Analysis Of Feature Pages

This is a double page spread of the “We Love Pop” magazine featuring Cher Lloyd. I believe the target audience for this article would be females aged 9-14. Over the double page spread, one whole page is just a picture of her and on the other side there is the interview. In the picture she is wearing quite casual but fashionable clothing. She is wearing a blue crop top with monochrome trousers. This makes her more relatable to a wider audience range due to her clothing. Her body language - leant down, hand covering her mouth and legs apart connote that she is having a lot of fun. This is also due to her eyebrows being up and her eyes wide open. Her hand is covering her mouth as she is trying to hold her laugh in. Also the camera that she is holding may connote making memories, which may link into the article and can relate to how she got her career going. The picture uses high key lighting making it seem more bright and clear which is conventional in feature pages. At the top of the page we see a button with “cover story” written inside. This allows the reader to be more aware while flicking through the magazine. At the top of the interview page there is a large quote from the interview which will attract more people to read it, due to giving people an insight to what the interview offers. The quote is split into 2, were the first line is in black and the second is in pink. This is so the reader will pay attention to it and will be more interested in the interview. The colour scheme includes very feminine colours such as various amounts of pink spread across the page. Pink connotes sweetness and charm which may link into Cher Lloyd’s personality. However, the black contrasts that and shows her as quite mature due to black connoting elegance and sophistication.  Also due to the white background the text stands out more. Below the quote there is a sub-heading which further on encourages the reader to read the interview as it implies that the audience think they know her but they really don’t. The sub heading uses an ellipsis to keep the reader in suspense and question their knowledge on the star featured.
 The interview itself is quite short. This will further on attract the young audiences as they won't have to read a whole long interview. The interview further simplifies itself as the questions are highlighted in pink and the important quotes that she said are highlighted in yellow. At the start of the article the first letter “W” is in bold and serif. It also has a background of a pink rectangle which causes it to be easier to see where the interview starts. It also looks like a motif as it can be seen in the bottom left corner behind the page number and bottom right and top left. This results in the pages looking more put together as it links them. Due to this the feature page looks more appealing. The title of the article links into the picture of the band “Union J” which is featured in this double page spread. They are all holding different flavoured milkshakes of which the colours link to the colours used in the title. The title uses 4 different colours which include pink, green, purple and blue. These colours are all quite bright and they have similar connotations. Pink connotes charm and love. Green connotes peacefulness and harmony. Purple connotes wisdom and independence. Lastly, blue connotes intelligence and confidence. All of these traits may relate to each band member. I believe the target audience for this article is females aged from 10-15. Also below the title there is a cover line. It is written in a way of a recipe, which links into the idea of them being in a kitchen setting. All of the boys are dressed quite casually. This is due to them wearing pastel coloured tops and shirts over it. This may also represent that it is summer. Furthermore, all of their facial expressions represent them as happy which carries on the stereotype of boy bands always being positive and joyful. They are sitting quite lousy around what seems like a table. This represents them as normal teenagers as they are just hanging out together.The interview is quite short. All the questions are highlighted in pink which links to the title and makes the interview easier to understand. Also the band member that answered the question is made bold. This is effective as it is evident who is speaking making it easier for the young audiences. Furthermore, in between the interview there are buttons including some of the quotes the band members have said in the interview. This will give an insight to what the interview was about.
This is a magazine double spread article featuring Justin Bieber. The picture of Justin Bieber takes up the whole side of one of the pages. He is dressed in a black vest with red trousers and trainers. Vests are normally associated with people that go to the gym a lot which may connote that he has been working out lately. Also his clothing matches the colour scheme of the article as it is red and black. There is a transparent chair in the shot which is not as visible. This could have been done to show an illusion of Justin floating to the make picture look cool. This would further in attract the target audience of females aged 10-15 as it would intrigue them. The fact that he is sitting the other way round on the chair may suggest that he is rebellious. The way his is positioned is quite promiscuous. His body is leant back and one of his arms is hanging down showing of his muscles as the other one is holding on to the chair. His facial expression looks quite confident in himself and seductive. This portrays him as mature but still very flirty as he loves the attention he gets from his mainly female fan base. The tattoo on his arm further carries on his “bad boy” image as tattoos are normally associated with negative people such as criminals.The title of the magazine is a quote that gives us an insight of what the interview is about. It will also make fans reading the pages jump to conclusion and become confused as to why girls may give him a headache. The interview itself is quite short, as it is only around ¾ of the page. There is a picture displayed of Justin and his former celebrity girlfriend Selena Gomez. Due to the picture it implies that Justin is taken and therefore doesn’t want the attention of any other girls. This reinforces the main masthead of “Girls give me a headache”. The masthead is written in a serif yet bold font. This may relate to the magazines and his target audience as they are mostly female. The main colour scheme of red and black give the article a more masculine touch. Red connotes danger, strength and power, whereas black connotes mystery, authority and prestige. This may link to Bieber’s personality and his high status in the media industry.

