Prompt: the issues raised by media ownership and funding in contemporary media practice
Stuart Hall, one of the most influential social theorist’s of the 20th century, argued in his representation theory that events themselves have no fixed or specific meaning, until the media chooses to represent them and give them meaning. By that logic, for better or for worse, the media dictates how events, people, and places are represented and portrayed to the general public, so the power the producers of these media outlets hold on public opinion cannot be understated. On top of that, virtually all facets of contemporary mass media are owned by just a handful of parent companies known as conglomerates. Since media outlets usually act based on the agenda of their parent conglomerates (because the conglomerates are who fund them), it is worth arguing that most mass media portrays events in a way that fits the agendas of just a handful of conglomerate owners/executives, who are known as the hegemonic elite. A number of issues arise in contemporary media practices from the hegemonic elite’s ownership and funding, which include stereotypes resulting from a lack of diverse representation, various forms of media bias, and monopolies on the different facets of media. To begin, one of the largest issues regarding contemporary mass media ownership and funding is the reinforcement of stereotypes for certain groups of people, which is caused by the lack of diverse representation for them. For example, racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities have had a history of being portrayed in a stereotypical way by films and tv, often for comedic purposes but sometimes due to genuine prejudice. Because of the homogenous nature of media subsidiaries that are owned by a common parent company, these stereotypes are often the only way these minority groups are represented in the mass media. When applied to Stuart Hall’s representation theory, this means that these minority groups have no fixed meaning, until the media chooses to represent them and give them meaning. However, when this meaning is stereotypical/negative it causes the aforementioned stereotypes to become the dominant perception of these groups in the public conscious, leading to an unfair perception/understanding of them over time. The root of this problem is the fact that the vast majority of mass media conglomerate owners are straight white men who are on the older side, and as a result possess outdated and stereotypical views of minority groups, perhaps without even realizing it. Regardless, a conglomerates’ ownership and funding of smaller media outlets often causes those media outlets to perpetuate the same stereotypes of minority groups, and due their non-diverse and homogenous representation of them shape the public’s perception of those groups in a negative way over time. To continue, these stereotypes also apply to journalistic and news media, as media outlets may portray groups, people, or events in a biased way to appease the agenda of their parent company. Because media outlets want to continue to receive funding from their parent companies, as well as reap the benefits of being owned by a conglomerate like cross-promotion, they are unlikely to say/report anything that goes against the political or social agenda of that parent company. This serves as a form of control these conglomerates possess over the mass media, and causes several types of media biases. The first type of media bias is inclusion, and involves the specific coverage of news that fits the interest/agenda of the parent company. There is also revision, or the revising of information that could potentially hurt the reputation of the parent company. The last type is omission, or the complete removal of information that could hurt the parent company. While these practices in and of themselves are not necessarily bad, there is a conflict of interest that results from news media outlets trying to both report the news and keep their parent company happy. This more often than not results in very biased news, where the media outlet is more so manipulating/creating the truth than actually presenting it. This is especially the case with political media outlets that are very left or right leaning, as they often represent the other side of the political spectrum in a very negative way to fit the political agendas of their parent companies. This causes the general public to consume a large amount of heavily biased news that is falsely portrayed as the truth, which misleads them. Lastly, another issue that results from media ownership and funding is that these large conglomerate companies often possess a monopoly over the many different media forms they possess. For example, virtually all facets of mainstream media are produced under a media outlet owned by just one of six conglomerates, those being Walt Disney, Comcast, CBS, Time Warner Cable, Viacom, and News Corporation. Whether it be a film, tv show, news station, magazine, or music, chances are the media you consume on a daily basis is owned by one of these conglomerates. There are some benefits to these conglomerates, for example the immense amount of materials they have at their disposal allows them to produce high quality, big budget entertainment for the consumers. If it weren’t for these conglomerates, texts like the Hollywood blockbuster would likely be few and far between, so in that