SHELTER (MEDIA LANGAUGE) Flashcards
(13 cards)
Red Colour Palette
- Connotes- urgency, crisis and alarm.
- Cultural code- associated with warning signs or emergency situations reinforcing the immediacy of the issue of homelessness, highlighting how vital it is to get help (target audience)
Mise-en-scene (black background)
Muted colour palette (destaurated tones) emblematic of the social realism cinematography.
Black backdrop (symbolic code)- gives the impression that an emotional or black void of existential dispair (reinforces that housing insecurity feels endless and overwhelming.
The absence of a visible home or enviroment make its unclear where the models are situated—visual metaphor for the uncertainty and instability of their housing situation/ displacement.
Make-up costuming
Each face is devoid of extravagant makeup or artificial lighting, reinforcing aesthetic naturalism and the notion that these individuals are representative of real people affected by housing insecurity.
Extreme close up/ microexpressions
Magnifies facial expressions and micro-expressions– which are deliberatly ambigious– meant to function as mirror-reflect the audiences own fears/ worries
Social realism technique–enhances authenticity and verismillitude. .
Mode of address/ direct adress
The gaze creates a form of visual direct address, positioning the audience in a role of moral responsibility—as if the individuals are personally seeking help from the viewer
subverts the traditional “spectacle of suffering” trope— audience do not merely observing homelessness from a detached perspective but is being directly confronted by those experiencing it.
Typography/ text
The text is strategically placed over the faces of the individuals, partially obscuring their identities, this visual metaphor suggests that their voices are being silenced, reinforcing the idea that homelessness is often an invisible crisis within society.
Textual elements ‘But where will we live’ ‘he cant do that’ I cant face it’
The fragmented nature of the phrases—”But where will we live?”—creates a sense of ambiguity and fear, compelling the audience to engage with the implied narrative
. Elliptical text deploys engima codes as the lack of explicit exposition compels the audience to fill in the gaps, triggering active audience engagement
Baudrillard: The text overlaying faces creates a hyperreal effect, as if the individuals’ thoughts are directly visible to the audience.
Triptych- 3 seperate yet connected images
Mirrors the idea that those facing housing insecurity feel isolated but are part of a larger, systemic issue.
binary oppositions– individual struggles vs. the collective crisis.
Search bar option (digital convergence)
appeals to younger digital natives who more comfortable using the internet rather than calling helplines etc
Clearly shows of how to search for help- highlights how audiences can help themselves, reinforcing that this help is not a hand out but leg up. Also, the seach bar visually connects to migrant audiences who may have English as their first language.
Lagos?
‘helped thousands of people (lagos)- relaible, and credible
Reception theory Hall
Dominant reading- recognizing the urgency of the housing crisis and feeling encouraged to seek help or support Shelter.
Negotiated reading- acknowledge the problem but feel that other factors (such as personal responsibility) also play a role
Oppositional- could come from audiences who believe that charities like Shelter promote dependency rather than solutions.
Zoonen
The inclusion of both male and female subjects in the campaign reflects gender inclusivity, avoiding a one-dimensional perspective on homelessness and breaking gender expectations (men as strong providers, women as dependent- this is a universal/ economic issue not a gendered one.
Hall & representation
By including an ethinically ambigious cast, the advert offers multiple identification points for audiences, making the issue feel personal and relatable.
