Successful MediaCampaign for a Transformer 2 Film - Coursework Example

An evaluation of a successful media campaign for a 2009 film – Transformer 2 Executive Summary Transformers 2 is the sequel to Transformers and therefore has naturally acquired a similar identity and perceptive dimension in the hearts of the audience (Claudia Eller, 2009). The success of the film has basically been determined by the Spielberg’s unimaginable stretch of imagination in conceiving both the energon and characterization of men and machines. There is no gainsaying the fact that Transformers 2 has played on the imagination of the audience by denying them opportunity to fathom out space time dimension. Introduction Transformers 2: Revenge of the fallen is a sequel to the original Transformers 1 that debuted in 2007. After two years Transformers 2 was released in the month of June 2009 to a highly receptive audience in Europe and North America. The film is based on the epic battle between two forces – Decepticons versus Autobots (Gale Reference Team,2007). The former is led by Starscream of Cybertron while the latter is led by Optimums. The whole story of the film revolves around one particular character, viz. Sam Witwicky. He is a human being caught up in the conflict because he has strange visitations from Cybertronians. Finally, the battle for the earth expands in to a battle for the universe and as expected, Decepticons are defeated by Autobots. Being a science fiction Transformers 2 has all the characteristics of both imaginable and unimaginable stretches of human perception (http://news-briefs.ew.com). What is so significant about the film is the notion that the earth and humans would be protected by an alien force against any possible attack by a more powerful civilization. Analysis As with any other science fiction involving heavy machines, Transformer 2 is also a slugfest among a variety of metallic machines that incidentally have names as human individuals would have (www.scifisquad.com). However there is one particular aspect of the film that cannot be brushed aside as mere imagination of Steven Spielberg. The psychology behind a universal battle is based on the thematic paradigm that pits the evil against the good. Spielberg has invariably identified both connotations and denotations of the remotest possibility, i.e. a war between two extraterrestrial forces over human affairs. In other words the existence of extraterrestrials is without logic; yet there are people who subscribe to the theory of extraterrestrials. The melodramatic characterization of fighting machines on the basis of quality attributes farfetched though, human imagination does not reject the possibility of a no-holds-barred slugfests occurring in the distant future. Decepticons led by Starscream of Cybertron are intent on reviving their hero The Fallen. For this purpose they need an energon, a source of super energy for reactivating the dead machine ( Frantz and Guidi ,2007) .Jennifer Frantz (Author)› Visit Amazons Jennifer Frantz PageFind all the books, read about the author, and moreSee search results for this Are you an author? Learn about Author Central The scientific logic though is lacking, there is a probability based pattern of thoughts that supports such phantasmagoric characterization. Phantasmagoria exists in science fiction because it can be made flexible by attributing any supposedly illogical quality to non humans. Sam Witwicky, the human causal agent of the conflict is both unaware of and puzzled by the unfolding scenario of mayhem. Particularly the earth and earth lings become the focal point in this epic battle. What is so important about the new characters in Transformers 2 is that they function in their pre-appointed places of responsibility. This type of role specific characterization reduces nuances associated with phantasmagoric dimension. The a priori and a posteriori elements in establishing the motive for the recapture of the earth by Decepticons are not sound enough though the induction of Sam’s character is intended to allude to the existence of a superior species of humans too. Though the previews were not so favorable the film grossed the highest opening day total of $62 million and a worldwide total of $100 million. Only the Dark Knights and Harry Potter, the Half Blood Prince performed comparatively better. Despite this success the film received much less rave reviews even after the initial throng of the crowds. Transformers 2 identifies the existence of powerful forces that can be super charged with an alien source of energy, energon. The epochal evolution of the concept of energon is based on the ability of the Dynasty of Primes or Transformers to drain energy from all stars by using Sun Harvesters to produce that all powerful AllSpark. Once on the earth the Transformers had no any other objective on mind but to preserve the secret behind the Matrix of Leadership. Whatever, the logicality behind this superfluous sounding concept, according to this perception there is still a larger than life dimension to the existence of humans on the earth. Spielberg’s technique is intended to explore a variety of possibilities in surveying the human s’ future. At the same time he focuses attention on the