Magazines This is your first Textual Investigation You will need to submit 2 of these for your Coursework requirements This one is looking at Genre and there are specific titles which are given by the exam board.

The Title is : Investigate how Genre conventions are used in the cover of Style magazine.

Investigate how Genre conventions are used on the front cover of STYLE Magazine. Magazine Cover Analysis Investigate how Genre conventions are used on the front cover of STYLE Magazine.

Objectives A02 To Analyse and respond to media texts/topics using media key concepts and appropriate terminology. To see how the marks are awarded go to the website.website.

First we will do some revision What is a media TEXT? What is meant by genre? What is meant by convention?

We will now look at the Magazine Industry in general Keep all notes and research. Then at magazine covers past and present to analyse the generic conventions that occur on the covers.

Magazines come in two major categories General Interest /Lifestyle Specialist Magazines have to establish close relationships with readers. They often use a specialist language to attract target audience and influence brand loyalty. Compare the language in Top Gear to the nme for exampleTop Gear nme

Make 2 Lists showing examples of both types of magazine titles

Investigating Magazine Covers Look at the media text book. Page 72: investigating covers Page 74 Analysing a front cover Page 76: uses and gratifications. Page 78: Ideology Page 92/93 Convergent media You can find more information on the media edu website and log on to – Topics.Topics.

Audience Target audience, can you identify the target audience? How? Can you Identify the age, gender, race? How might this effect the content?

Genre Do you buy magazines? What genre? Genres are constantly changing Hybrid/ cross genres. Examples?

Analysing Magazine Covers We will analyse the front cover of Style magazine from May 2012 using the prompts and the example on page 75 of the new book Style magazine is a monthly addition to the weekly Sunday Times magazine. This a ‘free’ magazine given away with the Sunday paper.

Masthead style - connotations? Branding, cross media links - Synergy Mode of Address-P84 Buzz word Genre signifiers Key areas: age, gender, ethnicity, Positive / negative Stereotyping Symbolic codes Symbolic codes Audience Camera shot /angles Colour signifiers Pun Use of slang language - audience? coverlines

Symbolic code s Identify the range of symbolic codes and explain why they have been used by the makers of the text. Use the words SIGNIFY or CONNOTE when describing symbolic codes. 1. Body language e.g Gesture Tom Daley is using an indirect mode of address. He is gasing into the distance-dreaming? Winning? His posture is relaxed and coll looking with an air of sophistication reminiscent of Italian or old Hollywood film Stars. The anchorage text ‘Heart Throb’ depicts him in this role rather than his swimming abilities. 2. Dress 3. Setting 4. Composition: eg, rule of thirds, or use of perspective, 5. Colour Colour 6. Typographic codes: fonts, plain, bold, italic, decorative, serif / sans serif 7. Anchorage - text to give meaning to an image e.g. ‘Tom Daley’s heating up the pool this summer. ‘

Image Analysis- Analytical terms Try to use some of these when analysing your cd cover. Camera shots CU, LS, etc. Depth of Field. Focus. Composition – rule of thirds, Golden section, Diagonals, Use of perspective. How is it framed- landscape, portrait, cropping eg cropped tightly Texture, grainy or glossy, why? Significance? Photo montage? Typical Codes and Conventions Stereotypical Camera shots – CU, VLS POV etc. Mode of address - direct, indirect – reasons? Symbolic codes: Body language e.g his body language signifies he is in control. Gesture Dress Setting Composition: rule of thirds, perspective, Use of Colour to portray mood. Eg Blue= cold, sad. You should identify the range of symbolic codes and explain why you have been used by the producers of the text. Typographic codes: fonts, plain, bold, italic, decorative, serif / sans serif. Upper case, Lower case? Why are certain fonts more effective? A Serif font is perceived to be more classy and often used to portray up-market goods. Why do Primary teacher always use ‘Comic sans’? ( sans–serif) sans = without in French Anchorage. Mise en scene, a useful word here which often describes many symbolic codes. Basically means ‘what is in the frame’ Denotation and Connotation (same as signify and signified) Use the word signify to suggest the possible meanings to a signifier (sign).

Close up, Medium shot, Long shot ECU, MCU, MLS, ELS or BIG CLOSE UP, BIG LONG SHOT Camera Angle High, low, eyelevel. What effect does using different angles have on the meaning of the text? e.g. A low angle shot can make someone look powerful, in control. Camera shot

Key areas for inclusion in investigation. Key concepts covered Conventions of Magazine covers. How people represented on the cover and in the media.-Image! What part does the magazine play in promotion and marketing? Audience, who are the target audience – Demographic.? Use of Text to Anchor meaning. Font style to show Genre.. Are any narratives suggested on the cover? You must include references to other texts. Look at magazine websites or other similar magazines. Genre Representation Organisations Audience Representation Genre Narrative Convergence

Supplementary Texts You must refer to other (Supplementary) Texts when completing the project. These could include: An Alternative Magazine cover. Magazine websites - Synergy

Colour signifiers COLOURSCOLOUR INFLUENCESYMBOLISM RED Activating, warm, love, aggression, extrovert Love, revolution, fury, aggression, warning ORANGE Joy, extrovert, encouraging, activating Fire, heat, joy, sun, vitality YELLOW Stimulates, logical way of thinking, joy Cowardness, falseness, sickness, vitality GREEN Calming, harmonizing, strength, self control Hope, renewal, freshness, youth, inmature, jealousy, TURQUOISECooling, refreshing, calmingCold, freshness, eternity BLUE Promotes concentration, absorption, quiet, relaxing Sadness, melancholy, quality, stability, spiritual PURPLE Restlessness, nervousness, fear, depression Storm, solemn, spiritual, mystery PINK Strains fear, stress and depression, intuition Unrealistic, fantasy, daydreaming WHITEHushing up, emptinessPurity, peace, innocence, sensitive GREYDepression, balance, eleganceSadness, boring BLACKPessimism, depressionGrief, evil, pessimism, ban BROWNStagnation, stabilising, safetyEarth, safety, well-being

4 week project. Deadline. Remember your POV is important. Word limit words. Think about presentation Have fun!