Let's take a look at how immigrants are represented in videos and posters.
For this project, I will be analyzing the representation of migrants in the United States. The first two videos were produced by international corporations, each with a different style in mind-- one focusing on the immigrant community as a whole, and the other focusing on one story. I will then look at popular television, Family Guy, and analyze the impact it has on people's politics as well as humor. The two last posters focus on local art/memes to analyze modern culture and expression.
Coca-Cola Commercial:
taken from youtube
FWD Commercial- Produced by Mark Zuckerberg:
taken from youtube
Family Guy talks Immigration:
taken from youtube
Immigration Poster 1:
taken from fairimmigration.org, Fair Immigration Reform Movement, a national coalition of grassroots organizations fighting for immigrant rights at the local, state and federal level.
Immigration Poster 2:
taken from BrokenCountry.com, a perspective on news, politics, and current events from the right side of the left coast
Alan,
ReplyDeleteI think this topic aligns really well with your interests and where you work. I think paying attention to the context in which the immigrants are portrayed is key. You can try and determine if there are positive versus negative connotations, political or social connotations, etc.
1. BrokenCountry.com: The contrast of the text against the background is very significant. Not only are the words themselves larger, but they are black against white -- two of the most opposite colors on the spectrum.
2. Fair Immigration- The sequence in this poster is important to the overall message. The text that speaks to keeping families together is in-between two images of families, relatives, etc. I think it's symbolic that the message was placed in this manner.
3.
3. I think that emphasis plays a large role in the family guy clip. The emphasis on the immigrant not crossing the fence is very clearly juxtaposed to when the farmer finally says "yes" in response to needing help building more fence.
Delete4. The FWD commercial uses a unique framing method. Within every frame of the film, there is a patriotic symbol like an American flag or statue in the background.
5. The organization of the Coke video really stands out to me. It's very clear that the lyrics and stanzas of America the Beautiful are organized so that each line alternates a foreign language with English.
I think a strategy that is used differently across each medium is emphasis on comedy; some of the clips are obviously very funny, while others shy away from comedy entirely. It might be interesting to explore the different outcomes of each clip in regards to the inclusion or exclusion of humor.
Like Katie said, I feel like you should consider the intent and the context of the videos. Why did a particular source publish such a video? Was it a reaction to an issue? Was the group participating in a trend?
ReplyDelete1. The sequence of different faces and people singing an American song reasserts the fact that the United States is multicultural and diverse. The video shows that immigration is what makes the states colorful.
2. The video really emphasizes that the speaker is an immigration and a patriot; he has served the country. It shows that immigrants can carry American pride and carry it well.
3. Family Guy uses humor to address the immigration issue of the US-Mexican border. The sequence goes from an absolute rejection of immigrants to an acceptance - and he only lets the immigrant in because he will work.
4.The colors in this poster are bright and the images are clearly emphasize gay couples.
5. The large picture frames and brings attention to the details of the picture, which is a negative interpretation of immigrants.
In all of these rhetorical situations, we are given images of real people, because despite the politics of the issue, the laws of immigration affect human beings - there's humanity in the issue, which makes it hard for people to truly understand.
Hey Alan!
ReplyDeleteI think you should consider purpose when looking at these texts. We know that they involve a theme around immigration, but do they aim to stir laughter? bring awareness? fight for a certain viewpoint? cause problems? or create unity?
For the Coca-cola ad, contrast seems to be the focus. The differences in language and differences in the actors emphasize the contrasts between our nations citizens and dually use this contrast to show overall unity.
For the FWD commercial emphasis is important, particularly the American military vibe. The music has an Americana flair, the backdrop has a statue with an American flag, and all of the images have military (ROTC) objects like uniforms and medals.
For the Family Guy clip sequencing is important. Step by step, position by position the prospective immigrant questions the man with the gun. This progression speaks to the viewer.
For the immigration poster 1, color is the obvious focus. The vivid blues and yellows draw attention to the poster but also if not most importantly bring focus to the rainbow flag.
For this final photo, framing is highly important. This black frame with white text setup is a popular frame for using humorous text with images.
An obvious difference between these texts is format. Videos, poster, comic clips, etc. Maybe you should ask why these formats are effective devices for delivering their messages. What does the ability to use mixed-media say about the given topic?
Good Luck!
Best,
Victoria