MIGRAIN: Reading an image

1) Analyse this RBK 50 Cent advert using the key media language you learned today: denotation, connotation, colour, pose, framing, composition, size, type of shot, subject matter, setting, lighting.

Within the frame of the image, there is an image of 50 Cent, a well-known musical artist. At first glance, its denotation is an advertisement for the company Reebok. The image has connotations of urbanisation, this is mainly due to 50 Cents' dressing. Within the frame, he is wearing urban camouflage clothing alongside a chain. 50 Cent is a dominant figure within the Hip Hop figure, the fact that he is advertising for Reebok shows the viewers that Reebok only handles with the best of the best, incentivising the viewers to buy Rebook.The lighting along with the pose shows the front side of his face only. With the colour palette chosen, it gives 50 Cent an ominous but authoritative feeling.

There are three significant variations of typography within the frame, one being the companies logo at the very bottom, one is in the middle, the writing says "I am what I am" this could mean two things. One, it is promoting the ideology that you should be proud of what you are, no matter the factors. Or it says that the company can make you stand out compared to everyone else. There is another one at the very top, the basic denotation of the text is that you never know what tomorrow is going to bring, so make sure you take advantage of the time and opportunities of today.

I believe that the target audience of the advertisement is around 20-40 year old's, this generally due to the nature of his music not being family friendly. This is also due to that fact that 50 cent isn't really as popular as he was before, the older generations will recognise him more than the younger one generations.

This images denotation is a  Nike advertise. within the frame, it shows a middle shot of Tiger Woods on a golf course looking at his golf ball going towards the hole. The text in the middle is a quote from Tiger Woods telling the viewer that winning solves all your problems. This text gives two messages, one message being motivational, that all of us need to try our hardest to succeed to achieve our aspirations. But the other message seems more shallow, that the only thing in life that matters is winning when in fact, it is not. Nike makes sure to add that exact quote in their advertise to make the viewer feel like Nike can help them to succeed in life. The natural lighting and the pose shows the viewer that the shot was taken in the middle of a match, creating the feeling that Tiger Woods is constantly working to be the best in the world. 

I believe that this advertisement is targeted towards an older age demographic, around 18-30 as not many young viewers would know who Tiger Woods is and not many people above the age of 30 would actively specifically buy Nike.

My consumption audit

• Which daily newspapers (if any) do you read?

I generally don't read newspapers, but I do occasionally read the economist 

• What sections of newspapers do you turn to first, and why?

Since I don't really read newspapers I can't name a specific section. I would say that the section I would most likely turn to would be current affairs or technology 

• What sections do you never read, and why?

I prefer not to read the sports section, they don't interest me 

• What kinds of stories do you usually read and why?

I read anything that catches my interest

• Do you, or someone else, buy the newspaper you read?

My sister pays for all the economist copies at home

• Do you look at the online versions of any newspapers? Which newspapers? Why do you visit their website and not others?

I generally don't read online versions of newspapers

Magazines

• What magazines (if any) do you buy regularly?  Why

I don't read magazines

• What sections of the magazines do you read and not read, and why?

If I did read magazines, I would probably read an article based on either technology or on a celebrity I follow online 

Television

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television?

I would say around 15-17 hours a week 

• What times of day do you usually watch television?

I usually watch tv when I come back from school and about an hour before I sleep

• What programmes do you like best and why?

I enjoy watching comedies such as Friends and Only Fools and Horses, not only that but dramas keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the show, some shows are, The Walking Dead and The Flash. I occasionally watch animes also, some being One Punch Man and Attack on Titan 

• Do you watch alone or with others? If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch?

I watch shows by myself most of the time, but a few shows like The Great British Bake Off I prefer to watch with family 

• Do you watch 'live' TV or on-demand/catch-up? Do you use any other devices to watch TV (such as laptop or tablet?)

No, I like watching TV on a TV screen

Radio

• Do you listen to the radio?

