ZOELLA MEDIA LANGUAGE Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the conventional camera technique for sit down YouTube videos?
A single camera set up, medium closeups, direct address and filmed by the vlogger themself.
What is the lighting set up for YouTube videos?
Soft box lights or ring lights are easy to buy online and are used for sit down videos.
This focuses the audience on the vlogger and makes the shots look more professional.
What is the effect of the hand held camera shot?
They add a feeling of realism and naturality to her posts. It often creates an amateur feeling because of the shaky nature, but is often appealing to an audience who feel they are seeing the ‘real’ Zoella.
How do vloggers give audiences the oportunity to interact?
Through encouraging them to like, share, or comment on their content.
Vloggers will often ask their viewers questions or instruct them to hit subscribe, or comment below.
This helps the audience to feel engages.
How does Zoella use intertextuality?
She refers to other media products such as music, films, brands etc.
This adds to her representation as someone who is current, popular, fashionable, etc.
How does Zoella use collaboration?
She regularly collaborates with other social media influencers/vloggers which creates more intertextual references, whilst also creating an impression of popularity/success
What is the benefit of collaborating with YouTubers?
Her content can be shared accross multiple channels such as hers, Alfies, and Joe’s.
They borrow from each other in terms of ideas and content, often having near identical videos, photos and written posts online accross their channels.
How does Zoella show self-awareness?
She clearly shows that she is aware of the camera/audience, sometimes showing the camera, or the lights, breaking the 4th wall, and using direct address.
What is the general narrative of her vlogs?
Each video has a rough narrative, eg ‘Christmas Eve preparations’.
The editing is fragmented, showing us a montage of shots from different days or activities.
There is not a clear Todorovian narrative structure, instead they are glimpses into random minor events.
What is the contrast between film and TV editing and vlog editing?
Film and Tv uses continuity editing which is designed to use different angles of the same shots to create smooth scenes where the editing is ‘invisible’.
However, in vlogs - as everything is filmed by one camera from one angle, it is hard to produce continuity editing. Instead we see jump cuts and other obvious editing features such as a ‘dip to black’ or a fade.
The style of editing could be about making them look relatable or due to filming limitations.
How does Zoella address her audience?
She uses informal language, colloquialisms, slang, and direct address that appeals to young audiences.
Her informal mode of address combined with her sometimes immature sense of humour and silly behaviour is a good way of appealing to younger audiences who relate to this.
How does Zoella use symbolic codes (Barthes) in her content?
She uses a range of emojis and graphics within her videos and photos (also in written captions/texts) to appeal to a younger audience as they make her seem youthful and fun.
What is the effect of settings used in Zoella’s content?
She uses ‘personal spaces’ (vlogging convention) for the location of her photos and videos.
These include their homes (and bedrooms etc) or cars.
This adds a sense of intimacy as we feel we are seeing her real domain, and acting as a ‘voyeur’ into her life and relationship.
The mise-en-scene is typicallu feminine eg pinks, pastels, gold, glitter etc.
How does her website reinforce her branding?
Her website echoes Zoellas femenine branding and style of feminity by using youthful pastels, fairy lights, serif font that appears ‘handwritten’ and imagery of lace patterns and glittery backgrounds.
What is the effect of amateur aesthetics?
Unintentinal mistakes/jump cuts (Eg her children walking in), give an unedited feel
What is the presenter POV? And what does it do?
seeing what the presenter sees e.g external travel shots
temporarily removes barrier from the audience
What is best friend characterization?
Appearing as kind, caring and gentle e.g “Hello everybody!” (smiling) = relationship with audience
What is confessional narrative?
Addressing the audience with a secret
e.g “I had to get another suitcase”
