Girls on Film podcast

Girls on Film podcast

Ep 27: Marielle Heller on A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood starring Tom Hanks 

Presenter: Anna Smith

Interviewed Guest: Marielle Heller (an American writer and director)

3rd February 2020 - 10 minutes long 

The podcast starts off with the use of the jingle which highlights it is a well - known show and must be watched frequently as the jingle adds its own unique twist on the show which signifies their own brand identity.

In the first 20 seconds, host Anna Smith introduces the topic for this edition: talking to Marielle Heller about her new film 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood'. Anna plugs the film and tells the audience when it is out to draw the audience in and when Anna asks Marielle what kind of movie 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighbour' is, Marielle makes an intertextual reference to Mr Rogers and her previous work as well as other films in general, indicating who might be listening to 'Girls on Film'. Also, through the use of mentioning Marielle's past work, it could draw in more audiences and perhaps if they love her new film so much, they will watch her older movies as well. They both use a direct mode of address which involves the listener and establishes the theme for the following discussion and Anna also raises questions which will be answered during the course of the show.

The guest is introduced as, 'the director of A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood starring Matthew Rhys and Tom Hanks'. Both Anna and Marielle are female and together represent a diverse range of highly skilled occupations (director and film critic). Arguably, this could offer a positive representation of women.

The film itself and other movie trends are explored in detail. Anna manages the discussion to keep it lively and entertaining and also links points together and offers enthusiastic reactions to further position listeners. The fact that the characters in the film are discussed and what influenced Marielle brings the audience in and helps them understand the characters more and the reasoning behind them.

There is a range of complex vocabulary, which is not glossed over, and suggests listeners are well educated. However, the discussion is not so niche as to be highly academic, and helpful comparisons are made by Anna and Marielle. The ideas become more complex as Marielle discusses reasons for the idea of the whole film and Anna helps to construct the audience as being in touch with digital culture and technology.

Some may argue that throughout the podcast episode, Clay Shirky’s notion of ‘cooperation’ can be applied and the way modern audiences are ‘changing their behaviour to synchronise’ with one another. Alternatively, if we apply Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model, an oppositional reading of this statement might be that the guests (or editors of the show) are trying too hard to make 'Girls on Film' seem relevant to a youthful, technologically - minded audience. By the middle of the podcast, the audience has been clearly defined and positioned as well - educated and adult.

There is a reference to the UK election results which highlights the audience is more likely to be British with the exception of perhaps a few Americans. This cultural reference also referred to social media, highlighting the audience could be socially aware and more technological. Anna also asks Marielle about the gender bias at awards shows in the director category which can be a controversial topic. This highlights that the show doesn't just talk about specific films, they also mention films in general and the criticism of other aspects of the film industry. The podcast is not afraid of asking questions or what the answers might be as they seem to have the persona of nothing is off limits and they can ask anything (within reason of course).

The podcast ends with one last plug for the film, entailing when it is coming out in cinemas and also the jingle is once again used to show the brand identity. Just before the jingle, Anna actually plugs the podcast itself, this can broaden the audience and perhaps highlight there could be exclusive information on these platforms. Through the use of the jingles and audio snippets from the film this podcast demands the listeners’ attention to an extent as it is a more mature podcast. The complex language and intertextual references used also suggest an older audience, whilst the references to digital culture and social media suggest a culturally sophisticated and technologically aware modern audience. 

Overall, the podcast highlights that the presenter and guest have their own opinions and insert them whenever they feel necessary to make it feel more personal and have a more chatty, chilled vibe which is emphasised through the laughter they have. What makes the podcast more personal, is the fact that they aren't afraid to talk about their own experiences which may have made them think about the film they are producing or discussing. At the end of the podcast, there is an audio trailer for the new film which sums up the film, creates anticipation for the audience and perhaps entices them to go and watch the film once its released.