Analysis Of Content Pages

The first contents page comes from the pop magazine "Top Of The Pops"I clearly know that this is a contents page as there is a banner up top saying “Inside the mag”. The font looks like it is handwritten and serif which may link to the magazine's target audience female 9-15 year olds as it would appeal to them. Also the front cover of the magazine is displayed with arrows pointing to every teaser instructing the reader to what page it is on. This is very effective as if one of the teasers specifically interested the reader they can easily find it in the magazine. The page number are in bold vibrant colours. This causes them to stand out more.

Also, there are 5 sub headings which include: Celebs & gossip, We *heart* shopping, We *heart* boys, All about you and Wins and offers. This is effective as it allows the reader to quickly find the article they want to read and are interested in. All the subheadings are written in the same sans-serif, swirly font. This cause the text to look more cute which will appeal to the young target audience. Inside the boxes it is specifically written what is on each page. Also the more relevant bits are highlighted, causing them to be more attractive to the reader. Also around the page there are some pictures. They also have bold page numbers next to them. This is effective as it causes the page too look more fun. This is effective as if an One Direction fan sees them in the corner they will straight away know to go to page 26 as there will be something involving them on that page.

The main colour scheme of the page is pink and yellow. Pink connotes love, which may link to the love that fans have for the magazine and artists featured and gives it a feminine sense which links to the target audience. Yellow represents joy and happiness which is aha the reader will experience after reading the magazine.

This contents page comes from the magazine "We *heart* Pop". The banner at the top of the page says “We Love This...”. This may connote that us as the readers will love the whole contents of the magazine. The typography of the title is quite bold and sans-serif. This makes it very eye catching as it is big and also is one of the few texts which is written in black. There is a small article presented on the page. This can act as another quick teaser before the actual magazine. In an upside down ‘L’ shape there are 4 main pictures which I believe are the main features of the magazine. These pictures have a cover line and page number attached to them, so it makes it easier for the reader to find the article in a quicker time due to the bold noticeable page numbers. Below there is a small box with some more page numbers presented, of the more important or relevant things in the magazine.  Not all the page numbers are on it which may be due to the fact of some pages being adverts. This also informs the audience that the magazine is published monthly.  There is a banner at the bottom of the page of the posters that you will receive in the magazine. This can also give us an insight to who we can expect to see in the magazine, causing it to be like an overview. Also in the bottom right corner there are the page numbers which will help the consumer to navigate through the magazine. Also right next to it, there is the website of the magazine. This may suggest that the magazine is also available online. The main colour scheme for this page is green, blue and black. The colour blue connotes that reading the magazine might calm you down if you are stressed out. This may apply to students that read the magazine that have upcoming exams that they might feel nervous for.  The colour green is associated with harmony and joy which connotes that the magazine is well organised and can make you feel happy after reading it. Lastly, black connotes sophistication which may cause them to have a wider target audience. Also this issue might have a festive undertone due to the colours and present bows scattered on the page.

