P1- Media & Rep
29th October
LO: To develop the language of media analysis.
This is the front cover of the Time magazine a media product that connotes power and popularity. This magazine is simplistic however within the simplicity the colour palette used can quite clearly show the meaning of this cover. The colour red connotes power or anger. The title of this magazine is behind Kanye's head this is because the magazine is very well known. This suggests that the audience already knows and buys the magazine. Kanye's name is in small writing to the left of the cover. This is because everyone should know who Kanye West is, so his name doesn't have to be big because he is already a huge artist.
The position of Kanye's hand suggests that he is powerful or influential because of how he is positioned and how the camera has taken the picture. The image of Kanye is front on which suggests dominance, he is a black music artist who's music is rap / hip hop this is very stereotypical of a black music artist. His facial expression is very serious which mirrors how he is presented as a music artist.
Kendrick Lamar's album cover connotes a grime/hip hop feel to it which sits in nicely with the genre of music. The album cover denotes Kendrick sat down looking across the cover. The font of this album cover suggests his music is loud and aggressive which suggests the meaning of this cover is to get across a meaning which he feels very strongly about, which explains the bold writing. The font on this album cover makes the audience see a silhouette of a city. Which links in with the title of this album cover.
However on Adele's album cover it is very simplistic. It is quite simply an image of her looking directly towards the camera looking very emotionless. The text also reflects this, the black and white image of Adele also reflects the emotionless stance of this album cover. Even though these album covers and from completely different artists who have different genres of music, they both still use a black and white image however because of the camera angle and their facial expression it gives a completely different vibe to each other. On Kendrick's album cover the black and white image connotes power and the ethnic background of Kendrick stereotypically makes us think of rap music. This is because the ethnic background of the people who look at these images see different things. There are not many black pop artists, most black artists have a more bold approach and have much more meaningful music stereotypically in the form of rap or hip hop music.
Sam Fenders album cover is very simplistic, but also quite clearly shows the meaning. Sam Fenders music is very meaningful, which is mirrored within the album cover, mainly the colour palette and his expression. His facial expression has quite a lot of emotion and feeling within it. He looks angry and serious, which fits in within his song in this album called 'White Privilege' it explains how he doesn't want to be him anymore. How he is angry at how easily people are offended he is angry with politics and Brexit. He is very serious and stands by what he believes in. The album cover is very simplistic to mirror how simply people need to change and get over things, and how simple it is to change things. The text is very small because he wanted the image to mean more than the text. The text however is still in capital letters. Which still shows how he is angry at society and how his and younger peoples generation may be ruined if we don't act now and change for the better. He stands by this so much he is willing to sound like he is shouting what he wants. Which mirrors the meaning and ideology behind his songs and his expression on the cover.
5th November
LO: To develop the language of media analysis.
In this album cover the denotations are a women looking directly at the camera. There is also text on the top and bottom of the cover. We can assume that this is the artist and the album name. The colours are bright, which suggests the genre of the music is pop. Katy Perry who is looking at the camera is wearing very summery clothes. Katy is looking at the camera which is creating direct address which is typical for a pop artist as it connects with the listener, as it feels like she is looking at you. The target audience for Katy Perry's album is a young audience probably directed at females because of the bright colours and the fact that she is lying down in the garden, probably sunbathing or having a picnic which is stereotypical for women. The artist is presented as a stereotypical women. She is sunbathing or having a picnic she is biting her sunglasses and is wearing a very large hat, which would be typically be worn by a lady. She could be seen as by some people a flapper who were 1920s women who broke the stereotypical rules of society at the time. Women in the 1920s had to follow these stereotypical rules of society, however these flappers would smoke, drink and wear short skirts and showed a lot of skin. This wasn't seen as how a women should present themselves in public and many men were against it. This could be Katy's way of changing how the music industry presents the stereotypical women.
In this image of Idris Elba he is smiling and is happy and cheerful this is because he is showing his teeth and his whole face is lifted. People only show their teeth when they are comfortable around people or are just genuinely happy.
In this movie poster James Bond is a new film and not many people will know about it, in this poster the name James Bond is very large and so is the title, this is to catch the audience’s attention. James Bond is the largest person on the poster this suggests there will be sexism in this film ever though during this time period it was the second suffragette movement and this period of time women were gaining more rights than before. The women in the poster are semi nude and showing a lot of skin. This could be seen as the producer presenting the women as sex objects, which stereotypically during this time period of this film and even before it women were seen as this. There is a palm tree in the image which suggests the film will be set somewhere tropical. This Shows that there is a different target audience in the older films due to the fact that there is mild nudity, this would not be totally suitable for 15 year olds so I would personally say that the older films were targeted at an older target audience such as 18+.
The poster clearly depicts that James Bond is higher class by wearing a suit and he gets what he wants, even if it's not legal. This is shown by the smoking gun that Bond is holding. This trend continues into the 70s when The Man With The Golden Gun was released. Women are still shown as showing a lot of skin, as well as this they look like they are doing things for him. Helping to fight the 'bad guy' or pointing at him as if they are admiring him. However in this poster there is a lot more going on. This is typical for a 70s film poster. During this time posters were over crowded with information but they also reflect what was happening at the time. To reflect the popularity of the Martial Arts film genre, with the rise of stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, there were several Kung Fu scenes and the film was filmed predominantly in Asia, having being shot in Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau. There is also a car flying across what looks like a ramp. This shows that the film is also about action and the lengths that Bond has to go though to for-fill his task. The poster also promotes Bonds masculinity. This is shown throughout the film series, even now there is a strong vibe that Bond has been presented as a very masculine, dominating and strong character. The colour of the gun connotes wealth and status and the fact we can only see the hand of the shooter creates intrigue and what Roland Barthes would term an enigma code for the audience, as we want to find out who is trying to kill Bond. We can use Propp's Theory to show the man who is holding the gun is the villain and that Bond is the hero. This could also show that the women in the poster are the damsel in distress who will need saving by bond. Also interestingly, one of the main themes in this Bond film was an actual world event which was the 1973 global energy crisis. With the embargo on oil, countries were considering alternative power sources and this is portrayed through the iconography of the power plant and the related explosions. By including this theme, the producers are encouraging audiences to consider what might happen if oil really did run out and predict what the outcomes would be for society.
The masked man in the background is wearing a skeleton mask used to symbolise the Mexican festival of the ‘Day of the Dead’. The opening sequence to the film shows a ‘Day of the Dead’ parade in Mexico City, which isn’t something that actually took place in real life. However, the interest in the film, and the government’s determination to promote pre-Hispanic Mexican culture, meant that one year later the local authorities decided to organise such a parade (Dia de los Muertos) on October 29th 2016. It was a huge success and attended by 250,000 people. The central image is a long shot of James Bond who is smartly dressed and he has his arms folded, with the gun pointing to his left. The dominance of his image suggests he is the film’s protagonist and so probably would be considered as the ‘good guy’. According to Propp’s theory, he would be considered the ‘hero’. This is reinforced by the use of colour, Bond’s white suit jacket connotes his heroic status which contrasts with the dark, shadowed antagonist in the background. Bond’s clothing connotes business and professionalism and the gun, which is an iconic part of Bond’s ‘uniform,' it is a common prop used in the action/thriller genre and so audiences can expect violence, action and danger. The gun is casually pointed, connoting that Bond is never off duty, he is always alert and ready for action. The tuxedo is an iconic part of the Bond image, and the white tuxedo connotes luxury, wealth and sophistication and the ‘high life’ that off-duty Bond enjoys which is linked to martinis, women, gambling, etc. The red carnation has connotations of romance and passion, but also of danger. By placing Bond in such a strong yet casual pose, the audience is reminded just how cool and calm Bond is. He is a trained assassin who works for MI6, he is relaxed here, but in control, and we are reminded of his ability to keep his composure in any situation. Bond is looking directly at the audience, making eye contact. This is a common convention of film posters and helps to add to the more personal approach of this format. The intensity of his stare and the lack of a smile could suggest how seriously he expects to be taken.
With all of this in mind we can strongly conclude that the Bond franchise has been targeted at a younger audience because of the action and the romance. The films normally have an age rating of a 12, so we know that the director wasn't pitching this film franchise for people below the age of 12. But I also know that this doesn't appeal to many people that age anyway. I feel that the franchise is more aimed at 15-70 year olds. As when the film franchise first came out in the 60's it means they would have watched it and if they liked it they would still be watching it today. In the much newer films we can assume that the target audience is for a lot younger audience and with this in mind because of the 'day of the dead' skull in the background, shows that this film is also targeted at a multi-cultural society. This film would be mainly seen in the UK but because of how big the 007 franchise has become it would probably be widely seen by those in Mexico and other parts of the world.
8th November
LO: To explore the idea of semiotics and how it can be applied to media analysis.
A sign is made up of two different elements: The signifier and the signified.
A Signifier is the physical form, the thing that is being considered.
The Signified is what 'our culture has decided this form means'.
Theory: Roland Barthes
He argued that some connotations are so widely held that that they reach the level of myth.
Theory: Charles Pierce
He said there are 3 different types of sign, Icon, Index and Symbol
An Icon looks like what it does, an Index sign has a casual connection, which we have to figure it out. Whereas a symbol we learn through our culture.
12th November
LO: To apply semiotic theories when creating media products.
Filtagram is the next big social media. The social network uses the camera of the user and the unique AR technology to create an experience the users will not forget. This next level social media is targeted at adults who just want to have fun. You can meet new people, show them you want to have fun. This app consists of a private chat section where you can talk with friends and another section called public where you can talk with new people, the public section is a secure place for adults to find other friends they already know using the app or to make new friends who they don't know. The speciality of this app is to have a filter over their face. The colours show that this app is for both males or females, and the app gives people the ambition to achieve anything that they want. The panda bear in the centre stands for the apps key filter which is endangered species. We bring up key problems in the app and make more awareness of these problems.
22nd November
L/O: To apply semiotic theories when analysing media texts.
The Lord of the drinks.
This beer advert follows usual conventions of adverts that advertise the same product. They do this by using the colour green which symbolises that the product is made from natural resources. It also connotes growth and safety which is what they want. This product needs to show that it is natural and is made from safe and sustainable resources. This advert was made back in 2011, and was based of the book and film 'Lord of the Rings'. This advert would be targeted at 18-25 year olds and also most probably male. The company believes that their audience would have watched this film because of how popular it was to the target age that the beer company was trying to promote their product to.
26th November
LO: To explore the concept of conventions and subversion
Amnesty international is a non profit organisation which is focused on human rights, it has over 7 million members and supporters around the world. The stated objective of the organisation is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."
Shelter plays on the viewers heart strings by showing homeless terrible images of young children begging for help, this is a very effective way to get people to pledge money to help. Shelters values are to help all that need the help, homeless and starving kids. Adults who are homeless, however if they do an advert with adults in then they always include 'their story' as when people read how they got homeless they will understand but people always assume people got homeless because of drugs or similar things, as this is generally the majority of the people who are homeless and then those who have lost everything by no fault of their own they are penalised because of this stereotype that people think about when they see homeless people. The aim of the advertising campaign in 2011 was to help people with homelessness and bad housing, it gives advice to the government to make changes about improving the housing crisis. The main focus was shown by poster ads but they also used Facebook and social media, the poster campaign was initially shown in only 4 towns known for homeless hotspots, and ran from the 21st August for 6 weeks.
10th December
LO: To apply social context and representation to old spice advert.
Advert from 2011 which was a follow up campaign of an advert from 2010. The advert from 2011 helped double their sales, the adverts as well as digital advert on social media were very popular and won many awards. The men watching would recognise the NFL player who was the main part of the advert. By 2011 the 'old spice' guy became very popular by the advert. The original campaign made old spice good, the company also cares about the environment thus the advert. The deodorant and aftershave take us to 'scent vacation' they wanted to show if you wore this aftershave then it would take you to tropical parts of the world.
The advert however also subverts many conventions as well. They do this by having the man on a blue background and with surreal images attached to his body. Firstly the blue background, this subverts stereotypical deodorant adverts because usually, deodorant adverts make the advert feel sweaty and shows a very claustrophobic 'party scene' this then goes on to show the deodorant to show use this to get rid of this sweaty feeling. This blue background suggests freshness, this advert instead of giving you a scenario that you should use this product, shows that if you use this product you will feel refreshed, this product may take you to a tropical island, so you can enjoy yourself without getting sweaty. This is totally the opposite of what other brands do to try and advertise their product. The objects which are surreal and attached to his body show a tropical island, this isn't a typical deodorant advert at all. That's the main reason why this advert became so popular and boosted sales dramatically.
17th December
LO: To review and apply context and representation to the Lucozade advert.
In the 1950s the marketing of Lucozade shows that the drink that provides energy when you are feeling tired or run down, the drink was associated with poor health. It was also sold in many chemist shops further strengthened this view.
In the 70's there was a decreasing role for Lucozade in peoples lives, the population on average were healthier and illness became less frequent. With better health awareness the days of heavy illness were declining, sales also decreased. The drink attempted to change the image of the brand, instead of helping people from illness they branded as a drink that helps people recover from the daily tasks people preform in their everyday lives.
