JUNGLE BOOK ESSAY 1

Task 2: In studying the presentation there is a wealth of information to help you to construct an essay based on the question.

Part (a)

Comparing the 1967 and 2016 versions of Walt Disney`s Jungle book (posters and film trailers), using media language discuss how the representations of the characters have changed.

You will need to explore the changes in social and cultural contexts and impact of technology as [part of your essay.

Part (b) 

Discuss how these films were marketed and the value earned by the company.  Using media language discuss the effects of technology on targeting an older audience in the 2016 version

          
The Jungle book was originally written in 1894 by Rudyard Kipling and is a story based on a young child being brought up by animals. The book had then been given the rights to be turned into a film and in 1967 Walt Disney released the animated version of The Jungle Book. 49 years later in 2016 The updated CGI version of The Jungle Book came out and it showed the world how much technology had developed within film.      

In the 1967 version of the film we can see how it may look very outdated compared to the modern day film. This can first be seen in the poster that was originally released to advertise the movie. In the original 1967 poster we can see that it has the majority of the characters dancing around and all looking very joyful and content, even Shere khan the villan of our story has a smile on his face. We then see that in the background the setting is very simple, with green leaves and brown trees and not much detail. Towards the bottom of the poster in black font we see that it has included the cast and who voices the individual cartoon characters. The contrast of vibrant colours can be appealing to the eye and ensures the poster is attracting a younger audience. 

However when looking at the 2016 poster we can see how they have positioned the main character (Mowgli)  in the middle, accompanied by his best friend in the movie (Baloo) and they are then surrounded by all the other characters. When we look at the villain (Shere Khan) we see that they have a very sinister pose almost as if he is about to pounce upon his prey. By Bagheera being placed above Mowgli on the branch it can foreshadow how he is his protecter and watches over Mowgli. By the periphery being engulfed in darkness it shows how the other characters may portray a menacing behaviour. The character of Shere Khan being voiced by Idris Elba can show how the director would've wanted a fierce and overpowering voice as if you were to look at the actors work he tends to play characters who are very powerful and intimidating. When we then compare this to Bill Murray who is the voice of Baloo we can see how he is more of a comedic actor to show that Baloo is a friendly care free character. By the poster also mostly showing green colours this can link to nature and tells the audience how the film will be very much set in the jungle.  There is a Direct mode of address from all the characters apart from Kaa (the snake) which can suggest a sense of mystery compared to the others. There are Saturated colours in the sky to perhaps shadow a sense of calm and peace to make the movie seem child friendly. The background is a variety of tones and include shades of greens, browns,blues and yellows. It also includes a lot of detail on each individual leaf and vine and the texture of the animals' fur which can all show how by modern day technology the animation of the setting and the characters lead you to believe this is a real life jungle. Finally by the title and credits also being in serif font and an analogous colour which is yellow it compliments the greens and browns in the background of the poster and the style of typography looks almost like bark from a tree and could resemble features in a jungle wheres as in the 1967 poster the font is a simple white and black so it is easily read. 

Further more The 1967 Jungle Book Trailer starts off with a similar colour scheme as the poster, with colourful vibrant scenes and happy laughing characters. It also plays jazz music and shows the characters dancing along with a lighthearted spirit. The narrators voice over is like an introduction to a jazz performance introducing the characters or 'performers' one by one in a very formal accent which could suggest that each character in the film has its own 'set'. It almost resembles the same voiceover as propaganda posters in world war 2 and around those times which can show how the time of production is a lot older. It portrays a lot of comical events like a stand up comedy show and presents the characters as goofy and not very intelligent, almost like having the intelligence of a child. The only intimidating part of the trailer would be shere khan's roar where he goes to pounce on Mowgli, with flashing lights and dramatic sounding for effect this shows how the producers clearly targeted the film at a U trying not to frighten younger children who were the main targeted audience for the movie. The production of the film was significant as the producers technicolour pushed the limits of animation in that era and this was a significant progress in the film industry. 

However when we then go to look at the 2016 trailer we can see a dramatic change of direction Walt Disney chose to take. With dark colours and eerie scenes The Jungle Book took on a more darker version of the tale, dissimilar to the original book. The opening of the trailer begins with a dark scene of the jungle and a chilling tone of voice asking "Are you alone out here' this can suggest that the movie already is targeted to try and appeal to an older audience of viewers by the menacing scenes displayed. With dramatic music throughout casting tension and showing the characters to be more like 'wild animals' Disney is clearly trying to make the film seem realistic. By the modern technology being CGI this helps make the characters look almost incomparable to real life like animals. Leaving the only unrealistic idea to be that of talking animals. As the trailer continues we then find out that the voiceover is actually the character of Kaa the snake played by Scarlett Johansson which could suggest why her tone of voice sounded menacing as snakes are creatures known to be conniving and cunning. By the snake also being female it may be representing how woman have a seductive tone of voice which can seem hypnotising like a snake charmer and the green that surrounds both Mowgli and Kaa also can represent greed and seem suffocating. 

