Week 1
-Research other leading publications such as; Heat, Ok and Star etc.
-Identify similar the codes and conventions
-Research into the Circulation of magazines
-Carry out psychographics research
Week 2
-Create a double page spread of the 'Fashions' page
-Carry out a survey for a group of GHS girls, covering the key issues of celebrity influences. E.g. Health Issues and Teenage Pregnancy etc
Week 3
-Conclude the survey results
-Draft and take photos of the interveiw
-Finalise mock ups
Week 4/5
-Adjusting and changing mock ups
-Begin to create the magazine, adding in any additional texts and images to articles
-Re-draft article texts to ensure that the language is addressable to our target audeince
Friday, 26 February 2010
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
More Research...
Teen Magazine genre
Teen magazines are magazines aimed at younger teenage readers, usually young women. They usually consisted of gossip, news, fashion tips and interviews and may include posters, stickers, small samples of cosmetics or other products and inserts. In the United States, teen magazines were conceived of during the 1940s. In the United Kingdom, Fleetway's Honey (1960-1986) is regarded as having established the sector. Teen magazines are produced in many countries worldwide, and enjoy wide popularity in Australia, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Seventeen Magazine started publication in the US in 1944 and was the first magazine devoted to the needs and likes of adolescents. While some teen magazines focus almost exclusively on music and film stars, others feature more extensive coverage of lifestyle issues and are virtually junior versions of magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Cleo. In many countries, teen magazines are aimed almost exclusively at teenage girls.
Market Research Report
The teenage magazine sector has been shrinking rapidly since 2005, and still faces significant threats from a number of sources. One of the main factors leading to what seems to be the imminent demise of the sector is the `Kids Getting Older Younger' (KGOY) phenomenon. Rather than reading magazines created especially for their age group, young teenagers are turning to women's lifestyle glossies and celebrity magazines aimed at older readers.However, the biggest threat to the sector comes from other forms of entertainment — notably the Internet, but also television and radio. Teenagers are now able to access information about music and the other things that interest them almost instantly through the Internet, television and mobile telephones, and traditional teenage magazines struggle to compete with this.Most magazines within the sector have responded by creating their own online presence, but circulation figures for the traditional magazines continue to decline.
Week 1 - Mock Up
Above, is just a first insight of what the 'Glossy Magazine' will contain. As you can see we have gone for a binary opposition which is, Day Vs Night. This can be seen through the type of clothing we are going to promote to out audience. From looking at the double spread ewe have decided to go for a day wear page and night ewear page. Though, we are considering of having another clothing page similar to this one but, will contain a theme of summer swimwear.
Friday, 12 February 2010
PowerPoint Evaluation
By evaluating the presentation, I thought it was effective towards the audience and was clear to the financial backer to what we hope to pitch and produce over a specific period of time. The presentation went well in terms of, making a clear explanation, using media terminolgy, having a good colour scheme and eleborating upon each point.
Though, our presentation was significant and well structured it could of been simple in terms of the amount of text written on some sldes. Also, we could have mentioned audience theory in deeper depth along with psychographics and circulation fiugures for other leading publishers, such as; Closer, Heat, OK and Star.
Our next step will be to have a mock up of 'Glossy Magazine' and draft articles that will be included within the publication. These could consist of; Interveiws, Agony Aunt letters and general articles about celebrity influences upon teenage girls.
Though, our presentation was significant and well structured it could of been simple in terms of the amount of text written on some sldes. Also, we could have mentioned audience theory in deeper depth along with psychographics and circulation fiugures for other leading publishers, such as; Closer, Heat, OK and Star.
Our next step will be to have a mock up of 'Glossy Magazine' and draft articles that will be included within the publication. These could consist of; Interveiws, Agony Aunt letters and general articles about celebrity influences upon teenage girls.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Research Homework - Production
List of 3 texts that I will use for my investigation, these magazines consist of:
· Heat
· Star
· OK
Heat – The website is controlled by Bauer London, a company incorporated in England and Wales. The magazine is concentrated around the generation of celebrities, lifestyle and gossip. The magazine offers the best in entertainment and celebrity news every week, This magazine is one the best selling magazines in the UK. The magazine was first launched in 1999 as a general entertainment mag. and was expanding in the market as years went by due to the success of readers and sales.
Star – The magazine was founded by a male called Rupert Murdoch in 1974 as a competition to the tabloid. The magazine mainly focuses upon celebrity coverage and gossip. Star was a great success and was soon recognised and established. The magazine is updated weekly and was first produced in the United States. It is said that, “The magazine came out on top as the most-read magazine, book or blog in a survey of 11- to 14-year-olds” and is consumed by a significant amount of young teenage girls.