regard conglomerates are beneficial to the consumers. However, the true issue of these media giants arises when they are so wealthy and powerful, that they essentially have a monopoly on the media forms they create. This is because these monopolies remove the need for healthy competition among studios, and oftentimes conglomerates will just buy out studios they are competing with. When one particular conglomerate or outlet has a monopoly over a particular media form, they do not need to keep the wants/needs of the consumer in mind as much, because they know there are less alternatives for the consumer. This more often than not leads to the creation of uninspired and unoriginal texts, and these conglomerates can also charge the consumer higher prices to consume them because they know they can. In summation, in the world of contemporary media practices the influence and power of media ownership and funding is unparalleled. Most media outlets are owned and funded by a much larger parent company known as a conglomerate, of which there are only a handful that dominate all of the media world. While these conglomerates are not entirely bad, for example their wealth allows for the production of big budget texts that would otherwise be impossible, a variety of issues have arisen because of them. For example, media outlets often represent minority groups in a similarly stereotypical way because of their common parent company, which causes the general public to perpetuate the negative stereotypes surrounding these groups. Also, because media outlets are both owned and funded by conglomerates, they often partake in various forms of media bias to act on the agenda of those parent companies, and to avoid making them look bad. This causes them to distort the representation of people and events that they are pitching as “truthful”, leading to a less informed and more biased public. Not only that, but the monopolies these conglomerates have on the different media facets removes the need for competition, often leading to lazy and expensive texts that the public has little to no alternatives to.
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Refer to specific examples from one media area chosen from:
• film • music • radio • video games. How far is marketing important in the media area you have studied? Media area selected: Film Perhaps more than any other form of media, producing a film is an investment. This is especially the case with blockbuster movies, which usually cost tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars to make, so the production companies behind these tentpole films bank on a sizable box office return to remain financially stable. To ensure a film will be a hit with audiences and make a profit at the box office, studios launch massive marketing campaigns for them, which sometimes go as far as spending the equivalent of one dollar on marketing for every two dollars that was spent making the movie. While this may seem ridiculous, box office disasters of the past like Disney’s John Carter show that an ineffective marketing campaign destroys a movie’s chances of being financially successful, so the potential payoff of these costly marketing strategies outweighs their risks. Simply put, marketing is extremely important for a film, because one that is not marketed effectively or correctly usually results in massive financial loss. To begin, films are marketed to the public in a wide variety of ways, often incorporating other mediums to do so. For example, the most well known form of movie advertising is the trailer, a several minute long teaser of a movie that gives audiences an idea of what to expect, and hopefully gets them excited for it. These trailers are often released on websites like Youtube, and shown on cable television or in movie theaters, in the hopes that people will watch them and be interested enough to go see the actual film when it releases. Other marketing strategies include putting up posters in cities, or billboards along roads, and even placing ads in other media areas like magazines or on the radio. Televised interviews with cast members or the director are also common strategies, as enlisting the help of these celebrities brings the film into the radar of those celebrities’ fans. Not to mention that influential film critics are often allowed to see a film early, in the hopes that their potentially positive reviews will convince audiences to see it. The ways a film can be marketed are virtually limitless depending on how creative the marketing team is, and this is even more the case nowadays with the increased prominence of social media. It is common practice today for a large film to have a social media account dedicated to it, with an entire team running it in the hopes of attracting users of these social media platforms to the film. During any major marketing campaign for a movie, all of the aforementioned tactics work together to engrain the hype and anticipation for a film into the minds of potential audience members, so a movie without an effective marketing strategy is doomed to fail from the start. These marketing campaigns usually begin in the months leading up to a film’s theatrical release, and every moment movie studios have to market their film counts because of the costly nature of these campaigns. To make best use of both their time and money, film studios employ the help of a wide variety of marketing professionals