nascent ideological debate on the supremacy of the human race. In other words the supremacy debate is ideologically determined to such an extent that the outcomes are directly correlated with the men’s desire to be in the company of some benevolent extra terrestrial forces. Autobots are helped by newcomers like Sideswipe, Elita One, Jolt, Chromia and Arcee and the twins Mudflap and Skids. The lack of credibility in this respect is obvious enough though. The dramatic encounters between the two forces span the globe including China, Egypt and Italy. Thus the space time dimension of the film covers almost all the continents on the earth, far flung galaxies and a time span of approximately 17,000 plus 2000 years. This space time dimension is actually mind gobbling to any human being. Sam’s involvement has the most hard-to-fathom probability. However his chance finding of a shard of the AllSpark inevitably leads to the current conflict. Thus the raison d’être or the casus belli behind the current conflict is obviously based on a normative principle of human reasoning faculty that helps to revive the so called insouciant behavior of Sam when he gives the shard to his girlfriend (www.reuters.com). While the space time dimension is of pivotal significance here because it’s the very foundation on which Spielberg builds the framework of reference to conform to the existing logical nuances, the audience is treated to the magic like causality principles in the whole process. Even if the average viewer were to question the raison d’être behind the idea of creating cinematography’s most unlikely characters, there would still be a better chance of leaving the rest of the film to the imagination of the audience. After all it’s the last word in cinematography, i.e. to identify and present improbable events on the celluloid screen. Half way through the film, the death of Optimus Prime in Transformers 2 is a well intentioned interlude to capture the attention of the audience so that the rest of the actions of Autobots and humans against Decepticons can be justified. The pace of progression in the film is well articulated though the chance meetings between the opponents are haphazard. Chaos principle has played a role in it by clearly defining the elements of the progression as infinitely precarious. What technology has done is to reinforce this sense of uncertainty despite the negative impact on the humans’ sense of continuity or survival. Grindor’s interest in Sam’s brain is reminiscent of the law of causation because one thing leads to the other. This is all the more interesting when one looks at the subsequent death of Optimus Prime. Now Megatron is freed from his death and the real battle for the earth is on. The subsequent developments reveal the multifaceted character of Spielberg’s imagination. For instance it’s the law of causation that leads the sequel from here( www.intertainment.co.uk) Despite the ever expanding conflict Spielberg has successfully managed to reinvent the concept of logically premised continuity. The Megatron’s rescue is carried out with the Soundwave of Decepticons capturing the data transmitted by an earth orbiting satellite of the US military. The concept of highly advanced technologies acquires a still larger dimension here. When a war is being waged with technology as the main driving force, there is very little else left for the imagination of the director. Spielberg’s imagination has indisputably taken him to the realm of the extraordinary though the credibility deficit is obviously large. Technology is inevitably the most important here because it has been the very foundation on which the whole concept lies and therefore the whole story depends ( Carreon, 2007). Spielberg’s perception of the concept is more central to the film’s technological background. Transformers are machines and when they become free thinkers the technology becomes more complicated. Free thinking machines need to justify their actions. Thus Spielberg has created a breed of free thinking beings that claim to have a cause to fight for. Spielberg’s effort to revive the old concept of conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons in this film too is quite understandable. However what’s so intriguing is the fact that the revival of both Optimus and Megatron, the dead leader of the Decepticons so that the conflict can be prolonged ( Coll, 2009). This kind of calculated move to reinvent conflicts is more or less the stock-in-trade of film directors. Greek mythology could have provided Spielberg with still better examples. His effort to sail between Scylla and Charybdis is nothing new though the fact that Transformers 2 has singularly been successful on the sole count that Spielberg used a deus ex machina to save him from the allegation of improbability by introducing the fact that both humans and transformers have a common ancestry. Findings Transformers 2 is essentially a reincarnation of Transformers, the first film and therefore has been sought to be differentiated essentially on the line that it belongs to a new category of films that progress through time and space leaving behind traces of identity. The film is the result of Spielberg’s effort to attribute some human like