Friday, 9 November 2012
Rock Magazine Photography
Below are a selection of photographs I took with a digital SLR camera for my AS Level Media Rock Music Magazine coursework. I was responsible for all the mise-en-scene in all photographs and had permission from the Church to include its building and grounds in the photographs.
Photoshop Cartoons
Cartoon Rock Band created on Photoshop and WeeMee for the double page spread of my rock music magazine. I tried to make the cartoons look like my models - I just dressed the cartoons in more rock style clothing than the models were wearing in the photograph.
Film Magazine Analysis
Film Magazine Analysis
Genre
The genre of this magazine is a film magazine. I can tell this is a film magazine as it has the following media language features in the layout which are typical of a film magazine:
- Masthead
- Banner
- Cover lines
- Close up shot
- Barcode
- 3 colour rule (black, green, white)
- Issue date
The genre of this film appears to be horror as it depicts one of the most notorious super villains of all time, The Joker, whose appears is in the horror style due to the clown like make up and evil stare. This character is from the 'Batman' series of films which are typically a comic book/action genre of film, however the nature of these films have been getting darker recently and this character in particular is very fitting with the horror genre.
Narrative
From the close up of The Joker I can tell that the film is going to contain dark humour, villainous plans and plots, murder and have a sinister feel to it purely because of the nature and appearance of this character.
Representation
The Joker is represented as evil and villainous, shown by the position of his head, he appears to be looking down on everyone believing them to be beneath him and inferior. His stare looks sinister also adding to the villainous appearance. His dark eye make up in contrast with the white face make-up makes him look mysterious and deathly. The blackness surrounding the character's face also shows him to be mysterious and villainous as the nature of blackness/darkness is to instil fear.
Target Audience
The target audience for this film magazine is most likely to be between 16 and 25, the typical student/new-postgraduate age who have an interest in films and a spare few pounds to spend on a magazine. I would suggest the gender of the audience would be male, as typically males visit the cinema more/prefer films, they also buy more comic books than females do and this specific film is based upon a comic book. The Joker himself has a lot of male followers who dress up as him for cosplay (costume roleplay) events such as 'Comic con' and 'Expo', also suggesting the target audience to be predominantly male.
Disability Representations
TV Drama –
Casualty Clip – Disability Representations
In the clip from Casualty, Adam and Alex are in a shopping
centre and a long shot and two shot of Adam and Alex is used to show that Alex
is disabled and in a motorised wheelchair. The mise-en-scene use of a wheelchair
to display disability is a typical stereotype for disabled characters in TV
dramas. A shot reverse shot between Adam and Alex is used in the shopping
centre to show that that they are on the same intellectual level, as had the
conversation taken place in the format of a two shot, there would have been a
height difference and it would have seemed like Adam was superior to Alex due
to the height difference. A common stereotype of disabled people is that they
are less intellectual than non disabled people and by using the two shot to
remove the height difference between Adam and Alex in the conversational
situation, it attempts to remove the less intellectual stereotype and stops
Alex from seemingly being looked down on by his brother.
Another shot reverse shot is used between the husband and
wife in the ambulance scene. This was used to show the reaction and look of
disgust on the wife’s face at her husband’s new deformity due to an accident
and how the blood was trickling out of his nose when he spoke. This shows that
the wife is not comfortable looking at her husband in such a way and therefore
portrays disability as a bad, or uncomfortable, thing to have and for others to
see. The shot reverse shot also puts the husband and wife in different shots,
this could represent how disability separates people no matter how close they
were before.
The dialogue between Alex and Adam, coupled with the action
of Alex moving his wheelchair himself in the shopping centre shows Alex’s
independence despite being disabled, as when Adam goes to push Alex’s
wheelchair for him Alex replies that he doesn’t want to be “pushed about” which
could mean in the literal being wheeled around sense, or in the mental sense of
someone having control over him. This portrays disabled people as strong and
independent people, the opposite of the stereotype. Alex’s dialogue also seemed
to be predominantly negative, he was rude and negative to the shop assistant
about Adam trying to play “happy families” with him, he made a negative comment
about a watch Adam wanted to buy for him and during the toilet scene he was
negative about his disability. This portrays disabled people as very negative
towards themselves and others due to their disability and also implies that the
disability is a negative thing. An over the shoulder shot is used, which shows
Adam over his brother’s shoulder and shows his reaction to the negative
comments Alex had made regarding his disability and the day in general.
