Magazine- In Style!

Here is my finished magazine. :)

Skyfall...!

1. The genre of the film is action. We can see this because of all the gun action (common convention of action) and the train crashing into the building because they all create a sense of action and thrill because they signify there's a fight about to happen/ already happening.

2.The film poster uses dark colours which connote mystery and something secretive. Also, the writing only gives you what is necessary to know- the date when it is released and the name as well as the number "007" because this is a sequel to a previous film series, there is an element of recognition, hence the reader will just look at the number and automatically associate it with James Bond. Furthermore, the character is a well known actor for playing James Bond and therefore, once again, the audience will be able to find the link between the poster and previous films. The character on the poster is also holding a gun which gives the audience a clue as to what genre it is (action) because the gun must be an important aspect of the film if it is on the poster itself and so the audience will expect gun action and fighting. 

3. The music in the film trailer sounds like a gunshot at the beginning and so adds to the effect and gives us a clue as to what to expect form the film. Also, There is a lot of action which is common in an action film- there is a lot if escaping, shooting, running, jumping, various crashes and car chases as well as helicopters that add a whole different level to the action. Furthermore, the colours are not very vibrant therefore the trailer seems quite serious and makes the action look serious and sophisticated- serious business. Also, the viewers will recognise fast cars as a common convention of a Bond film.

4. The target audience would be mainly young adult- middle age (20-40) males who are interested in action or are bond fans. They are likely to be of the C1+2 and D demographic.

5. The film promotion is successful because the poster and the trailer create a sense of suspicion and mystery  as well as set the scene for action (prepare the audience for it) without giving too much away- expose the main conventions but leave enough unsaid so that the audience will want to watch the film.

Film Trailer Analysis 2- The life of Pi

There are a lot of stereotypes about the people and the surroundings in the trailer. One of the main stereotypes is the one about the main character. We can tell he is the hero because as in any other fantasy, something happened to him to put him off track and therefore he is in danger. Also, he doesn't look particularly strong, hence the audience initially assumes he is not a strong character but we can see that throughout the film, his character develops and becomes stronger, which is also a common stereotype for the hero in a fantasy story to have so that we can see how the events changed them and helped them grow. Furthermore, the hero always falls in love and we can see this in the clip where there is a group of dancers and a special focus on one of the dancers. This is only brief but the audience can already tell that she will play a significant part in the film and potentially may become the heroine. The fact that the hero has to fall in love is a common convention of a fantasy adventure because it often creates a twist or an obstacle (the love often has to be rescued or won etc.)  in the story and adds to the effect of a happy ending when everything works out. 

Another stereotype we can see in this trailer is the one of the sea. We can see this because usually  you don't get many fantasy adventures that portray the sea as a friendly safe surrounding but rather like a vicious and dangerous environment. There is a storm at sea in this trailer which adds to the effect of adventure because the audience aren't sure whether the hero will be okay, especially since he is alone at sea. However, the stereotype is broken when, after the storm, the sea looks lovely and the sky looks like the sun is setting/rising which makes it seems almost idyllic and much like a paradise which would ensure the reader that the character will be okay but it will also add to the effect of suspense since they don't know what's going to happen since it is a common convention of a fantasy adventure for a paradise to turn out to be a trap.

Film Trailer- Twilight!

This is a trailer for the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. I think the trailer shows the film to be a thriller as well as a love story with some slight elements of fairytale/fantasy - it is a hybrid.
I can see that the trailer is a thriller because of the vampire element to the story because vampires are a common convention of a thriller. Also, the fact that there is a fight makes is tense and scary because since these re abnormal beings, the audience feels a thrill and excitement as they await what they are capable of.
I can tell that the trailer is a love story because of the fact that they are fighting for a loved one and there is the aspect of spending the rest of your life with a loved one.
There is also an element of fairytale/fantasy because vampires don't exist which makes it seem mystical and fictional. Furthermore, there is a quest/ a purpose to fight for with a reward at the end (in this case to live for ever) which is a common convention of a fantasy/ fairytale. 

Magazine Analysis

This is my almost complete magazine cover analysis- I will finish it soon.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7Qgz6SeTj3NQnNnUk14V3J5d3M

Learner response: Urban drama/horror

Costume:
The costumes are suited for an urban drama because the front characters are dressed in school uniform which would be quite stereotypical for teenagers in an urban area. Also, one of the characters (right) has headphones around her neck which is also something that a teenager in an urban area would wear and it is a common stereotype. Furthermore, the character in the background is there for the horror element because a character in a horror would be expected to be dressed in a scary and mysterious way and the character in the background satisfies the criteria. 