In 1982, the brand successfully re-positioned, the slogan 'Aids recovery' was removed and replaced with 'Replaces Lost Energy'. They used the famous olympic decathlete Daley Thompson as the brand icon, to help do this.
In the 1990s Lucozade diversified with the launch of Lucozade sport, in balance with your natural body fluids, the brand promised to 'get to your thirst, fast'. Lucozade sport was the first brand to launch with a sports sponsorship deal namely British Athletics and the FA Carling Premiership.
Lucozade sport hydro active, which was launched in 2003, is positioned as a fitness water for people who exercise. It reflected the development of sport and physical activity, and the progression of the brand.
In 2013 the adverts had effectively distanced the drink from the connotations from illness. Lucozade is no longer a drink that 'Aids recovery,' it is now a product that scientifically allows athletes to hydrate and perform 'Faster, stronger for longer.' The colour palette had also shifted to a more modern, cleaner lines of design. The blue colours of the advertising connotes the hydrating effect of the drink as it mades us think of water. The use of strap lines dotted around the image in their own colour blocks and clean, it is a modern typeface, this serves to empathise the idea of an official document from a scientific research programme.
The brand uses a stereotypical blue colour palette, this is used because it shows and connotes the idea of hydration and energy, it does this by reminding the audience of water, which is also hydrating. The advert has a medium close up of an athlete by the name of Gareth Bale. He is a well know athlete, who would need an energy drink that hydrates and provides energy during his workouts. They have chosen to do a medium close up shot of him because it provides the advert a sense of dominance, he is looking directly into the camera, this is giving the audience direct address, almost telling them to buy the product because this athlete does. There are also clean type faces dotted around the poster, such as the 'Scientifically Proven' in the bottom right hand corner, this is by the drink. This is also stereotypical for a sport drink to show that the drink is proven to give energy and to hydrate the consumer. The star figure in the poster is also very stereotypical, if a brand is advertising anything to do with sports, then the brand usually adds a well known athlete to help try and sell the product, they do this because it makes the consumer think if they use this product then I should too, Lucozade has followed the stereotypical advert of a sporting drink and product, they have followed stereotypical sport drink adverts and advertising that is sport related because it works. The brand has done this by using clean bold typeface, the colour palette resembles the product, this is what all brands do, they have used a strong image of a strong and well known athlete, to help advertise their product. Lucozade moved away from the connotations of helping with illness which they were very well known for during the 1970s. The advert uses the colour of blue to remind the consumer that the drink hydrates you and fuels you better than water. The reasons why the previous #ibelieve campaign was banned because it said it hydrates you better than water which wasn't true and so they had to adjust the advert to in keep with the contemporary market in todays society.
Adverts for charities, have lower production values. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness, housing, security and medical care. They construct a sense of compassion, responsibility or guilt. Audiences have gotten use to malnourished children, that they cease to have any shock impact, that the advert simply stops working. The shelter campaign were targeted at people who are unsure of their rights and what will happen if they do become homeless or how they can cope with the financial help. Thus the question in red over the top of the image of the people on the front cover, these posters had a very specific target audience and so wasn't aimed at the wider public. This is not conventional of a charity's advertising, stereotypically charity adverts are aimed at the wider public and those who are more fortunate than others because they are most likely to have the money to help and donate to the charity. Conventionally charities use children who are suffering or malnourished to get the viewer to donate, this is to help this child. They use direct address mainly to have more of a connection to the poster. 'with your help, we can all help save this child's life' it's a common phrase used in charities advertising campaigns. This compels the viewer to reach into their pocket to donate to the charity in the hope that they will save a child's life. The people in the Shelter advert help influence the ideology that they are the ones who are about to lose their home, they are the ones who are confused and asking all of the questions. This promotes the idea that it is okay and good to ask for help when needed, this helps people who need these questions answering but who just don't want to ask for the help that they need.
7th January 2020
Lighting terms
In video editing a transition is what the author shows between two shots or clips. The joining of those clips is the transition from one to the other. Transitions can be an instant scene or image change, a fade, fade to black, dissolve, pan from one person to another, or any digital effect.
SFX means special effects which physically happen. If you drop a match in a can of petrol and record the resultant explosion, that's SFX. VFX means visual effects which are done in post-production, through the power of a computer.
The speed and length of the editing means how fast the video is going for speed, e.g. Slow motion. The length of the editing is fast paced editing, using this can make the video feel dramatic, this could be used in chase scenes in films.
Emeli Sandé - Heaven - August 2011
17th January 2020
Unsteady - X Ambassadors
This music video is a hybrid of a performance and a narrative music video. The video mainly consists of medium close ups at eye level and medium long shots too. The video is telling a story of a couple, it compares how there life was before and after having a kid, they were falling in love and they compared it to their life with a kid in which they are constantly arguing. It is very common for music video to either be a hybrid or just a performance video, when they use a narrative there is normally a section where the singer is lip sinking to the song. When the narrative part of the video is showing, the camera moves with the motion of the person, for example if the person is pouring a drink the camera will 'flow' with it. There are no sound effects in this video, they use bright colours in the video to symbolise their emotions, the red is maybe for all the anger and the arguing and the blue and yellows are to represent them falling in love.
Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars
This music video is purely performance, Bruno Mars is in most of the shots, as he is the singer and he is lip sinking to the song. The video uses a variety of shot types but a popular shot type is a low camera angle with a medium long shot, this is to make it feel like Bruno has power and is the dominant figure. Looking down to others, as the song is all about what he has and how he can show off. The music video also consists of close ups of female legs and more, this is sexualised and uses the male gaze theory, which suggests that men just want to see women for their own pleasure it is heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the male viewer. This is used throughout, also gender and ethnicity roles have been reversed in some shots.
Say Something - Justin Timberlake
This music video is a performance video, it consists of long shots but mainly close ups of the artist performing the song, e.g. playing the guitar, DJing and singing. The video is set up in some old building which seems very quiet and maybe secluded. The song in the video is very different to the actual song, this song was recorded live just for the music video, this song is no where else and just on Youtube.
New shoes - Paolo Nutini
This video is a performance and narrative, it uses the same camera shot, it uses a medium close up at a low angle. The singer is just lip sinking to the song while doing activities as described in the song.
The weekend - Blinding Lights
This music video is a hybrid of a concept music video and a performance video, there are extreme long shots mainly, but there are some shot which are medium close up.
21st January 2020
LO: To explore the different representations in music videos
CAGEDS
Class, Age, Gender, Ethnicities, Diversity, Sexuality
Middle Class people in the music video
Mainly middle aged, or young adults in the video.
There isn't much masculinity in it, even though the video includes the artist I think its like this because he is singing about someone he loved. He doesn't want to seem too dominant.
Lewis Capaldi has presented himself like this as he is talking about one of his breakups, he is singing that he wants her back, the artist thus has been presented as weak or sensitive. This could appeal to younger generations and mainly females. This is also Lewis's target audience so the song and how he is presented is also fitting in with the target audience he is trying to appeal to. There are not many stereotypes in this video, they have actually reversed some stereotypes such as the women walking away and breaking up with the man. This doesn't normally happen. The sexuality of Lewis though is stereotypical, this is because you don't see many music videos or a man breaking up with a man, so his heterosexuality is very stereotypical.
There is an extreme diverse community shown in this music video.
Everyone looks very serious, common British stereotype.
They all care about fashion and what they look like.
People from middle and lower classes
Everyone is around the same age, 20's and 30's
Very male dominated, very masculine, males are dominant, have women, so no diversity of sexuality.
Stormzy presents himself as a strong black male, this shows diversity in Ethnicities because he has also collaborated with Ed Sheeran who presents himself as a down to earth white male, although Sheeran hasn't presented himself as a strong figure in this video he is partying and does look like he is a dominant male. The reason why I don't feel that Sheeran isn't a dominant male normally is because when he has released albums in the past they have all had at least one love song or a song about a break up. This shows he cares about others and he does have feelings just like any other person would. Stormzy I feel has decided to present Sheeran this way because then it fits in with the type of music Stormzy releases. Again they are all heterosexual, this doesn't show much diversity in this sense, however overall I think the video has a good diversity and also gives an accurate representation of Brittan. Stormzy is good at doing this, I think he does this as he tries to show issues in our country that needs to be looked at. I think he also does this because he has experienced some of the issues, mainly because of his ethnicity. However saying that he does contribute to the stereotypes of black males in society, he presents himself as a dominant male, who is very confident, which isn't a bad thing but there is also a vibe of gangs in his video which does contribute to the stereotype of people of his ethnicity, especially in the UK currently.
24th January 2020
LO: To research and explore representation and cultural context in music video case studies.
The album covers are very plain this is nearly the only image I could find, as he is a DJ he doesn't really do official photo shoots. He doesn't use direct address and he doesn't fit conventions of normal pop artists. He seems very relaxed this could suggest that he doesn't care what people think, he is just making music and if people like it they like it, if they don't then so what.
This music video doesn't necessarily fit with most stereotypes of the mainstream/pop music genre. This is because in this video Sandé represents many people of different social groups and ethnic minorities. The video shows her addressing many different social issues, which are particularly based in London. However, the variety of locations used in the music video does fit some of the stereotypes of this genre as mainstream music videos usually show a variety of different locations in a way of 'glamorising' the music video and the artists' image. Sandé's music video also challenges some other conventions of the mainstream genre as this music video is more about the song rather than the artist and her public image. The lyrics of 'Heaven' as well as the music video both help to contribute to the meaning of the song and how the audience interpret it. There are many powerful and inspirational messages from both the lyrics and the video instead of focussing on Emeli Sande's image and backgrounds which may have influenced the song. Although, this can generally be seen as quite typical of the alternative music genre rather than mainstream music.
Super 8 - The narrative uses mainstream culture to reference the fantasy franchises such as X-Men and Twilight. The theme of this music video is all about 'the boy with powers misunderstood and hunted down' This is common in Harry Potter and the X-Men series. We see young people who are struggling with their identity and the sense of people being 'different' in our society. The music video is very similar to the 1976 film Carrie. In this film the main character has uncontrollable rage from how she is treated by her classmates, she wrecks havoc at a school prom. Though the narrative here is inconclusive, we see in the climax of the video a sense what has happened at the start of the piece where he is surrounded by scenes of devastation and objects which had been destroyed at his school. Themes of the confusion of growing up, our need to be accepted in society and how we act around others is captured in these videos. The mies-en-scene of the fantasy adventure franchises fits in with the 2011 audience at the time.
ET - The nuclear, functional family is often torn apart. Spielberg introduces the supernatural and extra-terrestrial into domestic, suburban settings. He comments on family breakdown: absent mothers / fathers and feelings of abandonment. Children that feel alone and isolated.
There is a poster of superargo and the faceless giants in the boys house. This was a science fiction superhero film from the late 1960's.
31st January 2020
LO: To research and explore intertextuality and exam style analysis.
In the music video titanium it shows that the boy who is feared by everyone has inner strength by the intertextuality link to ET, where he is cycling down the road at high speed, this is shown by a tracking shot and by a still shot where the boy speeds up, speeding aways from the camera. This is showing that he is trying to run away from something. It is also shown at the start where he is in the middle of a destroyed school scene. Which links in with issues like school shootings that had been a major problem at the time. This is also physically shown by his powers at the very end of the music video, this is where it looks like he is surrendering but he then exerts this massive wave of energy which wipes out everyone near by. The shot type here is quite high up, this is to give the impression that the adults are more powerful and very dominant in this scene. This also gives us an idea of what may have happened at the start in the school scene and how pressure can get to us all and we just need inner strength to get through it all.
There are many ideologies around Youth Vs Adults in this video. Mainly when it is showing the supernatural kid, the adults struggle to get him under control. The teacher in the first scene looks very stressed and scared this is shown by a eye line close up shot of the adult which then swiftly changes to an eye line shot of the kid, this shows that the adult is afraid of the child and the destruction he has caused. This is also shown in the final scene in the video too where the police are hiding behind shields and their car doors. This shows that Adults and other older generations are scared of the younger more deviant youth in society. The child is shown to be worried and scared, (running away from the police) but everyone else in the video is also scared of this Supernatural Human, they are fearing the misunderstood.
The child seems to be alone and trying to deal with his issues by himself, they are trying to get across in the video that if you need help you have to ask for it, otherwise you will end up stressing about unimportant issues or issues that can be easily dealt with. The kid seems to be alone in the sense that his parents are not shown to be there. The government has to get involved to end the misunderstood child at the expense of his own freedom, if he was caught he would be under strict instruction and not allowed his personal freedom. In other words Authoritarianism would mean that the government gets involved at the expense of his own personal freedom, this is all because he is misunderstood and that there is anxiety over the unknown.
Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property. Some patriarchal societies are also patrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the male lineage. This is shown by the female teacher needing help from the male police officer, there is a close up of the female and the male police officer talking. The women seems upset and scared which is stereotyping women at the time, whereas the man is shown to be calm. When they finally corner the misunderstood boy he is surrounded in men. There are no women present. This shows that in the video men are presented as the leaders and if anything needs doing just go running to the men in society.
