Magazine Research: The Incredibles Analysis (3)

Institutional Information:

The Incredibles was an animated film, released on the 5th November 2004, based on a family of undercover superheroes who while trying to live a quiet suburban life are forced into action to save the world. The film was written and directed by Brad Bird, also known for the long running TV show The Simpsons and films such as Ratatouille and The Iron Giant. The film stars voice actors such as Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L.Jackson and Holly Hunter. The film falls under the genres animation, action, adventure and family and has the motion picture rating PG. The films tagline is 'Sock-er Mom'. Overall the estimated budget for the film was $92,000,000 with the film grossing $70,000,000 in the United states on its opening weekend and overall grossing over $260,000,000 in the United states alone. 

Images:

The articles uses a lot of images to get the reader interested in the film. The largest of the images is the image on the left, this is a long shot of the main characters within the film, the Parr family. The use of this image tells the audience that one of the main themes within this film is family and the relationships between them. There are also four images placed on the right hand page these show the various characters in the film also providing the reader with snapshots of their superpowers giving the audience an insight into the plot. The article also uses two cut out style images of two of the characters, these images are foregrounded in the article making them appear to be reaching out of the article towards the reader thus making them more immersed and involved in the article. 

Mis En Scene:

The reader can tell from the top left image that the characters in the shot are superheroes this is due to the tight fitting colourful outfits they are wearing with the black pants placed over the top. The audience is also able to tell that they are a family and a team due to the 'i' symbol on all of their outfits. The fact that they are superheroes is also supported by the black eye masks they are all wearing, this is a stereotypical superhero costume in the the film industry. The characters stance in the image also show the audience that they are superheroes and the fact they are stood in a defensive but ready to attack position is stereotypical of the superhero genre. This is also supported by their determined and smug facial expressions, this is typical of characters who have superhuman powers as it demonstrates their self assurance in their own abilities. 

The top image on the right presents the character as having superhuman strength. The juxtaposition of the small protagonist lifting the large heavy craters suggests that he has superhuman strength. 

Colour Scheme:

A red and black colour scheme is used throughout the article, this links with the red and black colour of the protagonists superhero outfits. The colour red also has connotations of danger which is a large element of this film as its the reason the protagonists come out of hiding, therefore this links to the plot and the genre of the film being action and adventure. The colour and tone of the images used in the article also hints towards the genre of action, for example in the pages on the right hand side orange and teal tones are used, these coloured tones are typical for the genre action. All of the images in this article are bright and colourful therefore catching the readers attention and thus getting them interested in the film. 

Orthography and Graphology:

The main body of the text is written in the classic 'Times New Roman' font, this makes it clear and easy to read. The first letter of the article 'T' is displayed in a large red font, this stands out in the article therefore making it more likely for someone to read it. Another similar technique is the way the first three words of the article are written in red font and are capitalised. The quote used in the article is also capitalised and written in a red font, this makes it stand out against the white background intriguing the reader and making them want to find out more about the film. Perhaps one weakness of the article is that it doesn't display the title of the film clearly as the reader has to search the page to find out that information as it is not obvious. 

Text:

The opening paragraph of the article immediately introduces the film and gives a brief insight to the characters by providing a few well recognisable quotes from the film, brief summaries of their appearances and personality traits. The main body of text includes many elements like quotes from various people involved in the film such as Ed Catmull, the President at Pixar, this provides multiple perspectives on the film for the reader. 

How does the article advertise the film?

This article advertises the film through the use of colour, images, graphology and orthography. The article uses bright images and text to capture the readers attention and build their interest in the film. The use of quotes from influential people such as the President of Pixar build the readers trust in the author and ultimately making it seem like a film worth watching.