Lighting: 

The scene is in daylight which is typical for an urban drama because there is usually a lot of background to show and no darkness needed to create suspense or mystery. In this case, because it is light and the scary character is in the background, it falls under the convections of a horror because there is the element of surprise because there is a mysterious character, and in a horror, there is a lot of mystery.

Actors:

The actors in this shot are teenagers therefore they are likely to actually live in an urban area so they make the urban drama more realistic and are the stereotypical type of actors you would expect to star in an urban drama. Moreover, the characters are dressed relatively smart but not too smart which is another way you would expect young people in an urban area to dress, therefore the shot is full of conventions of an urban drama. Due to the fact that there is an unknown character in the background, it creates suspense and adds to the overall pressure and suspense we feel from the argument between the front two characters. Because the character is mysterious and covered, it would draw a parallel in the mind of the audience to a typical murderer or abnormal dangerous being in a horror.

Make-up:

There is no make up on the characters to make them seem more realistic and to make them more stereotypical so that the audience gets what they would expect from young people in an urban area. Also, the fact that you cannot see the make-up on the background figure's face is scary because you don't know what to expect and whether they are even human which is exactly the sort of questions a horror would make you ask.

Props:
There are not many props used but the characters are wearing a scarf and headphones to show that they fit into the urban area and the urban drama because they are casual. The items are what is expected of a character in an urban drama hence they add an urban feel. Also, the cape worn by the mystery figure is a prop to create suspense in the drama is a prop to make sure the aspect of a horror is kept because even though the figure would have probably been enough to create suspense, the cape adds to the scene and creates double the suspense.

Setting:
The setting of the picture is in an urban area with a building in the background which shows there is a lot of people in the area. Also, it is a school therefore it creates the impression that it is quite busy and that adds to the element of an urban area because it is usually quite crowded.To add to this, the horror element comes in because the playground is abandoned apart from the three figures that are in the photo which takes away from the feeling of safety of the setting but rather makes it seem that they are trapped and abandoned.

Magazine research

 NME is a magazine that is focused on Indie music produced by groups but does cover some pop at times. NME features artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Libertines. The audience are mainly young adults to middle adults (20-40) because the type of music that the magazine is about attracts mainly an older audience but there is a secondary audience which could be other Indie fans, fans of pop or older teenagers who like the genre.

Mojo is a magazine that focuses on Classic Rock. Artist such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon have previously featured and it was the first UK mainstream magazine to feature The White Stripes. The audience for this magazine is older teenagers and young adults (16-25) because teenagers and young people tend to listen to classic rock more. Also, the secondary audience might be parents because they want to know what their children are listening to and maybe they might like classic rock themselves. 

Q Magazine focuses on pop/ rock music. Its audience are the older generation of listeners because they tend to listen to bands such as Oasis which feature in the magazine. The magazine has a secondary audience of younger readers who are interested in rock and pop or just genuinely like the newspaper style.

The Vibe magazine focuses on hip-hop and R&B music which means that the target audience for the magazine is likely to be teenagers and possibly young adults (14-20) because they are the sort of people who listen and can relate to the music more than older people, however, sometimes the magazine can have a secondary audience of older adults because they see the music around them and therefore they listen to it too and hence read the magazines that come with it (or they just like the music).

Wire is a music magazine that started of having a Jazz genre but now includes hip-hop, modern classical, free improvisation, post rock and electrical music. This magazine has quite a broad audience and perhaps mostly older adults (25-45) because not many young people tend to listen to Jazz or modern classical because they find it boring and unexciting, however, it can attract younger people because it does include electrical music and hip-hop which are more popular among the younger generation.

The Situation is an urban magazine that focuses on Rap and R&B. It has a young audience- most likely teenagers- because they listen to this type of music more and therefore are more likely to read a magazine that talks about the style of music that they listen to because they will find it most easy to relate to. Also, the magazine features some big names in R&B and rap which makes it interesting for young people/ teenagers to read.

As you can probably tell by the logo, Kerrang is a magazine that focuses on rock. Some of the feature artists include: Black Veiled Brides, Rage against the Machine, Slipknot , DragonForce or The Defiled. These bands attract a young audience for the magazine because rock is associated with rebellion and young people tend to be rebellious, however, some older people might be interested in rock and also buy the magazine and therefore they might become the secondary audience.