to assemble a marketing team. The marketing team behind a film usually starts with determining the target audience by conducting test screenings. Once the target audience is determined, the marketing team can begin figuring out how to market the film to appeal to that target audience/demographic. This is integral, because marketing campaigns that aim to appeal to everyone often come across as bland and vague instead, and result in the opposite of the intended effect. A common strategy done by marketing teams is to arrange for the film’s trailer to be played before films similar to it, since its target demographic will likely see it. Also, these marketing teams aim to figure out what makes their film unique, so they can advertise around that, and make the movie stick out from the many other movies being advertised simultaneously. For lack of a better term, a movie’s “shtick” is integral to its marketing campaign, which the marketing team helps figure out. In summation, marketing is incredibly important for a film, because an effective marketing campaign attracts audiences and ensures film studios can capitalize on their costly investments. Marketing campaigns for large movies usually cost about half as much as the movie itself, and while this may seem overkill, past box office disasters have proven the importance of an effective marketing strategy for a movie. Films are marketed by a wide variety of individuals who make up a larger marketing team. This team is also tasked with determining the target audience of a film, and marketing the film to appeal to that target audience. Marketing for a film can stretch across virtually all mediums simultaneously, and the marketing team makes sure this is the case to make best use of their several month long campaign. All of this works in harmony to ensure, or at least increase the chances, of a film making a profit at the box office when it releases, which is why marketing is so important for films. Notes
Camerawork -Close-up on Rami Malek on the subway. Eye line match reveals he is looking back at some businessmen who are talking about him. -Tracking shots as he walks the city and through crowds -Another tracking shot as he walks quickly down a sidewalk as he eats. -There is kind of a fairly short establishing shot when Rami Malek walks into the office, because it reveals the setting and characters without really cutting. -Use of two shots and mid-shots when the characters are talking- they are shown from the waste up. -Elliot and his therapist are framed away from each other on opposite sides of the frame, representing the distance between them. Sound -There is a direct address through voice over/narration. -This narration is also non-diegetic sound -Rami Malek is treating the audience more like his therapist than his actual therapist, revealing personal thoughts he wouldn’t even say to her. -sound bridge- loud and echoey “Elliot” snaps him out of his thoughts. -background theme is slow and methodical, representing his state of mind. -Incidental music in the nightclub. -Loud ambient noise to show his frustration when he starts talking about why he hates society Mise-en-scene -It is grey and rainy outside. -color design- bleak and desaturated, full of grey. -The office is grey, boring, and cold with symmetrical cubicles, possibly representing the monotony of his life and hatred of his job. -Angela is dressed in warmer colors and a little, perhaps representing his affection for her. -Gideon makes him take off his jacket, removing any sense of individual expression he has, as he is now wearing a plain grey button shirt just like everybody else. -Krista is shown wearing an “I Voted” sticker, meaning she is an active participant in the society that Elliot hates so much. Editing -There is a non-continuity system of editing. -For example, it cuts to him watching Angela in a nightclub in the unspecified past. (cut away- adds context that he probably has feelings for her, as he looks at her with a longing gaze) Based on their earlier conversation about him not being able to make it, this probably means he showed up to hang out with her, but bailed out of fear. -Shots of him scrolling through his psychologist’s social media immediately cut back to him deep in thought, showing that’s what he was thinking about. -Cut-away used to provide context to what he is talking about when he describes why he is so disappointed in society. -After his rant it cuts to a close up of Rami Malek where he is deep in thought, revealing everything he said was just in his head. Write-Up Camerawork This video opens with a close-up shot of Elliot’s face while he’s on the subway, which then transitions to an eye line match that shows him looking back at some businessmen who are staring at and whispering about him, possibly because they know he hacks and ruins people like them. Next, a tracking shot follows Elliot as he walks down the street dodging crowds, which then cuts to him walking through his workplace’s doors. This transitions into somewhat of an establishing shot as he walks through the office, as it reveals the environment and characters without really cutting. After this he is called to his boss Gideon’s office, as an over-the-shoulder shot from Elliot’s perspective reveals Angela and Gideon. During Elliot’s meeting with them, and the subsequent shot of Angela and him talking about why he didn’t show up last night, a mix of mid-level two/three