First Photos Analysis

I think that this is one of the bad pictures that I took. I feel that the shoes could be more central. Also, i feel that I should have planned the shot more, as there is unintentional blades of grass in the shot, which have been described as "distracting" in one of the comments. To improve this shot, I should make sure there is no distractions and think about where the subjects are placed.
However, there was some positive feedback in one of the comments where the use of colour was complimented. The colours used were described as "contrasting", as the black and the white stands out on the purple background.

This is one of my favourite pictures that I have taken. I specifically intended on getting a fore-ground, mid-ground, and a background. In this case, the flowers and grass in the foreground, the car and the fence is in the mid-ground, and the sky and trees is in the background. On the other hand, this landscape picture can be slightly misleading. I think this because in one of the comments I received for this picture

Analysis on Jackie Front Page

Jackie was a magazine specifically published for teenage girls which included fashion and beauty tips, gossip, short stories and comic strips. it was the best selling teen magazine for ten years, and had sales rising from 350,000 to 605,947 in 1976. The magazine was first published D.C Thompson &Co. Ltd of Dundee on the 11th Janulary in 1964. Th final issue of the magazine was published on 3rd July 1993 with a total 1534 issues.


The masthead is conventionally at the top of the page in the centre. This immediately tells the audience what magazine this is and who it is aimed at. The masthead is a bold blue colour outlined with pink, which is steroetypically a colour associated with younger girls. The title is eyecatching and the colours draw attention of teenage girls. "Jackie" is not written in a typically masthead font either. It breaks conventions as it is in a less serious font, it is more playful which will attract a wider audience.


The model on the front cover is conventionally looking into the camera and is a medium close up. However, the model is dressed differently to other models on other magazines. She is wearing a blue and pink caridigan (which links to the masthead) that covers her up to her face. Thos links to the subtle make up she is wearing. Unlike other front cover models, she is wearing light make up and looks very natural. This creates an innocent and realistic image for teenage girls to follow. Stuart Hall's belief, 'representation as the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged' applies here as the model is a representation of the ideal teenage girl of the time. The model's teeth aren't perfectly straight and the lack of makeup represents the realistic image for a teenage girl.


The headings towards the bottom of the page are heavily influenced by male figures. The "exclusive!" article  about Bob Geldof's girlfriend is cross media convergence as Bob Geldof links to the popular TV show Top of the Pops. "We're The Tops" at the top of the page underneath the masthead links to this. This article on Bob Geldof's girlfriend will appeal to teenage girls, especially fans of him, as girls will want to know how to get a boyfriend like Bob Geldof. However, it may also appeal to young ,ale readers because in the article there may be tips on how to get a girlfriend.


The heading underneath the buzzword "exlusive" again focuses on male figures. The title "What do boys like about girls?" is a rhetorical question therefore intrigues the audinece to find out more. Also, the article itself should appeal to teenage girls as stereotypically a main focus is to find a boyfriend. The weiting is written in bold pink writing in a bubbly and fun font, so again gives the whole front cover a less serious feel.


The puff links to the colour scheme of the magazine as it is pink. It stands out from the blue cardigan and brings attention to it. Robby Benson's name is written in bold yellow writing in the pink circle, cuasing the name to stand out even more. This is to attract fans of him. The pin up of Robby Benson is described as "beautiful" which is an unusal word to describe males. This appeals to teenage girls as it is a word they are familiar with, and will leas them to believe that the picture of him is attractive.

Research: Advertising and Branding

Levi's "Sea of Blue" 2017 Commercial

Levi's "Circles" 2017 Commercial

It is evident in both of the adverts that America and American teenage life is represented because they both use upbeat songs in the background and both include energetic dances and movements to appeal to a younger audience.

American teenage life is represented in the "Sea of Blue" advert particularly because the actors and actress' are all young adults/teenagers. This allows teenagers to relate to the people in the advert, and also encourages younger people to buy the product. The whole advert itself creates a picture of what American Teenage life is like and what it is about. For example, people of this age group elsewhere in the world would be lead to believe that teenage parties often take place at pool-sides. The behaviour of the actors on the advert is also interesting as almost everyone is occupied on their phones, which does happen in countries all around the world, not just America. However, the two main people that the commercial focuses on are not on phones and are the only ones that appear to be wearing Levi's products. This implies that by purchasing and wearing the products you are more likely to have a good time, which will influence teenagers to buy the product.

In the "Circles" advert, conventions are broken as it isn't a typical "teenage American" set. This commercial includes people of all different races and ages all around the world advertising the product. This advert doesn't only represent teen life in America, but it represents lives all around the world.

Teenagers living in Britain will view both adverts and be attracted to the cultures advertised. American culture is a culture that British youth will be drawn to as it is such a popular culture to be used in many adverts. In the "Sea of Blue" advert, American culture is heavily used which is represented with the pool party. This attracts teens from different cultures as it is something different to what they are used to and find it intriguing.

