Submarine - DVD Cover (Film 4)

Submarine - DVD Cover (Film 4)

NARRATIVE - PLOT SUMMARY:

Oliver struggles with being popular in school but when a dark - haired beauty takes interest in him, he's determined to become the best boyfriend in the world. Meanwhile, his parents' already rocky relationship is threatened when his mother's ex - boyfriend moves in next door. Oliver makes some unusual plans to ensure that his parents stay together and that Jordana still likes him.

ANALYSIS OF THE DVD COVER:

MEDIA LANGUAGE:

• The front cover of the DVD shows an image of the central character and replicates the colour scheme of the poster, suggesting they are from the same marketing campaign
• The tag line gives clues to the narrative, and although it is enigmatic, suggests there may also be some comedy in the film
• This is further reinforced in the promotional blurb on the back cover, which refers to the narrative and suggests the areas of conflict and possible resolution provided by the love interest within the film. It also highlights some of the comedic potential of the film through the characters’ introductions, for example ‘Jordana, a self - professed pyromaniac’
• An image of Jordana also features on the back cover along with Oliver Tate. They both have an indirect mode of address and are also not looking at each other, suggesting their quirky relationship
• In some of the international versions of the DVD cover, other thumbnails are included on the back cover giving clues to plot situations from the film
• As this is a low - budget, independent film, the focus of the marketing will usually be the sub - genre, the characters and the narrative, as there are no high - profile stars to draw the attention of the audience
• The DVD also includes a range of other conventional features, including industry information, the production company logo and the age certification

REPRESENTATION:

• The DVD cover and the film poster construct representations of ‘troubled’ young people as the sub - genre is ‘coming of age’
• The visual codes of clothing, gesture and expression combined with the narrative blurb reinforce the idea that these are more realistic representations of youth than in other more mainstream films
• There is also the social and cultural representation of 1980s Britain
• The blurb suggests that issues related to the young people of the time will be represented in the film. This is also suggested by the film’s tagline as these issues are transferable to young people today who are the target audience of the film

AUDIENCE:

• The language included on the film poster uses a hyperbole to persuade an audience to go and see the film by offering promises of pleasure, for example ‘hilarious and touching’, suggesting emotional engagement
• The idea for the film came from an existing book, therefore there was already an audience with knowledge of the narrative and characters who would be interested in the film
• Setting the film in the 1980s, may attract a nostalgic audience who remember their own adolescence at the time
• This DVD is a ‘collector’s edition’ suggesting its exclusivity to the audience and attracting the fan base for this genre of film
• The ‘special features’ may also attract an audience to buy this particular edition of the DVD
• The music for the film was created by Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys; this information is on the poster to attract fans of the band. This is reinforced on the DVD cover and suggests the credibility of the director

INDUSTRY:

• Submarine was made by the independent film company Warp Films, known for making innovative films
• Warp also has an independent record label as part of its extended company and there is evidence of horizontal integration as Alex Turner wrote the soundtrack for Submarine 
• Below - the - line advertising is an advertising strategy in which a product is promoted on platforms other than radio, TV, billboards, print and film
• Funding is often a problem for independent film companies, whose aim is to foster new talent and innovate ideas. Other smaller companies joined together to ensure the success of the film, including Film 4 Productions, Film Agency for Wales and Red Hour Films
• Submarine was directed by Richard Ayoade and produced by Red Hour Films
• Submarine has won awards worldwide, including best screenplay at the 2011 BFI Awards. Also, Richard Ayoade was nominated for a BAFTA for outstanding debut by a British writer
• Much of the film’s success came from below the line and word of mouth advertising, and from its success at independent film festivals
• ‘Optimum Releasing’ distributed the film in the UK; they have a lot of experience in releasing smaller, independent films