Week Six Analysis Refresher Seminar I Dr. Richard Nowell ¨Structure ¨ ¨Analysis vs. Description ¨ ¨Movie Marketing Analysis ¨ ¨The Barbie (2023) Trailers ¨ ¨Targeted Learning Outcome ¨ ¨Sharpening our Analytical Skills 1. ¨Analysis can be considered a concerted and focused effort to uncover the meanings or the significance of something under examination ¨ ¨Analysis is often contrasted to “description”; descriptive work is often deemed because it is limited to conveying surface meanings ¨ ¨In other words, description stops short at saying what something is, whereas analysis posits why and how something might be the way it is ¨ ¨Description is therefore the first step toward analysis, but not the last: it is the evidence that we cite in order to support a position we are making ¨ ¨As we see in two weeks time, frontloading our work with a position or a thesis statement transforms description into evidence of our argument ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨Focus: The Anglophone Marketing of Barbie (2023) ¨ ¨Research Question: How did Warner Bros trailers frame Barbie? ¨ ¨Primary Sources: Barbie’s three English-language trailers ¨ ¨Secondary Sources: Kernan, Coming Attractions. ¨ Klinger, “Digressions at the Cinema”. ¨ Wyatt, High Concept. ¨ Nowell, “Where Nothing is Off Limits”. ¨ ¨Analytical Framework: Trailers contribute to a film’s brand image, by positing attractions for targeted audiences ¨1. What attractions does the trailer suggest the film offers? 1. ¨2. Which elements of the trailer suggest these attractions? ¨ ¨3. What media texts does the trailer associate with the film? ¨ ¨4. From what ideas does the trailer distance the film? ¨ ¨5. What audiences is the trailer trying to appeal to? ¨ ¨6. What type of film do these attractions suggest the film is? ¨ ¨ ¨The trailers posit a multifaceted brand image intended to appeal to multiple audiences beyond the little girls associated with Barbie dolls ¨ ¨This objective is driven by framing the film in ways that counter the well-known critique of Barbie as an outdated oppressive girl’s toy ¨ ¨The film is thus sold as a modern satire uniting Gen-Z liberals through its progressive politics, patriarchal critique, and inclusive recreation ¨ ¨It is also positioned as quality cinema wherein a female indie auteur reimagines a heritage brand to offer a smart critique of gender relations ¨ ¨It is even framed as a straight-male-friendly comedy replete with gross-out humor, a female sex symbol, and the stars of earlier bromances ¨(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWMAVkiz_gk) ¨This positions Barbie in two ways for two adult audiences, both foreclose the idea this is exploitative trash for little girls ¨ ¨1. Heritage Cinema for Mature Female Audiences ¨ ¨Older actress as voiceover ¨Parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1969) ¨Spotlighting Barbie dolls as groundbreaking nostalgia ¨ ¨2. Smart Inclusive Satire for Gen-Z Liberals ¨ ¨An auteur piece from a female indie director ¨Centralizing marginalized groups, poking fun at men ¨Colorful camp aesthetic a la Drag Race, Bake-Off ¨ ¨ ¨(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRyt3Ov4zz0) ¨Forecloses the idea of Barbie as oppressive toy for little girls ¨ ¨1. A Risqué Comedy for Thirty-Something Straight Guys 1. ¨Sex appeal of Robie, as star of earlier male-oriented films ¨Stars of earlier male-oriented fare: Ferrell, Cera, Gosling ¨Crude, quasi-homophobic, humor ¨Pokes fun at the absurdities of the Barbie universe ¨ ¨2. Politically-Engaged Inclusive Production ¨ ¨Centralizes women as socially dominant individuals ¨Emphasizes inclusion of black, lesbian, transgender talent ¨Mocks homoerotic aspects of male-on-male aggression ¨(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBk4NYhWNMM&t=89s) ¨This trailer re-mobilizes the brand facets of the teaser trailer to position Barbie as a female community-building product ¨ ¨1. Feminist Satire ¨Positions Barbie as a vehicle for critiquing real-world male entitlement, misogyny, and self-indulgence ¨ ¨Positions Barbie as a force of female existential awaking, promoting sisterhood on the screen and in front of it ¨ ¨2, Meta-Cinematic Neo-Feminist Girl Power Celebration ¨ ¨It also promotes Barbie as a vehicle for female recreational celebration, defending its combination of fun and politics ¨Once we have a viable topic, research question, primary sources, and secondary sources, the next step is to analyze our primary sources ¨ ¨Whereas description stops short at discussing what something is, analysis also tries to explain why and how something is what it is ¨ ¨This situation reminds us of the importance of frontloading our work with an assertion of our position (also known as a thesis statement) ¨ ¨Once we start with a thesis statement – what we concluded about why something is the way it is – description is transformed into evidence ¨ ¨The Barbie trailers show us how a description of content and address suggests why this film’s brand image was angled to multiple audiences ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨Date: 02.11.2023 ¨ ¨Instructor: Sarka ¨ ¨Topic: Work-in-Progress Seminar 1 ¨ ¨Outcome: The Strengths and Potential Issues of Our Provisional Research Projects ¨ ¨Preparation: Prepare a brief overview, to be delivered in class, of the current state of your research project.