shots are used that depict the characters from the waste up. This mimics the eyelines of someone who’d be standing right where the camera is, and also allows the audience to feel like they’re watching the conversation, while also keeping the camera at an objective angle. After this a tracking shot once again follows Elliot, this time as he walks hastily down the sidewalk while eating, presumably on the way to his therapy appointment. This then cuts to Elliot and his therapist Krista, who are mostly positioned on opposite sides of the frame, possibly representing their distance as Elliot is not comfortable actually confiding in her. Sound The most relevant and noticeable element of sound in this clip is the use of narration/voice over as a mode of direct address to the audience through Elliot. This is an example of non-diegetic sound. Incidentally, Elliot appears to treat the audience more like his therapist than he does his actual therapist. Also, the background theme/score associated with his character is quiet and methodical, but swells at moments where he is frustrated or angry, for example when he starts talking about why he is so disappointed in society. In that regard, the music throughout this clip is representative of Elliot’s state of mind. Other use of sound includes the presence of incidental music, in the form of the music playing in the nightclub cut-away. This music is warm and inviting which contradicts with the music associated with Elliot, which might be why he shied away from that social event. Also, a sound bridge is used once in this clip, when Krista says “Elliot” in a loud and echoey way that snaps him out of his deep thought, and connects the scene in his mind with the one in reality. Mise-en-Scene The aesthetic of this entire clip, and presumably of this entire show, is very grey and depressing. The color design is bleak and desaturated, which may reflect Elliot’s pessimistic view of the world. This is further reflected in the set design, as the office he works at is cold and grey, and made up of boringly symmetrical cubicles. This may have been done in an attempt to amplify Elliot’s feelings of unhappiness and monotony regarding his job. Also, this tone/aesthetic is reflected in the costumes of the characters too. For example, Gideon makes Elliot abide by the company dress code and take off his jacket to reveal his plain grey dress shirt. This strips Elliot of the little individual outward expression he had, as he now looks just like everyone else in the office. Interestingly though, Angela is dressed in warmer colors than most of the other characters, possibly reflecting Elliot’s affection towards her. Furthermore, later on in the scene Elliot’s therapist Krista is shown wearing an “I voted” sticker. This small costume choice is significant because in Elliot’s monologue about why he’s disappointed in society, he says that the people voted for this sedated lifestyle, and the camera immediately cuts to a close-up of Krista’s sticker. This shows that from Elliot’s point of view, Krista is a willing participant in the society he despises. Editing Throughout this clip, a non-continuity system of editing is employed to distort the audience’s perception of imagination and reality, and cut-aways are used as well to provide context to the viewer. For example, in the middle of Elliot and Angela’s conversation on why Elliot didn’t show up the night prior, the scene cuts to reveal Elliot did actually show up, but decided to bail, as the camera shows him gazing longingly at Angela. Later in the clip, a series of short takes are used to show Elliot’s perspective while he was looking through Krista’s social media, and the camera then immediately cuts back to him deep in thought, implying that’s what he was thinking about. Also, the aforementioned non-continuity system keeps the viewer guessing on if what they’re seeing is reality or imagined. For example, when Elliot is giving his monologue it cuts back to reality, revealing that what the viewer just witnessed was merely his internal thoughts. 1. In many ways my table of contents sticks to regular conventions of other tables of contents. It features the masthead and issue name (November 2020) at the top of the page, and it is a primarily white page with black text, all of which appears to be common features of tables of contents. However, I like to think I challenged conventions by splitting the image I used in half, and I also think the layout of my TOC is fairly unique. Since the concept of my magazine just revolves around fashion, I wouldn’t say it speaks to any social issues, but hopefully it speaks to the social group of older teenagers.
2. My magazine concept appeals to my target audience of older teenagers by centering around fashion, something teenagers care about more than any other age group. It also appeals to older teenagers by using the appropriate terminology, and writing about topics that might interest them. My magazine would probably be distributed on paper, but available online as well. Recently I have decided to change the theme of my magazine from movies, to fashion. This is because Cambridge wants us to use our own photos, and it is much easier/more realistic to take photos of my friends and I than it would be to take the photos I would need to complete a movie magazine. Below is my first attempt at making a fashion themed magazine cover, using a photo I took of my friend.
