Fifa 14: Case Study

• Name of game: Fifa 14
• Release date: November 2013
• Institutions behind the game: EA Canada and Electronic Arts (EA)

Print

• Find a FIFA 14 print advert and describe how it promotes the game.

This print advert promotes the game very well because it uses a well-known footballer (Lionel Messi) as the key central image, so this attracts many people to gain interest for the game.

• What key conventions of print adverts can you find on the FIFA ad?

The key conventions used in the print advert are: the product name, font, colour, slogan and central image.

The slogan: 'WE ARE FIFA 14' is essential as it involves the audience by implying that everyone who plays the game is equal and is potentially one the same level as footballers in some context.

The font of the slogan is the standard font used for Fifa 14 in all the print advertisements; this is crucial as the audience can identify the game easily by looking as the font. 

• Find three reviews for FIFA 14 that were originally published in video game magazines. 

• Why are magazine reviews effective in promoting the game to FIFA 14's target audience?

Magazine reviews are effective as many people who play games (like Fifa) tend to read video game magazines like: PlayStation and Xbox. Also they help contribute to whether or not it's worth other people buying the game. 

• In your opinion, is print or e-media more effective in reaching the FIFA 14 target audience?

I think e-media is more effective because many people use social networking sites (like Twitter and Facebook) more and can associate with it better. For Facebook, pages are set up to keep people updated and for Twitter, #hashtags are a method to help people identify new trends.

Broadcast

• Watch the FIFA 14 TV advert on YouTube. How the does the advert attract an audience?

The advert attracts the audience as it has celebrities (e.g. Drake), football players (e.g. Messi) and a variety of average people from a range of different ethnicities. The advert uses a variety of different types of people, so this makes it easier to be an international advert.

• Why is Lionel Messi driving the van?

Lionel Messi is driving a van and TV screens are attached to it with Fifa 14 being played. This is an effective method to show the audience that Messi can be normal and casual. 

• How does the TV advert feature the FIFA 14 brand? Font? Slogan? Main star?

The TV advert features the Fifa 14 brand in many ways; the players in the advert are used in the game itself. The font used at the end is the standard writing that Fifa uses overall, so people can identify the game easily.The main star (Lionel Messi) is a well-established football player and by using him in the advert makes people even more attracted to the game.

• Why is there a combination of famous footballers, celebrities and regular people in the advert?

There is a combination of different people to show that the game is targeted at a wide variety of race and ethnicities. The game is also being promoted towards other countries to show that football doesn't have to necessarily be associated with Britain and Europe. By using an American celebrity, like Drake, is essential as it reinforces how Fifa 14 is being targeted worldwide.  

• Watch the FIFA 14 trailer on YouTube. How does it differ from the TV advert?

The trailer on YouTube uses the same graphics for the PS3 game itself , whereas the TV advert uses real-life background with actors and football players. 

• Why is the trailer effective in promoting the game?

It  creates a buzz as it hints at the new elements and updates involved in the game. 

E-Media

• Visit the FIFA 14 website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a FIFA 14 fan?

The layout of the website is effective; when you first click on the website the central image is of a well-known footballer. In addition, the font is essential as it's Fifa's (the brand itself) own traditional font- so this maintains the interest of a Fifa 14 fan. 

• How many 'likes' has the FIFA 14 Facebook wall had? -21,328,447 likes 

• Choose five of the posts on the Facebook page's wall, screen grab them and explain how they appeal to the FIFA 14 target audience.

 Promotion schemes attract Fifa 14 fans.

By promoting the demo this creates buzz and prompts Fifa 14 fans to still maintain interest.

Creating disscussions on well-known football players helps maintain interest. 

Fifa fans are notified about updates on Fifa 14 from the Facebook page.

By posting videos on Facebook helps maintain interest for Fifa 14 fans because they are influenced by famous football players and their techniques.

• What is the FIFA 14 Twitter hashtag?

The main hashtags are: #FIFA14 #UltimateTeam

• What is the FIFA 14 Twitter account currently tweeting about? Find three recent tweets and explain why they would appeal to the FIFA 14 target audience.

This gets Fifa 14 fans excited as they have a chance to attend E3.  

This tweet creates buzz from discussions based on opinions of teams and football players. 

This tweet creates buzz from discussions based on opinions of teams and football players.

• Can you find any examples of user-generated content on YouTube? This means YouTube videos of FIFA 14 game play that players have created and uploaded themselves. 

Music Video Analysis: Smooth Criminal

Concept: 
The overall concept of the music video is to present Michael Jackson who is a smooth criminal. It is presented as a short-film which is based in a 1930's nightclub.  

