Magazine Front Cover ideas

We are now beginning to research into ideas for our coursework. I am working on my own and have chosen to do a magazine cover, contents page, and double page spread. Below are some ideas of front covers. The genre of the magazine has to be music.

I like this magazine front cover with the photo strip down the side with the captions underneath. Also I like the image and how the camera is looking slightly upwards at the man on the guitar, it almost gives him a musical authority.

I like the font of the word 'classical' on this front cover. The big C emphasises the genre of the music and its classiness.

I like the chaos on this magazine front cover. I like how everything is croweded and lots of different information is portrayed.

I love the colours used on this magazine front cover and how it relates to the genre of the music. I also like the font of the 'billboard' lettering and how the b and the d have been coloured in.

I like the name of this magazine, and also the picture of a close of a celebrities face gives it tension. I also love the mix of using blue pink and black.

seven areas of representation-ability and disability

In our media lesson today we watched a presentation and then learnt about ability and disability.
Firstly we watched a powerpoint presentation by Jack and Dan on how ability and disabilty and the views of this have changed over the years. Also what is considered socially acceptable in this case. They also showed how ability and disability is portrayed in different genres to create different respones about the matter. For example, disability is often portrayed in comedies, maybe because the audience may be confused as how to react to seeing a disabled character normally and using this in a comedy allows you to not have to take the guilt or sad feelings into account and to put a light hearted spin on it.

We then watched a stand up comedy clip by Ricky Gervais showing stereotypical and patronizing views on disabilities. First of all he makes it clear of his racial ethnicity; Egyptian, and uses patronizing phrases and tones such as 'poor little fella' making him seem less capable then any other 31 year old man. Ricky Gervais also acts disgusted at his disability when he worries it may be contagious, this shows how 'normal' people feel about it as they dont want themselves to be in that 'condition'. He then uses the term 'leg mental' the word mental gives negative connotations and being disabled is not linked to any kind of 'mentalness'. He then makes the assumption that the disabled man must be gay as he wouldn't be able to find anybody due to his state. Which of course isn't necessarily true. Near the end of the comedy, he asks the man if he wants him to read him a book implying childish characteristics and making it seem that the man needs the supervision and reliability of adults that a child needs.

39 steps

In our media lesson we watched a film called The 39 steps. This film showed a very good representation of gender, and class and status.
John Hannay who is the main male character, is portrayed as a typical alphamale; dressed smartly in a dark blue suit, he looks clean cut, he is well spoken (speaks standard english/posh/recieved pronunciation). As the film begins, he is shot running around a field whilst being shot at vigurously by planes and swarms of police men. This gives him a strong sense of masculinity and capability. Also when coming across some people in his car, he uses his initiative very quickly and efectively which shows his intelligence. (when he acts as the Liberal Spokesman).

In contradiction to this portrayal, this scene is set in some hills which are very big and makes him look almost out of place especially due to his dress code. It also makes him look almost vulnerable and victimised and like he's in danger.

Victoria Sinclair is the main woman character of the film. She is a feminist and a suffragette and believes in womens rights. She is strong minded and stubborn which is shown when persisting to go on the chase with John Hannay. She looks the part of a high class woman, wearing petticoats and is portrayed as one of a minority of women in the room of speakers, which perhaps shows her authority. She shows her femininity regularly but also has masculine traits which are showed for example when she climbs the wall and asks questions.

The male gaze The male gaze is used on Victoria Sinclair on the scene where she is about to climb over the wall. She lifts her petticoats up and the camera zooms in on her leg and then on John Hannays face to show his expression at this exploitation.

The music for this creates suspense and is non diegetic - is put over the top of the film so its not a real life sound.

Shameless

In our lesson we watched Shameless to get an understand of representation in the form of class and status.


We looked at how different elements are used to construct the representations for example mise en scence, sound, camera work etc.














Fiona
Fiona is the eldest child in the family and acts as a Mother figure to the others as her Father is barely present.





Frank
Frank is the single parent of the Gallagher family after his wife left. He however doesnt play a fatherly role and daily is bought home by the police drunk.






Lip
Lip is the oldest son of the Gallagher family and is portrayed as being quite intelligence. He uses this is a business minded way to earn money and gained his nick name lip for always answering back. He shows prejudice against bisexuality.


Ian
Ian is the son younger than Lip. He is gay and appears to be ashamed of this until Lip finds out. He has been carrying out relations with Cash (the muslim supermarket worker) and appears to be slightly intimidated by his brother.


Steve
Steve is a man that Fiona meets at a club who has been watching her for several weeks. He seems considerate and tries to help Fiona as much as possible and doesnt feel threatened by her situation with her Father. He is fairly well off but due to a not necessarily 'clean' way.