*Note: I will likely be changing the theme of my magazine from movies (which is what I did in my mockup) to fashion so I can take photos of friends for it, since Cambridge wants us using our own photos. I have not had the chance to make a mockup of a fashion magazine cover just yet.
-1. I chose this magazine TOC because I really liked the way it integrated its images into the design/layout of the page, as it felt like the text was placed around the images without the images feeling out of place. I also thought it used its text very well, as the titles of the articles were slightly bigger than their descriptions to make them stand out more, and I liked the inclusion of the magazine’s masthead at the top of the page. Also, while I’m not sure if I’ll do the same for my table of contents, I did like the fairly minimalistic design of this one, as the black text on a white background made the content easy to read. This TOC does mostly match the concept of my intended front page, as I want to do a fashion magazine, and this is from GQ, a well-known fashion magazine. -2. I chose this TOC for the opposite reason I chose the one before it. I thought it was cool that unlike the last one, this table of contents page was largely composed of one single image, with no empty space. I liked that the text was small on the sides of the subject, but I did find it a bit difficult to read (I’m sure this wouldn’t be a problem with a physical copy of the magazine though). One design choice I quite liked was the inclusion of black and yellow lines on the top and left corners of the page respectively. I can only assume these make up the color scheme of the magazine, and I thought it was a nice choice, as the yellow and black compliment the dark blue background fairly well. This TOC matches the concept of my intended magazine page fairly well, because the articles are fashion related. -3. I chose this table of contents because I liked the fairly simple design, and how it integrated whitespace over the image/background to make the text easier to read. I also picked it because I liked that the page numbers were very big and attention grabbing. This TOC doesn’t match the concept of the magazine cover page I intend to make, but I mainly picked it for the concept/layout regardless. List of Possible Article Topics -The Hottest Fashion Trends of 2020! -Face Masks! Staying Fashionable During the Pandemic! -How to Accessorize! Jewelry, Sunglasses, and More. Compare/Contrast of Notes
Similarities: -Both my notes, and the example candidate’s notes are organized by technical elements (camerawork, mise en scene, sound, and editing) to make them easier to refer back to. -Both my notes, and the candidate’s notes mention the use of medium shots during the conversation scene, and the camera panning down on Lester working on the washing machine. -We also both mentioned the use of low angle shots, although I can’t quite read what the candidate was referring to. -Both my notes, and the candidate’s notes mention the dark and dull setting and mise en scene. Differences: -I mention specific types of shots that are used throughout the clip in my notes a bit more than the candidate did in theirs. -The candidate’s response mentioned that the washing machine’s clattering was drowning out the sound of the wife’s hearing during the husband’s thinking, which was a good point. I did not include a comparable observation. -I mentioned that Lester’s clothes reflect his turn to crime throughout this clip, the candidate did not. -The candidate discussed the use of lighting in their notes far more than I did in mine, especially regarding the use of grey and blue light throughout the scene. -The candidate’s notes do not appear to include a note about the poster, as to where my notes do. -The candidate’s notes addressed the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound, as to where mine addressed the fidelity of the sound. Compare/Contrast of Responses Similarities: -Both my writeup and the candidate’s writeup mention how the use of sound in certain moments emphasizes the silence of the other moments, albeit we each provide different examples. -Both my response and the candidate’s response mention the use of medium shots during Lester and Pearl’s conversation. -Both of our write ups discuss how the mise en scene establishes the mundane and dull nature of the character’s lives. Differences: -The candidate’s response describes the different technical elements like mise en scene and sound as they happen, as to where my response organizes them based on each technical element regardless of chronological order. -My write up briefly mentions the use of the musical score to heighten shock and suspense, as to where the candidate’s response appears to not mention the score. The candidate’s response describes the use of the washing machine’s rattling, and more importantly how it reflects Lester’s state of mind very well. -My response only briefly mentions the washing machine. The candidate discusses a scene of Lester at his office after he kills his wife that I don't believe was included in the clip we analyzed. -In my description of the mise en scene I mentioned how the juxtaposition of the two characters adds tension throughout the scene, the candidate’s write up does not appear to make a similar observation. Here is my first attempt at my magazine mockup and writeup. Title/Masthead: The title/masthead is “Movies Monthly” which literally means it is a movie magazine published once a month. The title suggests that it is a publication that primarily focuses on reporting current film, television, and entertainment information, with an emphasis on film.