This is also shown were there are posters of David Guetta on the walls of the school in the music video. This not only shows that Gutta feels like he is very well known so he would be found on posters around the school, but this also shows how men are presented as higher than women, this is because there were no posters of women in the music video. Having posters of yourself in your own music video shows that you believe you are popular and that most people would know who David Guetta. Youth in the music video are shown as mis-understood, the adults seem confused and scared of the child. This is stereotypical for young males in society, they are seen to cause violence in everyday life, which is pretty much mirrored in the music video. There is a range of races in this music video and there is even a black man as a military personnel. This is not very stereotypical, normally a black man wouldn't be shown as in such a high up position. So this is not stereotypical for films however we are constantly seeing more of these stereotypes broken around people of different ethnicities. Especially in music videos at the time, there were more diversity shown in music videos from 2011 and from the genre pop.
The preferred response from the audience in the music video titanium is that we should not care about what others think and that we need to use our inner strength to combat stereotypes in society and have inner strength to cope with tough situations where we can find ourselves in difficult or stressful environments. The response from the audience will depend on the audiences class and views in society. It will also depend on what they think of David Guetta and their intertextual understanding of the music video. This is predominantly made for people from the age group 13-29 year olds, I think this because the whole meaning of this music video and song is for them to be strong willed and strong hearted, which I feel mainly appeals to people in this age group.
LO: To explore the specific representation of chosen video case studies.
Social Realism - Social realism is a genre of film that focuses on topical issues alive in a modern society which is represented by different ideologies. Themes such as money, drugs, prostitution and sex are quite usual in modern contemporary social realism films as well as class, religion and political views.
The Big Issue audience is young at heart, educated and loyal. Slightly more women than men read The Big Issue, while 60% of our readers are aged between 18 and 49. Compared with the general population.
Ideologies
The extent to which media products such as newspapers contain and communicate particular ways of looking at the world, a set of values and beliefs thats news providers assume its audiences to posses and to share.
General values such as crime and punishment and how important human life is. Political values, capitalism, communism or veganism.
LO: To identify the primary target audience for the big issue
The target audience according to The Big Issue website says that they target their magazine at people 18 - 49 year olds.
72% of readers are ABC1 (Highly educated people)
43% of readers are AB. (Highly educated, wealthy people)
LO: To develop the language of media analysis.
The position of Kanye's hand suggests that he is powerful or influential because of how he is positioned and how the camera has taken the picture. The image of Kanye is front on which suggests dominance, he is a black music artist who's music is rap / hip hop this is very stereotypical of a black music artist. His facial expression is very serious which mirrors how he is presented as a music artist.
However on Adele's album cover it is very simplistic. It is quite simply an image of her looking directly towards the camera looking very emotionless. The text also reflects this, the black and white image of Adele also reflects the emotionless stance of this album cover. Even though these album covers and from completely different artists who have different genres of music, they both still use a black and white image however because of the camera angle and their facial expression it gives a completely different vibe to each other. On Kendrick's album cover the black and white image connotes power and the ethnic background of Kendrick stereotypically makes us think of rap music. This is because the ethnic background of the people who look at these images see different things. There are not many black pop artists, most black artists have a more bold approach and have much more meaningful music stereotypically in the form of rap or hip hop music.
Sam Fenders album cover is very simplistic, but also quite clearly shows the meaning. Sam Fenders music is very meaningful, which is mirrored within the album cover, mainly the colour palette and his expression. His facial expression has quite a lot of emotion and feeling within it. He looks angry and serious, which fits in within his song in this album called 'White Privilege' it explains how he doesn't want to be him anymore. How he is angry at how easily people are offended he is angry with politics and Brexit. He is very serious and stands by what he believes in. The album cover is very simplistic to mirror how simply people need to change and get over things, and how simple it is to change things. The text is very small because he wanted the image to mean more than the text. The text however is still in capital letters. Which still shows how he is angry at society and how his and younger peoples generation may be ruined if we don't act now and change for the better. He stands by this so much he is willing to sound like he is shouting what he wants. Which mirrors the meaning and ideology behind his songs and his expression on the cover.5th November
LO: To develop the language of media analysis.
In this album cover the denotations are a women looking directly at the camera. There is also text on the top and bottom of the cover. We can assume that this is the artist and the album name. The colours are bright, which suggests the genre of the music is pop. Katy Perry who is looking at the camera is wearing very summery clothes. Katy is looking at the camera which is creating direct address which is typical for a pop artist as it connects with the listener, as it feels like she is looking at you. The target audience for Katy Perry's album is a young audience probably directed at females because of the bright colours and the fact that she is lying down in the garden, probably sunbathing or having a picnic which is stereotypical for women. The artist is presented as a stereotypical women. She is sunbathing or having a picnic she is biting her sunglasses and is wearing a very large hat, which would be typically be worn by a lady. She could be seen as by some people a flapper who were 1920s women who broke the stereotypical rules of society at the time. Women in the 1920s had to follow these stereotypical rules of society, however these flappers would smoke, drink and wear short skirts and showed a lot of skin. This wasn't seen as how a women should present themselves in public and many men were against it. This could be Katy's way of changing how the music industry presents the stereotypical women.
In this image of Idris Elba he is smiling and is happy and cheerful this is because he is showing his teeth and his whole face is lifted. People only show their teeth when they are comfortable around people or are just genuinely happy.
In this movie poster James Bond is a new film and not many people will know about it, in this poster the name James Bond is very large and so is the title, this is to catch the audience’s attention. James Bond is the largest person on the poster this suggests there will be sexism in this film ever though during this time period it was the second suffragette movement and this period of time women were gaining more rights than before. The women in the poster are semi nude and showing a lot of skin. This could be seen as the producer presenting the women as sex objects, which stereotypically during this time period of this film and even before it women were seen as this. There is a palm tree in the image which suggests the film will be set somewhere tropical. This Shows that there is a different target audience in the older films due to the fact that there is mild nudity, this would not be totally suitable for 15 year olds so I would personally say that the older films were targeted at an older target audience such as 18+.
The poster clearly depicts that James Bond is higher class by wearing a suit and he gets what he wants, even if it's not legal. This is shown by the smoking gun that Bond is holding. This trend continues into the 70s when The Man With The Golden Gun was released. Women are still shown as showing a lot of skin, as well as this they look like they are doing things for him. Helping to fight the 'bad guy' or pointing at him as if they are admiring him. However in this poster there is a lot more going on. This is typical for a 70s film poster. During this time posters were over crowded with information but they also reflect what was happening at the time. To reflect the popularity of the Martial Arts film genre, with the rise of stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, there were several Kung Fu scenes and the film was filmed predominantly in Asia, having being shot in Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau. There is also a car flying across what looks like a ramp. This shows that the film is also about action and the lengths that Bond has to go though to for-fill his task. The poster also promotes Bonds masculinity. This is shown throughout the film series, even now there is a strong vibe that Bond has been presented as a very masculine, dominating and strong character. The colour of the gun connotes wealth and status and the fact we can only see the hand of the shooter creates intrigue and what Roland Barthes would term an enigma code for the audience, as we want to find out who is trying to kill Bond. We can use Propp's Theory to show the man who is holding the gun is the villain and that Bond is the hero. This could also show that the women in the poster are the damsel in distress who will need saving by bond. Also interestingly, one of the main themes in this Bond film was an actual world event which was the 1973 global energy crisis. With the embargo on oil, countries were considering alternative power sources and this is portrayed through the iconography of the power plant and the related explosions. By including this theme, the producers are encouraging audiences to consider what might happen if oil really did run out and predict what the outcomes would be for society.
The masked man in the background is wearing a skeleton mask used to symbolise the Mexican festival of the ‘Day of the Dead’. The opening sequence to the film shows a ‘Day of the Dead’ parade in Mexico City, which isn’t something that actually took place in real life. However, the interest in the film, and the government’s determination to promote pre-Hispanic Mexican culture, meant that one year later the local authorities decided to organise such a parade (Dia de los Muertos) on October 29th 2016. It was a huge success and attended by 250,000 people. The central image is a long shot of James Bond who is smartly dressed and he has his arms folded, with the gun pointing to his left. The dominance of his image suggests he is the film’s protagonist and so probably would be considered as the ‘good guy’. According to Propp’s theory, he would be considered the ‘hero’. This is reinforced by the use of colour, Bond’s white suit jacket connotes his heroic status which contrasts with the dark, shadowed antagonist in the background. Bond’s clothing connotes business and professionalism and the gun, which is an iconic part of Bond’s ‘uniform,' it is a common prop used in the action/thriller genre and so audiences can expect violence, action and danger. The gun is casually pointed, connoting that Bond is never off duty, he is always alert and ready for action. The tuxedo is an iconic part of the Bond image, and the white tuxedo connotes luxury, wealth and sophistication and the ‘high life’ that off-duty Bond enjoys which is linked to martinis, women, gambling, etc. The red carnation has connotations of romance and passion, but also of danger. By placing Bond in such a strong yet casual pose, the audience is reminded just how cool and calm Bond is. He is a trained assassin who works for MI6, he is relaxed here, but in control, and we are reminded of his ability to keep his composure in any situation. Bond is looking directly at the audience, making eye contact. This is a common convention of film posters and helps to add to the more personal approach of this format. The intensity of his stare and the lack of a smile could suggest how seriously he expects to be taken.
With all of this in mind we can strongly conclude that the Bond franchise has been targeted at a younger audience because of the action and the romance. The films normally have an age rating of a 12, so we know that the director wasn't pitching this film franchise for people below the age of 12. But I also know that this doesn't appeal to many people that age anyway. I feel that the franchise is more aimed at 15-70 year olds. As when the film franchise first came out in the 60's it means they would have watched it and if they liked it they would still be watching it today. In the much newer films we can assume that the target audience is for a lot younger audience and with this in mind because of the 'day of the dead' skull in the background, shows that this film is also targeted at a multi-cultural society. This film would be mainly seen in the UK but because of how big the 007 franchise has become it would probably be widely seen by those in Mexico and other parts of the world.
8th November
LO: To explore the idea of semiotics and how it can be applied to media analysis.
- The signifier is a skull in the background.
- The skull signifies the day of the dead in Mexico City. However in different parts of the world this could mean different things, such as in the UK we could consider this just to be about death but most of us would think of halloween and a costume.
- Audience is for 15-50 year olds.
Theories and Theorists
Theory - Ferdinand Saussure
A sign is made up of two different elements: The signifier and the signified.
A Signifier is the physical form, the thing that is being considered.
The Signified is what 'our culture has decided this form means'.
Theory: Roland Barthes
He argued that some connotations are so widely held that that they reach the level of myth.
Theory: Charles Pierce
He said there are 3 different types of sign, Icon, Index and Symbol
An Icon looks like what it does, an Index sign has a casual connection, which we have to figure it out. Whereas a symbol we learn through our culture.
Analyse the semiotics in print adverts
12th November
LO: To apply semiotic theories when creating media products.
I have decided to go with a Surf Brand. I came up with the name Hawkers Surf because there is a place on the North Cornish coast called Hawkers Cove. This company logo is for a sea side clothing shop. I choose the surfboard to make the connection with this. The navy circle in the background suggests that this brand is trusted, successful and also masculine. The circle is to make the company feel welcoming because there are less sides, so it feels less harsh. Thus making it more welcoming. There is also a sea feel in the background as I have over-layed a stencil of the sea to reinforce the idea of the brand being for those surfing enthusiasts, but it is also for those who just enjoy being by the sea. The logo is quite simple and fits in with the stereotypes of a clothing brand that is related to the sea, such as Animal or Saltrock.
I decided to choose the word NIKO as the name of the tv channel because the word NIKO means victory of the people. This shows that this channel will succeed and many will watch it. I decided on this font because it looked childish and also a bit fun, which is what a TV channel should be, the target audience is 6-11, I feel that the plain and simple logo shows that this TV channel is for the younger kids, this TV channel will show cartoons and also musicals. The colours all represent a different meaning, it shows that this TV channel is for females, because of the colour pink, but is also sensitive to topics that kids struggle with in their lives, granted not very much but the few they do have to overcome are tackled within the shows. The green resembles growth, how the TV channel grows with the kids. Blue to symbolise that this TV channel is modern, and orange to symbolise freedom. Overall the logo is very simplistic, and easy to identify the type of shows and who this channel is aimed at through the means of colours and text choice.
Filtagram is the next big social media. The social network uses the camera of the user and the unique AR technology to create an experience the users will not forget. This next level social media is targeted at adults who just want to have fun. You can meet new people, show them you want to have fun. This app consists of a private chat section where you can talk with friends and another section called public where you can talk with new people, the public section is a secure place for adults to find other friends they already know using the app or to make new friends who they don't know. The speciality of this app is to have a filter over their face. The colours show that this app is for both males or females, and the app gives people the ambition to achieve anything that they want. The panda bear in the centre stands for the apps key filter which is endangered species. We bring up key problems in the app and make more awareness of these problems.
22nd November
L/O: To apply semiotic theories when analysing media texts.
The Lord of the drinks.
LO: To explore the concept of conventions and subversion
- Bottles of beer surrounding a bottle of beer without the label.