qualities to the machines that otherwise lack sense and sensitivity. Transformers 2 has been a mega success despite the fact that it has been another effort by Spielberg to perpetuate the imagination of machines assuming human behavior. Finally the technology has played a stupendous role in identifying the existence of deus ex machinas in even situations where machines are the main characters. Conclusions Transformers 2 is based on the same thematic paradigm of Transformers and therefore is of very little aesthetic dimension of unfamiliarity. The film has been a success in both North America and Europe gross in $ 62 million on the opening day in North America and made almost $100 million including in Europe. This type of success is very rare. Only Harry Potter, the Half Blood Prince and the Dark Knight have bettered this record. The film starts with the efforts by Decepticons to recapture the earth by reviving The Fallen and Megatron. However the Autobots and their human partners make every single effort to counter these new threats to the earth by adopting every tactics. Despite their effort the Decepticons not only revive The Fallen and subsequently Megatron on the earth but also manage to kill Optimus Prime who helps humans in every possible way. After Prime’s death Autobots and humans happened to encounter a still stronger enemy with in Decepticons (www.firstshowing.net ). . The introduction of the human element with extraordinary capabilities of perception in Sam can be quite understandable because his presence and involvement is essential for the continuity of the conflict. Thus Spielberg has provided the audience with one of the most potential casi belli for the perpetuation of the conflict between Autobots and Decepticons. Though the film lacks the reality dimension, the space time dimension has played such a wonderful trick on the imagination of the audience. Recommendations Spielberg should have adopted a still different technique in Transformers 2 by enlarging on the thematic paradigm. For instance not only the theme is narrow but the perceptive logic behind time and space dimension is shrunk by the brief sojourn of Optimus Prime on the earth. There should have been a greater degree of continuity of the latter conflict between Autobots and Decepticons by prolonging the initial plot of Sam and company. Sam’s interlude in the film has its authenticity but however his character progresses through a labyrinthine process of haphazard developments. Next the thematic paradigm needs not only a further brushing in the form of articulate conceptualizations in prolog in the conflict but also a qualitative shift in the form of characterization of inner feelings of humans. The emotional content of human actors ahs been relegated to the second place. REFERENCES 1. Alex Billington, “Check This Out: Transformers 2 Augmented Reality Promo”, WeAreAutobots.com, June 16 2009, www.firstshowing.net (accessed September 14 2009). 2. Claudia Eller, “GMs troubles deprive Transformers 2 of crucial horsepower”, Los Angeles Times, April 6 2009. 3. Erik Davis, “Transformers 2 on DVD This October 20”, August 21 2009, www.scifisquad.com (accessed September 14 2009). 4. Erik Davis,Transformers 2 Gets a Release Date!,September 24 2007, www.cinematical.com (accessed September 14 2009). 5. Gale Reference Team, “Telefilm steps upstage to actively promote films”, Winnipeg Free Press article, March 2 2007. 6. Jennifer Armstrong, “Michael Bay criticizes Transformers 2 campaign”, News Briefs, June 22 2009, http://news-briefs.ew.com (accessed September 14 2009). 7. Jennifer FrantzJennifer Frantz (Author) › Visit Amazons Jennifer Frantz Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central , and Guido Guidi, Transformers: Meet the Decepticons (I Can Read Book 2), (New York: HarperCollins, 2007). 8. Jorge Carreon, ”Transformers 2 & Ice Age 3 kick off box office fireworks; Public Enemies also festive”, LA Personalities Examiner, July 4 2009. 9. Kevin Coll, “Transformer 2 Script finished.”, February 13, 2008, www.fusedfilm.com (accessed September 14 2009). 10. “Media Merchants Project Burger King and Transformers 2 With Projection Ninjas”, June 26 2009,www.reuters.com, (accessed September 14 2009). BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. “Motion Picture Association of America”, The Economic Impact of the Motion Picture & Television Production Industry on the United States, (MPAA, 2006), www.mpaa.org/press_releases.pdf (accessed September 14 2009). 2. National Endowment for the Arts, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and NationalAssembly of State Arts Agencies, “Promoting Film and Media to Enhance State Economic Development”, www.nga.org (accessed September 14 2009). 3. “New Transformers 2 promotional stills”, May 19 2009, www.megansafox.com (accessed September 14 2009). 4. Ray Wert, “Transformers 2 Never-Before-Seen Autobot Running Footage”, February 11 2009, www.jalopnik.com (accessed September 14 2009). 5. Rick DeMott, “Transformers 2 Falls on DVD/Blu-ray in October”, August 20, 2009 www.awn.com (accessed September 14 2009). 6. Ure V Paul,”Transformers 2 DLLC Adding New Robots, Maps & More”, July 15 2009, www.actiontrip.com (accessed September 14 2009). Top of Form Read More