30 Minute Meal Analysis

Cooking Programs – Comparative Essay

Using the tools for analysis, compare and contrast how the filmic techniques are used to create interest and purpose in the programs “Mexican Fiesta”, “My Kitchen Rules“ and “Jamie Oliver’s 30 Minute Meals”.

Mexican Fiesta, My Kitchen Rules and Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals (30 Minute Meals) introduce many filmic techniques to create purpose and interest, which is further articulated and addressed to the audience. The commercial, instructional and educational purposes are expressed through the utilisation of camera angles, narration and special effects in the programs. The commercial elements are easily distinguished in both 30 Minute Meals and My Kitchen Rules to promote and advertise certain brands and cook

books towards the targeted audience. Importantly, the establishment of an instructional purpose addresses the audience towards the main attributes which are applied across all three shows. However, contrasting elements are used in Mexican Fiesta and 30 Minute Meals to explore the wide variety of produce and culture which provide positive correlation between the audience and the visual representation of the shows. The filmic techniques are significant and depict certain purposes directed to audiences’ throughout many similar and different elements which help to create interest in all three programs.
There are many comparative elements in both 30 Minute Meals and My Kitchen Rules that relate to a commercial purpose. Within My Kitchen Rules, the director uses sharp perspective camera angles to define the purposely showing brand of Coles, as seen when the shopping bags are placed orderly on the kitchen bench in Paul and Blair’s house, directly facing the camera. Similarly, the commercial concept of 30 Minute Meals is presented to the audience by the casual voice over towards the end, seeing that Oliver announces, ‘for selective recipes in this series go to Channel4.com/food.’ Quite diligently, My Kitchen Rules in effect grabs the viewers’ attention and creates a sense of demand for the produce, and considering that it came from Coles it further adds the utilisation of commercial aspects. More importantly, the promotion of food is supported by special effects through social media pop-ups of twitter seducing the audience into the luscious food, observed entirely throughout My Kitchen Rules. Furthermore, these particular elements are exploited not by camera angles but by a useful voice over technique to enhance the demand for buying cook books in 30 Minute Meals. Upholding the scripture in 30 Minute Meals, referencing is utilised to contribute and explain where recipes may be found, effectively luring the young adult audience to buying cook books. Correspondingly, voice over narration equally promotes and commercialises 30 Minute Meals, in comparison to the incredibly accurate camera shots derived by My Kitchen Rules.
An instructional purpose is implemented through many techniques in all three shows, 30 Minute Meals, Mexican Fiesta and My Kitchen Rules. Oliver uses narration to provide a set of instructions to effectively provide correlation between his targeted audience and actions in the kitchen setting. For example, it is seen through scripture when Oliver announces, ‘I am going to take the bearings off here and get rid of that, so its all nice and fresh and if there’s any sort of tatty outside leaves just click ‘em off.’ In addition, there is also utilisation of tools which include narration in accompany to precise birds-eye view camera angle to visually compare narration to action. This is perceived when Paul states, ‘For the slow cooker I am going to add some beef stock, shaoxing rice wine, oyster sauce and some soy sauce, orange peels star anise and just a little bit of salt and pepper to season it.’ This is accomplished while the audience is looking at him add all the particular ingredients to develop understanding. Importantly, it is only stated to communicate to the audience into the instructional effect of My Kitchen Rules rather than the major commercialisation advocate that supports Channel 7. In comparison, there are instructional attributes carried in the presentation of Mexican Fiesta through narration. We can see this when Kuruvita believes that the audience should place, ‘Oil on the grill and season the grill with some salt,’ which in turn provides instructional evidence. Therefore, instructional devices and concepts play a massive part to seduce to the audience and show how the creation of different tools can deliver interest in the programs.
In both shows, Mexican Fiesta and 30 Minute Meals, the utilisation of different techniques are portrayed to enable an educational purpose, given to the audience.

In contrast, traditional music and cultural activities majorly influence Mexican Fiesta as seen through calming music shown through the Mariachi band, located at The Plaza De Mariachi, Guadalajara Mexico. However, special effects are manipulated wisely in 30 Minute Meals to educate the audience that the quality of food is not dependent on the quantity of time. This is distinguished when the digital clock slowly clicks in the foreground, while people are rushing in and around supermarkets as shown in the background, relating 30 Minute Meals to the audience in reality. The manipulation of time is an essential part in everyone’s lives, as this connection is definitely established in 30 Minute Meals to educate and engage the audience. Therefore, both shows uniquely articulate an educational purpose towards the audience visually to enhance a more prominently cultural perspective delivered by Mexican Fiesta. There is also the make-up of graphics in Mexican Fiesta which provide a more educational purpose about the geography of Mexico in accompany with music to depict certain locations in which produce is brought about. Not only has Kuruvita delivered an educational observation on Mexico, but he announces to the Australian audience that there is much diversity and cultural representations as well. Dissimilarly, 30 Minute Meals presents a much more dignified time exploitation effect to educate the audience, rather than a geographical examination delivered by Mexican

Fiesta.
Filmic techniques are a crucial tool in the utilisation of creating purpose and interest in the film productions Mexican Fiesta, My Kitchen Rules and 30 Minute Meals. Not only does Mexican Fiesta portray an educational purpose to the audience through many techniques depicting culture, but so does 30 Minute Meals through the utilisation of time manipulative effects. The delivery of an instructional purpose is grasped by all three shows, as each show prominently displays and compares similar peculiarities in their construction. Finally, there is polarity between 30 Minute Meals and My Kitchen Rules, however they equally share methodical commercial aspects to create interest and direction to the audience. Purpose is exploited and is recognised phenomenally in all three shows and is also communicated to the targeted audience with the utilisation of filmic techniques to describe a positive correlation.