MEDIA REPRESENTATION
The first thing we see of the character in the short film "Jerry's Game" is their hands; old and wrinkled. We immediatly associate the character as old, and fragile. It then reveals the animated character to be wearing a suit, which makes him seem wealthy, and smart. The suit is just black, and he wears it with a white shirt and black tie, this also makes the old male look classy. The long shot, revealing the full character shows him to have a bald head, with little bits of white hair around the edges, and a big pointed nose. This has connotations of an elderly man. He also puts on a pair of plain, black framed glasses which again, has connotations of being old. He seems to be smiling slightly throughout the begining of the short film which presents him as been kind, and gentle. He is also made to look lonely, as an establishing shot reveals him in the middle of a park, all alone, surrounded by empty two seated tables. As he gets up and takes his glasses off, and re-places hiself in the chair opposite to the one he had previously sat on, we begin to think that maybe he is a little mad. This "other character" is the antagonist in the short fiml. The way he walks, holding his back and henched over, makes him seem a little frail. Jerry then acts as another character, who seems to have different characteristics to 'Jerry one'. He laughs, and jokes and seems to be a little more lively and fun. The overall character of Jerry, checks his pulse and feels his chest, or heart, and we then begin to feel a little sad for him, it becomes obvious that he doesnt really know what he is doing, but is trying to play his own little games.
The representation of this one character in the short film "Jerry's Game", shows an elderly man, quite fragile and kind.
MEDIA LANGUAGE AND FORMS
The colours used within this clip are bright and quite neutral, with the use of light blues and greens. This helps to set a calm atmosphere for the intended audience, and creates the impression that it is a light hearted short.
The music used within the clip is quite classical, showing a little sophistication. It also seems french, but we are unable to tell as there is no dialogue within the short film. This connotes that the character is quite elderly, because of the sophisticated atmosphere.
The symbolism within this short is the chess game. This is because it is the main feature and perhaps suggests the things that happen at the coming of old age?
NARRATIVE
The short film starts by showing a close up on what looks to be a chess board, and then chess peices are thrown into view. We then see an old, wrinkled hand slam a box down that held the peices in, and that says "Pixar Shorts!" on the side of it; advertising Pixar's short films. The elderly character then sets the peices on the chess board one by one so that it is ready to be played. Once he has set the peices, sat down and put on his glasses, he looks at the peices infront of him and takes his go. Looking across the table, both him and the audience realise there is actually nobody there, and he is alone.
The character takes off his glasses and puts them down on the table top. Slowly he gets up, obviously struggling. He is crunched over, and holding his back, connoting his old age. He reaches the opposite side of the table and takes a seat, directly facing were he had just been sat. He picks up another chess peice (the opposite colour this time) and takes his turn, as though playing against the opposition. He then laughs to hiself, like he is playing a game and stands up again. This is the quest within the narrative. Repeating what he'd just done he makes his way over to his previous seat. Once sat down, he puts his glasses back on his face, and puts his finger to his chin as though he is thinking. After moving another chess peice he gets back up, taking off his glasses and sitting back down in the chair opposite.
This motion of getting up and walking to the other seaat then becomes an inferred/implied event. We do not see it, but accept that it has happened. The "two" charcters continue to take their turns, and then the character who does not wear the glasses knocks one of the character with glasses peices off the board. This acts as the quest in the narrative. Suprised, the character with glasses, takes off his glasses and stares at the board, confused. He looks across the table to see his rival laughing and folding his arms. Annoyed, he takes his turn. He looses again, and the other character continues to laugh. As the game goes on, the same thing keeps happening until the character with glasses has only two peices left on his side, compared to the twelve peices his opposition has. He struggles to take this turn, and feels pressured as the other character sits and laughs. His second to last peice is taken, and he left with just one peice. Where ever he goes to put his peice, the other character laughs or threatens. Under the pressure, the troubled character holds onto his chest, and struggles for breath, eventually fallen from his chair and leaving the other character confused. This is the climax in the narrative. This character checks his pulse, then looks under the table. As he does this, the character who had a "heart attack" pops his head from under the table and turns the chess board around so that he is now winning. Pretending, he struggles back onto his chair and re-assures the other character that he is ok. He is told to carry on with the game and take his turn, and because he is now the winning character, he takes his turn, looking smug. The character with no glasses is very confused and tries to figure out what has happened. He huffs, and flicks over his last chess peice so it falls over. The character with glasses, sits with his arms folded, hysterically laughing, then holds his hand out as if to say "hand it over". He hands the character a pair of false teeth (to our suprise) and the character puts them in. The short film finishes with a shot of the winning character smiling, with big white teeth. The narravtive then reaches a resolution.
GENRE
Animation/comedy. The humour is portrayed mostly towards the end of the clip, when one of the characters fake a heart attack, convincing the other character the he is dying. Because the other character beleives it and looks under the table, this charcater pops up and cheekily switches the board around. Dramatic irony is used here as we know what has happened were as the other character doesn't. He ends up winning the game and awarding himself with a pair of false teeth. This is humourous as it totally goes against what the audience would have expected. We expect money to be handed over, which would follow the conventions, but because it was false teeth instead, it gives it a funny ending.
MEDIA INSTITUTIONS
ASK TIM ^^^
MEDIA VALUES AND IDEOLOGY
The character of "Geri" is portrayed as two different people. One character is shy, and vulnerable, and the other is confident and intimidating. The second character is the stronger one, until the end when the other character comes into place and takes over; winning the game.
ASK TIM ^^
MEDIA AUDIENCES
This film is aimed at a wide range of audiences. A younger generation would find it appealing as they're the most likely people to be interested in cartoons. Also an elderly audience may be a fan as the film features and old man, and chess. The targetted age range would be between 5 and 60. This enormous age range is simply because of all the different features that would attract different groups of people.
It would be available to watch on a DVD disk, either at the end, or before a film.
Demographics: It would be aimed at E because it would be people in education or pensioners who would find it appealing.
Psychographics: a mixture between explorers, and succeeders.
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