An Analysis of Two contrasting newspapers

News of the World (Red Top newspaper)

Target audience: 21-30

GNR

Genre: Newspaper
Narrative: Gossip related news

Representation: Features celebrity and showbiz gossip

Visual codes

·         Features semi-naked celebrity (biggest image on the cover)

·         Celebrity couple, small image in the lower right corner

·         Pop star featured as a selling point for the magazine (offers a free sticker album of the pop star)

·         Celebrity featured (image) in smaller headline after his name in print

·         Two of the England stars from yesterday’s game featured in bottom right-hand corner; accompanying this in the opposite corner there are the respective badges of the competitive sides, broken up by the trophy

o    Sports story features on the front cover (although small)

·         In the bottom left corner is the only picture of a civilian, featured for a related story

·         Contrasting colours throughout the cover

Layout and Design

·         Text is the feature of the page

·         Each story is individually boxed

·         Images are quiet small, with the largest image being a semi-naked celebrity

·         No colour scheme, mismatch of colours

Language

The mode of address is indirect and the register is relatively informal

·         Sensationalist

·         Emotive stories, appeals to people’s emotions

·         One sided view appeal to peoples ideologies and reactant views

·         The grammar is not correct in all places

·         Very small amount of text no more than 200 words, with an indicator to read further into the newspaper for the rest of the article

·         Headlines introducing stories with little to no text to accompany it

The Independent

Target audience: 40-60, perhaps 40+, intellectual readers

GNR

Genre: Global news provider

Narrative: Economic, political or relevant world news. International current affairs

Representation: Reputable news coverage

Visual codes

·         Large image demonstrating the demonstrations against the Governments cuts, image shows that violence broke out in the demonstrations, with three police officers centre behind their riot shields and visors down.

·         Smaller image of man wrapped in a Libyan flag standing on top of a tank, featured next to a relevant headline

·         Again smaller images to accompany relevant headlines

Layout and Design

·         The largest image covers 3/4s of a page from the bottom left side upwards

·         Name of the paper is centred and stretched across the width of the cover

·         Colour scheme:

o    Is in-keeping with the colours featured in the image

o    Genre neutral

·         Ordered, easy to read and accessible

Language

Mode of address: Is indirect and of a formal register

·         Factual based

·         Reliable sources

·         Intellectual read

·         Heading is put in a sophisticated way

·         Reports on International current affairs

Newspaper Analysis

When we analyse a print based media we look at:

• GNR
• Genre 
• Narrative
• Representation
• Visual codes
• Image anaylsis
• Layout and design
• Composition of images and text
• Language
• Mode of address

The Guardian

• Central picture
• Features a heroic rescue serve team saving a women
• Carefullt selected
• Positive
• Making the subject about the people
• Background of title
• Links to cultural story
• Variation of stories
• Small advert
• Headline is less melodramatic, more sophisticated
• Target audience 40-60
• Intellectual reader
• Gender Neutral colour scheme
• Internation current affairs

Our generation don't tend to buy newspapers instead it would be more appropiate to younger readers from 16-25 to catch the headlines from MSN or on their phone.

Certain Organisations supply the newspapers with images of the current affairs:
AP- Associated press
Reuters
EPA
Getty Images
Rex images
AFP 

Music Video Theory - Andrew Goodwin

Goodwin’s Theory

Voyeurism – Granting the viewer access to their idol or idols - especially females

Need to establish a star – Close ups, costumes, lip sync

He identified a number of key features which distinguish the music video:

·         Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

·         Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics

·         There is a relationship between music and visuals

·         Record companies demand a lot of close-ups of the main artist or vocalist

·         There is often intertextual reference e.g. to films, TV programmes.