OK- the OK magazine is packed out with big celebrity stories, photographs and stars from the world of showbiz and entertainment. This magazine includes all sorts of features for its audience, such as; fashion, gossip, competitions, break up and make up etc. In 1974 the institution started as a small publishing company with limitless vision. In the 80’s a range of special magazines were launched and only a specific amount were sold in the 90’s. However, the celebrity publishing was a success and women were the main target for these sales and readings. The OK magazine made the magazine print industry stronger as there were celebrity connections from the magazines. the process of making decisions can be done very often, and this is due to having the advantage of short lines of communication. Also, due to the ownership, which includes reproduction and distribution, there was tight control and there was commmitment as well as stamina, which contributed to the investment until the title had reached a higher status and had become market leader.
Whilst analysing this text we can see that, OK magazine has used bright and appealing colours in order to attract the audience eye. For instance; the colours yellow and red have the connotation of love and happiness. Meanwhile, there is high key lighting that is used for the medium shot image and big bold fonts to attract the reader’s attention. Also, the fact that they have 'EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS & PHOTOS' draws the audience to wanting to read the magazine.
In 1974 the institution started as a small publishing company with limitless vision. In the 80’s a range of special magazines were launched and only a specific amount were sold in the 90’s. However, the celebrity publishing was a success and women were the main target for these sales and readings.
The target audience for this text would be mainly females aged from around 16+. The magazine can be consumed through audience gratification, for instance, individuals may relate some of the articles to their own personal relationship or for escapsim purposes. Perhaps, they may just read the text simply for their visual pleasure.
The representation of the front cover of OK shows that in some way Tiger Woods is being represented as a sexual object as we can see some clevage through her provocative top.
· Heat
· Star
· OK
Heat – The website is controlled by Bauer London, a company incorporated in England and Wales. The magazine is concentrated around the generation of celebrities, lifestyle and gossip. The magazine offers the best in entertainment and celebrity news every week, This magazine is one the best selling magazines in the UK. The magazine was first launched in 1999 as a general entertainment mag. and was expanding in the market as years went by due to the success of readers and sales.
Star – The magazine was founded by a male called Rupert Murdoch in 1974 as a competition to the tabloid. The magazine mainly focuses upon celebrity coverage and gossip. Star was a great success and was soon recognised and established. The magazine is updated weekly and was first produced in the United States. It is said that, “The magazine came out on top as the most-read magazine, book or blog in a survey of 11- to 14-year-olds” and is consumed by a significant amount of young teenage girls.
OK- the OK magazine is packed out with big celebrity stories, photographs and stars from the world of showbiz and entertainment. This magazine includes all sorts of features for its audience, such as; fashion, gossip, competitions, break up and make up etc. In 1974 the institution started as a small publishing company with limitless vision. In the 80’s a range of special magazines were launched and only a specific amount were sold in the 90’s. However, the celebrity publishing was a success and women were the main target for these sales and readings. The OK magazine made the magazine print industry stronger as there were celebrity connections from the magazines. the process of making decisions can be done very often, and this is due to having the advantage of short lines of communication. Also, due to the ownership, which includes reproduction and distribution, there was tight control and there was commmitment as well as stamina, which contributed to the investment until the title had reached a higher status and had become market leader.
Whilst analysing this text we can see that, OK magazine has used bright and appealing colours in order to attract the audience eye. For instance; the colours yellow and red have the connotation of love and happiness. Meanwhile, there is high key lighting that is used for the medium shot image and big bold fonts to attract the reader’s attention. Also, the fact that they have 'EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS & PHOTOS' draws the audience to wanting to read the magazine.
In 1974 the institution started as a small publishing company with limitless vision. In the 80’s a range of special magazines were launched and only a specific amount were sold in the 90’s. However, the celebrity publishing was a success and women were the main target for these sales and readings.
The target audience for this text would be mainly females aged from around 16+. The magazine can be consumed through audience gratification, for instance, individuals may relate some of the articles to their own personal relationship or for escapsim purposes. Perhaps, they may just read the text simply for their visual pleasure.
The representation of the front cover of OK shows that in some way Tiger Woods is being represented as a sexual object as we can see some clevage through her provocative top.
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Task 6 - Introduction & First Paragraph
"Stop calling each other sluts; it makes it okay for boys to call you that."[1]
To a certain extent females in teen movies are seen to be bimbos and objects. This could be due to the way they are represented in movies and the props that they are dressed in, which is mainly provocative. A vast majority of the time, “female stars are constructed to appeal to male desire”[2] and therefore to appeal to a male audience female in teen movies are represented as objects. Laura Mulvey’s argued that “Hollywood cinema objectified women in an image for the pleasure of men”[3] this can be evident to why females are represented negatively on screen and act the seductive manner they are represented having. This idea is evident in the 2004 movie, ‘Mean Girls, follows the protagonist on her journey to becoming a ‘plastic’. The plastics, as the main protagonists of the narrative, are shown to be complete opposites. Regina George is shown to be the femme fatale of the movie, with ‘her lackies’ Karen Smith (the bimbo) and Gretchen Weiner (the sheep) following her every move which relates back to the idea of a child wanting to be exactly like her favourite ‘Barbie doll’.
