Evalutation question 2
- 1. EVALUATION QUESTION 2 HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?
- 2. In my magazine I have chosen to use teenagers/young adults of middle/ working class background, purposefully to tie in with my target audience research. I done this because I wanted them to relate to my magazine. All my images are off female models, I choose to do this because I want my magazine to appeal to both male and females, and as the layout and colours used are mainly related to males by using female models I would hope I would attract both genders. Also by using females it relates to Mulvey’s male gaze and that men might pick this magazine up because it has a young, attractive woman on the front. So this then falls into the typical audience of magazines aiming at males, even though the image would appeal to both genders.
- 3. The female on the front is conforming to the stereotypical view of women in the media. The subject is wearing clothing that we relate to a stereotypical female teenager a bomber jacket and jeans. This reflects the target audience allowing them to relate to the subject and maybe see her as aspirational. Her facial expression is unclear and therefore might create a mystery in the audience which then might make them question what the magazine is about, so they buy it. From my research I found that there are a lot more women on the front of magazines then men. They mostly seem to be sexualised, so I followed this convention and made my model place her jacket Front Cover off her shoulder and therefore follows Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory. This may also be supported with the fact that she is using direct mode of address, this could create a relationship with the reader (uses and gratification). This is shown on the three real life magazines below.
- 4. Shot Types In all my images I have used eyeline shots, the subject is looking into the camera. This creates a direct mode of address which means the audience can create a direct personal relationship with themselves and the artist (uses and grats). The direct mode of address also makes the female more of an subject than an object as there facial expressions are visual and therefore not objectified. As I am making my magazine for both male and females I wanted to make sure the pictures weren't too objectifying that females wouldn't read it all. I used a mixture of mid shots and long mid shots in my magazine. As the two main pictures in the magazine are both mid shots and the same model, this enables the reader to make a connection between the both pictures. The other two are both long mid shots these both appear on the contents page, this then separates them both from the main two.
- 5. Other Images In the double page spread alike the front cover I am representing a British female teenager/young adult. I have done this by using mise-en-scene that would represent a stereotypical teenager. With casual typical clothing with a jacket and roll neck jumper. She has a passive expression on her face however the direct mode of address prevents her being seen as an object rather than an subject. Also the expression and mise en scene could be a stereotype of a teenager as it presents her as a mature female and a positive role model to the target audience. This picture is on the contents page, this image represents a female teenager/young adult who is having fun. The camera captured this perfectly as we can see her throwing a baseball cap at the camera. She is wearing casual clothing (denim jacket and jeans) the target audience might find this fashionable and therefore can relate to them. This picture also appears on the contents page, it shows a female teenager/young adult who is sitting comfortably on a stall. Her clothes are also seen as casual and therefore might be able to relate to the target audience creating a personal relationship between them both (uses and grats).
- 6. Layout The layout is representative of if the teenagers/young adult target audience because there is lots of images and it is not heavily filled with text which if it was might be seen to be aimed at an older audience. The structure is organised so that nothing can be easily missed. By using a structured layout I have eliminated crowding of images meaning that any discomfort that it might cause the reader has also been eliminated. The text is informative and grabs the audiences attention. Also on my contents page I have included social media links which is different too most other magazines. I choose to do this because my target audience is teenagers/young adults and by including this feature I have instantly grabbed the audiences attention and its also a way of representing their cognitive needs.