Typography: The typography suggests that the magazine’s primary focus is on movies, which I (hopefully) achieved by typing the word “movies” larger than the other words, and typing it in all caps for emphasis. I also colored it in with the reddish pink color, which was used on particular words to draw the reader’s attention. I tried to give the magazine an inviting tone, so instead of using a bright red I tried to use a subtle color that was easier on the eyes. I also tried to give the magazine a mature tone/attitude by using fairly conventional fonts. Image: For the cover image I chose a human figure, that being Margot Robbie. She is dressed in costume as Harley Quinn, a character she played in Birds of Prey. She was posed or angled slightly to the left to prevent her from being blocked by the masthead. I also framed her over the black border instead of behind it to emphasize that she was the main focus of the magazine cover. I turned down the saturation on Harley Quinn quite a bit, because her costume was very bright, and distracted from the inviting tone I was going for. The subject (Harley) addresses the reader directly, because in the image I used she is staring directly at the camera, as opposed to staring off in the distance. I did this in the hopes of once again adding to the personal/inviting tone of the magazine. Language: The strapline can either be “The Best Movies of 2020! (So Far)” or “Birds of Prey! And the other movies getting us through 2020!” in my opinion, because both suggest that the focus of the magazine is on highlighting the better movies to come out of 2020. The use of the word “us” suggests both that the reader is interested in movies, and establishes a direct connection between them and the magazine. One of the rhetorical features evident on the cover lines is the extensive use of exclamation points to add dramatic effect. There is also the generally conventional use of two colors on the cover lines, with the bolder color being used to emphasize certain important words. One of the notable linguistic features is the use of multiple fonts to help separate blocks of text from one another. Definition of Intertextuality:
Intertextuality: The various ways media text references other media texts, often through the borrowing, modifying, or recycling of elements of those media texts. Types of Intertextuality: -1. Indirect Intertextuality: Indirect Intertextuality is when traces of other media can be found in a media text, but they are not explicit or necessarily even intentional. It acknowledges that every producer is inevitably going to be inspired by every piece of media they have ever seem. -2. Direct Intertextuality: Direct Intertextuality is when an explicit reference to a media text is made in another piece of media. The producers make these references intentionally, often to allow the audience to make connections between the two pieces of media for a reason. -3. Weaponized Intertextuality: Weaponized Intertextuality is a term coined by literary critic Harold Bloom that describes the intentional self-reference and fan service done by media texts. It often involves long-running media franchises making references back to its past history. Intertextuality Examples: -1.The Hidden Fortress and Star Wars: It is well known that Star Wars creator George Lucas was immensely influenced by Japanese samurai films (for example the Jedi are basically just Samurai). Lucas was especially influenced by the work of Japanese filmmaker Akira Korusawa. Specifically, Lucas took heavy inspiration from Korusawa’s 1958 film The Hidden Fortress, in terms of both the plot and look of his film. At the bottom of this post is a side-by-side comparison of a shot from The Hidden Fortress and a shot from Star Wars, and it is easy to see the similarities in both the framing of the shots, positioning of the characters, etc. This is likely an example of indirect intertextuality, because the shot in Star Wars is not an explicit reference to Korusawa’s film, but the influence is apparent. -2.You Only Live Twice and Austin Powers: The Austin Powers movies are complete parodies of the James Bond movies, especially the Sean Connery era films. An example can be found in the main villains from each franchise, pictured at the bottom of this post. Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies is a prime example of direct/deliberate intertextuality for the sake of parody, as he is a complete ripoff of the 007 villain Blofeld. Both characters share many similarities, like the scar on their faces, similar outfits, pet cats, and evil laughs. -3.The Matrix and Shrek: The Matrix was so influential when it released in 1999 that it inspired a wave of imitations and parodies throughout the 2000’s. An example of this can be found in the 2001 film Shrek, which is known for parodying and referencing other pieces of media. That movie features a parody of the scene in The Matrix where Trinity does a slow motion karate kick in the air, as the camera pans 360 degrees around her. This is an example of direct/deliberate intertextuality. Both the original and intertextual version are shown below. Exercise: Look at a magazine cover. What can you tell about the type of magazine it is; what kinds of articles it contains; who is likely to read it? Why?