Sometimes in the car, otherwise no 

• If yes, what stations do you like best and why?

Captial sometimes has music I like playing 

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to the radio?

Probably less than an hour a week

• What times of the day do you usually listen to the radio?

No specific times during the day, mainly just when I'm in the car

• Where do you listen to the radio?

Mainly in the car

• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst listening to the radio?

N/A

• Does anyone else in your house listen to the radio? If so, when do they listen?

Sometimes my family when on a family trip 

Cinema

• What films have you seen in the cinema in the last month?

I watch most of my movies at home, but the last movie I watched in a cinema was Spiderman Homecoming 

• What films have you seen in other places – for example, through Netflix, Amazon Prime, satellite/cable film channels (free or otherwise) or streaming?

I've watched many of movies at home so naming them, in particular, would be difficult but some favorites I can mention are, Unbreakable, 12 Years a slave, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and StarWars 

• Who else watched the films with you?

My family

• Who decided what films to watch?

I did 

• What devices do you typically use to watch films: TV, laptop, tablet, phone etc.?

I mainly watch movies on my T.V or laptop

Online

• How often do you access the internet?

I'm constantly accessing the internet daily 

• Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work?

I have access anywhere 3 has a data connection 

• What are the main sites that you access?

I mainly use Instagram and Youtube

• What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment?

I normally access the internet for entertainment 

• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst accessing the internet?

My focus is generally on what I'm doing on the internet 

• What different devices do you use to access the internet? What is your primary device for accessing the internet?

My two only devices I use are my phone and my laptop. I would say my primary device is my phone

• What social networks do you use regularly (e.g. Twitter, Instagram)? Why do you belong to these networks in particular?

My main social medias are Instagram and snapchat, I occasionally use Facebook 

Reflection

• How can you develop the amount and variety of media you consume?

I don't believe that I need to change my media usage, but if I were to I would most likely read the economist more (a newspaper)

• What will you change in your media consumption habits this year as a result of studying A Level Media?

I would most likely watch less TV and or lessen the amount of YouTube I watch 

• List three sources of media (websites/newspapers/apps/TV programmes etc.) that you will start to access this year that you haven't engaged with previously.

I would try to use online news sources more, alongside that I would probably like to read traditional newspapers and netflix  

First blog task

Q1: Why did you choose A level Media Studies?
I chose A level Media Studies for multiple reasons, one being that I'm a big fan of how producers and directors film and create movies and T.V shows. Not only that but I also, another reason being that A-level Media Studies pairs nicely with my Business course.

Q2: Did you take GCSE Media Studies?
No, I did not take GCSE Media Studies


Q4: What grade do you hope to achieve in A Level Media?
Like most students, my goal is to achieve an A*, but my more realistic goal is an A

Q5) What are your current thoughts about your next steps after A-Levels - university, apprenticeship, work?
After A-levels, I plan on applying to SOAS, Royal Holloway, UCL or Surrey

Q6: What do you think is the biggest media story of 2017 and why?
I believe that biggest media story of 2018 has been the Disney and 21st Century fox merger, these two conglomerates are two of the oldest and most popular media companies in the world having their own vast array of rights to certain characters and intellectual property. The combination of the two seems to create quite literally one of the largest monopoly like conglomerate the entertainment industry has ever seen.

Q7: What media sources do you use to find out about news and affairs
I don't often watch news channels but when I do I prefer to watch Aljazeera over any other news channel, I also do read the economist occasionally.

Q8: What was the last movie you watched?
The last movie I watched was the Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Q9: What is your favorite ever TV show 
For me, it's between two shows, The Walking Dead, and  Friends

Q10: How many hours do you spend online in an average day, is this too little, too much or just about right? Why?

I believe I spend around 4-5 hours online a day, I think this is just about right because I spend a majority of my online time on two things, work and YouTube. I believe watching relatable everyday people on YouTubers is much better than watching 3-4 hours of sometimes trash TV