Conceptual Analysis of a Print Advertisement Rooted to 4 Key Media Concepts.
The image I have used is of a man modelling for United Colors Of Benetton.
The picture of the model has been taken against a white background drawing all of the viewer’s attention towards him. The model is pulling a very ‘bad boy’ pose which makes the product(s) being advertised seem exciting. It also makes the person looking at the advert think the product is adventurous/dangerous.
The clothes being modelled are typically western and very upper middle class. The target audience appears to be gay males in their mid to late twenties, due to the style of the clothes and the way the model is standing. The model is looking directly at the camera instead of slightly to the side or totally away from it. This makes it easier for the viewer to relate to the model and makes the advert seem more personal.
Some people may even find this advert offensive as it is very stereotypical representation of homosexuality. This may have been done intentionally to either provoke a reaction or to draw in the target audience. If people are annoyed by this advert they are more likely to talk about it or the company which intern gives it more publicity.
The advert is also quite glamorous and makes the products seem like good quality and high class. They have been presented in such a way that all the products the model is wearing are very easy to see. Although it seems more than one product is being marketed in this ad the bags appear to be the main thing trying to be sold. Both the models hands are holding them and they are protruding. This draws the most attention to them.
I think that although some very good techniques are used in this advert the colour is rather bland. This surprises me a little and I find it rather ironic because the company is called “United Colors of Benetton”. This may have been intentional because it confuses the viewer and makes them think about the advert more.
Overall I think the advert is very effective and although I don’t apply to the target market I think it has done a good job at appealing to it. If I did fall into the target market I think that I would be tempted or provoked by the advert.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Student Questionnaire
Year 12 Media Studies Student Questionnaire
NAME: Daniel Norgrove.
GCSE RESULTS:
English Literature: B
English Language: C
Maths: C
Year 10 Science: B
Year 11 Science: C
German: C
Food Technology: C
CBV: C
Sociology: D
Geography: D
History: D
ICT: F
HOBBIES:
All of my hobbies revolve around music. I enjoy playing in my band, it is currently very fun as we are recording our first demo CD. I also greatly enjoy going to gigs and go to see local bands frequently. Recently I went to a festival as well which was great because loads of my favourite bands played.
PRINT MEDIA:
I don’t really ever read news papers or look at the news on the internet simply because I never get round to it. I do, on the other hand, read magazines fairly frequently. I am subscribed to ‘Metal Hammer’. I read this because it is one of the only magazines to cover the genre and sub-genres of music I listen to and want to know about. It contains reviews on gigs and albums, interview with bands and notifications of up and coming shows.
RADIO MEDIA:
When I do listen to the radio, which is not particularly often, I listen to stations on iTunes radio because none of the main-stream radio stations appeal to me. I listen to stations such as Droidlocks, DubStep.FM, Metal Hammer radio or Death.FM.
MUSIC INDUSTRY:
I enjoy a large variety of music but my favourite genre is metal. Along with this I listen to things such as Dubstep, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Reggae, Trance and 80’s rock.
I do belong to a band and I am the vocals. I have been in various bands and music based projects for about a year and a half to two years now. I access a lot of music via the internet using things such as youtube and Last.FM but I thoroughly disagree with the illegal downloading of music. It is not fair on the artists who are trying to make a living through music and if people continue to illegally download music the artist they like will simply go out of business. As someone who wishes to go on to a career in music I am strongly against it. The music industry definitely influences the way I dress as I always wear a band t-shirt and dress in the same style as many of the bands I listen to. As to whether if affects my attitude, it may slightly but I don’t think it has a massive impact on the way I act as a person.
VIDEO GAMES:
I generally don’t play video games but when I do it is round my friend’s house. The games I usually play have a fairly violent theme because I find them the most enjoyable. Video games, such as ‘Grant Theft Auto’, may have a negative impact on attitudes to gender and the solution of conflict. People who frequently play games such as this may think that women are simply there as sex objects and that you can treat them how you want. They may also think it is acceptable to use violence as a means to resolve and argument or disagreement with another person.
