Friday 20 January 2017

Representation of Women in the Media

Many women in the media are portrayed just by their bodies, as it is seen as the only way to 'get mens attention', however many would see this article and get the impression that Emily is a stereotypical 'whore/tart' who only cares about showing off body. There is a double standard where it is seen as socially expectable for men to show off their bodies without it being seen negatively and is actually encouraged by many and a regular occurrence in the media. The article does not focus on anything else other than the look of her body and almost mocks the fact she is embracing her body by emphasising the fact that 'she's certainly showing off a lot'. This is a recurring problem in the media where women are hated for doing the same as men, for example, a man could post a topless picture and no one would bat an eye and it would be accepted in the media with people praising his body, however if a woman were to do the same or even with more clothing on, they would be seen as 'slutty' and 'an embarrassment' irregardless of the fact its exactly the same concept.

Shout out to my ex

In the shout out to my ex music video, all of the members are female and wearing revealing clothing, this gives the impression to young girls who watch the video that they need to dress like that in order to gain attention from boys, with regards to the message of the song, it is meant to empower women and tell them that they don't need boys, whereas the outfits suggest otherwise. However due to there being no lead male role in the music video, it does give off the suggestion that men are not needed, and emphasises the power of loyal friendships which many young girls should be focusing on.

Friday 13 January 2017

Male Representation

Alpha males - Alpha males are stereotypically physically fit, have a strong demeanour and are confident. In action films, alpha males are typically violent and described as 'The Action Hero' this is when the aloha male character engages in a lot of dangerous behaviour which creates fear in the audience. In the new Wolverine Film 'LOGAN', Hugh Jackman's body is shown with extensive scars to show rebellion and also he is very physically fit. Even in the still shot he is shown with an aggressive grin on his face to intensify the feeling that he is an angry character, he never has a happy expression on his face which regains the dominance. The trailer shows various fighting scenes of Jackman by himself against others emphasises the fact that he is strong enough to take on many opponents and still come out on top.
Geek/Underdog

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Analysis

TeenVogue

TeenVogue is an edition of Vogue Magazine who's target audience is teenage (14-18) females. This is shown by Kylie Jenner being on the cover as she is extremely famous and is in very high demand and known by many.  The demographic can be proven by the cover lines 'Your ultimate guide to cool-girl style' this is not something that older women would want to read but could be useful to teens who are unsure of fashion and want to look good.
As many young girls look up to Kylie Jenner many would buy the magazine just because she is on the cover, this is why she is shot close-up and making direct eye contact with the camera to ensure that TeenVogue is the first magazine which will catch the audiences eyes. Kylie is also not wearing revealing clothes and is fully covered up to give a good impression to the younger audience showing them that they do not need to show off their body to be successful.
An enigma code is used with Kylie on her cover line 'There's this whole part of my life that people don't see' This is used to enable people will buy the magazine just if they're interested in Kylie's life and want to know everything about her. Using the term 'Exclusive!' makes it seem like it's breaking news that only TeenVogue have and that the audiences only way of finding out her secret is to buy the magazine. Many celebrities who are popular with teens are featured on this cover (Charli XCX, Cody Simpson, Gigi Hadid etc).

Thursday 8 December 2016

Media Techniques

Establishing shot - this is an extreme long shot which is used to set the scene and show the environment and gives the audience an idea of what the show would be about. In the BBC crime drama 'Hinterland' there is an establishing shot of a car which is parked in the middle of nowhere, this emphasises a sense of loneliness and vulnerability. The low-key lighting also carries a feeling of unease and has negative connotations of danger.




Long Shot - this shows the subjects whole body with a bit of background to highlight who they are and where they are. In the BBC Crime drama 'Beck' one of the characters frustratedly walking down the street. Aside from cars there are not many people about which highlights loneliness. There is also not many bright colours and with low-key lighting, it gives the audience a gloomy feeling.








Medium Long Shot - This shot frames the subject just above their knees and in the BBC Crime drama 'Beck' another character is shown in the woods. This situation is typically used to signify danger however with the high-key lighting it brings a greater sense of security and makes the scene look fairly peaceful.










Mid-shot - This is shot rom the waist up and is typically used to show body language. In the BBC drama 'Winter's Bone' the character is shown walking with a horse, she has a sombre look on her face. This emphasises the dull scenery behind her. The abandoned boat proves that the area they live in is not a very nice place.









Close up - These shots are used to convey emotion and fully focus on the subject or object. In the BBC Crime drama 'The Fall' the character is shown in very low-key lighting to signify a dark, gloomy aura. Due to the lighting is is hard to see her face however we are still able to see the downcast expression.












Extreme Close-up - This where certain features of the object/subject are shot extremely close up to add intensity. In the title sequence of 'Beck' there is an extreme close-up of the gun which sets the scene for the whole series. This is because guns have negative connotations and are associated with death.

