Overall we can clearly see that the two films differ from each other based on the updated technology and the idea that one film is a much tamer version. However, the characters role also changes the direction of how the film is produced by whoever narrators it. This is because the voice of a character can really impact how the final character comes across and Disney tries to always add features and relate their characters personalitiies to the actors who play them. An example of this would be ' Baloo the bear ' who is a clumsy, jovial, playful and protective best friend to Mowgli. Originally played by Phil Harris the bandleader and comedian in the 1967 version of the film we can see how his personality matches his character throughout. We see this when Baloo always seems to be always dancing around to music and humming tunes, things of which a bandleader might do. Furthermore when then looking at Bill Murray who voices the 2016 version of Baloo we see that Disney once again has tried to keep the personality dissimilar by choosing another comedian, however this time leaving out the 'jazzy' side of the bear. 

In addition to this, Disney did not keep every character the same like they did with Baloo, when it comes to the character of King louie the orangutang we see an immense change. In the 1967 version the character comes across as dim-witted, loud, crazy and goofy. The character had originally been based on a jazz player 'Louis Armstrong' who was an upbeat character. However, this caused many controversial views as many believed that the character had been racially profiled as it was drawing a conclusion that all 'swingers' who listened to jazz were African American people. By King Louie also having the characteristics of being dimwitted and wanting to constantly find out the secret of making fire to become like a man, many believed that this was interpreted as a racial lens of how the 'black minority' supposedly looked up to the 'white man' as superior and just wanted to become equal.  Louis Armstrong in turn declined the role and instead it was narrated by another jazz musician Louie Prima. The orangutang had also been made to look the same size as Mowgli and the other characters to seem like a less threatening individual and unable to cause harm. Nonetheless in the 2016 version King louie is voiced by Christopher Walken who has an American gangster type accent to avoid any racial conflict the original character might've displayed. By also sticking to factual knowledge they created the character to be a normal size of an orangutang which actually makes him seem very threatening in size compared to Mowgli and this means that the character overall has changed into having a greedy, aggressive and rowdy personality. 


Additionally one final character who had a huge impact on the film was Kaa the snake. In the 1967 he was presented as a male sneaky hypnotic character however was also idiotic and unable to catch Mowgli as his prey. Voiced by the actor Sterling Holloway the stuttering type accent presented a snake like sound and brought a comedic side to the character. Yet in the 2016 version the role of Kaa was depicted as a female representation and was voiced by Scarlett Johnasson. The snake's already seductive qualities made even more alluring by Johnasson's husky, sultry feminine voice. Without the comical quality of her male ancestor, Kaa comes across as a slippery, calculating femme fatale who is more sinister than previous incarnations. This also meant The Jungle book had now casted a larger female role in the film as in the previous version any female character had no speaking roles and this could've led to controversy in our time due to political reasons and how men and woman should be equally reflected. 

Part B 

Both Jungle book movies were ahead of their time when technology was considered. This was because they had strived to achieve the best possible picture for their audiences. In the 1967 version they used a process called Cell animation which involved the creators to draw onto a transparent frame and colour is then added in layers.They also used a Camera called the multiplane camera which recorded movement of multiple layers of artwork that would move past the camera at various speeds creating the illusion of a moving image. This meant that the movie was a revolutionary achievement for its time. This film escalated and made significant gross profit of $141,843,612 and still continues to make money today. This is due to the various marketing strategies like Disneyland parades, themed merchandise and even a sequel came out in 2003 which was The Jungle book 2. 

However in The jungle book 2 they used a variety of live action and animation this included skeletal mapping, landscape mapping and and creating a visual library of objects. The film had been shot completely in a warehouse using virtual cameras an computer stimulations of the digital characters. They used models of terrains and trees which they would then arrange in a technical plan before every shot and artists had taken over 100,000 shots in Indian jungle location to try and create a library which would then be used to make props and models for their live action part of the film. In all the film made a shocking gross profit of $364,001,123 as they had now made the film more suitable for an older generation to watch it, including the fast action packed scenes. They managed to then keep the film in the audiences range by advertising through social networking sights like snapchat, Celebrity promotions, collectible figurines and mobile gaming apps. This then meant that the jungle book would carry on making a profit due to the publicity it was receiving. 

Overall by using a more advanced technology in the film production it led to a larger target audience as an older generation were happy to watch the film now that it included thrilling action packed scenes. This led to increased profits and by Disney spreading making money on the original film they had a guarantee that it would be successful.