- The label has fallen off the bottle to show us the bubbles, this connotes how fizzy and fresh this bottle of beer is. Beer is also a very popular bachelor drink and would get people very drunk and thus making them do stupid things or when they go out partying they would visit a strip club and the 'naked beer' is showing that they would all be watching a women. This advert very subtly makes women feel like objects, (the beer bottle) and suggest that men only want a women for their looks. This would be an older advert because of this sexism and objectifying women.
- The conventions of this type of advertising is that the poster is green, in which it is the green suggests that this beer is made from fresh products, and is natural. This convention is used in all beer advertising, this is a very good way of representing the beer brand and putting it out there that the company believes in nature and thus uses and looks after the environment. The colour green has very positive connotations.
- This audience for this advertising would be from 18 - 25 year olds. Most adults this age would drink beer and be looking at this advert. Most beer adverts are also targeted at men, because stereotypically men are the only ones who drink beer.
Cadburys advert 2007
- The advert tells us that cadbury is a bit weird, but also shows from the colours, the 'cadburys purple' that even if we cut out the bit where it says cadburys because cadburys is such a recognised brand everyone should know what this adverts supposed to be advertising. Cadburys advertises its company name and not their product, because when they show the 'product' it's a plain purple bar with their logo and maybe slogan on it, nothing else.
- The aim of this advert was too get people talking about 'this weird advert' that they have seen on the TV. This advert was so unconventional and different people were confused and wanted to talk to other about it to see if others knew what it was supposed to say. Because nobody knew people just kept on talking about it.
- This advert would have been aimed at a younger target audience, probably 12 - 18 years old. Just because this advert was different, kids would have liked it because it was advertising their favourite chocolate brand, and that there was a gorilla playing the drums.
- This advert was just supposed to be advertising its brand because it never shows you the actual chocolate bar, but because we know Cadburys so well, because it's a well recognised brand, we know the chocolate bars that Cadburys sells.
- This advert is just a bit of fun and so it has a huge impact because they get people talking about the advert and so gets people talking about Cadburys as a brand. No wonder that this advert was successful, and how it boosted sales by 10%. It just got people talking about that weird advert that they have seen on TV.
This advert was used as a United Colours of Benetton advert, this advert was apart of an unconventional, subversion of adverts. This advert was an advert to highlight the issues that are happening in the world that the government was not dealing with. This issue was to highlight AIDS. This image is of a person dying of AIDS surrounded by his family, this picture was originally taken in black and white. The artist then oil painted it to make it be in colour, I feel that he did this because it shows the agony of the person who is dying and the grief of the family. This advert was banned because some people got offended by the person who is dying looking very similar to Jesus, they felt that the artist did this intentionally to convey the idea that the modern way of Jesus dying would be him dying of a disease of some sort. They found this offensive and so it was banned. This advert is unconventional to other clothing brand advertising, although most of these subversive adverts were banned it did however gain a public interest and sales actually increased, this shows unconventional adverts do work as it gets people talking about the advert and for this particular set of adverts it got people talking about global issues. This advert highlighted key issues and got people talking and as the old saying goes any publicity is good publicity, and so sales increased and it also got people talking about big issues in the world that needed to be tackled.
3rd December
LO: To explore set advertising texts and research brands.
The difference between the two Barbie adverts is that is the 90's women were represented very differently than they are in todays world. The adverts were trying to portray that girls just want to have fun and to enjoy playing and messing around with toys, this is shown by the children playing with the doll and the fact that the Barbie doll was dancing and dancing with a man. So this is also a stereotypical view of sexuality, a women must marry and be in love with a man, and in todays world thats not the case. Women have the same opportunities and are treated the same to men. So adverts have had to adjust to the conceptions of todays world. As such the Barbie doll ad has changed, the brand colour is still pink and is still directed for girls, however the advert now conveys the idea that girls can be anything they want to be no matter what others may think. The advert encourages girls to dream and to work towards whatever they want to be when they grow up, and that girls don't need a man to be successful. The website has changed also, it now shows how their marketing has changed and what their aims are now.
Lucozade is made predominantly from a mixture of Glucose syrup and carbonated water. It was first developed in 1927 by a Newcastle chemist for his son who was recovering from jaundice. Over time it became popular, and was bought by Beecham, who launched the brand in the classic yellow cellophane wrapped bottle in 1938. Lucozade originally was created to help with illnesses as it gave the person energy and so they felt better. Lucozade has changed fairly recently to become a Sport Performance drink, however before that it was marketed as an energy drink which it was, however athletes don't want to have energy drinks because they may feel it is bad for them. Which is why the brand has changed the marketing to allow for a much larger product niche.
This is another advert that Lucozade has used to promote their Energy Drink, this campaign suggests if you drink this energy drink then you can do and beat anyone, this although it doesn't directly show
sporting, is aimed at athletes. So it suggests that if they drink this drink then they will beat anything. Lucozade is a bold and dynamic brand, with an independence of spirit, a 'can-do' attitude and a 'never-say-die' approach to life, which is coupled with its rich heritage in health, and convalescence. Gareth Bale ‘I believe’ Lucozade campaign was created by Grey London. Lucozade Sports launched the £4m campaign in order to educate consumers about how the brand can help improve people’s sports performance, the brand ambassadors Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped to launch the campaign, both footballers in the English Premier League. Gareth Bale played for Tottenham Hotspur, however transferred to Spanish club Real Madrid. In this campaign, it is assumed that both ambassadors support the claim that Lucozade Sport helps sport participants to improve their endurance. Steven Spinola, the senior brand manager at Lucozade, believed that the expertise with product innovation would help athletes across the UK and Ireland to reach their sporting potential through nutrition. However the campaign was banned at the beginning of 2014 due to its claim that the product hydrates you more than water. The whole argument was based around the idea that the advert initially broke the basic advertisement rules. The advertisement standards authority (ASA) noted that the claim ‘hydrates and fuels you better than water’ didn’t appear on the list of authorised health claims in respect of carbohydrate electrolyte drinks. In a social context, this ad appeals to a wealth of people, despite being aimed at young men in the field of sport (football-oriented). Gareth Bale was appointed as the ambassador for the brand since he is seen as a British football icon and an inspiration to many. Bale is best known for his momentous top goal score and his spectacular background as he started playing at a young age and grew up in a working class family, this makes it easy to relate to an international star and see such an inspiration in a more ordinary light. Football itself is a huge part of the overall British culture, which essentially brings people of all ages, gender and class together to unite and create a sense of togetherness and social solidarity. Football also succeeds at creating a metaphorical escape from the large political and cultural changes happening in society. The advert campaign was released in 2013. During the year of 2013 Gareth Bale was transferred from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid. Another event that took place a year before the launch of the campaign was the 2012 summer Olympics making this a sports focused advertisement campaign which was made possible because of the extra funding given to sporting charities (football in particular). Overall, football is a non-political activity, which is an escape form riots, terror attacks and other political uncertainties happening during the time the campaign was launched. In terms of health the obesity rates increased immensely during 2013, this relates effectively to the banning of the campaign since the amounts of sugar in the Lucozade drink weren’t taken into much consideration leading to a false advertisement.
3rd December
LO: To explore set advertising texts and research brands.
The difference between the two Barbie adverts is that is the 90's women were represented very differently than they are in todays world. The adverts were trying to portray that girls just want to have fun and to enjoy playing and messing around with toys, this is shown by the children playing with the doll and the fact that the Barbie doll was dancing and dancing with a man. So this is also a stereotypical view of sexuality, a women must marry and be in love with a man, and in todays world thats not the case. Women have the same opportunities and are treated the same to men. So adverts have had to adjust to the conceptions of todays world. As such the Barbie doll ad has changed, the brand colour is still pink and is still directed for girls, however the advert now conveys the idea that girls can be anything they want to be no matter what others may think. The advert encourages girls to dream and to work towards whatever they want to be when they grow up, and that girls don't need a man to be successful. The website has changed also, it now shows how their marketing has changed and what their aims are now.
Lucozade is made predominantly from a mixture of Glucose syrup and carbonated water. It was first developed in 1927 by a Newcastle chemist for his son who was recovering from jaundice. Over time it became popular, and was bought by Beecham, who launched the brand in the classic yellow cellophane wrapped bottle in 1938. Lucozade originally was created to help with illnesses as it gave the person energy and so they felt better. Lucozade has changed fairly recently to become a Sport Performance drink, however before that it was marketed as an energy drink which it was, however athletes don't want to have energy drinks because they may feel it is bad for them. Which is why the brand has changed the marketing to allow for a much larger product niche.
This is another advert that Lucozade has used to promote their Energy Drink, this campaign suggests if you drink this energy drink then you can do and beat anyone, this although it doesn't directly show
sporting, is aimed at athletes. So it suggests that if they drink this drink then they will beat anything. Lucozade is a bold and dynamic brand, with an independence of spirit, a 'can-do' attitude and a 'never-say-die' approach to life, which is coupled with its rich heritage in health, and convalescence. Gareth Bale ‘I believe’ Lucozade campaign was created by Grey London. Lucozade Sports launched the £4m campaign in order to educate consumers about how the brand can help improve people’s sports performance, the brand ambassadors Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped to launch the campaign, both footballers in the English Premier League. Gareth Bale played for Tottenham Hotspur, however transferred to Spanish club Real Madrid. In this campaign, it is assumed that both ambassadors support the claim that Lucozade Sport helps sport participants to improve their endurance. Steven Spinola, the senior brand manager at Lucozade, believed that the expertise with product innovation would help athletes across the UK and Ireland to reach their sporting potential through nutrition. However the campaign was banned at the beginning of 2014 due to its claim that the product hydrates you more than water. The whole argument was based around the idea that the advert initially broke the basic advertisement rules. The advertisement standards authority (ASA) noted that the claim ‘hydrates and fuels you better than water’ didn’t appear on the list of authorised health claims in respect of carbohydrate electrolyte drinks. In a social context, this ad appeals to a wealth of people, despite being aimed at young men in the field of sport (football-oriented). Gareth Bale was appointed as the ambassador for the brand since he is seen as a British football icon and an inspiration to many. Bale is best known for his momentous top goal score and his spectacular background as he started playing at a young age and grew up in a working class family, this makes it easy to relate to an international star and see such an inspiration in a more ordinary light. Football itself is a huge part of the overall British culture, which essentially brings people of all ages, gender and class together to unite and create a sense of togetherness and social solidarity. Football also succeeds at creating a metaphorical escape from the large political and cultural changes happening in society. The advert campaign was released in 2013. During the year of 2013 Gareth Bale was transferred from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid. Another event that took place a year before the launch of the campaign was the 2012 summer Olympics making this a sports focused advertisement campaign which was made possible because of the extra funding given to sporting charities (football in particular). Overall, football is a non-political activity, which is an escape form riots, terror attacks and other political uncertainties happening during the time the campaign was launched. In terms of health the obesity rates increased immensely during 2013, this relates effectively to the banning of the campaign since the amounts of sugar in the Lucozade drink weren’t taken into much consideration leading to a false advertisement.
Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Old Spice was launched as Early American Old Spice by William Lightfoot Schultz's soap and toiletries company, Shulton Inc., in 1937. Old Spice was first packaged as a sophisticated brand for older gentlemen the ex-military kind who attended tea dances and drank whiskey on the rocks. But in the years that followed, the brand became associated with elderly men instead. It was losing traction in the market. Men, particularly young men, just weren’t buying it. Too middle-aged and too middle-class, it didn’t appeal to the mass market. Frankly, nobody wanted to smell like their Grandad. From that insight, the ‘Swagger’ campaign was born. They didn’t just create an advert. They changed their positioning, audience, identity almost everything except their name. They started to target a new customer base of 12–34 year olds, they took all of the seriousness out of the brand. The ‘Swagger’ campaign was about being cool, fun and male. Coupled with a genius marketing stunt in which men uploaded their photos to swaggerise.com and a series of searchable articles were generated describing how brilliant they were, a real buzz was starting to build around the brand. Old Spice, with 70 years of brand heritage, was already synonymous with manliness. They just modernised their message. They’re not only experts on how to be a man. They can turn anyone, even nerds and geeks, into sexy studs. The sales of their Swagger scent quadrupled during the first year of sale. Two years later, the viral “Man you wish your man could smell like” ad came out. But by then the hard work had been done behind the scenes repositioning their brand and reinventing their identity. If they’d stuck with their safe quality-driven angle, they could’ve lost more sales or even gone bust. By being bold, analysing the market and what the competition was offering, they came up with a brilliant new brand strategy. Old Spice shook its fusty reputation and reinvented itself for a younger demographic. They’re now one of the most successful male grooming brands on the market.
The commercials contain a perfect mixture of humour and gender stereotypes. They successfully persuade men and women to look up to the idea of an alpha male, which can be achieved with the help of Old Spice. Buying and Old Spice satisfies both men and women, as the man is getting closer to the masculine standard. Even though a regular man probably cannot afford a fountain of diamonds or a yacht, he can at least smell like the real man. The Old Spice Swagger campaign was a huge success, surpassing its goal of doubling the sales of the former “Glacial Falls” scent by quadrupling sales. SwaggerizeMe.com had more than half a million visits and Swagger became one of Old Spice’s best-selling deodorant and body wash scents overall. Since the Swagger campaign, Old Spice has continued to dominate in the arena of online and social media campaigning. The brand’s Man Your Man Could Smell Like and the YouTube response campaign, which received more than 90 million views. The brand is an inspiration, and we can’t wait to see what their next campaign will look like.