B&S (Blues & Soul) Is a magazine that focuses on Blues and Soul artists. Some of the featured artists include Rita Ora, Tinchy Strider, Ne-Yo, Leela James and Lemar. This magazine is aimed at older adults- middle age adults (30-40) because the magazine has quite dull colours that go with the theme as well as the fact that young people don't tend to listen to blues and soul because they can't identify with it unless they are very passionate about it.

The source is a magazine about hip-hop music politics and culture. The magazine is aimed at older teenagers and young adults (16-24) because hip-hop music interests the younger audience but the politics and culture aspect interests the older part of the target audience but also creates secondary audience of older people.


This magazine has a genre of rock and rap and features artists and groups such as U2. The magazine is aimed at an older audience because the website looks quite mature and subtle and also has advertisement for charity which is the type of things that would interest an older audience rather than teenagers.


The BBC Music magazine focuses on classical music although it covers Jazz and World music as well. This magazine is most probably aimed at adults in their middle years to older people because the BBC Music magazine is quite posh and sophisticated therefore younger people won't be drawn to it because the'd find it boring. Also, older people tend to enjoy classical music more than younger people because they can relate to it more and know more about it.

More magazine stuff :)

5 Creative ways which I could promote my magazine are:

1. Use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to advertise the magazine.
2. Use TV advertising/ Radio Advertising
3. Use other magazines' advert pages/newspapers to promote the magazine
4. Advertisements on buses, bus stops and the tube
5. Billboards on roadsides

My mind map about magazine ideas.

Here are my ideas about the magazine.

Fruit Bowls!!! :)

Here are my fruit bowls :)

Youthful

 Autumn

Winter

Shot by shot analysis...

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7Qgz6SeTj3NbC0zblJrbC1tOGs

Teen Drama...

Waterloo Road!

Narrative:
The Narrative was very intense and followed the conventions of a teen drama because it had a lot of suspense an a lot off narrative hooks. For example a pupil having a crush on a teacher because it is not something that happens very often but you identify with the character because she was upset. Also, there were two narratives colliding which meant you had more to watch and so you were always guaranteed action and therefore you won't get bored.

Character:
The characters were school children but mainly older teenagers (6th formers) which made the drama easier to relate to as we are around people of that age everyday and therefore it makes the drama more realistic and down to earth for school children because they can see some elements of the same situations even if they are not as exaggerated in real life.

Setting and Audience:
The drama is set in a high school which means it is aimed at 11 year old teens to 18 year old students because older adults and students might find it a bit childish and uneasy to relate since they don't face that sort of drama,  however, even though the primary audience might be 11-17, there is still a secondary audience of perhaps parents, older students and sometimes even adults.

Iconography:
We can tell this is a teen drama because a teen drama usually has a lot of music and Waterloo road had a piece of music in the background for every important part of the episode. Also, we saw young actors and we heard slang which usually only occurs in a teen drama because that is stereotypical to how teenagers speak. Also, the fact that they wore uniforms as costume and some wore make-up and some didn't made it seem like a real school because those are the circumstances in a real school as well. Also, it was daytime which just added to the realistic feel of it all.

Awkward moments...

So recently I've been thinking a lot about awkward moments and how incredibly funny they are. I mean there are so many awkward situations that happen daily to everyone and though they seem awkward at first, they become funny memories.. I mean i'm sure we all had that awkward moment when you're in a really silent room and your tummy starts rumbling...loudly (look away and carry on- that's what I try to do...), or that moment when you ENTHUSIASTICALLY walk up to someone saying "I've missed you" and they respond with "aww, that's so sweet" (that's how you know they didn't miss you back!). Another one would be when you scream at someone on the street as loud as you can and then realize that they are NOT who you think they were and that the only reason they turned around was because you were screaming SO loud (face palm). Yet I think the most awkward moment of all is when you say a joke (that you think is very funny) and the only person who ends up laughing is you... AWKWARD! :)

Urban Drama/Horror!

This is a high angle establishing shot to show the drama is in an urban area and to set the scene as well as to make the subject look inferior in the situation.













This is a long shot that focuses on the front character. It is a long shot to show the body language of the subject as well as enough background to show the figure in the back.

This is a mid-shot to focus on the upper body of the figure and to make it mysterious for the audience so that they don't know who or what it is.