Analysis Of Front Covers

This is a pop magazine called “Billboard”  with the well-known pop star Ariana Grande on the cover. She is only covered in a towel and her hair is up in a towel turban. This suggests that she has just got out of the shower. Both of the towels are white. The colour white connotes innocence and purity. This subverts the representation as she is seen as quite sexual. Moreover, her makeup is fully done and she is wearing different accessories; necklace, rings and sunglasses. Her makeup consists of a neutral eye and a bold red lip. This may connote that she herself as a person is very opinionated and fierce. The colour red also represents danger. This may have a link to her new album that is titled “Dangerous Women” and add promotion to the album. This subverts the view that she is innocent. The accessories that she is wearing are quite glamorous; this implies that she is quite wealthy if she wears them to shower, as they seem like they should be worn for a red carpet event. This can relate to the stereotype that wealthy people do not really care about their valuables as they have enough money to buy new ones. The main cover line quotes “Viva La Diva!” This links to the appearance of Ariana Grande as it shows that she looks perfect even after a shower. This is a stereotype as many well-known celebrities are seen to always look good whatever they do.

This is a medium shot. Her body language seems to be quite promiscuous. This is due to her hand being placed near her breast. Also with her other hand she is holding down her sunglasses to show off her eyes. She is looking her seductively into the camera. This could result in her attracting a wider male audience as they will be attracted to her. This relates to Goffman’s theory as it suggest that she has to be close to naked and be promiscuous to get attention. This is also an archetype as women as mostly presented as quite sexual and flirty. Due to this she is also seen as quite mysterious as we cannot see a lot of the background so we don’t know the location so the audience can only look at her and how she is portrayed.

The lighting in the picture appears to be quite natural as it is coming from the window. I know this due to the shadows created on her face. This could also tell us that it’s quite early in the morning. The location causes her to seem as if she is wanting for someone, as she is not in the shower.

The main colour scheme of the whole magazine is red white and black. All of these colours are quite simple but effective. The masthead “Billboard” is in red to make it stand out from the photo. The only other writing in red is a small line above the main cover line. Also the masthead is the biggest font on the cover. This causes it to be clearer for the audience to know which magazine it is, as it is sold on stands in shops. The main cover line is in black and it is quite bold and san-serif. Due to the font being san-serif than serif it causes the audience to think she is more strong and independent than cute and feminine. Also the colour black connotes elegance and sophistication. The magazine cover helps her audience see that she is mature now, as before she was only seen as child which acts on Nickelodeon.

There are 3 main fonts used on the cover. One for the masthead (“Billboard”), main cover line (“Viva La Diva”)and for the teasers (“The New Dream Team”). This causes the magazine to be quite clear and easy for the audience to see the main points. The layout of the cover is in a “C” shape as the text is going around the picture. This type of layout is very conventional to pop music magazines.

The target audience for this would be females which ages range from 16-25. They would most likely be students and be interested in mainstream things and people. Ariana Grande would appeal to that demographic as she might be a role model to them or someone they look up to. She is also quite relatable due to her music and her age, as she is only 23.

This is another cover of the magazine Billboard. It features the singer Katy Perry. Katy Perry is wearing a flower patterned dress with real flowers attached to it. The flowers also continue to go up into her hair. The bottom of the dress is made out to look like petal which links into the flower theme of the outfit. The dress is a dark purple colour. Purple connotes royalty and wealth. This applies to her as she is a celebrity so she earns quite a large amount of money. The flowers on the dress and the real ones are mostly pink. Pink connotes feminism and love. This causes her to seem very positive, cute and harmless. Moreover, some of the flowers are yellow. Yellow connotes happiness, good energy and intellect. Her makeup is mostly pink toned. On her eyes she has winged eye liner which makes her look a bit stronger. However her lips are a vibrant pink which carries on the theme of her being very girly. She has quite a lot of blush on to make her look more flushed. These connotations imply that she is a very positive and joyful person which is a good influence. This can also be seen as a stereotype as most women are perceived to always be positive and feminine.