10th December
LO: To apply social context and representation to old spice advert.
Advert from 2011 which was a follow up campaign of an advert from 2010. The advert from 2011 helped double their sales, the adverts as well as digital advert on social media were very popular and won many awards. The men watching would recognise the NFL player who was the main part of the advert. By 2011 the 'old spice' guy became very popular by the advert. The original campaign made old spice good, the company also cares about the environment thus the advert. The deodorant and aftershave take us to 'scent vacation' they wanted to show if you wore this aftershave then it would take you to tropical parts of the world.
Old spice semiotics
There is a blue colour scheme throughout, this represents the sky of a glorious sunny, tropical island. The company may care about the environment or suggest that if you wear old spice then you will be taken to the tropical island that they are showing. It may also suggest freshness, the shot type suggests dominance and masculinity, may suggest that if you wear old spice then you will be dominant and to be the man you always wanted to be. The 'old spice guy' is looking directly at the camera, this is direct address, this makes the viewer feel that they are being spoken to by the man. As if the man is telling you what to do, and as we know this advert was targeted at women, they may feel because of the muscular man talking to them that they should try it, and get their man to wear it too. This also ties into the volcano hair, it surreal and it plays on connotations of fire, power, strength and masculinity. There are also surreal images attached to his body, connotations of sand and sea its tropical. Connotations makes playful use of conventional ideas of masculinity; strong, powerful, muscular, independent, confident.
This advert uses conventional genre stereotypes by showing and presenting a very masculine man, who is advertising how to be a man. And that you should use old spice to become more of a man, this is typical for deodorant, the key character who is an NFL player, which is huge in America, is the ultimate stereotype of masculinity, his body is very muscular, he also has a deep voice such is the convention of being a man. He is also presented as all knowing, sensitive and knows what the women wants. This is very stereotypical of a man, as in the 60's men would bring in the money and not the women so much, a man who brings in the money and is also all of these other stereotypical things suggests that thats what women want. Which in todays world may not be the case. However back when this advert was made in 2011 people didn't care as much about how people are presented. The advert offers the conventional pleasures of a 'normal' deodorant advert but also subverts some of these stereotypes as well, these stereotypes are also presented as ironic. The man is presented as masculine, this has also been backed by the knowledge that he is an NFL player, as said before. He is looking at the camera, this is direct address, which is also a convention of 'manliness' direct address in this scenario is used because it is telling the viewer to do what he says. This advert is also targeted at women, because Old Spice feels that women make the man wear what they say to wear. So the irony of the man telling the women what to do for then the women to tell their man suggests that women could be made to do what a man says to do even if they feel they are doing what they want. A typical stereotype of deodorant adverts is to have a very masculine man showing off, who is presenting the product. This is conventional for Old Spice to do this as well.How does the product use and subvert the conventional genre stereotypes of masculinity associated with adverts for such products and brands?
The advert however also subverts many conventions as well. They do this by having the man on a blue background and with surreal images attached to his body. Firstly the blue background, this subverts stereotypical deodorant adverts because usually, deodorant adverts make the advert feel sweaty and shows a very claustrophobic 'party scene' this then goes on to show the deodorant to show use this to get rid of this sweaty feeling. This blue background suggests freshness, this advert instead of giving you a scenario that you should use this product, shows that if you use this product you will feel refreshed, this product may take you to a tropical island, so you can enjoy yourself without getting sweaty. This is totally the opposite of what other brands do to try and advertise their product. The objects which are surreal and attached to his body show a tropical island, this isn't a typical deodorant advert at all. That's the main reason why this advert became so popular and boosted sales dramatically.
17th December
LO: To review and apply context and representation to the Lucozade advert.
In the 1950s the marketing of Lucozade shows that the drink that provides energy when you are feeling tired or run down, the drink was associated with poor health. It was also sold in many chemist shops further strengthened this view.
In the 70's there was a decreasing role for Lucozade in peoples lives, the population on average were healthier and illness became less frequent. With better health awareness the days of heavy illness were declining, sales also decreased. The drink attempted to change the image of the brand, instead of helping people from illness they branded as a drink that helps people recover from the daily tasks people preform in their everyday lives.
In 1982, the brand successfully re-positioned, the slogan 'Aids recovery' was removed and replaced with 'Replaces Lost Energy'. They used the famous olympic decathlete Daley Thompson as the brand icon, to help do this.
In the 1990s Lucozade diversified with the launch of Lucozade sport, in balance with your natural body fluids, the brand promised to 'get to your thirst, fast'. Lucozade sport was the first brand to launch with a sports sponsorship deal namely British Athletics and the FA Carling Premiership.
Lucozade sport hydro active, which was launched in 2003, is positioned as a fitness water for people who exercise. It reflected the development of sport and physical activity, and the progression of the brand.
In 2013 the adverts had effectively distanced the drink from the connotations from illness. Lucozade is no longer a drink that 'Aids recovery,' it is now a product that scientifically allows athletes to hydrate and perform 'Faster, stronger for longer.' The colour palette had also shifted to a more modern, cleaner lines of design. The blue colours of the advertising connotes the hydrating effect of the drink as it mades us think of water. The use of strap lines dotted around the image in their own colour blocks and clean, it is a modern typeface, this serves to empathise the idea of an official document from a scientific research programme.
How does the product use conventional stereotypes associated with adverts for such products or brands?
The brand uses a stereotypical blue colour palette, this is used because it shows and connotes the idea of hydration and energy, it does this by reminding the audience of water, which is also hydrating. The advert has a medium close up of an athlete by the name of Gareth Bale. He is a well know athlete, who would need an energy drink that hydrates and provides energy during his workouts. They have chosen to do a medium close up shot of him because it provides the advert a sense of dominance, he is looking directly into the camera, this is giving the audience direct address, almost telling them to buy the product because this athlete does. There are also clean type faces dotted around the poster, such as the 'Scientifically Proven' in the bottom right hand corner, this is by the drink. This is also stereotypical for a sport drink to show that the drink is proven to give energy and to hydrate the consumer. The star figure in the poster is also very stereotypical, if a brand is advertising anything to do with sports, then the brand usually adds a well known athlete to help try and sell the product, they do this because it makes the consumer think if they use this product then I should too, Lucozade has followed the stereotypical advert of a sporting drink and product, they have followed stereotypical sport drink adverts and advertising that is sport related because it works. The brand has done this by using clean bold typeface, the colour palette resembles the product, this is what all brands do, they have used a strong image of a strong and well known athlete, to help advertise their product. Lucozade moved away from the connotations of helping with illness which they were very well known for during the 1970s. The advert uses the colour of blue to remind the consumer that the drink hydrates you and fuels you better than water. The reasons why the previous #ibelieve campaign was banned because it said it hydrates you better than water which wasn't true and so they had to adjust the advert to in keep with the contemporary market in todays society.
Adverts for charities, have lower production values. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness, housing, security and medical care. They construct a sense of compassion, responsibility or guilt. Audiences have gotten use to malnourished children, that they cease to have any shock impact, that the advert simply stops working. The shelter campaign were targeted at people who are unsure of their rights and what will happen if they do become homeless or how they can cope with the financial help. Thus the question in red over the top of the image of the people on the front cover, these posters had a very specific target audience and so wasn't aimed at the wider public. This is not conventional of a charity's advertising, stereotypically charity adverts are aimed at the wider public and those who are more fortunate than others because they are most likely to have the money to help and donate to the charity. Conventionally charities use children who are suffering or malnourished to get the viewer to donate, this is to help this child. They use direct address mainly to have more of a connection to the poster. 'with your help, we can all help save this child's life' it's a common phrase used in charities advertising campaigns. This compels the viewer to reach into their pocket to donate to the charity in the hope that they will save a child's life. The people in the Shelter advert help influence the ideology that they are the ones who are about to lose their home, they are the ones who are confused and asking all of the questions. This promotes the idea that it is okay and good to ask for help when needed, this helps people who need these questions answering but who just don't want to ask for the help that they need.
7th January 2020
Self Assessment
I feel that I need to include the star figure when analysing and answering questions, describing how the star figure influences the advert, or even to talk about how the people in the charity adverts influences the advert.
Music Videos
14th January 2020
LO: To explore the purpose, form and conventions of music videos.
Music videos have changed from performance based to more artistic, narrative and concept based, which shows off more of a story and the style of the artist (Promoting the Artist). The technology has also changed, this means the style of the artist changes with it to keep up with new trends and a new younger audience. As technology has improved the cheaper the music videos have been to produce. So much so that Artists can now make the videos themselves as it has become so easy to edit video, with platforms such as iMovie and Premier Pro.
8th January 2020
LO: To explore the purpose, form and conventions of music videos.
What are the main purposes of music videos and how have they developed over the years?
- To sell the song, to be memorable to make the viewer remember the song.
- To give the listener a better understanding of the song (If the video is narrative)
- To entertain, to show off the talents the musicians may have.
- To sell CD's and DvD's to viewers. Creating a memorable visual for the song to increase its chances to sell.
- Marketing for the purposes of exposure and expansion of the artists profile.
- Most people will argue that music videos are a promotional tool used by the artist. They use this as a catalyst for music sales and streams, on streaming platforms etc.
Music videos have changed from performance based to more artistic, narrative and concept based, which shows off more of a story and the style of the artist (Promoting the Artist). The technology has also changed, this means the style of the artist changes with it to keep up with new trends and a new younger audience. As technology has improved the cheaper the music videos have been to produce. So much so that Artists can now make the videos themselves as it has become so easy to edit video, with platforms such as iMovie and Premier Pro.
8th January 2020
LO: To research terminology required for analysis.
Terminology:
3 types of music videos
A narrative music video is where the music video has been created into a short film rather than a music video, sometimes narrative music videos will not have lip-synching singing but it will often relate to the lyrics in some kind of way.
A performance based video shows the artist/band/groups performance throughout the song and sometimes can play throughout the whole video. This is a style of music video that is based around a concept or an idea. They tend to be fairly unique or utilize a particular editing or filming technique.
Concept Music Videos are based around a single idea or concept and are usually unusual or obscure.
Lighting terms
Types and effects
CUTTING TO THE BEAT
Cutting to the beat is a way of editing a video so that each clip changes at the same time as the beat of the track. Most clips use a 'cut' transition, so you generally 'cut to the beat' of the music.In video editing a transition is what the author shows between two shots or clips. The joining of those clips is the transition from one to the other. Transitions can be an instant scene or image change, a fade, fade to black, dissolve, pan from one person to another, or any digital effect.
SFX means special effects which physically happen. If you drop a match in a can of petrol and record the resultant explosion, that's SFX. VFX means visual effects which are done in post-production, through the power of a computer.
The speed and length of the editing means how fast the video is going for speed, e.g. Slow motion. The length of the editing is fast paced editing, using this can make the video feel dramatic, this could be used in chase scenes in films.
- Levels
- Editing
LO: To research selected case studies for use of Media Language & Representation
- This music video are 'mainstream' as they come from commercial artists who have been signed by 'major' record labels. It raises awareness of representational issues surrounding 'street life'. It also features the artist and the music video from Set A are a mixture of performance and narrative.
- Genres: R&B, soul and gospel.
- I believe that Emeli Sande's music video portrays a strong and impactful message about the troubles in today's society, I also think that the location of the video was effective as it made the video more realistic and relatable as many people live in cities or have seen areas similar to London. Yet I think that the colour and 90s theme of the video could have confused some viewers as they might not have seen the strong messages being implied as colour usually represents happiness, yet the video was about suffering. I think that the title of the song has definitely meant that all of the scenes became about suffering or about hope, Good Vs Evil. Mainly the video shows the bad in society, homelessness, drugs etc. However at the end of the song and music video it felt more like a gospel song, normally played in churches. The women walking into a tunnel at the end in a bright red dress could symbolise hope and the good, however the red could also connote that she may look innocent but in the shadows (in which she was) she is evil a Jekyll and Hyde situation. Overall I think that the song and music video shows how the evil in our lives will prevent us from going to heaven. The way the shots were taken and the filters that the producer had put over it means that it has a sort of memory feel to it, this is actually heavily influenced in the video, so maybe the shots shown and parts of her life that she has grown up and been around most of her life has been told in her story which is portrayed through her song. The memories may have has an influence on her life as well, her not wanting to be like the people that she has been around and maybe thats how she has managed to become famous. She may be trying to tell the viewer that they can be anything even with all of the evil in the world, that it does't affect how we grow as people, there is no excuse for not being successful, all you have to do is work hard.
- Emeli Sandé is presented as a powerful and hard working individual who seems to have a heavy emotional connection to the point she is trying to make.
David Guetta - Titanium - August 2011
- This music video is from a alternative or less commercialised artists. The music video doesn't feature the artist. Instead they use the power of a narrative music video to emphasise Intertextuality. It clearly contrasts the representations featured in Set A.