Seven areas of representation

Seven areas of representations:

1. Gender
2. Age
3. Ethnicity
4. Sexuality
5. Class and status
6. Physical ability/disability
7. Regional identity

Gender

Male:

• Solitary
• happy
• unemotional
• stoic
• happy
• positive
• secure
• confident
• unsociable
• awkward
• laid back
• quiet
• intelligent
• unhygenic

Female

• bitchy
• moody
• emotional
• feminist
• giggly
• depressed
• insecurity
• sociable
• gossipy
• vein
• perfectionists
• seductive
• bossy
• loud
• talkative
• stupid/blonde bimbo
• squemish/afraid
• hygenic

Commando-Arnold Schwarzeneger

Arnold schwarzeneger assumptions: soldier, destructive, very strong, undestructable, intelligent, brave, possibly abit unemotional

Alone parent assumptions: protective, loving, wise, talkative, hardworking, role model.

In the film Arnold Schwarzeneger is portrayed as typical alphamale in the opening sequence as he is shot carrying a full tree on one soldier with a chain saw in the other hand somewhat effortlessly. The camera zooms in on his biceps to show his intense strength and power. The sun is also shining behind him which also connotes a certain amount of power to him.

His relationship with his daughter is very emotional close and this is also portrayed with their physical closeness throughout the film. He spends his entire day interacting with her and doing fatherly things.

Representation

Tessa Perkins and Festinger

Mediation
The way the media represent on idea to us.
Stereotypes overlook the individual
Place people in groups
Qualities often 'exaggerated' which leads to a caricature.

delineating
shortcut to describe something.

In many instances, stereotypes are used pejorativiely by dominant groups to describe subordinate groups.
Stereotypes are not always negative for example; Americans are good patronists.
Stereotypes are not also always about minority groups or the less powerful.
They can be held about ones own group.
They are not rigid or unchanging for example; MPs used to be highly respected, now not so much.
They are not always false.

Rayner- ' the process by which the media present the 'real world'.

Leon Festinger
Theory of 'cognitive dissanance'
Argued that we resist adujusting our attitudes unless faced with overwhelming evidence against it. Believed that we seek out confirmation of our thoughts/beliefs. This links with pluralism audience theory.

Selection Process
The decision over waht is chosen to be represented and what is rejected.
The choices made when organising the representation:
The options taken to focus the audience in a certain way.
Questions we would ask when analysing representation:
WHO or WHAT is being represented?
HOW is the representation created? (mise on scene)
WHO has created this representation?
WHY is the representation created in that way?
WHAT is the intention?
WHAT is the effect of the representation?


Gatekeeping
A theorist called White (1961) spoke of the 'gatekeepers'-that is the people who are part of the decision making process in the construction of media texts.
Examples of common gatekeepers:
-BBC, commissioners, various genres
-Law makers
-Directors
-Producers
-Editors
-Audience (recent phenomenon, test screening)

The construction approach
A useful way of thinking about representation is that the meanings are crated by the relationships between the producers, the text and the audience.
1) The representation is constructed with a set of ideas and values (producers intent/intended meaning).
2) The context of the representation is part of the representation (media, language choices, anchorage, media form, placement/location/genre expectations etc)
3) The audience reacts to this representation and this depends on thier own personal interpretational context; age, gender, political/religious beliefs, nationality etc. (negotiated meaning).

Richard Dyer The matter of Images
Dyer said 'How we ar seen determines how we are treated, how we treat others is based on how we see them. How we see them comes from representation.'

Camera Angles

Long Shot is everything that sets the scene and opens the scene/establishing shot. Where the film is set, a long shot or establishing shot is used. This lets you know all the important information.
Medium Shot is the most commonly used shot in cinema. It is used to show any character interaction.
Close Up is used to show the audience something/someone important (face).
Shot Reverse Shot is used for dialogue. It focus'on the character talking. It is positioned over their shoulder. This makes you feel part of the conversation.
High Angle Shot This shot connotes power over the object you are viewing. Women have traditionally been shot in this way to make men appear more powerful.
Low Angle Shot This is designed to make a character or and object appear stronger/more powerful.
Tracking Shot The camera is perpendicular to the action and follows the 'subject' or the action.


Editing Continuety-(hollywood editing) the viewer should not notice the cuts and shots should flow together naturally. Hence the sequence of shots should appear to be continuous.
Montage This style of editing has two functions. The highly political soviet style of the 1920s which sought to create a new meaning out of seemingly unconnected shots. The audiences are very aware of the 'cuts'.
Montage (hollywood) In classical Hollywood cinema, a 'montage sequence' is a shot segment in a film in which narative information is presented in a condensed fashion. (condenses lots of important information into a brief sequence) For example, someone trying on various outfits before a night out.
Transition A 'transition' is the term how an editor moves from one shot to another. The use of an innappropriate transition can destroy the mood or pace of a scene.
Crosscutting/parallel editing Editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occuring in different places, usually simultaneously.
Dissolve A transition between two shots during which the first image gradually dissappears while the second image gradually appears.
Wipe A transition between shots in which a line passes across te screen, eliminating the first shot as it goes and replacing it with the next one. A very dynamic and noticeable transition, it is usually imployed in action or adventure films.