- From the magazine cover you can tell that this is obviously an edition of Time magazine. You can tell it is a magazine that covers a wide variety of current topics, from entertainment to global affairs. You can tell it features articles on Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance in the film Lincoln, an article about how Steven Spielberg directed the movie, an article on a recent BBC scandal, and one on an ultra-right uprising in Greece. Time magazine is one of the most widely read magazines in the world, so it is hard to narrow down its readership to a specific group, but based on the content advertised I’d say people who are interested in current media and news would read this. This exercise is likely to elicit responses which focus on: The visual elements, such as figure, costume, colour, pose, typography, layout. - The figure and main subject of the magazine cover is academy award winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis. He is costumed in modern clothing, and not dressed as Abraham Lincoln, implying that the focus of the magazine is more on Daniel Day-Lewis than on the movie he was in. The magazine has a black and white color scheme, with red used as a border and to accentuate certain keywords. Day-Lewis is posed up close, staring directly at the camera/reader, implying that the content of the magazine will be very personal in regard to him. The typography is kept fairly simple to avoid distracting from the main subject, and the masthead is consistent with Time Magazine’s iconic aesthetic. Certain headings such as “The World’s greatest actor” are bolded to draw the reader’s attention, while the less important text is kept normal and small. The layout is pretty identical to Time Magazine’s usual layout, with a thick red border, large masthead, and taglines that surround the subject while not distracting them. Linguistic elements – the title, lexicon, use of ‘teasers’ - The title is used to draw the reader’s attention, because making a claim as bold as calling someone the greatest actor in the world may cause a potential reader to buy the magazine, in the hopes of finding out if this is a valid statement or not. The lexicon, in this case the Time masthead, is used to invoke a sense of respectability out of the magazine, because Time magazine is one of the most well-known magazines in the world. It is common knowledge that great/respectable people are featured on Time magazine covers (usually), so the masthead associates that reputation with the subject of the cover, in this case Day-Lewis. Lifestyle – what kind of lifestyle is ‘on offer’? How is it offered? -The lifestyle of a suave, sophisticated, and talented actor is offered in this magazine. This is portrayed mainly by the way Daniel-Day Lewis is dressed, which is in simple clothes with a fancy scarf. The idea that he is very talented comes from the title “The World’s greatest actor”. This information is offered in the tagline “How Daniel Day-Lewis became Abraham Lincoln”, because it implies the reader will get insight into his lifestyle and acting method. Representation – how are people and places constructed and presented through these technical elements? -The person in this magazine (Daniel Day-Lewis) is presented in a respectful and classy way, using the costuming (classy clothing), and the title (The World’s greatest actor warrants some respect). The design of the magazine is fairly minimalistic, so no places appear to be presented. Mode of address – how is a particular audience being addressed by these elements? How is a potential reader encouraged to see her/himself as the addressee? -This particular audience is addressed as being familiar with Daniel Day-Lewis, because the design of the magazine relies on them being able to recognize him, since his name is written small. The audience is being encouraged to see themselves as the addressee by the magazine’s choice to use a picture of Day-Lewis staring directly at the camera, and subsequently at the reader, which makes them feel like the articles are directed towards them. Rhetoric – what is the potential reader being persuaded to buy/accept? How? -The potential reader is being persuaded to accept that Daniel Day-Lewis is the World’s greatest actor by the eye-catching wording placed to the left of his face. The reader is also being persuaded to accept that Day-Lewis has earned this title from his performance in the film “Lincoln”, as the magazine appears to be promoting that movie. |
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