- Genres: Electronic dance music, House music, Progressive house, Electro house and Dance-pop.
- This song and music video is a spin off to the movie super 8, which was released 5 August 2011, the song as a whole is about inner strength. Titanium is an extremely strong metal, in which could be a metaphor for the inner strength that people may have, even if the don't know its there. Titanium talks about our inner strength and being strong in ourselves. The lyrics use many different literary elements to portray the message of the song such as metaphors, imagery, and symbolism. The meaning of this song is to be strong even when the world is throwing its worse at you. When bad things happen we must stand strong and not fall. As the song states, we must be "Titanium" which means to be strong hearted and strong willed. The first lyrics in the song talk about ignoring people who will shout at us and yell at us to put us down. The song uses symbolism that extends throughout the whole song. The song uses guns and bullets as a metaphor to the hateful words that people will say to us this is a spin off to the saying sticks and bones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. In the chorus Sia, the vocalist of the song, sings about being bullet proof. This means that we should not worry about what people say about us.When we are shot down with bullets, all the bullets ricochet, or bounce off. In verse two, the song talks about how people can continue to shoot us down but its not us who will be hurt more if we stand our ground. This song has a very empowering message to give to those who are bullied by people who continue to spew out hateful words and comments from their mouths. Although the song's style of pop, techno music might draw a person away from the meaningful words, it has a very strong moral that more people should learn about.
- David Guetta and Sia are not shown in the music video so we don't see how they are presented, however as this music video and song is from a less commercialised artist this is to be expected.
17th January 2020
Unsteady - X Ambassadors
This music video is a hybrid of a performance and a narrative music video. The video mainly consists of medium close ups at eye level and medium long shots too. The video is telling a story of a couple, it compares how there life was before and after having a kid, they were falling in love and they compared it to their life with a kid in which they are constantly arguing. It is very common for music video to either be a hybrid or just a performance video, when they use a narrative there is normally a section where the singer is lip sinking to the song. When the narrative part of the video is showing, the camera moves with the motion of the person, for example if the person is pouring a drink the camera will 'flow' with it. There are no sound effects in this video, they use bright colours in the video to symbolise their emotions, the red is maybe for all the anger and the arguing and the blue and yellows are to represent them falling in love.
Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars
This music video is purely performance, Bruno Mars is in most of the shots, as he is the singer and he is lip sinking to the song. The video uses a variety of shot types but a popular shot type is a low camera angle with a medium long shot, this is to make it feel like Bruno has power and is the dominant figure. Looking down to others, as the song is all about what he has and how he can show off. The music video also consists of close ups of female legs and more, this is sexualised and uses the male gaze theory, which suggests that men just want to see women for their own pleasure it is heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the male viewer. This is used throughout, also gender and ethnicity roles have been reversed in some shots.
Say Something - Justin Timberlake
This music video is a performance video, it consists of long shots but mainly close ups of the artist performing the song, e.g. playing the guitar, DJing and singing. The video is set up in some old building which seems very quiet and maybe secluded. The song in the video is very different to the actual song, this song was recorded live just for the music video, this song is no where else and just on Youtube.
New shoes - Paolo Nutini
This video is a performance and narrative, it uses the same camera shot, it uses a medium close up at a low angle. The singer is just lip sinking to the song while doing activities as described in the song.
The weekend - Blinding Lights
This music video is a hybrid of a concept music video and a performance video, there are extreme long shots mainly, but there are some shot which are medium close up.
21st January 2020
LO: To explore the different representations in music videos
CAGEDS
Class, Age, Gender, Ethnicities, Diversity, Sexuality
Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved
There is a diverse ethnicity in the music videoMiddle Class people in the music video
Mainly middle aged, or young adults in the video.
There isn't much masculinity in it, even though the video includes the artist I think its like this because he is singing about someone he loved. He doesn't want to seem too dominant.
Lewis Capaldi has presented himself like this as he is talking about one of his breakups, he is singing that he wants her back, the artist thus has been presented as weak or sensitive. This could appeal to younger generations and mainly females. This is also Lewis's target audience so the song and how he is presented is also fitting in with the target audience he is trying to appeal to. There are not many stereotypes in this video, they have actually reversed some stereotypes such as the women walking away and breaking up with the man. This doesn't normally happen. The sexuality of Lewis though is stereotypical, this is because you don't see many music videos or a man breaking up with a man, so his heterosexuality is very stereotypical.
Stormzy ft Ed Sheeran - Own It.
Everyone looks very serious, common British stereotype.
They all care about fashion and what they look like.
People from middle and lower classes
Everyone is around the same age, 20's and 30's
Very male dominated, very masculine, males are dominant, have women, so no diversity of sexuality.
Stormzy presents himself as a strong black male, this shows diversity in Ethnicities because he has also collaborated with Ed Sheeran who presents himself as a down to earth white male, although Sheeran hasn't presented himself as a strong figure in this video he is partying and does look like he is a dominant male. The reason why I don't feel that Sheeran isn't a dominant male normally is because when he has released albums in the past they have all had at least one love song or a song about a break up. This shows he cares about others and he does have feelings just like any other person would. Stormzy I feel has decided to present Sheeran this way because then it fits in with the type of music Stormzy releases. Again they are all heterosexual, this doesn't show much diversity in this sense, however overall I think the video has a good diversity and also gives an accurate representation of Brittan. Stormzy is good at doing this, I think he does this as he tries to show issues in our country that needs to be looked at. I think he also does this because he has experienced some of the issues, mainly because of his ethnicity. However saying that he does contribute to the stereotypes of black males in society, he presents himself as a dominant male, who is very confident, which isn't a bad thing but there is also a vibe of gangs in his video which does contribute to the stereotype of people of his ethnicity, especially in the UK currently.
24th January 2020
LO: To research and explore representation and cultural context in music video case studies.
- The camera angle is low to show the power and dominance of the singer.
- There is a pink filter over the image as the skin tone is pink, this could be symbolising femininity, target audience women?
- There is direct address from the singer looking into the camera, this creates a connection with the viewer. It feels like the singer is looking at the 'fan' therefore creating more of a connection with her fans. She is a very confident singer.
- Her skin is very smooth without blemishes and no shadows, this makes her look very young and 'perfect'
- She has been sexualised, pose of her body and positioning of her hands, she is wanting to look good for her fans.
Emeli Sandé Official Wallpaper Analysis
Leading up to the music video being released in the year 2010, these are some official images of Emeli Sandé. Emeli has been presented as a strong figure, however out of the 4, 3 of the images I have found she is not using direct address, which suggests she is also very focussed, she is focussed on a goal to succeed. This however doesn't create a emotional link between herself and the audience. But this is what she was trying to do, she is trying to show that she is also human and that she has emotions just like anyone else. The lack of direct address could show that she is not extremely confident but just focused on producing music and even maybe her fans. She has also been photoshopped, this is to make sure she doesn't have any blemishes, enforcing the idea that she takes care of her image, the airbrushed skin makes her look young. All the images have quite a dark background, this would have links to the music video that she later makes for the song 'heaven'. The plain dark background makes us focus on the subject, we all look at her hair to begin with, her hair was a phase that she also became famous for, everyone should recognise her by the hairstyle.
David Guetta Official Wallpaper
The album covers are very plain this is nearly the only image I could find, as he is a DJ he doesn't really do official photo shoots. He doesn't use direct address and he doesn't fit conventions of normal pop artists. He seems very relaxed this could suggest that he doesn't care what people think, he is just making music and if people like it they like it, if they don't then so what.
Emeli Sandé - Heaven
In the above images off the music video for Emeli Sandé's song heaven, there are many links between the song title and the song meaning and the video. For example the sky and people looking up to the sky is often shown, this suggests that the song has a very strong link with the artist. The video is a performance video, this video is meant to raise awareness of social issues around urbanity and 'street life'. This is heavily influenced into the video, as it shows most of the time shots of the streets and people struggling on them, angels and religion is a strongly influenced into the video also. The bright colours which are out of focus could symbolise going up to heaven, or the moment when you are going up to heaven. The streets are made to look very dirty and dingy, this gives the impression that the streets are dangerous, they have made this effect by dulling the colours, the colours are dark suggesting a 'moody' surroundings. When we end up seeing Emeli she is looking extremely emotional and is normally looking up to the sky or down at the ground, this gives the impression that she is upset because of the people who are on the streets and those who are suffering. The video is meant to educate the audience. The theme of drug abuse, is shown through shots of lighters, smoke, needles and men smoking. Emeli Sandé highlights the use of drugs to explain to the audience that drugs are the main thing people use when they are struggling, sad, lonely and need a high in their lives. To some, drugs can be a way out from their real lives, yet it does impact their health and puts their lives at risk, Sandé wanted to show this to the audience to suggest the lows of peoples lives and that many need help and guidance to get their lives back on track. The theme of heaven and religion is also apparent through out, first we see the imagery of angel wings through graffiti and tattoos, this makes both of the people within the video appear to have angel wing. This implies the theme of heaven as it is thought that angels act as protectors, messengers and God servants who watch over people. Emeli Sandé used the theme of angels to suggest that many need to become better people and help others similar to what the angels do. Not only that but to not judge people, this is because the actors used within these scenes look like juvenile teenagers who cause trouble, yet Sandé implies with the use of the wings that they are actually good, innocent and kind people, as those are the traits similar to angels. During the end of the video there is a type of gospel sounding music that Emeli has incorporated within her song, gospel music is usually heard within churches, the place of god, this therefore links to the theme of heaven.
The music video was directed by Jake Nava, who has previously worked with Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. It was shot in Bethnal Green, in East London where Sandé lives. "We wanted to capture a real British vibe and keep it really simple to emphasize the lyrics," Emeli Sandé has said.
"It is amazing, I have had friends text or call me to say they have seen it."—Emeli Sandé on new music video'Heaven came from a conversation I was having with my producer Naughty Boy, we were talking about what it means to be good in this day and age, and how its harder for our generation because things move so fast, and how there's so many influences and avenues, and he said. You just have to keep your heart clean. It was the imagery of a clean or dirty heart that inspired me, and we wrote it in about half an hour. I knew I wanted it to be my first song from the off' 'I definitely believe in God and I believe in heaven, although I don't follow a religion. Heaven was about trying to be good. My idea of heaven? A lot of music, somewhere very calm. I felt it at Christmas with the family around. Kids are so pure and innocent, and one was learning the piano. It reminded me of when I was learning.'- The music video follows many conventions of this genre, this is because it is a performance video, which has the singer preforming very emotionally. Which means she obviously cares very much about the point she is trying to convey.
- The singer is presented as a positive person in society, this is shown because when the singer is on screen the video is lighter, when the video is showing negative stereotypes such as black people homeless then the screen goes darker. This is meant to show the 'darker' side of life, the parts most of us don't see, but in which we know exists. For example drug addicts and homelessness.
- Emeli Sandé wants us to be more educated about the poorer side of society, she is raising the issue to make people take action. She is trying to show that everyone in society has the chance to go to heaven. She presents herself as the guardian angel, and shows that even people who have lost their lives to drugs, still can turn it around.
28th January 2020
The music video was directed by Jake Nava, who has previously worked with Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. It was shot in Bethnal Green, in East London where Sandé lives. "We wanted to capture a real British vibe and keep it really simple to emphasize the lyrics," Emeli Sandé has said.
Riots in London, the police shot a young black child.
High Knife crime.
This music video doesn't necessarily fit with most stereotypes of the mainstream/pop music genre. This is because in this video Sandé represents many people of different social groups and ethnic minorities. The video shows her addressing many different social issues, which are particularly based in London. However, the variety of locations used in the music video does fit some of the stereotypes of this genre as mainstream music videos usually show a variety of different locations in a way of 'glamorising' the music video and the artists' image. Sandé's music video also challenges some other conventions of the mainstream genre as this music video is more about the song rather than the artist and her public image. The lyrics of 'Heaven' as well as the music video both help to contribute to the meaning of the song and how the audience interpret it. There are many powerful and inspirational messages from both the lyrics and the video instead of focussing on Emeli Sande's image and backgrounds which may have influenced the song. Although, this can generally be seen as quite typical of the alternative music genre rather than mainstream music.
David Guetta ft Sia - Titanium
Super 8 - The narrative uses mainstream culture to reference the fantasy franchises such as X-Men and Twilight. The theme of this music video is all about 'the boy with powers misunderstood and hunted down' This is common in Harry Potter and the X-Men series. We see young people who are struggling with their identity and the sense of people being 'different' in our society. The music video is very similar to the 1976 film Carrie. In this film the main character has uncontrollable rage from how she is treated by her classmates, she wrecks havoc at a school prom. Though the narrative here is inconclusive, we see in the climax of the video a sense what has happened at the start of the piece where he is surrounded by scenes of devastation and objects which had been destroyed at his school. Themes of the confusion of growing up, our need to be accepted in society and how we act around others is captured in these videos. The mies-en-scene of the fantasy adventure franchises fits in with the 2011 audience at the time.ET - The nuclear, functional family is often torn apart. Spielberg introduces the supernatural and extra-terrestrial into domestic, suburban settings. He comments on family breakdown: absent mothers / fathers and feelings of abandonment. Children that feel alone and isolated.
