping more and more people survive cancer everyday. It sounds catchy, and suits the context. It also instills hope into that scene of loss and despair. It encourages the viewer to believe that their financial contribution could avoid such tragedy in the future. This is another technique, which demonstrates what the viewer is buying with their small contribution; hope.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Yoohoo! A Theatre Warm-up

Yoohoo! A Theatre Warm-up This theatre game is an energizing warm-up for use in Theatre Class or with any group that could use a shift in energy! Theatre Skills Taking Cues, Cooperation, Cooperative Movement, Ensemble Playing, Remaining Frozen and Silent Materials Reproduce a copy of the list of cues provided below. Directions/Modeling the Process Ask all participants to stand in an open area and then teach them the following lines: Leader: Yoo-hoo! Group: Yoo-hoo who? Leader: You who†¦ Explain that you as the leader will cue them with words that suggest movements or characters and movements, like this: Leader: You who sneak like thieves. Then the whole group rhythmically repeats the last word in a whisper six times as they move as indicated and then say â€Å"Freeze† and freeze in place: Group: â€Å"Thieves, thieves, thieves, thieves, thieves, thieves, freeze!† The leader then cues the next movement: Leader: Yoo-hoo! Group: Yoo-hoo who? Leader: You who jump with ropes. Group: Ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, freeze! Practice Do a few practice rounds until the participants get the call-and-response lines down and move in rhythm, freezing at the appropriate place: Leader: Yoo-hoo!Group: Yoo-hoo who?Leader: You who move like robots.Group: Robots, robots, robots, robots, robots, robots, freeze!Leader: Yoo-hoo!Group: Yoo-hoo who?Leader: You who style hair.Group: Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, freeze! Teaching Tips It is best if this warm-up can maintain a rhythm in both speech and movements so that it moves quickly. This is why the â€Å"whisper† and â€Å"freeze† aspects of the activity are important. The whispering of the final word in the cue will help to control the noise level. The â€Å"freeze† at the end of each movement section will stop the previous action and prepare participants to listen for a new cue. Having a copy of the list of cues is important so that the leader does not have to think up movement ideas on the spot. Of course, this list can be increased with new ideas, but here is a set of cues to start with: List of Cues You who†¦ †¦bloom like flowers. †¦crawl like babies. †¦sway like palm trees. †¦splash like waves. †¦soar like birds. †¦move like boxers. †¦dance ballet. †¦swirl like tornadoes. †¦walk on tightropes. †¦move like toddlers. †¦swim through water. †¦move like a sharks. †¦play basketball. †¦float like clouds. †¦practice yoga. †¦move like monkeys. †¦dance the hula. †¦figure skate. †¦perform surgery. †¦ski down mountains. †¦run in races. †¦bake a cake. †¦conduct an orchestra. †¦walk like brides. †¦sing in operas. †¦move like royalty. †¦wait on tables. †¦do gymnastics. †¦lift weights. †¦clean houses. †¦row boats. †¦ride horses. †¦paint nails. †¦ride skateboards. †¦wear high heels. †¦drive race cars. †¦ride a bike. †¦play hop scotch. †¦paint a house. †¦walk in mud. †¦reach and stretch. †¦rush to class. †¦taste new food. †¦water ski. †¦take selfies. †¦dance at parties. †¦lead the cheers. †¦throw the ball. †¦sing too loud. †¦take big steps. †¦gaze at stars. Using the Warm-Up in Connection with Curriculum Once the participants understand the format of this theatre game, you can adjust it to apply to an area of study. For example, if you are reading Macbeth, your cues could be: You who†¦ †¦prophesize. †¦long for power. †¦plan and plot. †¦murder kings. †¦see a ghost. †¦rub out spots. Add new cues and save them for future uses of this warm-up. And if you like Yoohoo, you might also like Circle Tableau Game.