The diegetic sound in the form of happy sounding music in
the café Alex and Adam are sat in helps to portray the scene as happy, normal
and just two brothers out for a coffee, as well as just being music to help
keep the realism in the scene, as most cafes do play music. The diegetic music
doesn’t draw attention to the disability Alex has, as the music is happy and
because of Alex’s negative attitude the disability is now associated with
negativity and sadness so the audience doesn’t associate it with the music.
During the scene in the toilet Adam is briefly shown, by a
high angle, to be looking down on Alex, which makes Alex seem inferior due to
his inability to go to the toilet alone due to his disability. This portrays
Alex as being denied his dignity and not being independent anymore, as he has
to have help going to the toilet.
The diegetic sound of laughter from the women who steal the
narcoleptic’s bag after he falls asleep on the floor, shows how the women found
his disability amusing and were more concerned with having a good time than
helping him. This also shows how disabled people are treated differently to non
disabled people as they didn’t help him get back up, or call and ambulance,
they stole his stuff instead.
An eye-line match is used when the lads on the bikes look
downwards and the shot changes to the narcoleptic sprawled out on the stairs.
This shows the severity of the situation and how the bikers intend to separate
themselves from the incident due to the bikers looking at the narcoleptic not
being in the same shot, but being in separate ones to create the eye-line
match.
The camera angle was slightly canted on the close up of the
narcoleptic character’s face to show his expression when it looked like he was
going to fall asleep due to his disability. The canted angle shows the
confusion and disorientation caused by the disability and could also mirror the
confusion of others who witness the disability as they aren’t entirely sure
what has happened.
Towards the end of the clip, Alex is given the
responsibility of calling an ambulance for the collapsed narcoleptic character,
showing he can control a situation, can take responsibility and is not hindered
by, or lost his confidence due to his disability.
Double Page Spread Analysis
Music Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis
Genre
The genre of
this double page spread is rock. It is clear to see this is a rock themed
double page spread because of the imagery, text, font and colours used over the
two pages. The imagery clearly represents the rock genre as it shows various
images of males from the rock band My Chemical Romance in various rock poses.
There wild hair, black clothing and typical rock style poses all relays the
rock theme to the audience. The text also shows the rock theme, as it says
"We're being the best MCR we can be" and MCR (My Chemical Romance) is
a famous rock band, therefore showing the genre of the double page spread to be
rock. The font style used on the main text on the page looks distressed and distinctly
rock because of the block capitals (as rock music is bold and stands out) and
the distressed look (as that's often how rock musicians look) The colours used
on this double page spread; red, black and white are recurring colours in rock
magazines and so immediately when I view these colours I know the genre being
represented is rock. Red is a typical rock colour because it has implications
of hell and rock music is often described as 'the devils music'. Black is a
typical rock colour because it is dark and mysterious, like most rock artists
themselves. Black is also the colour most artists choose to wear on stage when
performing the rock genre of music. White is also a typical rock colour as it
contrasts the black colour but is still plain and simple, which is what most
rock artists want to be, as they don't believe in the latest fashions or
corporate brands.
Target Audience
The target
audience of this double page spread appears to be teenagers and young adults,
who like rock music, of both genders. I know this because of the artist that is
presented on the double page spread. My Chemical Romance are a modern young
rock band that appeal to both genres and the particular age category of 13 to
25 year olds. I can tell the double page
spread is not targeting one specific gender because although the colours used
are dark, they are not stereotypical gender specific colours, such as: blue for
boys, pink for girls. I also know they are not targeting one specific gender
because MCR the band are attractive to both genders, as boys and girls like
their music and boys and girls idolize the band members. I know the target
audience will like rock music, as if a person did not like rock music, they
would not be reading this double page spread about this artist.