This is a medium close-up shot that is used to create tension because you can see the facial expressions of the subjects/characters but your focus is drawn to the figure in the back who we can tell is the main subject of the shot because it is the only one facing the camera.













This is an extreme close-up to show the eyes of the figure and to focus the audience on the figure- scare them and give them a bit of a clue as to what or who it is.






This is a mid-shot to show the body language and the facial expression of the character to make sure the audience get the feel of the scene and so that there is suspense as you can only see the subject and you can only guess what's going on at the scene.








 This is an over the shoulder high angle shot to make it seem like the victims are inferior and to send the message across that they couldn't have done anything about their fate. Also, the over the shoulder aspect of the shot gives the audience a hint as to what happened but also grips their attention because they want to know why it happened.

Camera Research Task...(Using the Hunger Games!)

Establishing Shot: Opening shot or sequence, frequently an exterior 'General View'. Used to set the scene.

Long Shot:This is the most difficult to categorize precisely, but is generally one which shows the image as approximately "life size"- corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This  includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom. While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges.

Medium Shot: Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). Any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene- the audience already know where they are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interaction. 

Medium Close-up Shot: In photography, film, or videotape production, shot where the subject and background share equal dominance in the picture. Usually shoulders and above.

Close-up Shot:This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of the scene. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character.

Extreme close-up: gets right in and shows extreme detail.You would normally need a specific reason to get this close. It is too close to show general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes.

Over the Shoulder shot: this shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame.This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view.It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers.

High Angle Shot:A high angle shows the subject from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject. This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.

Low Angle Shot: This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.

Slovakia!

SLOVAKIA!

All I have to say for this video is that the beauty is real! :)

Social networking...

 I don't have a favorite social networking site. I like Facebook and Twitter because they make it easy to keep in touch with old friends and the new ones. The bad thing is, some people take social networking too far, and as a result, it is slowly taking over real life relationships. I don't really like that. Okay, in some ways I don't mind because I do like to talk to my friends online too... 

It's a bit sad that other social networking sites are slowly fading from the scene. See, sites such as Windows Live Messenger and My Space are not as popular as they used to be which just shows to prove how the times are developing and that you have to keep up to stay up.

Hsbc campaign...

Here is my HSBC campaign advert.

Movie trailers...

My favourite film trailer is The Hunger Games trailer because it is interesting and captivating and really makes me want to watch the film (which is amazing!). One bad thing about the trailer however, is that the trailer gives a little too much away so therefore you know what to expect from the film.

Ice age 4 is not my favorite film trailer however, I do love the movie. The trailer gives a bit too much away about the movie. A great thing about the film is that the trailer is very funny and captivating for the audience.

The only way is Essex...

I don't often watch The only way is Essex because I don't really understand the show and I don't find it very easy to relate to it. A positive about The only way is Essex is that it attracts its primary audience well and it is quite funny.

Baby beauty queens...

 

 I liked the reality programme baby beauty queens because I found it interesting finding out about how young children compete in beauty contests, and their preparation as well as that the controversial discussion about whether children should do beauty pageants caught my attention.

Emmerdale...

My least favourite soap opera is Emmerdale because it doesn't particularly interest me and sometimes it feels slightly too exaggerated. On the other hand, one good thing about Emmerdale is that it has unique characters and good story lines.

EastEnders...

My favourite soap opera at the moment is EastEnders. I like the drama and the way the stories are like real life stories as well as that they keep the suspense well. One bad thing about EastEnders is that they exaggerate some stories so much that they become too unrealistic.

Spectrum...

This song is a song that I am not a huge fan of because I find it confusing to see how the video relates to the song and I don't understand the song or what she's singing about. Also, the video is a bit too chaotic for my liking. A positive thing about the video is that it is artistic and therefore will be appealing to its audience and it might interest a secondary audience too.

As long as you love me...

You could say that this song is my favourite song at the moment, I really like the dynamics in the song and the rhythm of the song. One critique of the song is that it has a slow pace at the beginning so you don't know what to expect. :)

courageous!

I love this song because it has meaning and it also goes with a great film. It has great dynamics lyrics and vocals. One thing I would critique as a media student is the choice of clothing in the video- the colours are quite dull so they don't stand out as much. The target audience are likely to be adults and older teenagers who like the music type and who would watch the film.

