Representation of the Olympics

LO: to understand and explore how the representation of the

Olympics have been constructed

10 April 2023

STARTER• What were your favourite moments from

the Olympics? How did you experience them? (TV/news report/YouTube/etc)

Some facts about the London Olympics• 26 Olympic sports were played• The opening and closing ceremonies of the games had a budget of £81

million; an estimated 4 billion people watching the opening ceremony• 204 nations competed• For the first time in Olympic history, every nation’s team had female

competitors• 90% of the material inside the Olympic park can be reused or recycled,

making this the greenest Olympics yet• London is the first city to host the Olympics three times, in 1908, 1948

and 2012.• 8,000 people carried the Olympic torch through 1,018 towns and cities• The Olympic Park covers 500 acres, the same size as Alton Towers.• Every bag was checked as strictly as at an airport.• More than 8,250 London buses have been fitted with high-tech displays

for the Games• The London 2012 medals are the heaviest in Summer Olympic history.

Let’s look at an example

• What do we need to examine/consider when analysing a moving image?– technical codes (camerawork, lighting, editing,

graphics)– visual codes (clothing, colours, iconography, mise-

en-scene, expression)– audio codes (sound effects, music, voiceover,

dialogue)– language and mode of address (lexis, tone,

vocabulary, hyperbole, quotations)– narrative codes (narrative construction and strands,

enigmas, conventions, characters, manipulation of time/space, filming techniques)

TASK• Five groups are needed. Each group will be

assigned an Olympic video to analyse.• Each of you in the group will be assigned an

aspect (or two) to analyse – construction (technical)– construction (visual)– construction (audio)– narrative– ideology– audience positioning

• To be fed back to the class in 12-15 minutes

Clips (also on Moodle)1. Swimming review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qGMVSW5PzM

2. Running Up That Hill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft3yUKjzV4s

3. Emile Sande http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsVIzK1VLdo

4. The Queen and Bond http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW5abat5NEU

5. Boxing review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZyDaOjlNsA

PLENARY• Feedback from groups• How have the clip been constructed,

mediated, ideology promoted and how audiences are positioned.

HOMEWORK• Upload notes to Moodle under respective

clips. • Due by next lesson