Representation
The band
members of MCR shown in the images on the double page spread are all wearing
black; this shows that they as a band are related to rock music, as black is
the typical colour for rock artists to wear as its dark (like rock music) and
is the complete opposite of the bright colours pop stars wear (as rock is the
complete opposite of pop). The band members all have wild, untidy hair, which
also shows they are linked to the rock genre, as rock hairstyles are usually
wild, untidy and edgy to represent the style of music its self and the life
style typical rock stars lead. The band members in the images are equipped with
their band instrument (microphone, drums, guitar, bass) which also shows the
band to be of the rock genre because other genres of music use more, or
different, instruments to the ones MCR are pictured with.
Layout
The most
noticeable thing about the double page spread is that the entire left side of
the spread is an image and the other side contains text and images. The use of
the full page image catches the reader's eye and makes them interested in
reading the text on the other page. The full page image may also attract
someone to buy the magazine, as they could then cut out the full page image and
use it as a poster, which is what a lot of rock music fans like to do. The
largest text on the page is the title, showing its important and grabbing the
reader's attention due to its size. This text is spread over both sides of the
spread showing that both the left side and the right side are related to each
other. The main body of the text on the right hand page is in small font and
split into two columns, making the information easier to read and look more
attractive on the page. On the right hand side of the right page is a white
column/strip containing other short pieces of information related to the main
body of the text. This breaks up the page and adds a nice interesting and
finishing touch to the double page spread.
The layout over all looks appealing to the reader as it is not all
uniform and structured in standard boring columns, it looks appealing to the
eyes because of the use of colour, images and neatly arranged (but not uniform
or boring) columns of text.
Media Language
Mid shots,
medium close ups and wide shot images are all used on this double page spread
to show a variation in the images on the page so that they are more interesting
to look at, rather than all the same shot type which could appeal uniform and
boring - something the images in a rock magazine definitely should not be as
rock music is anything but boring!
Ordinary Language
The language
used in the article on the double page spread is very sensationalized and
factual to keep readers both interested and informed by the article. The
language is very positive to promote the band and give a good vibe about the
band to the reader. I now know to write in a similar way and with similar
techniques to make the article on my own rock music magazine double page spread
just as interesting and factual to make my target audience happy.
Film Trailer Analysis
Repo! The Genetic Opera Trailer Analysis
GENRE
This movie trailer is for the genre of horror. The genre of
horror is shown in this movie trailer in many different ways, from the costumes
and locations, to the colours and over all character appearances. The costumes
portray the horror genre as they are primarily gothic and made from black
leather, which is associated with evil and villains which are typical of horror
films. The colours of rich reds, contrasted with the blacks, gives the
appearance of horror, as the colour red is associated with blood and danger and
black is associated with the unknown and evil, typical features of the horror
genre. The locations shown in the trailer range from a dark gothic building, to
a graveyard and a torture room - locations typically associated with the horror
genre, as they have elements of fear and danger about them. The characters that
are featured in this trailer also give the impression that the genre of the
film is horror, as two of the characters are seen clipping/gluing on human
faces which is quite horrifying. This trailer also complies with Carol Glover's
theory about the final girl being terrorised throughout the film, as the young
female character in the trailer appears all the way through the trailer as the
central character who is left alive at the end. That theory is usually
applicable to horror movies only, making it clear that this movie trailer is of
the horror genre. Levi Strauss and Roland Barthes theory of binary opposites is
also featured in this trailer, as we see a young vulnerable female character
along with a strong elderly male character killing people, which appear to be
binary opposites.
REPRESENTATION
Laura Mulvey put forward the theory of 'the male gaze'
suggesting everything is seen through a male perspective and I believe that to
be true in this trailer. I believe it to be true as all the women in the
trailer appear to be objectified and sexualised; wearing revealing clothing and
having 'perfect' bodies which the typical male would find pleasing. The gender
representations seem very stereotypical, as the women are objectified,
sexualised and seem to be the vulnerable ones in the trailer, as they are
dressed provocatively and are seen either being sexual, screaming, or looking
scared throughout the trailer. In contrast the men are shown as strong,
aggressive and dominant as they are the ones killing people, fighting and being
fussed over by the women. Age is also stereotyped, as the elderly male figure
in the trailer seems the most powerful, whilst the young female seems the most
weak and vulnerable.
