What is representation of regional identity?
Regional identity is the identification of a specific geographic region of a nation which can be found through:
clothing, make-up, props, setting/location and accents. Regional Identity can be found throughout the Greek Yoghurt advert through the use of settings, clothing, props and accents. By analysing the clip through shot types, sound and mise-en-scene, I was able to give different aspects into regional identity that was shown during this clip.
Initial thoughts
A young boy first appears on screen. He opens a fence and looks at the cow. He then lets the cow go through the fence and then runs to a building to speak a different language to his mother. He then runs down a hill and gets directions from a man on a horse, an old man and an old women who point him in the direction of his cow. He then runs down some steps and finds his cow by a butcher who is sharpening his knives. The boy gets the cow and takes him back to the field and closes the fence. The boy and mother go into the house and the boy eats a yoghurt. The phone rings and the mother talks in a different language and then there is a shot of the total greek yoghurt on a table. Then, the advert ends.
Shot types:
In the beginning of the advert, there is a close-up of the boy. From looking at this shot, you are able to identity that the location of the advert is in a rural area due to the mountains and fields in the background.This indicates that they're living somewhere in the country away from the city area where it is noise and there are buildings everywhere. There is then a master shot to show where the next scene will occur - taken of the house. From looking at the house, you can tell that they're an old traditional house due to the old bricks, orange house and no windows. As you analyse the house and it's appearance, you think about the modern days and how houses look today. This traditional house is a complete contrast to modern houses as they're styled and designed in a more stable manner.
A shot of the mother is taken as she looks out the window of her house to talk to her son. This shot gives the viewer the 'stereotypical' feel of the mother as she is in the house cleaning and the boy's father is nowhere to be seen (presumably working to provide for the family). This shows the regional identity through the fact that the mother is the one caring for her child. This shows they're more traditional because in modern society, both parents have the opportunity to work and are mainly seen to both have jobs and work for their money.
A medium close up is then taken of the boy as he indicates to his mother that he is going to find their cow. By looking in the distance, you are able to see rocks and plants that are surrounding their house. This indicates that the whole area is covered with these plants compared to the modern life where this isn't possible.
A shot of a bell as taken as it's heard ringing. This shows that the village is traditional and uses an old method of bell ringing to attract the people's attention who live in the area.
A shot of the old man is then taken as he tells the boy which direction to go into. By looking at the old man's clothing, you notice that he is wearing a type of gown and hat. You are able to tell that the clothes he is wearing aren't similar to today's society because people now are into designer clothing and it's all about image. By analysing what the man is wearing, you are able to associate the fact that the area is more focused on how the village is run and that it is getting the necessary requirements to flourish rather than what to wear.
A long shot is taken as the boy runs down and finds his cow while the butcher is standing carving/sharpening his knives. By looking at the surrounding area, you can tell that it is not busy and fluctuated with people but instead is calm and peaceful. This represents the whole of the village in how they are/behave in a peaceful manner because they don't have to rush about everywhere -like in the city. A Medium close up of the butcher is then shown as the boy collects his cow. This shows the reaction of man as the cow is taken away. This shot is interesting in the fact that the butcher doesn't seem too bothered that his potential investment into taking the cow and selling it on has just been taken back. This behaviour wouldn't be seen in the city because they would argue for the possession of the cow even if it wasn't theirs in the beginning.
Sounds:
During this advert, there are a few sounds that can be heard. Sounds that are diegetic are: the creaking of the fence (due to the fact that it is old much like the house so creaks when the boy opens it. The fact that the fence is there indicates that it's just for the safety of the cow rather than the thought of someone stealing it. In the city, people would be very protective over their possessions but because they're in the countryside, they trust everyone in the village), the horse's hooves (this indicates that this is their main source of transportation. Using animals to get around would not be seen in city instead it would be cars being used everywhere. This shows that the village is traditional and uses horsepower).
Sounds that are non-diegetic are the music playing throughout and the narration of a man's voice at the end of the advert. These are non-diegetic as the sound doesn't occur naturally.
The sounds that are synchronous are the creaking of the fence, the boy speaking to his mother (this wouldn't be possible in a city without causing confusion between passersby members of the public. In the country, there is enough space and trust to call out to family members and know if they're talking to you or someone else), the horse's hooves, the bell ringing, the boy's footsteps, the old women patting rugs/mats, the old women speaking, the butcher's knives, the hooves of cow and the mother's voice. These are synchronous sounds as they can be heard and occur onscreen.
There is only one sound that is asynchronous. This is when the phone rings (which is a twist from old traditional ways due to the fact she is using a mobile phone which wouldn't of been invented years ago in the Greek society), and the mother answers it. The sound of the phone ringing is asynchronous because the sound can be heard but occurs off screen.
Mise-en-scène:
As I observed the advert, I was able to see from that surroundings that there were in the outdoors and open space as there were mountains in the background along with fields. Throughout the advert, the boy walks through fields and grassy areas. This indicates that they are located far away from any city life and that the area is probably quiet.
The cow indicates that they own animals and could possibly be a farm life area as they look after the cow and it is in it's own field where the mother and boy go. This shows that the people who live around the area are into using their own resources to get by. The fact that the fence was also old and worn out indicates that it's not really there for the protection of someone stealing it like they would do in the city but in fact for the safety of the cow escaping.
The buildings indicate that the village where they are located are quite old as the brick work isn't properly secured and not particularly strong enough. The houses also have orange roofs and are mainly a white colour which indicate something of a tradition which occurred in the olden days of Greek life.
The clothes that the people wear in the advert are very shabby and dirty. This indicates that they do not own expensive clothes and that they always get them ruined and end up ripping the clothes due to the physical work they do. This could also be a sign that the area isn't particularly wealthy so cannot afford to dress decently.
The washing line is seen hanging up over the street when the boy runs down the path to find his cow. This indicates that the people in this community do not own any washing machines or dryers as they would've probably not been invented during this period. Hanging the clothes up and patting them down would've been the only way to get your clothes dry and clean.
The fact that the mother answered the phone was a different element in the advert as this wasn't a normal phone but in fact that of a mobile phone. Mobile phones wouldn't of been invented during the time period that the advert was set/shot in so therefore brought a modern feel to the advert. This made the viewer associate the mobile with today's society. The director would've done this to show the different aspects of old and modern life and to bring them both together in the end.
Conclusion:
Overall, the regional identity of the advert is well presented and remained present throughout the entire advert. The advert wanted to present the Greek yoghurt in a light which indicates that the yoghurt has been around since the old days. It also wants to show that you can have a calm and relaxed lifestyle and get rewarded with the yogurt if you do something good.
The regional identity in the advert distinguishes the time period in which it was set and is backed up by the setting, clothing, characters and props.
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