An analysis of Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Music Video)

Genre

·         Soul / Rhythm and Blues

·         Focus on voice

Narrative

·         Mini narratives within each separate settings conveyed in metaphors

·         Story of break up

Representation

·         Sophisticated, mature women – reinforces the image of the new album 21 to show she’s grown from her first album 19

·         Talented – focuses on her voice

Micro Analysis

Visual Codes

·         Movement – Panning towards and away from the subject (usually Adele)

·         Star is the focus, she’s sat solitary in a room

·         Close up and wide shots

Editing

·         Edits are controlled by pace of music

o    Faster pace during the chorus

o    There is a very strong beat in the song which is massively influential in the editing shots and pace

Mise-en-scene

·         Muted colours, natural browns, but primarily the contrast between black and white

·         Other character dressed in a samurai suit

·         Contrast of light and dark throughout

o    This relates to the lyrics and message of the song

§  The connotations of this is the good and evil

·         Star stays routed on her chair throughout

·         Metaphors in props and set

o    Chairs covered over as if about to be moved she’s sat in one representing defiance

o    The broken cups and plates represent the frequency of fights and how regular they are

o    The powder being stirred into the air to represent the distortion in the relationship

o    The stark nature of the set is very powerful (perhaps linking to the power of Adele’s voice)

§  All of these relate back to the lyrics

In Relation to Goodwin’s theory

·         There is a relationship between music and visuals

·         Record companies demand a lot of close-ups of the main artist or vocalist

o    Adele is focused on a central figure and close ups are common

·         Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics – It is not blaringly obvious that it links as the messages are told through metaphors

In Relation to Uses and gratification

·         I feel that as the artist in this video particularly allows the audience to form a relationship not only with the product but allow the viewer to form relationships with others who have watched this video.

·         Perhaps also personal identity would come in it as the primary audience for the video may feel that they can relate to the artist and position themselves in society; Adele is portrayed as an elegant, mature, sophisticated women this may allow the audience to reflect on themselves.

Analysis of Britney Spears - Hit Me Baby One More Time (Music Video)

·         First five seconds diegetic sound (classroom noises)

·         Dance routines in each setting

·         Lots of light used

·         Close up and wide shots used regularly

·         Mixture of individual shot and group, Britney always centred

·         School uniform

·         Femininity – pink and white outfit, short skirt

Pop Genre

·         Dancing/ routines

·         Lively – fast paced

·         Universally acceptable

·         Busy

Narrative

·         Fantasy/daydream – signified by flashbacks

·         No links from visuals to lyrics, tiny micro narratives

·         Separate scenes

Representation

·         School girl

o    High school, massively culturally significant to primary audience

§  American teenagers

o    Textual reference with ‘Grease’

Micro Analysis

Visual Codes

·         Star is centre stage

·         Soft focus – to represent dream

·         Close up and wide shot

·         Movement – panning

Editing

·         Fast paced edits

·         Music dictates the edit/cuts, dictated by the beat

·         Jump cut – used to convey a passage of time e.g. from mid shot to close up.

Mise-en-scene

·         Vibrant colours

·         Costumes reinforce editing

·         Suggestive

·         Large scale sets

Sound

·         Diegetic sound

o    Contrasts reality from fantasy

Close ups of the star (Britney) - Voyeurism - Andrew Goodwin

Key Concepts & Key Theories

Key Concepts

M - Media language (terminology, connotations, dennotations)
I - Institution (Who made the product)
G - Genre (Codes and Convention)
R - Representation
A - Audience
I - Ideology
N - Narrative
E - (Just to remember as an acronym)

Key Theories

• Audience Positioning
• Todorov narrative theory
• Propp Character Types
• Strauss Binary Opposits
• Uses and Gratifications
• Hypodermic Syringe Theory
• Mode of Address

Revision Plan

To do list

• Upload other peoples powerpoint presentations to my blog, make my own brief notes on each key theory.
• The role of selection, construction and anchorage in creating representations
• Revisit 'This is England'
• National identities
• Ideologies
• Audience Positioning
• Binary Opposites
• Analyse:
• computer game extract
• Music video
• CD/DVD covers

Analyse on my own time:

• Website
• Facebook
• Topshop
• Newspaper front cover
• Idependant
• Daily mail
• Television
• Soap
• Hollyoaks
• Emmerdale

Individual Revision

• Type up original notes from my first notebook, with all of my 'This is England' notes.
• Rewatch 'This is England' to refresh it in my memory.
• Re-read my essays.