NEW TECHNOLOGY:
New technologies have helped increase my understanding of the world because it means I have access to the internet. I can search anything I want, within reason, and end up with pages and pages of internet sites containing information on my chosen subject, it is also possible to access news websites such as the BBC via the internet to see what is currently happening in the world. New technologies have also increased my ability to communicate with others, for example mobile phones and computer programs such as Windows Messenger. It is now easier than ever to access films, television programmes and the music industry with free movie websites, television catch up programs like BBC iPlayer and websites such as youtube.
TELEVISION:
Out of the five main television channels broadcasted my favourite is channel four. This is because it shows a variety of programmes including comedy, drama, documentaries as well as showing films. My favourite television genre is comedy because I love watching things that make me laugh or things that are just generally amusing. I have not recently seen many TV advertisements that I genuinely enjoy but the last one I found amusing and clever were the series of adverts for the phone company ‘Orange’. I found them very witty and I think they were written in a very clever way. As someone who doesn’t watch a vast amount of television it is hard to list a television programme or programmes that I consider memorable but if I had to choose one I would choose ‘Shameless’. I found that programme quite memorable because it is amusing, sarcastic but also relates to a part of life in Britain that very much exists, even if it is a bit over exaggerated.
FEATURE FILM:
My favourite genre of film is probably action. This is because more often that not they are very exiting and get your heart racing, you always want to know the ending. Three films I find extremely outstanding are ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Sin City’, and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Out of these three ‘Pulp Fiction’ has to be my all time favourite. This is because it has an amazing story line but hasn’t been made like an ordinary film, it is filmed as a series of stories about different characters that link into each other and the first story seen links into the very last, to make this even more interesting the stories aren’t in order. I like the contrast between action/gangster, thriller and a bit of comedy. I also believe that the acting is extremely good. When I do watch films I prefer to see them at the cinema with my friends but when this is not always possible I access them via the internet or watch them at friend’s houses. Although I find The Odeon at riverside far more comfortable it is cheaper to watch films at Vue in the Castle Mall and as it is not particularly uncomfortable I generally go there.
CONCLUSION:
I decided to choose media studies as an option because it looks very enjoyable and both my parents have a career in media so I have been exposed to it since I was very young. If I were to construct a media text I think I would wish to communicate the message about the condition of England, perhaps a film focused on those most affected by the “credit crunch”. So far I have enjoyed the media studies lessons and I am looking forward to taking part in all of the activities that the course revolves around such as shooting the opening to a thriller and writing my blog.
NAME: Daniel Norgrove.
GCSE RESULTS:
English Literature: B
English Language: C
Maths: C
Year 10 Science: B
Year 11 Science: C
German: C
Food Technology: C
CBV: C
Sociology: D
Geography: D
History: D
ICT: F
HOBBIES:
All of my hobbies revolve around music. I enjoy playing in my band, it is currently very fun as we are recording our first demo CD. I also greatly enjoy going to gigs and go to see local bands frequently. Recently I went to a festival as well which was great because loads of my favourite bands played.
PRINT MEDIA:
I don’t really ever read news papers or look at the news on the internet simply because I never get round to it. I do, on the other hand, read magazines fairly frequently. I am subscribed to ‘Metal Hammer’. I read this because it is one of the only magazines to cover the genre and sub-genres of music I listen to and want to know about. It contains reviews on gigs and albums, interview with bands and notifications of up and coming shows.
RADIO MEDIA:
When I do listen to the radio, which is not particularly often, I listen to stations on iTunes radio because none of the main-stream radio stations appeal to me. I listen to stations such as Droidlocks, DubStep.FM, Metal Hammer radio or Death.FM.
MUSIC INDUSTRY:
I enjoy a large variety of music but my favourite genre is metal. Along with this I listen to things such as Dubstep, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Reggae, Trance and 80’s rock.