NARRATIVE
The story of the film is about a company named 'Gene Co.'
selling replacement organs to humans on Earth after mass organ failure had
become common in the future. However if the people can't keep up with their
payments for their organs, then Gene Co's repo man comes and takes them back.
The Repo man is also leading a double life as a monstrous legal assassin and a
sick girl's loving father. This narrative is shown in the trailer through a few
different methods, the first of which is the voiceover which begins to tell the
story before the music from the film takes over. The second method is the
rather unconventional comic strip featured in the beginning of the trailer to
attempt to tell the opening of the plot line to the audience. The narrative is
also shown through montages, particularly the montage of the same character
flicking from one persona to the other, showing the narrative of him having a
double life.
AUDIENCE
The audience of this trailer is anyone who happens to see it
on TV or at the beginning of another film they are watching, however keeping in
mind the movie is age rated 18, I believe the audience will be people over the
age of 18. However, I believe the primary audience that this movie was targeted
at was 18 to 25 year old males, who like rock music and comic books. I believe
the target age was 18 to 25 because the creator of the movie, who also stars in
it, is Terrance Zdunich - a Canadian Comic Book artist and musical theatre
star, whose main fanbase is between the age of 18 and 25. I believe the main
audience gender would be male, as the female characters are very objectified
and sexualised, appealing primarily to males. As the music in the movie and the
trailer is rock style, I believe the target audience would be interested rock
music, as well as musical theatre as the 'big name stars' in the movie are all
associated with musical theatre (Terrance Zdunich, Sarah Brightman and Anthony
Head). I also believe the target audience would include students, as it has a
very comic book feel to it and stereotypically it is students which love comic
books and movie comic book adaptations. The audience need to be quite 'active'
to understand the plotline, even though the trailer makes the movie look
straight forward and not require much concentration.
MEDIA LANGUAGE
Cinematography
Close ups are used a lot in this trailer to convey the
emotions of the characters and show their fear and horror, or similar emotions,
to add an element of horror to the trailer. Over the shoulder shots are used so
that the audience of the trailer can see something that the character they're
looking over the shoulder of can't, increasing the tension. High angles are
used on the vulnerable characters and low angles are used on the powerful
characters, to show who are going to be the main characters in the movie. The
shots are kept at eyelevel with the young girl character, signifying that she
is the one the audience will watch the movie and become most attached to and
see the movie through her perspective. There are zooms in the trailer to show
the emotion and realisation of things by the characters, heightening the
tension.
Editing
Jump cuts are used in the trailer to give the impression of
something being wrong and increasing te tension for the audience. Fast straight
cuts are also used to give the impression of panic and add to the horror genre
of the trailer. Titles are used in between the montages of clips to add
suspense to the trailer and help tell the story through the trailer. Montages
are used to show the equilibrium and disruption that takes place throughout the
movie, as well as showcasing the characters and showing the audience a little
of what they will see in the complete film.
Sound
The voice over at the beginning is a deep male voice, which
sounds very fitting with the horror genre and helps to set the over all scene
and tell the story of the film. The diegetic sound switches to non-diegetic and
back again throughout the trailer, as the film is a musical and the music that
is played by the band and sang by the characters (making it diegetic), is also
played over a montage of clips where the music becomes non-diegetic. The music
which is both diegetic and non-diegetic has a rock hint to it and also has
quite a horror element to it too regarding the lyrics and the baselines.
Mise-en-scene
The clothing of all the characters are rather gothic and
black, adding an eerie and element to the film purely through costumes. Most of
the shots are in low-key lighting, associated with horror, to show the dark
nature of the film. The locations shown in the trailer, such as the big gothic
house, torture rooms and graveyard are all places typically associated with
horror, which cause tension in the audience.
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