Terminator 2 - The character T - 1000 is made out of liquid metal, which is resistant to physical injury and damage. There are superhuman characteristics in the film, similar to the representation that is created of the boy in the music video, furthermore it is further backed up by the lyrics of the song.
Extra info: There is a poster with David Guetta's face on the wall in the corridor that the boy walks through.
31st January 2020
LO: To research and explore intertextuality and exam style analysis.
In the music video titanium it shows that the boy who is feared by everyone has inner strength by the intertextuality link to ET, where he is cycling down the road at high speed, this is shown by a tracking shot and by a still shot where the boy speeds up, speeding aways from the camera. This is showing that he is trying to run away from something. It is also shown at the start where he is in the middle of a destroyed school scene. Which links in with issues like school shootings that had been a major problem at the time. This is also physically shown by his powers at the very end of the music video, this is where it looks like he is surrendering but he then exerts this massive wave of energy which wipes out everyone near by. The shot type here is quite high up, this is to give the impression that the adults are more powerful and very dominant in this scene. This also gives us an idea of what may have happened at the start in the school scene and how pressure can get to us all and we just need inner strength to get through it all.
There are many ideologies around Youth Vs Adults in this video. Mainly when it is showing the supernatural kid, the adults struggle to get him under control. The teacher in the first scene looks very stressed and scared this is shown by a eye line close up shot of the adult which then swiftly changes to an eye line shot of the kid, this shows that the adult is afraid of the child and the destruction he has caused. This is also shown in the final scene in the video too where the police are hiding behind shields and their car doors. This shows that Adults and other older generations are scared of the younger more deviant youth in society. The child is shown to be worried and scared, (running away from the police) but everyone else in the video is also scared of this Supernatural Human, they are fearing the misunderstood.
The child seems to be alone and trying to deal with his issues by himself, they are trying to get across in the video that if you need help you have to ask for it, otherwise you will end up stressing about unimportant issues or issues that can be easily dealt with. The kid seems to be alone in the sense that his parents are not shown to be there. The government has to get involved to end the misunderstood child at the expense of his own freedom, if he was caught he would be under strict instruction and not allowed his personal freedom. In other words Authoritarianism would mean that the government gets involved at the expense of his own personal freedom, this is all because he is misunderstood and that there is anxiety over the unknown.
Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property. Some patriarchal societies are also patrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the male lineage. This is shown by the female teacher needing help from the male police officer, there is a close up of the female and the male police officer talking. The women seems upset and scared which is stereotyping women at the time, whereas the man is shown to be calm. When they finally corner the misunderstood boy he is surrounded in men. There are no women present. This shows that in the video men are presented as the leaders and if anything needs doing just go running to the men in society.
This is also shown were there are posters of David Guetta on the walls of the school in the music video. This not only shows that Gutta feels like he is very well known so he would be found on posters around the school, but this also shows how men are presented as higher than women, this is because there were no posters of women in the music video. Having posters of yourself in your own music video shows that you believe you are popular and that most people would know who David Guetta. Youth in the music video are shown as mis-understood, the adults seem confused and scared of the child. This is stereotypical for young males in society, they are seen to cause violence in everyday life, which is pretty much mirrored in the music video. There is a range of races in this music video and there is even a black man as a military personnel. This is not very stereotypical, normally a black man wouldn't be shown as in such a high up position. So this is not stereotypical for films however we are constantly seeing more of these stereotypes broken around people of different ethnicities. Especially in music videos at the time, there were more diversity shown in music videos from 2011 and from the genre pop.
The preferred response from the audience in the music video titanium is that we should not care about what others think and that we need to use our inner strength to combat stereotypes in society and have inner strength to cope with tough situations where we can find ourselves in difficult or stressful environments. The response from the audience will depend on the audiences class and views in society. It will also depend on what they think of David Guetta and their intertextual understanding of the music video. This is predominantly made for people from the age group 13-29 year olds, I think this because the whole meaning of this music video and song is for them to be strong willed and strong hearted, which I feel mainly appeals to people in this age group.
LO: To explore the specific representation of chosen video case studies.
Social Realism - Social realism is a genre of film that focuses on topical issues alive in a modern society which is represented by different ideologies. Themes such as money, drugs, prostitution and sex are quite usual in modern contemporary social realism films as well as class, religion and political views.
Transcendence - Transcendence comes from the Latin prefix trans, meaning "beyond," and the word scandare, meaning "to climb." When you achieve transcendence, you have gone beyond ordinary limitations. The word is often used to describe a spiritual or religious state, or a condition of moving beyond physical needs and realities.
Intertextuality - The term Intertextuality refers to the process of creating references to any kind of media text via another media text. In other words Intertextualityessentially means for a type of media(film,television,music etc) to pay homage to another media text.
Post modernism - Postmodern media rejects the idea that any media product or text is of any greater value than another. The distinction between media and reality has collapsed, and we know live in a 'reality' defined by images and representations.
Case Study 3
24th February 2020
LO: To research institutions & ideologies behind case study product.
The Big issue
All I know about the magazine 'the big issue' is that they help homeless people earn a small amount of money to allow themselves to have enough money to buy food and hopefully allow for a headstart in society to get them back on their feet. I think the magazine covers issues that society is facing in the present, it covers everything from homelessness to drug problems to politics.
From these front covers I think that the target audience would be the youth of society, so 16 - 25 year olds. I think this because the cover on the bottom right has the subheading 'Keep calm and carry on, (in case of emergency text your mum)' This subheading would only fit in with teens and maybe young adults. The front covers mainly have bright colours so it would suggest that the target audience would be a younger demographic.
The Big Issue is a street newspaper who was founded by Sir John Bird and Gordon Roddick in 1991. It is a magazine format weekly newspaper which gets written by professionals, it is sold by the homeless as a part of an initiative to help them provide an income. The magazine is a not-for-profit organisation, funding its work through advertising and cover price sales. The magazine has since 2012, focused more on campaigning journalism and broader features. It has a circulation of around 125,000 copies each week in the UK but it is also published in different continents such as North America and Africa.
The big issue has had a massive rebrand in 2012, here us the process of the development of the Big Issue.
The Big Issue is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or individuals at risk of homelessness, the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.
Intertextuality - The term Intertextuality refers to the process of creating references to any kind of media text via another media text. In other words Intertextualityessentially means for a type of media(film,television,music etc) to pay homage to another media text.
Post modernism - Postmodern media rejects the idea that any media product or text is of any greater value than another. The distinction between media and reality has collapsed, and we know live in a 'reality' defined by images and representations.
Case Study 3
24th February 2020
LO: To research institutions & ideologies behind case study product.
The Big issue
All I know about the magazine 'the big issue' is that they help homeless people earn a small amount of money to allow themselves to have enough money to buy food and hopefully allow for a headstart in society to get them back on their feet. I think the magazine covers issues that society is facing in the present, it covers everything from homelessness to drug problems to politics.
From these front covers I think that the target audience would be the youth of society, so 16 - 25 year olds. I think this because the cover on the bottom right has the subheading 'Keep calm and carry on, (in case of emergency text your mum)' This subheading would only fit in with teens and maybe young adults. The front covers mainly have bright colours so it would suggest that the target audience would be a younger demographic.
The Big Issue is a street newspaper who was founded by Sir John Bird and Gordon Roddick in 1991. It is a magazine format weekly newspaper which gets written by professionals, it is sold by the homeless as a part of an initiative to help them provide an income. The magazine is a not-for-profit organisation, funding its work through advertising and cover price sales. The magazine has since 2012, focused more on campaigning journalism and broader features. It has a circulation of around 125,000 copies each week in the UK but it is also published in different continents such as North America and Africa.
The big issue has had a massive rebrand in 2012, here us the process of the development of the Big Issue.
2011
2011
2012
2013
This is the archive for the year 2018 where the magazine had yet another rebrand and combined the original style of the magazine to the graphic design type feel of the rebrand in 2012.
The Big Issue reader is more likely to be:
- A high-income earner (42%)
- A professional or manager (31%)
- Have a university degree or diploma (68%)
The magazine costs £2.50 and the vender buys the magazine buys the magazine at £1.25.
Ideologies
The extent to which media products such as newspapers contain and communicate particular ways of looking at the world, a set of values and beliefs thats news providers assume its audiences to posses and to share.
General values such as crime and punishment and how important human life is. Political values, capitalism, communism or veganism.
Hegemonic
Ruling or dominant in a political or social context.
These covers are very similar, these covers both suggest that inside the magazine it discusses reasoning to the issues that society is facing at the time.
There is a mixture of ideologies between these magazine front covers, some are to do with entertainment and some are about problematic issues within the country at the time. Such as rebuilding Britain, or the rubbish revolution. The big issue covers broad aspects of peoples lives, they have an equal balance between entertainment and politics and issues that arise within the weekly issue of the magazine. They are a weekly magazine which means they can cover very recent up to date information within them, similar to a newspaper. Some of the covers have very graphically made, this shows that they are appealing this particular topic for their younger audience. Some covers can be very serious and some have a funny aspect to them. The target audience is normally a slightly older target audience, this is because the magazine covers issues that are very recent and very important, younger audiences may not be so keen to read this information. Young audiences will be more interested in entertainment and their idols such as the Kardashians and singers. Most young people are interested in their favourite music artist. As music has become a very large part of peoples lives these days.
The front covers of the Big Issue tend to be eye catching and something that is recent but in which also relates to their target audience of 30 year olds and up. There is a very common trait of the use of typography in the front covers. The text in most cases have been successfully placed to create a nice effect from the front cover. There is a common use of the colour yellow this could mainly be because humans see the colour yellow before any other colour, so they use this to their advantage to catch the attention of the passers by as this magazine is sold on the streets. The Big Issue is very socially aware, they keep up to date with current affairs and news in politics, this includes homelessness and drug overuse.
Target audience
28th February 2020LO: To identify the primary target audience for the big issue
- The Lego Movie Big Issue cover would be aimed at the younger side of their target audience, the subheading on the front cover say 'How to embrace screen time' which suggest this magazine was aimed at younger parents and how they should control the usage of technology and screen time for their children.
- Within the magazine there is more information and about the lego movie and how we can get caught up within the technology around us and that 'traditional' toys are no longer being used.
- The magazine is mainly focused on entertainment and art culture. There are a lot of illustrations and movie characters who are animated, this shows that they know that their target audience are interested in the same things.
- The magazine seems to be aimed at educated people, this is because the articles within the magazine are quite lengthy, which shows that the Big Issue knows that the target audience are willing to read lengthy information which will inform the reader. If their audience won't read the material then the Big Issue wouldn't bother writing so much information.
The target audience according to The Big Issue website says that they target their magazine at people 18 - 49 year olds.
72% of readers are ABC1 (Highly educated people)
43% of readers are AB. (Highly educated, wealthy people)
10th March 2020
LO: To Analyse The Big Issue Covers effectively.
There have been some ideologies put forward in this cover, such as social awareness this includes climate change and politics. They are talking about how people are using plastic to create eco bricks to help recycle the plastic waste that the UK creates. The minor heading that says 'taking the stand for legal aid' suggests The Big Issue are standing with people to get legal aid in their time of need. The target audience would be those who need help with legal information and those who want the government to change, to help those who need it. They are targeting those who are wanting to help those in need. People who read The Big Issue, are those who want to help others because they can, such as people who are better off money wise. This shows that The Big Issue is highlighting the issues in the world today, this is what this magazine does, shows the issues that society is facing at current and then gets people to try and help change and resolve these issues.
Hand up not a hand out, this suggests that they are trying to help those who are struggling to keep themselves afloat in society, but that they need to work for. The Big Issue is providing jobs for those who are struggling, instead of just providing money to help them, The Big Issue is trying to show that they are not just handing out free cash they are giving a way for people to earn money.
This cover of the Big Issue would of had direct address, if it wasn't for the text blocking out the eyes. This has been done intentionally because they have made a remembrance special, this is to show that those who fought for this country in any of the wars, still have to live with what they have been through, the subheading says The battle for peace of mind back home, they were fighting for our tomorrow. This appeals to the target audience directly because they are of that age group that they were directly effected by the wars, such as losing their parents, or that their parents are traumatised and are still reminded of what they have been through. The subject has been placed central to the magazine this is to show that the person in the photo is still at war, the person still is effected by what he has been through, the eyes however because they have been blocked out, has taken away the identity of the person, this suggests that because there are so many people that have been effected by war they don't need to add an identity as we can clearly see by the graphically made helmet and the text on the poster that there are many people that have been and still are effected by war. The helmet is in a very vibrant green, whereas he is in civilian clothes, the text 'Still at War' insinuates that the person in the image is fighting with himself now, that he is at war with himself. The text is positioned onto the helmet of the person this suggests that there is some sort of mental health issue that he is fighting with. The man is not only just in civilian clothing but he is also in a monochrome colour which suggests that he is feeling like he is fading from society, the monochrome contrasts with the vibrant green helmet, which suggests he still feels like a soldier and not a normal person anymore. This links in with the idea that veterans are facing homelessness after coming back from war. This fits in with the target audience because they are interested in helping those in need, especially those who are facing homelessness.