I do belong to a band and I am the vocals. I have been in various bands and music based projects for about a year and a half to two years now. I access a lot of music via the internet using things such as youtube and Last.FM but I thoroughly disagree with the illegal downloading of music. It is not fair on the artists who are trying to make a living through music and if people continue to illegally download music the artist they like will simply go out of business. As someone who wishes to go on to a career in music I am strongly against it. The music industry definitely influences the way I dress as I always wear a band t-shirt and dress in the same style as many of the bands I listen to. As to whether if affects my attitude, it may slightly but I don’t think it has a massive impact on the way I act as a person.
VIDEO GAMES:
I generally don’t play video games but when I do it is round my friend’s house. The games I usually play have a fairly violent theme because I find them the most enjoyable. Video games, such as ‘Grant Theft Auto’, may have a negative impact on attitudes to gender and the solution of conflict. People who frequently play games such as this may think that women are simply there as sex objects and that you can treat them how you want. They may also think it is acceptable to use violence as a means to resolve and argument or disagreement with another person.
NEW TECHNOLOGY:
New technologies have helped increase my understanding of the world because it means I have access to the internet. I can search anything I want, within reason, and end up with pages and pages of internet sites containing information on my chosen subject, it is also possible to access news websites such as the BBC via the internet to see what is currently happening in the world. New technologies have also increased my ability to communicate with others, for example mobile phones and computer programs such as Windows Messenger. It is now easier than ever to access films, television programmes and the music industry with free movie websites, television catch up programs like BBC iPlayer and websites such as youtube.
TELEVISION:
Out of the five main television channels broadcasted my favourite is channel four. This is because it shows a variety of programmes including comedy, drama, documentaries as well as showing films. My favourite television genre is comedy because I love watching things that make me laugh or things that are just generally amusing. I have not recently seen many TV advertisements that I genuinely enjoy but the last one I found amusing and clever were the series of adverts for the phone company ‘Orange’. I found them very witty and I think they were written in a very clever way. As someone who doesn’t watch a vast amount of television it is hard to list a television programme or programmes that I consider memorable but if I had to choose one I would choose ‘Shameless’. I found that programme quite memorable because it is amusing, sarcastic but also relates to a part of life in Britain that very much exists, even if it is a bit over exaggerated.
FEATURE FILM:
My favourite genre of film is probably action. This is because more often that not they are very exiting and get your heart racing, you always want to know the ending. Three films I find extremely outstanding are ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Sin City’, and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Out of these three ‘Pulp Fiction’ has to be my all time favourite. This is because it has an amazing story line but hasn’t been made like an ordinary film, it is filmed as a series of stories about different characters that link into each other and the first story seen links into the very last, to make this even more interesting the stories aren’t in order. I like the contrast between action/gangster, thriller and a bit of comedy. I also believe that the acting is extremely good. When I do watch films I prefer to see them at the cinema with my friends but when this is not always possible I access them via the internet or watch them at friend’s houses. Although I find The Odeon at riverside far more comfortable it is cheaper to watch films at Vue in the Castle Mall and as it is not particularly uncomfortable I generally go there.
CONCLUSION:
I decided to choose media studies as an option because it looks very enjoyable and both my parents have a career in media so I have been exposed to it since I was very young. If I were to construct a media text I think I would wish to communicate the message about the condition of England, perhaps a film focused on those most affected by the “credit crunch”. So far I have enjoyed the media studies lessons and I am looking forward to taking part in all of the activities that the course revolves around such as shooting the opening to a thriller and writing my blog.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Sin City opening scene.
Analyse how the opening of Sin City uses film noir conventions and how it sets up audience expectations.
The opening scene to the film Sin City has many characteristics of film noir despite the fact it has recently been made. The directors Robert Rodrigues and Frank Miller, who wrote the graphic novels that the film is based upon, send the message to the audience of the films dark theme using conventions of film noir.