The shot is a medium long shot. This allows us to see her whole outfit and the background. The background is a pastel pink which links into the theme of her being quite feminine and happy. Her body language shows her off as quite innocent but still seductive. Both of her hands are up next to her chest as if she was shocked by something. Also she is standing sideways emphasising her body features. Her facial expression is quite seductive as her mouth is slightly open and she is looking dreamily into the camera.

The lighting in the picture is mostly hitting the side of her body. This results in the audience being more focused on her outfit and face.

The main colour scheme of the whole magazine is yellow black and white, with a hint of blue and green. The masthead is the biggest font on the screen. It is bold and black, with a hint of green and blue so it is more visible. The second largest font is the name of the featured artist “Katy Perry”. This is due to the fact that this issue of the magazine is based around her. Also she is a very popular celebrity so a lot of people will recognise her name causing the magazine to sell better. All of the subheadings are in yellow so it makes it easier for the reader to notice it on the cover. The colour yellow also stands out quite well over the pastel pink background. There are 3 main fonts used one on the masthead, the cover line and the teasers. All of these fonts are quite bold and san-serif. However, “Katy Perry” is written in serif to carry on the image of her being feminine and girly.

The layout of the cover is in a “C” shape which is the most conventional for pop music magazines. It causes the reader to see all of the text presented.

The target audience for Katy Perry are females aged from 18 – 26. They would most likely already work or be finishing education. This is because her music is more mature and I believe older females will be more attracted to her.  I believe she is a counter-type as she doesn’t try to show of much of her skin and wants to be perceived as joyful and positive. Whereas, most women nowadays want to be seen as quite sexual. However, in this cover she is still sexualised due to her facial expression. This links to Goffman’s theory that women are mostly sexualised in the media industry.

Additional Work - Narrative Theory

Jaws (Dir. Spielberg , 1975)

In one of the scenes, we see an over the shoulder shot. The protagonist (lifeguard) looks over another characters shoulder instead of listening to him. This shows that he is quite keen to see what is going on in the direction of the see. He is also the only character in focus at that time reinforcing his importance. The shot cuts to another over the shoulder shot of the character talking to him. This implies that they were having a conversation. However in the distance we can see a girl starting to scream loudly. Firstly it suggests that she is in danger; however after we find out that she is only playing around with her friend. To causes the narrative to seem tenser and it causes the audience to feel on the edge as they are waiting for something to happen. Another effective shot is the panning shot as the male protagonist runs across to the sea, shouting at people to get out. Secondly, the shot is quite slow showing the older characters looking from a distance. Moreover, when the protagonist runs through the screen the shot becomes fast. This causes most of the characters to react and help their children to get out of the water. This gives us an insight to the narrative as it shows of the beginnings of the first attack we witness in the movie. 

Throughout the beginning of the scene in the background we can hear the stereotypical sounds we hear at the seaside. Including, children laughing, seagulls, the waves crashing on to the shore and adults having conversations. This causes the scene to be more realistic, resulting in the audience being able to relate to it more. It also implies the causality of the situation, as no one expects anything bad to happen at all. This causes the narrative to be more relevant to a wider audience. During the end of the scene a lot of the characters are screaming and shouting, especially as they are running towards their children. This implies that the situation is quite alarming due to the characters acting in a chaotic manner. This was done to connote their fear.  This causes the narrative to become more interesting and it interests the audience with action from the start of the movie. It also links to the movies genre of horror due to the suspense and uncertainty of what will happen next.

In the shots throughout the whole clip we see a lot of things that help us to recognise the setting and time of year. We clearly know the setting is the seaside which this also helps in carrying on the narrative. This is due to the mise en scene. We see many stereotypical objects including towels, floats, balls and umbrellas. Also most of the characters are dressed in bathing suits. This connotes that the time of year is most likely summer due to the hot weather. Most women's bathing suits are quite bright which may link to the fashion in that period of time. Furthermore, it may connote that the personality of the characters is quite bold and joyful. This is reinforced in their behaviour at the beginning of the clip, as they are all really social and loud.