Narrative:

• A women/girl named Annie is in her apartment when a man breaks in and attacks her, then leaves. He's asking throughout the song whether she's okay.
• MJ has been presented as a 'smooth criminal' among the other criminals around him as they're trying to attack him. As he is able to defeat these criminals this makes Michael Jackson a 'smooth criminal'. 

Visual effects:

Lighting is a crucial effect used in the music video as the main lighting focus is on Michael Jackson throughout the song which reinforces how important and well-respected he is. 

• The framing of the entire video directly links to the power Michael Jackson possesses. In almost every shot, Michael is in the centre of the frame, presenting the fact that he is very important as he is the main focal point for the audience.
• Editing has been used in the prologue to the song when Michael Jackson throws a coin from one end of the Speakeasy to another, landing in the Jukebox and starting the track.
• MJ's anti-gravity lean- it is a dance move that he is able to master and do naturally. He leans forward close to a 45 degree angle, creating the illusion that he is defying gravity.

Representation: Taken

Taken 

Taken uses a wide variety of representations throughout the movie. The different types of representations used consist of: Men, Women, Teenage Girls, Americans and Non- Americans (Albanians). In the movie, the Men (especially Liam Neeson) are perceived as over-protective and superior as they make the main decisions. Also, the men which are used in the non-american gang are portrayed as powerful and a stereotypical interpretation is that foreign gangs are usually seen as a threat to innocent people. The Teenage Girls are seen as vulnerable and stereotypically Teenage Girls in movies are naive and tend to put themselves into dangerous situations. Despite the fact that females are used in the movie, there are fewer women used overall ; a possible reason for this is because stereotypically it's the male's role to protect and fight for his family and in this movie the main male character (Liam Neeson) is out to protect his daughter.

Assignment 2

Task One and Two

Genre: Teen Drama

Setting: High School

Storyline: A story of a 16-year-old girl who moves to a new school only to realise she feels like a social outcast. The 16-year-old (Rubab) soon becomes a target to ‘The School Diva’ (Iqra). Soon the truth is revealed by Rubab.

Task Three and Four

Logline:

“A story of a 16-year-old girl who joins a new high school after moving to London. She’s perceived as the social outcast and soon becomes the target of the ‘School Diva’ which then leads to a big revelation.”

Genre: Teen Drama – it involves key conventions of a teen drama film such as ‘The School Diva’ and ‘The Outcast’.

Similar Films:

Mean Girls – the setting is similar (a high school) and Mean Girl’s uses social reputation as an essential feature in the movie.

Target Audience:

80% girls, 20% boys – this movie will appeal to girls more and girls tend to go through the pressures of high school more. These pressures could include: reputation. This is because girls tend to have expectations towards each other and this makes social reputation a crucial factor.

Main Characters: Iqra – School Diva, Rubab – The Outcast

Narrative:

A story of a 16-year-old girl who moves to a new school only to realise she feels like a social outcast. The 16-year-old (Rubab) soon becomes a target to ‘The School Diva’ (Iqra). Soon the truth is revealed by Rubab.

Film Trailers



 

Takers

 

Genre: American crime action thriller.

 

Narrative: A group of bank robbers find their multi-million dollar plan interrupted by a hard-boiled detective.

 

Characters: Bank robbers and a detective are the characters in the film. They're used as the storyline is associated with a bank robbery and a detective is used in to investigate the case.

 

Iconography: The main iconography features used are guns, cars and money.

 

Setting: In LA, California - this location was probably used because LA used to have high crime rates.



 

 

Kidulthood

Genre: Teen drama.

 

Narrative: The film follows two days in the lives of a group of 15-year olds from a mixed-income area of West London. It shows young people who commit crimes such as petty theft and serious violence. The film also showcases how the characters engage in recreational drug taking behaviour.

 

Character: The characters involved in the film are secondary school teens. You can tell as some scenes take place in a school where they were uniform.

 

Iconography: drugs, alcohol bottles, money, phones etc

By the use of these features it reinforces that the film is a teen drama.

 

Setting: West London -  around an estate area.

 



 

The Conjuring

Genre: Thriller and Horror.

Narrative: A family living in farmhouse experience supernatural events and paranormal investigators are called in to investigate these cases.

Setting: A farmhouse - the events take place when it's dark, so this builds up tension.

 

Magazine Cover

Film Promotion

Poster

Genre:

• crime fiction
• action
• thriller
• adventure

Key conventions of the film poster:

• title
• tagline
• release date
• actors
• institution
• colour scheme

Trailer

Key conventions of a trailer:

• voice over
• release date
• close-up shots
• title
• narrative
• dramatic scenes

Target audience:

• mainly male because it has male actors and shows a lot of cars

65%-male

35%-female

why is it successful?

• it has well-known actors in the film