Both adverts use dark lighting and colours. This is typical for teenagers as they are stereotypically "moody", therefore darker colours imply that the product and advert is for teenagers.

Especially in the "Circles" advert, I believe that Levi's doesn't seclude cultures and that all cultures are equal. I think this because oh wide range of cultures and race is featured in this commercial in a positive way where everyone is dancing and being energetic. This shows that Levi's doesn't target just one target audience, and that it is worldwide.

Research of Institutions 1: Bauer Media

History of Bauer:

“Bauer Media UK is an entertainment network of iconic, multi-platform brands.

The business became part of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately-owned media group, in 2008. Founded in Hamburg in 1875 and now in its fifth generation of family ownership, the Bauer Media Group operates in 19 countries including the UK, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand and the USA and has 11,000 employees worldwide.”

 

Home Page:

At the centre of the home page, there is a cross media convergence with the use of a slideshow. This will appeal to a younger audience in particular because it is eye-catching and the colours used in the pictures and fonts are very bright and vibrant. Also, with it being in the centre it draws immediate attention to the viewer as it is one of the first things to be seen. This is a good place to have advertisements, as it is easily seen and there is opportunity to have more than one medium in this area.

Bauer appeals to niche audiences, as it supports smaller businesses, for example radio stations. This gives smaller radio stations a chance to get recognised and to gain more listeners.

Below the slideshow, there are many articles below the title “Latest News.” The articles all cover different genres and styles, for example news on the “car awards 2018” and fashion. This keeps the website interesting and attracts loads of different types of viewers. However, each article all ties in together as entertainment.

Towards the bottom of the page, there are links that take you to other parts of the website. The links are brightly coloured boxes, therefore immediately draws attention to them. The writing in them is also bold and easy to read.

The “Match Our Audience to Your Brand” section takes you to a page where there are many different links are for other radio stations and companies. This makes it very easy for the audience of the site as they can browse through all radio stations Bauer have to offer. There is a range of different genres here which will attract diverse types of audiences. This shows that Bauer isn’t aimed at one particular genre, and its aim is to please different types of audiences.

For example, when you click on the link for “Kerrang!” there is text explaining what the company is and what they do etc. This is useful for users of the website who want to learn more about the company, and also interesting for existing fans. There is text on Kerrang! Radio station, their website and TV channel, along with pictures of examples and artists broadcasted on these media forms.

Niche Mag Analysis (My Horse)

At the top of the page is the mast head, “Your Horse.” This is expected by the reader and always appears on the front cover no matter what, therefore it is a convention. The font is large and stands out as it is placed on a pale blue background. Also, part of the masthead is covered by the image, however this is not a problem because subscriber’s of the magazine already know what the magazine is called.  

The splash “Hack with Confidence” is appealing as again it is in a white font which stands out on the pale green/blue background. Also, the bold font represents the article as it is about hacking with “confidence” therefore the font is big and eye catching, which can be interpreted as “confident” and making a statement.

Below the headline, there are subheadings. These are important as it gives the reader the chance to know more about the article without turning to it. This way, the reader can read on if they know that they are interested in the article.

The large image follows conventions as it fills the majority of the page and the horse is looking directly at the camera. The large image of a well-groomed horse attracts readers interested in horses as it is mainly the first thing readers will see. The image represents the horse as a very well cared for and looked after animal. This "concerns" the reader as they will want their horse to look that way and targets an audience who oown horses and are wealthy. Also, the horse’s ears overlap the mast head, which imply that the horse has more importance than anything else on the page. The horse looks friendly and happy as it’s ears are forward, which will attract the audience because it gives the magazine an approachable feel.

The colours behind the horse are very natural and light. The use of outside colours links with horses as they are kept outside, and they are light to imply that the magazine has a positive outlook on horses, urging people to buy it. 

There are off leads on the frontpage. Many of the headings of the off leads are in yellow. This colour is bright and eye catching, which makes the title’s stand out and brings attention to them.

Also, the name “Charlotte Dujardin” is written in yellow and has a blocked black background for extra emphasis. This will appeal in particular to fans of Charlotte Dujardin, and will bring a bigger audience to the magazine because people who know who she is will want to read about her and her views. The headline is in red to stand out from other headings throughout the page. Here there is also a picture of her riding a horse, this helps readers who don’t know who she is understand what she does. 

At the very top of the cover is an advert for a competition for a horsebox. This will appeal particularly to horse owners, therefore will increase sales. The advertisement is separated from the rest of the cover by a red box which is a bright and bold colour. This clearly get the audience’s attention. 

Overall, I think the magazine is aimed at middle/upper-class people. I think this because the magazine is obviously aimed at horse owners who stereotypically have a lot of money. Also the price “only £3.99!” is quite expensive, therefore aimed at a higher class audience. 

Media Forms

There are several types of media forms.