Music magazines annotation 1a

Tasks: 1. Recap conventions of magazine front covers (test your understanding on slide 6+7)

Task 2: Complete the analysis on slide 11(if this is not the genre you want to do, you can pick a front cover on your genre)

Task 3 –Representations slide

Con

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tion

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f mu

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Masthead Cover lines Cover stories Pictures and captions Route of the eye Principle of thirds Pull quotes Hot spots Kicker and explanatory text

Language and register Mise en scene- Position, pose, costume,

eye contact /gaze, facial expression Camera angle Font style, size, colour

Defi

nitio

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Kicke

r Pull q

uote

Definition: Often seen in newsletters and magazines, the kicker is a short phrase found set above the headline. Usually set in a smaller type than the headline, the kicker can serve as an introduction or as a type of section heading to identify a regular column, for instance.

This is a quote taken directly from the interview and used to draw audiences in

Conventions of music magazines

Layout (Rule of thirds) (camera angle) (text) Image- Direct pose? Sexual/seductive/aggressive Text- Style of text and impact of this Audience profile- who is the audience for this

magazine and how do we know? Ideology- What ideas is the magazine portraying? Representation- what representations is the

magazine giving of itself and of others?

Route of the eye

Pull quote direct from the interview

Masthead

Kickers

Main kicker

Direct mode of address

Analyse and identify what is being used in this front cover to create meaning for the audience

Selling line/logo

Consistent recognisable masthead

Main cover line

Cover stories

Strapline

Thirds

Pull quote

Some ideas

House style represented through colours Different to normal issues of Q due to the destruction

of the mast head The smashing of the masthead suggests that the artist

is someone who may like to break conventions and does not like restrictions within their music

Reliance on the selling logo to suggest to the audience that this is a magazine they should by as it is the best one

In terms of mode of address the artist is not looking at the audience, Q is his main goal

The pull quote is interesting and mysterious and therefore pulls the reader in, wanting to know more.

Subverting conventions without the backward s

Strapline (Advertising line ) U.S.P- Unique selling point Language and register Mode of address Photos and how they create meaning

Flash / button Skyline /selling line

Explanatory text

Cover line /kicker

Footer

Main image

Secondary images

Model credit

Pull qoute

How is meaning created?

For the task you will need to consider what representation is created across the slides: 3-8

Why? Evaluation question 2 asks:

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

You will need to identify the typical representation for your genre and then either use or challenge it.

You will need to think of how the music genre and lifestyle is represented and also what this says about the representation of the audience (we will be doing a representation task next week so it is important to consider it)

You can choose to focus on the overall representation of the magazine or a specific front cover: whatever is easiest for you.

See exemplar on next page.

The magazine Vibe enforces typical representations of the R+B/ Gangster

lifestyle. The use of mise en scene connotes the lifestyle focusing on one main

artist. The use of white, whilst usually connotes puriy is at odds with the body language and performance of the cover

star. Akons pose reflects that he is holding a

gun- this suggests that the music Hs facial expression connotes sadness,

perhaps suggesting that he is not promoting this lifestyle or is reflecting the reality of te lifestyle that is represented.

The idea of wealth and ‘bling’ that is synonymous with the gangster lifestyle s evident through the use of costume- the

use of necklace , watch and bling belt connote a sense of wealth, representing that this is how success is reflected. The use of Konvict on his necklace relies on

fans knowledge of Akon as he always refers to it in his songs- however it also

represents the slightly darker, criminal side to the lifestyle.

NME magazine

Language and register

This is the language that is used within the magazine and can often be genre specific.

This will deal with things like slang and informal language which may be used to make the reader feel that the magazine is in a sense a friend.

The register is the tone with which the magazine is talking to its audience. This can be informal, chatty etc

C

Direct mode of address

Genre specific language

Casual/informal tone

Photos Iconography

•What messages do the pictures give?

•What impression is the audience meant to have?

•What is the camera angle and how does this create meaning?

•What is the tone of the facial expression?

•How does costume add to the meaning which is created?

•How is language used to connote meaning?

Using a front cover, either that you have been working on or a new one- identify the language that is used- how does it create meaning and speak to the audience

(link it in with the representation)

Task: Now developing these skills 1. Your front cover analysis needs to reflect

: how meaning is created through mise en scene, font etc

Language Representation

(you can use the front covers on slides 26-30 or pick your own)

For homework:

Ensure that you have updated your music magazine analysis to include all the things we have discussed today.

Ensure that you have analysed at least 5 front covers (two from last lesson) at least 2/3 today and 1/2 from homework: discussing how they create meaning. On your blog, I will be able to see your representation analysis as well.

This should be on your blog by Fridays lesson

Plenary

Email Miss Casman How do you feel about the skills you

have developed so far? Do you feel there are any areas you

need to develop/ support from me Do you feel you are ready to move on

to analysing the next stage? Do you have any concerns?