We examine issues relating to the Golden Globe awards:
- the target audience for different Golden Globe nominations, such as whether American Hustle is mainstream drama (American Hustle won three awards)
- why audiences select certain films by director (e.g. Martin Scorcese; Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor in a comedy or musical for The Wolf of Wall Street.)
- the biopic and historical film as genre (Steve McQueen's historical tale 12 Years a Slave received the top honour of the night, winning best film drama.)
- mainstream / niche
- national / international / global
- awards ceremonies as marketing tools
- How the lighting in the first part constructs the two central characters as figures in a light-hearted, feel-good romance with a guaranteed happy ending
- How the lighting changes from high-key, intense colour suitable for drama to cold, harsh light suitable for reality television when the cameras pull back to reveal that the first part was a TV drama being filmed in a courtroom set.
- How the protagonists are constructed as lawyers through the wigs, gowns, collars
- How the two protagonists have equal importance because of the frame composition: they are positioned in the frame in symmetry, taking up equal space.
- How Orlando Bloom is constructed as arrogant, self-important and assertive through body language (leaning on wooden jury rail into the jurist's space), dialogue (" on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean they ignored Jonny Depp and said 'Who's that loser; we want Orlando!") and close ups ( smirking, stroking his own face).
- How Ricky Gervais is represented as fighting failure, dismayed by his friend Maggie, struggling to gain her support through shot-reverse-shot (CU of reaction shots such as eye rolling as Maggie lets him down)