Before even seeing the very first shot the viewer is exposed to the sounds of the city, traffic and police sirens. This is a very clever technique because without viewing anything the audience can very quickly guess that the film is in a city and due to the sirens, one that is full of crime.
The lighting in this scene is very typical of film noir. There is a contrast between bright white light and extreme dark. One example would be the light from the inside of the building being very bright and the balcony outside being very dark. This gives the effect that the two characters on the balcony outside are isolated, cut off or in a totally separate world. A second example is the contrast between light and dark on the male character’s face. Half of his face is hidden in darkness as if to suggest he has a dark side or is two faces. It also makes the character look far more sinister.
The female character featured at the beginning of the film is very typical of a film noir femme fatale. She is wearing a long red dress which draws the audience’s attention to her because it is the only thing in colour against the black background. Just like in most film noirs the female character, with the roll of the femme fatale, has an air of danger and mystery about her. Just like the woman in this scene is seemingly typical of film noir so is the man. He is wearing a smart but stylish black suit but has no colour on him what so ever. This makes him appear more hidden and less noticeable to the viewer, as if he doesn’t want to be noticed.
Guns are very typical props used in film noir.
The props used in this scene are iconic, stereotypical ones that are used in film noir all the time. The cigarettes are used as a connection between the male and female character, the male is very flirtatious about the way he lights the woman’s cigarette. This lures the viewer into thinking he is genuine about what he is saying.
The camera angles are also used to create a connection between the characters. A lot of close ups are used focusing on the characters eyes, this gives the effect that both the characters are looking very closely at each other and is also very flirtatious. There are also close ups on the props such as the gun and the lighting of the cigarette to draw extra attention towards them.
The use of film noir conventions in the beginning of this film has a great effect on the audience and the way it sets up their expectations of what is about to happen and for the rest of the film. Both directors have done very well in achieving this in my opinion and I think it is a fantastic opening.
The opening scene to the film Sin City has many characteristics of film noir despite the fact it has recently been made. The directors Robert Rodrigues and Frank Miller, who wrote the graphic novels that the film is based upon, send the message to the audience of the films dark theme using conventions of film noir.
Before even seeing the very first shot the viewer is exposed to the sounds of the city, traffic and police sirens. This is a very clever technique because without viewing anything the audience can very quickly guess that the film is in a city and due to the sirens, one that is full of crime.
The lighting in this scene is very typical of film noir. There is a contrast between bright white light and extreme dark. One example would be the light from the inside of the building being very bright and the balcony outside being very dark. This gives the effect that the two characters on the balcony outside are isolated, cut off or in a totally separate world. A second example is the contrast between light and dark on the male character’s face. Half of his face is hidden in darkness as if to suggest he has a dark side or is two faces. It also makes the character look far more sinister.
The female character featured at the beginning of the film is very typical of a film noir femme fatale. She is wearing a long red dress which draws the audience’s attention to her because it is the only thing in colour against the black background. Just like in most film noirs the female character, with the roll of the femme fatale, has an air of danger and mystery about her. Just like the woman in this scene is seemingly typical of film noir so is the man. He is wearing a smart but stylish black suit but has no colour on him what so ever. This makes him appear more hidden and less noticeable to the viewer, as if he doesn’t want to be noticed.
Guns are very typical props used in film noir.
The props used in this scene are iconic, stereotypical ones that are used in film noir all the time. The cigarettes are used as a connection between the male and female character, the male is very flirtatious about the way he lights the woman’s cigarette. This lures the viewer into thinking he is genuine about what he is saying.
The camera angles are also used to create a connection between the characters. A lot of close ups are used focusing on the characters eyes, this gives the effect that both the characters are looking very closely at each other and is also very flirtatious. There are also close ups on the props such as the gun and the lighting of the cigarette to draw extra attention towards them.
The use of film noir conventions in the beginning of this film has a great effect on the audience and the way it sets up their expectations of what is about to happen and for the rest of the film. Both directors have done very well in achieving this in my opinion and I think it is a fantastic opening.
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