Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation - Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

By Claudia Cunningham 1

Images..

Image 1: Adele - Billboard

Image 2: Jessie Pearson - TTM

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Image 1- Adele - BillboardI felt that this was the correct image to analyse and comment on, as i feel that mise en scene of this image portrays her in a certain way. You can see how the shot has been taken in a specific way to enable the affect of the shadow to have contrast on the skin. The lighting and colours of the image on a whole are very similar also. There are many elements of this image which contribute to the effectiveness. 1. Make-upThe make up of Adele in this image is very specific, however as the audience we can see how it looks very natural. Although there is no overall colour to the face, we recognise the precise detail of the eyeliner and the contrast it has with the shadow on one side of the face. 2. Hair styling Adeles hair in this image in comparison with outer TV appearances and concerts appears to be very natural and sincere. Her hair looks free from products and hangs naturally emphasising that this article could be based on the natural real side of Adele which could intrigue the reader into wanting to purchase the magazine to read more on her. In comparison to seeing Adele with her hair up fixed with various hairsprays and products, i think it’s good to be seeing her in a more natural way. 3. Camera shot/angle I like the way this image has been captured. Using a close up of Adele emphasises that maybe this featured article of the artist herself could be a close up, in-depth insight to the star which could benefit the readers who class themselves as big fans of Adele. The posture of her face posed to one side gives off a good affect to the image as a whole as it creates an image on the left side of the image.

Image 2 - Jessie Pearson - TTM

The second image i am analysing is one which features as the main image for my double page spread. Out of the 120 images i took for my magazine, I chose this image as when i filtered in into grayscale, the overall appearance of the model was displayed well. The mise en scene on a whole portrays a female who looks natural and warming towards her fans. When photographing my model, i chose various outfits and looks however i wanted this image to feature on my double page spread and i took a liking to the body posture, facial expressions and camera shot. Originally, this image is portrait in natural lighting, however, i decided to turn this image landscape, filter it into black and white and then make slight adjustments to the brightness and contrast levels. I instantly took a liking to the image as the little features for example the hair style, clothing, facial expressions, body posture and camera shot emphasis the mise en scene to be very affective. As you can see the make up on the model herself is very natural. I took into consideration various pop icons in other music magazines when doing the make up, so i decided to settle for a natural coloured foundation, blushed cheeks and a light applicant of eye liner to enhance the eyes. The clothing consists of a tank top with a Levi jean jacket and a grey skater skirt. I wanted to dress my artist in something relaxed and fun appealing as it would appear in a better manner for the younger audiences. The overall camera shot/body posture ensures the audience will feel attracted to the image as she has a natural smile whilst holding onto the edge of her jean jacket. I automatically wanted to choose an image with a relaxed body image as from an audiences perspective she doesn't’t looked forced into looking a certain way to please her audience, she instantly comes across as a relaxed pop icon who happy.

Comparison of both images

Similarities - I decided to use these two images for comparison as i feel that in ways the elements in which image 1 holds, have been used in a similar way to ensure that my specific image is viewed in the same way. For example, we can see how both images are in black and white. The main reason i chose to filter my image into a grayscale affect is because the contrast the mise en scene has in relation to the black background emphasizes in ways that i have taken into consideration factors of image 1. I decided to use a plain and simple background for photo shoot as the pictures would appear more professionally however it would also enable me to edit them extremely if i wanted to. Although we cannot see what Adele is wearing, I have dressed my model in an outfit which would look appropriate to many audiences. Despite the image itself being very simple and natural, i feel that based on a double page spread, (like image 1), it looked very professional. I have used this chosen image of Adele as a base to work from as i have taken into consideration the conventions of a professional music magazine featuring a well known pop icon. You can see the similarities range from having natural make up although my models hair is not down as i wanted it change the image in ways. Overall, i think that both images enhance the artists well as they both appear very feminine and professional. We can also see how the lighting in both images are ambient which means it isn't natural lighting. I decided to use this element

Differences - As my magazine is targeted a wide target audience of mostly teenage girls, I have ensured that my many pictures of my artist are bright and stand out amongst the text. I have taken into consideration other magazines however when designing and putting my magazine together. Another reason as to why i have chosen to compare these images, is because of the camera shot and the way the photo has been taken. Image 1 connotes a very up close image of Adele which could reflect in how personal and detailed the article is, however the camera shot of image 2 is a medium close up. A medium close up benefits this image as it allows the audience to see what the artist is wearing as well as showing the background of the image. In comparison to image 1, i feel that if a medium close up was used it would have enabled the image to be seen through a better light for example, the audiences would have been able to see what Adele was wearing which could result in her fans using her outfit as inspiration.