3 Day Media Consumption Diary

29th August-
On the way to Thorpe Park I listened to music and saw billboard advertisements of the road (media by chance). At Thorpe Park the first medium I saw was the Thorpe Park sign. All the rides had music playing on them which was media I heard by chance. One ride I went on also had a video playing to set the scene for the ride which was also media I saw by chance. Another piece of media that I saw was the adverts of all the various food places where we could eat. We had a map with us which is another form of media. Another form of media that I used was the computer.

30th August-
In the car I listened to the radio. There were adverts on the tube on the way to the Christian book shop- not surprisingly I saw books in the shop which are also a form of media. on the street I saw shop advertising their products in the windows and food menus. The theatre had posters of the musical I went to see on the outside. At Piccadilly Circus I saw the famous big advertisements which were by chance. I also used the computer.

31st August-
I listened to the radio whilst I cooked which was media I chose. That day some of the other media I chose were: the computer, my ipod, and reading my bible. Some media I came across by chance were billboard advisements and advertisements by shops.

Why I don't read magazines...

So the answer to the question above is: I really don't know. I loved magazines when I was a kid- especially the Barbie and fairy magazines (Oh the good old days) - I loved the free gifts that came with them!

But growing up, my all time favourite magazine was called "Macko Pusík" and you could say it was similar to Winnie the Pooh.

 I mean I used to think he was the coolest- come on his pet is a blue dog! (Who wouldn't want a blue dog?) You would always find the coolest activities or comics inside; it's a shame because I’m not sure whether they sell this magazine any more.

As for now, I don't really read magazines any more. I guess I just haven’t found one that would really interest me yet. I occasionally pick up a magazine in the shop, but I just choose the one with the most captivating front page.

Manamanam..

This song is a legendary song- I love it! I usually have random moments when I’ll just hum this song out loud- one of the reasons why many people I know think I'm crazy :D

Got to love this.. :)

No good deed! My absolute favourite song from Wicked the musical. I think the vocals are amazing and I LOVE the dynamics and suspense in the song. Personally I think the wicked songs are some of my favourite ever musical songs :)

Me and Music...

Sometimes I wonder how it works that I can remember the whole three verses and the chorus of a song but fail to remember revision notes so easily. In fact, I've always wondered why I love music so much. You see, I am the sort of person who sings anywhere, any time and everywhere and always responds to questions with songs or song lyrics (yes you have permission to feel sorry for my friends :) ). I guess it's safe to say I'm a music addict. In fact, I have been since I was little- I don't know why, maybe my mum sang to me a lot when I was a baby but who knows. See at the age of six I decided I wanted to play the violin and so I stared learning and have been ever since. One thing I really like about the violin is that, when played right, they can make a really beautiful sound like no other instrument. The annoying part however, is that it is incredibly hard to sing and play the violin at the same time. I've always wanted to be like those artists who walk up on stage with their guitar, or head to their piano and play whilst they perform- they make it look so easy. In fact, this summer whilst staying at my grandparents' house, I decided to teach myself how to play a song on the piano. Mission failed! But hey, there's always heaps of other instruments I can give a go :D

The terrifying creature, otherwise known as an ant.

You may have read in the brief introduction which I wrote earlier that ants scare me. You are probably staring at the screen right now thinking that I'm a real nut case if ants scare me. Little innocent ants... It all started a few years back when someone told me about a news story about how a man was eaten by ants- I'm still not sure how. Living in a city, I don't see "evil flesh eating" ants that often but this summer I went for a holiday abroad to visit my grandparents and they live in a country full of forests. One day, my family thought it would be a "great" idea to take a walk in the forest. My grandparents walked ahead and me and mum were walking past an anthill where my mum pointed out that those ants over there could eat you if you sat there long enough (in my head i was thinking that my "evil flesh eating" ant theory was proved). I think you can guess what I did next. Yes, i avoided the anthill but I also tried to shake off any ant that crawled on my foot. The worst part was, that i wasn't even wearing shoes for the forest. There I was with ants crawling on me and trying to shake them off, hopping on one foot then another in my dolly shoes... You may be thinking that I take the whole "ant phobia" thing too far (and I may be exaggerating) but we all have some fears and mine just so happens to be --> ants!

Me...

Hi I'm Evelyn and I'd like to welcome you to my blog. Before you read any more about me, you should know at least 5 key things about me:

1. I love music!
2. I have a phobia of ants (i'll explain later)
3. I play the violin
4. I laugh at almost everything
5. I hate mushrooms (they're evil!)

Of course, there is much more to know about me but you'll see that as I post more in the future.