Additional Work - Representations Of Women 1900 - Till Now

1900s to 1920 
The women's suffrage movement was becoming more popular and important in the early 20th century. Voting rights were only granted to certain classes of women, who could only vote on certain matters, such as local issues concerning schools and bonds.
 1940s - 1950s 
Working women were paid much less than men and despite the responsibilities and sheer hard work they had to go through wartime, resulting in still being portrayed as submissive and inferior. Educational opportunities were limited. The 1944 Education Act was supposed to give everyone a chance; however it was not taken seriously. Many teachers and parents had narrow expectations for girls whose destiny was to be marriage, a home and a family, with work.
 1960s – 1970s

The abortion act was introduced. In the 1960s women showed all the women they wished to help, listing drug addicts, alcoholics, women who already had several children couldn’t cope with another, and those whose husbands were abusive, in prison, or otherwise absent. Also the first “Cosmopolitan” magazine launched in Britain in 1972.

1990s – 2000s

In 1997, it was recorded that 120 women won their seats in the general election. As only in 1928 women over 21 were allowed to vote. Furthermore, in today’s day women have many rights and don’t have to oblige to every stereotype that relates to them. They are more independent and strong. 





Additional Work - High Key & Low Key Lighting

High Key Lighting

The lighting shows off the characters face and props very clearly making it easier for the audience to see. The lightning hits the characters face implying he is pain. This also results in being the main focus of the shot.

Low Key Lighting

The lighting in this scene is presented as a spotlight. This helps us to notice the main thing that the director wanted us to see. In the picture we can see a man standing in the doorway looking up. Only his body is in the light which may connote that he has been found and there's no point in escaping. Furthermore, because he is looking up in the dark it can represent him being in an unpleasant place.

 

High Key Lighting 

The lighting makes the scene more realistic. Also it helps the audience see all the chains that the characters are wearing, so they can be more aware of the details. Also the lighting is quite bright and in contrast showing off the colour of their clothing.

Low Key Lighting

The images shows a big contrast. This creates a mysterious atmosphere and connotes that something bad is about to happen. This is due to the fact that the women is in the light and the man in the dark. That can also represent the man being the villain due to him being in the darkness. It can represent the women as innocent due to her being in the light.

High Key Lighting 

The lighting is effective as it shows of the characters emotions as it is hitting the characters faces. The lighting looks natural as it seems, as it is coming from the window due to the shadows on the characters clothing. We can tell that the dad character is quite nervous and the son is ashamed as he is looking down.

 

Low Key Lighting 

The back lighting is hitting on them causing a shadow on half of the characters face. This causes the setting to be more mysterious as we do not really know what it is. Also the back lighting causes a halo effect resulting in the scene being more mystical.

Additional Work - Camera Angles

Camera Angles

This is an over the shoulder shot. This shot allows us to see how people react in a conversation as it normally cuts between the two people speaking. In this shot we can see that the character of Katniss looking quite upset due to the frown on her face. This may be because of her sister, which looks much younger due to her braided hair. 

The only prop we can see in the background is a radiator, furthermore the room is very dark. This may connote that they are not very wealthy due to the darkness in the room. It causes the facial expression of the character to be more effective, as we can tell that it is very hard for her to keep her and her sister in a positive mood.

This is an establishing shot. The shot allows us to see an overview of the setting. It could also show of the characters clothing, which may give us more information about their personality. In this shot the setting looks very futuristic, due to the modern skyscrapers. We can see a silhouette of the character. The main thing that stands out are the arrows which may imply she is quite aggressive.

Due to the setting being very modern we could say that the   setting of the whole movie might be in another universe or in the future. It   causes our view of the character to change in a positive way as her skills   will be more advanced. Also the technology and weapons must be more advanced.

 

This is a medium shot. It shows of some of the characters actions. In this example the character of Katniss is hunting for animals. We know this due to her using a bow and arrow and focusing as if she is aiming at something. Furthermore, it shows us a bit of the setting, which in this case is a forest.