Decor - This is used to help the audience and can also have hidden meaning. In 'Beck' the character is seen running down stairs behind bars and fencing, this is used to show entrapment and that she may be unable to escape.














Costume - Costumes help us figure out a persons personality or financial/social status. In 'Winter's Bone' most of the characters are seen to be wearing grubby clothes with not much colour. This helps us establish that they are lower class, and in a run-down area where they do not care what they look like.
























High Angle - High angles are shot from above and make the subject/object look smaller and less intimidating. In the BBC drama 'Ripper Street' the characters are made to seem a lot smaller which adds a lack of power.



















Low Angle - These are shot from below and make the subject/object appear larger and increases the intimidation levels. In 'Ripper Street' the angle makes the character appear larger and makes him look more dangerous and powerful.














Eye Level - These shots are the most common and shows subjects in a neutral way. In 'Hinterland' the character is shown face on and this creates a connection with the audience and gives a sense of reality.

















High-key lighting - This lighting is more common in happier, more comical scenes and is used to create a bright atmosphere and safety. In 'Eastenders' Although the scene is confrontational, there is still a positive vibe.









Monday 31 October 2016

Magazine Research






One of my main inspirations for my magazine cover is Vogue, which is one of the most popular magazines of all time. This Vogue cover from the 1960's features Twiggy who was an icon of her time, she is shot with a close up of her face, providing an innocent/suspicious look on her which correlates to the cover line of 'Cute. But devilish inside', the  side lighting on her face creates a feeling that she is hiding something where as the heavy makeup used to create bigger eyes enhances her innocent features giving her a cute look which many would admire. The close up shot is covering almost all of the cover and if a the main feature which the consumers would focus on and be drawn to. Twiggy has been used for this cover as she was a very high demand model and many looked up to her because of her classy look. Many of the cover lines do no not give much away about the content inside and leave enigma codes for the audience. This cover is shot in black and white as that was what was readily available at the time. The black and white adds a retro vibe to the cover and enhances the high fashion look. There is no sexualisation of Twiggy as she is completely covered up. The main target audience of Vogue is Females from around 18-40, this is a wide age range meaning that the magazine should feature articles for everyone in-between that age group. The demographic classification for vogue is around B-C1. This is the target audience I would like to aim my magazine to this as there is more options to work with as the primary audience is quite broad.

This other vogue cover featuring Olga Kurylenko, was shot in the 21st century but the use of black and white gives it a more vintage look which may appeal to a wider audience. The mid shot of her with 60's inspired fashion creates innocent feel as she has a neutral expression with her hand delicately placed on her face, along with her not being provocatively dressed adds a demure aura to the model, which is admired by many as it is a rare sight in the media today. The title is the only feature of colour of the magazine cover and puts emphasis on 'Vogue' in front of the black and white. This is a feature I would like to use on my cover as I want the main colour scheme to be black and white without sacrificing the title colour meaning that it will still stand out on shelves amongst other competing magazines. Both of the Vogue magazines have the model facing straight into the camera, making direct eye contact to the audience, this is used to create a connection with the consumer to improve chances of them buying the magazine, This is a feature I am considering for my magazine as it creates a more friendly feeling to it.
Image result for double page spread vogue
This is a double page spread from Vogue, the main aspect that I will be taking inspiration from is the layout of the pictures as there is the main image which is a close up of Emma Watson, this image covers up the whole of the left hand page which could be seen as a waste of space but in this case it has been used effectively with the mass of writing just on the right hand page. Along side the writing are 3 smaller images running along the side of the page, with these images being black and white it contrasts nicely against the background and yet it still enhances the writing and doesn't distract the reader from the information. The other feature I take inspiration from with this double page spread is the small flashes of red through out, these small features enhance the whole spread for example, the first letter of the text and 'Watson' are both coloured red unlike any of the other words on the spread which makes it stand out a lot more and contrasts well against the background to draw the reader in. The colour of these also matches the lipstick prints on both sides of the spread which makes a connection between the whole spread and links the features together.


Friday 16 September 2016



Race - TV show



In this clip, Peter is discriminating against the black man by saying he 'looks like one of your typical angry black guys' and assuming that just due to the colour of his skin. This is representing Peter in a negative, racist way as he has no qualms about what he had said.

Event - Newspaper

The Orlando Shootings were an extremely tragic event which took place on June 13th 2016. The image of the distraught woman is used to clearly highlight the distress which hit the whole nation. 'Worst mass shooting in U.S. history' this emphasises the immense distraction one man caused to unsuspecting victims, and represents the event as a huge tragedy which many are still affected by.

Gender - TV show


Barney is being represented as highly sexist due to the way he talks about women and sees them as objects. He is expressing his wants for women and has a scale to do so, this is putting him on a pedestal and making him seem like he is too good for women and that he has a right to judge them to his standards. 

Issue - Documentary/Magazine