This issue was released around the time of remembrance day, on this day we remember those who we have lost due to war, but more recently we remember those who are still fighting and those we have lost to terrorist attacks as well. The poster is protesting against the government to show them that we are trying to fight for our future and that the government needs to act now and to start to change its ways. The tone of this magazine is very clear, this issue is very serious. The image, even though we can only see part of his face seems very serious and there is very plain sans serif font used, which is known for being very modern, the use of black and white in the image and the text shows that the magazine is socially aware of all generations including those before our time, this issue is being serious mainly because this is a serious topic and needs the correct approach to it otherwise people will get the wrong impression. The magazine is showing that they understand the consequences of war, such as the PTSD that come after and the loss of life that people have to go through during the war. They have represented the person on the cover as a very serious individual who has or is fighting for our future and to quote 'Peace of mind back home' this shows that there is a lot counting on these soldiers who are 'fighting for futures'.
There is a lot of political and social context within this front cover, such as war, as this is the main topic most of the front cover on this particular issue is very political, and wanting the government to change. The Big Issue is socially aware of issues that are happening around the world currently, such as wars and people who are struggling with the aftermath of war, such as PTSD and the damage caused be war and not just mentally, physical damage to people as well broken bones, loss of limbs and damage to property as well, the only bi-product of war is devastating, damage not only to whole cities but damage to those who were fighting for our future as well.
Case Study 3
13th March 2020
- Bright colours catch the attention of the passer by, thus more sales.
- The big issue tackles issues in society at current, this cover is explaining the spirit of the rebellion.
- It has inspiration from an album cover, by Sex Pistols. Sex pistols link in with National Identity. It has similar fonts as the album cover as well as the colour palette. Intertextuality.
- The pin could signify that we are connected to our identity through different objects, such as being British and what it means to be British. The UK is in pink, which is a very different colour to the background, this makes the UK stand out, to show that we are proud of being British.
Exam Style Question
Analyse why The Big Issue magazine has used an intertextual approach to the referendum on its front cover.
In this Big Issue cover it depicts the four main politicians at the time (2016) faces attached to the members of the ABBA groups bodies. The front cover is eye catching to be seen on the streets when being sold as well. The colour palette has been made up from the Red, White and Blue that we see on the Union Jack, this is very patriotic. The cover is mocking the politicians especially David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. The magazine is left wing which means they would of supported the Labour Party, who wanted to remain, so mocking the politicians that want to leave is their way of expressing their opinion onto the public. However saying this the readers of the Big Issues would have similar view points. This fits in with the target audience as it caters to what they would be interested in. They have used intertextuality to link with the target audience, those who would fit the demographic for reading this magazine would of been alive when ABBA were a huge hit in the UK. So they would understand the intertextual reference to the use of ABBA in the cover. I think they decided to use this as an intertextual link because not only the target audience would understand it but the lyrics fit in with the opinions of the politicians. Fo example Nigel wanted just to take a chance with Brexit, their is humour behind this as well, the heading of the front cover says 'THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL' this is because the person who got into power at the time, which was David Cameron, had to come to a decision about the vote, this magazine was released just before the British public was given the vote to decide on what we should do about Brexit. They are implying that the winner of the general election would take it all, which was mocking Cameron as well, because the only way he actually got into power was by joining with another party, to allow for him to become PM, as they didn't receive a majority vote. This is making fun of Cameron because he wasn't the winner and he couldn't take it all because he has to go through several votes to get something put forward.
The Big Issue is a left wing magazine which means they are against the two main politicians on the cover, which are, David Cameron and Boris Johnson. They want to stay in the EU along with their target audience, the target audience would of been very interested in this topic and would of supported what the Big Issue were saying. As the target audience of the magazine was of a slightly middle age demographic, they would understand the references being made, all of this cover was based around the intertextual link with ABBA and taking key lyrics from their songs to voice the opinion of the politician. This is a clever way of portraying the politicians because the target audience would find the link slightly humorous, and it also gets the point across that the magazine doesn't like the right winged parties. The humour behind the lyrics and the intertextual link will leave a lasting impression on the reader, this is what the intention was because the Big Issue is trying to voice their opinion as they want the government to change and to look after the people, 'for the people' is a key phrase used by left wing activists who are wanting change to help others and not just to look after their own. This is why they want to remain as they don't want the attention of the government to move to finding a deal to allow us to leave the EU, they want the government to focus their attention and resources to those who need it, for example to help those who are homeless and those who struggle with mental issues, such as those who are returning from war, to nothing.
DIRT on mock exam
14th April 2020
Question 5
- The Old Spice advert reinforces the patriarchal ideology within its advert by the star figure which is Isaiah Mustafa, the creators of this advert have exploited the use of the male gaze theory and the idea that men are superior to women, to sell their product. The star figure captures the attention of women from their advert by using the male gaze theory, this suggests that the creators of this advert know the patriarchal ideology, this ideology suggests that women are dominated by men in society. This is shown by the dominating star figure which is being used to sell the Old Spice product.
- Isaiah Mustafa is the star figure of Old Spice's rebrand of 2010, he is presented as very masculine, the use of direct address shows that the character is confident, he has one eyebrow raised, this furthermore suggests that the character is confident, but all of this also suggests masculinity of the brand and the deodorant that Old Spice are trying to sell.
- Having a masculine and sexually dominating man as the star figure of Old Spice also contributes to the idea of consumerism, the ideology of if you buy this product you will become like the man shown wearing it. This idea makes consumers believe that the product will change themselves but in this case as the advert exploits the use of the male gaze theory, women are more likely to buy the product for their man at home. In the belief that the product will make their man more masculine and more like the star figure from the adverts.
- The advert heavily suggests by the use of masculinity which is demonstrated by the model and the facial expressions that the model is showing, that if you buy this product that you will become independent. The use of positioning of the model on the advert also suggests that the consumers who buy the product are independent and are contributing to the ideology of individualism, this is because the model is alone on the advert and is surrounded in objects that also contribute to the idea of individualism, the objects suggest success and wealth, private islands usually suggest success in the individual, this is also ironic because the success proposed in the advert also contributed to the success of the advert and the rebrand of Old Spice as well.
- The black masculine, confident male as the star figure of Old Spice's rebrand contributes to the idea that we are all equal, however there are still some ethnic stereotypes which are shown in the Old Spice advert for their rebrand in 2010. The black male which is featured in the advert is surrounded by and is made of parts of an island, there is a stereotype that black men are usually found on hot sunny islands. Such as the one shown on the advert.
- The use of the hot and sunny island within the advert contributes to the idea of tropical cultures, many people would want to come to a hot and sunny island in the Caribbean, for a holiday. So the idea that if people buy this product it would be like they are bringing that smell and the sense that they are at a tropical island and within and apart of the tropical culture that you would usually find in the Caribbean.
- The advert highly suggests that if you wear this deodorant that you are becoming successful, there is also the ideology that people who wear Old Spice are not only successful but wealthy also, this is suggested by the island that is engulfing the model within the advert. This idea has been influenced by the use of colour and the use of the model as well, who is exploiting the use of the male gaze theory. the use of the model suggest that because the model is wearing this deodorant that he is now very masculine and very successful.
Question 6
In Emeli Sandé's music video for heaven she is presented as a strong and independent women. The music video also uses a social realist representation of 'street life', this is to represent the authenticity and cultural currency of the artist. The inner city setting also adds to the authenticity of the street life that is happening in and around cities, especially London and the midlands. There is multiculturalism and mixed social groups that have been used and their stereotypical behaviour has been shown within the music video. The use of non-actors also adds to the authenticity of the 'street life' that happens everyday. The producers have used non-actors to empathise the realism of the representation to add to the 'cutting edge' image of the artist. The celebration of the transcendence of poverty and inequality aiming to transfer that value of transcendence to the artist.
There is a positive representation of the artist as a British, middle-class women of ethnic minority with heavy religious overtones which are reflecting her own faith. Sandé is highlighted as a powerful and individual voice which addresses prejudice and negative stereotypes of British urban life and other social issues within society. There are negative stereotypes of people from different ages, genders and classes this is shown to highlight the fast paced life and negative influences that the younger generations have to overcome, everyone shown in the video are able-bodied, which reflects the common stereotype that people with disabilities have less social power and are less visible within society.
Question 7
Conclusion:
The front cover of the Big Issue offers a positive representation of gender and identity through the use of humour and the celebration of powerful women, this is clearly shown by the four women on the front cover of the Big Issue. The stance of the characters which subsequently have the faces of the most influent women in society at the time this magazine cover was designed. The front cover of the Big Issue also offers a negative representation of gender and identity through the use of parody and satire, this is because the images of everyone on the cover is not necessarily flattering. However I think that the cover is suggesting that they do not hold a firm political standpoint, because judging by the cover it doesn't present either party in politics as supportive, so I believe that the cover has been made with a fairly balanced opinion, however it may lean more towards the women in power as they are shown to be fighting and capturing the ghosts.
To improve my mock the following are my targets for each of the questions;
Question 5 - To read the question carefully and to understand how to answer the question most effectively.
Question 6 - Explain my points that I am making more carefully to get my point across most efficiently.
Question 7 - To draw a justified and focused conclusion while using media language to allow myself to gain the majority of the marks.
The front cover of the Big Issue offers a positive representation of gender and identity through the use of humour and the celebration of powerful women, this is clearly shown by the four women on the front cover of the Big Issue. The stance of the characters which subsequently have the faces of the most influent women in society at the time this magazine cover was designed. The front cover of the Big Issue also offers a negative representation of gender and identity through the use of parody and satire, this is because the images of everyone on the cover is not necessarily flattering. However I think that the cover is suggesting that they do not hold a firm political standpoint, because judging by the cover it doesn't present either party in politics as supportive, so I believe that the cover has been made with a fairly balanced opinion, however it may lean more towards the women in power as they are shown to be fighting and capturing the ghosts.
To improve my mock the following are my targets for each of the questions;
Question 5 - To read the question carefully and to understand how to answer the question most effectively.
Question 6 - Explain my points that I am making more carefully to get my point across most efficiently.
Question 7 - To draw a justified and focused conclusion while using media language to allow myself to gain the majority of the marks.
Classwork up to 11/11/19
ReplyDeleteYou are obviously able to identify denotations and connotations and are starting to bring in contextual elements. Be careful that you don't focus on information that cannot be seen in the texts themselves (Sam Fender analysis).
James Bond Poster Analysis
A very detailed analysis but you ignore the question until the final paragraph. Great contextual knowledge but you need to link all your analysis to audience appeal.
DIRT: Think carefully about the TA and don't use the age rating as any kind of a guide. Look at genre codes and analyse the changes between the posters; which highlight a change in the TA or cultural attitudes?
JB ANALYSIS DIRT:
ReplyDeleteYou haven't really done what I asked you to do. How are changes in attitudes towards women shown between the posters and does this affect the TA?
LOGO DESIGNS:
Some lovely ideas and design work. Clothing brand - love the idea and the explanation. Not sure how effective the black board is - why black? Would a different colour be more effective and symbolise the fun free spirit of surfing? TV logo - again, love this and your explanation. I would just comment on the placement of TV (and the use of comic sans font???!!!) Lastly, the Social media app - I was with you up the Panda. It doesn't make sense. It's for adults - think about what a cartoon panda symbolises.
I prefer all your revised logos except the Filtergram: why the owl???
ReplyDeleteCADBURY'S ANALYSIS:
Well done - a solid analysis
BENETTON ANALYSIS:
Again, a solid analysis that links social context to intended meaning. Well done.
SET TEXT NOTES & ANALYSIS:
ReplyDeleteYou've got some great notes - well done. Make sure you're clear who the specific target audiences are for each advert campaign.
The Old Spice analysis is good: detailed and with solid evidence to support your ideas. Your analysis of the Lucozade advert is weaker - link the conventions to conventional print adverts and then say how it subverts them.
ADVERT EXAM PRACTICE - ummm...this is a good, detailed answer but not to the question that was set?! I'm not sure how you did this??
ReplyDeleteMUSIC VIDEO TERMINOLOGY - good
MV INITIAL RESEARCH - a good overview and personal analysis but you need to research what the songs are about (according to the artists) and how the MV links to this. More specific details and less analysis needed at this point.
LIST A MUSIC VIDEO OVERVIEW - excellent (Both!)
ReplyDeleteMV CONVENTIONS - good understanding
CULTURAL CONTEXT & INTERTEXTUALITY - good notes
MV IDEOLOGIES: missing? Although really detailed notes on the context & intertextuality now.
ReplyDeleteBIG ISSUE IDEOLOGIES: good analysis
TA INFOGRAPHIC: you've got most of the key info. Missing the psychographics. Good design.
BIG ISSUE COVER ANALYSIS: good analysis and use of Media Language. TARGET: think about the link between the green helmet and the sepia toned image? Why have they done this?
ASSESSMENT DIRT: excellent notes Ellis - does it now make more sense in terms of how you answer these type of questions?
ReplyDelete