[1] Mean Girls Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film.
[2]http://dominantroles.blogspot.com/
[3] Laura Mulvey’s (1975),"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
At the start of the movie, it is evident that Karen Smith, the first of the plastics that we are introduced to, is a bimbo. The scene depicts the ‘plastics’ partaking in a physical education lesson where Karen runs to catch the ball but accidentally hitting it with her ‘boobs’ instead. Another female character, Janice, who contrastingly is shown to be a gothic, masculine figure, tells the protagonist “That’s Karen Smith, she’s one of the dumbest girls you’ll ever meet.”[1] The close up shots of the group of friends sitting on the grass laugh and talk about ‘Karen Smith’ and start mocking her and what she did to Damien in their English class. “She asked me how to spell ‘orange’!” [2]This reinforces her status as the bimbo as ‘orange’ is a word which children are taught to spell in the early years of primary.
[1] Mean Girls Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film
[2] Mean Girls Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film.
Further, the common stereotype of a female is the term ‘bimbo’, which is typically shown through, blonde hair, flashy make-up, large breasts, mini skirt and high heels. Also, she is seen to be uneducated, helpless and stupid, this appeal to a primary audience of males due to the male desire, which reinforces the idea of Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze. Females in teen movies are given more the passive roles than the active whereby, “In the past, lead roles for women have always seemed scarce compared to males”[1] This quote shows that female actresses had limited roles against men as they over powered the cinema. In ’Mean Girls’ the female actresses have the roles of being a distinctive ‘girly’ girl. However, males play part in more of the action part of the script. “When females have roles, they are mostly shown as being negative roles,”[1] this can be seen in the movie Mean Girls as they are constantly being represented negatively throughout the film, which is due to the role that they have been told to play and take part in. This can be due to the clothing they wear and the way they act. For example; the medium slow motion shot of the four main protagonists in Mean Girls draws attention to the clothing, which is exceedingly sexual which backs up the quote above. What’s more, a shot shows the way the ‘four plastics’ walk in the corridor, this somewhat shows that the characters are seductive and resembles a predator going after its prey, reinforcing that they are ‘man eaters’.
[1] http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_annihilation
[1] Laura Mulvey’s (1975),"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
More to the point, “The typical complaint is that women in films are either 'virgins, mothers or whores”[1], this quote shows that women have set roles in cinema viewings, which portrays the fact that there will always be an appalling and negative reputation for females. This can seen in the text ‘Mean ‘Girls’ as there is a particular clip in the film showing Karen Smith going inside her bedroom with a male, Which then her mum knock on the door and say’s: “Can I get you kids anything? Something to eat or drink?, How about a Condom?”[2] This quote shows that mothers are seen to be just as bad and near enough saying that having sex is acceptable and ok. However, this goes against the typical ideology of women as they are meant to be represented as housewives that cook and clean for their family. Also, it shows how values have changed over time in society as parents in the past would educate their child about something useful and necessary. The fact that she said ‘kid’ makes it more dramatic as it shows that their not even old enough to have sex.
[1] http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824016/index.html
[2] Mean Girls. Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film.
On the other hand, female stars are making the films more exciting and thrilling to watch. This can be due to “The number of female protagonists has increased, and female characters play a larger part in propelling the narrative forward”[1]. This can be obvious through the role of being a sexual object to satisfy the male desire or being a ‘bimbo’ to make the film appeal to a wider market. Also, the quote shows that females are being used to make the film more recognised and known, and this will be done by the way they act on screen and the role that they will play.
[1] http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824016/index.html
The main protagonists are dressed in tight costumes such as; long leather boots, tight leather like red skirts and boob tubes. The connotation of this specific colour signifies love, passion and romance. Combining both the connotations and provocative clothing shows that the text is partially for a male audience because, males are seen to be attracted to the female body, and the red connotation represents romance between the opposite sexes. Therefore the "Audience gains voyeuristic pleasure from watching a film"[1]
[1] Jill, Nelmes, 1996, An Introduction To Film Studies, London, Jill Nelmes. Page 230
Also, the text can be viewed for a C1 and below demo-graphic audience. Moreover, the audience can relate to the text for escapism and surveillance purposes. Whereby; they may relate the text to their personal relationship or watch the film for their own visual pleasure. The target audience for the film is mainly targeted at females who may watch the text for personal identity.
In contrast, the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) The reason why I have chosen this text in contrast to mean girls is because, it is a well recognized mainstream hit whereas, mean girls is a modernized version of a teen movie in today’s generation. The film is about a man who moves into a New York apartment building and becomes interested in his pretty, quirky neighbour Holly Golightly. Her lifestyle is somewhat different as it is confusing and fascinates Paul. It is said that in public she flirts around, being sexy and sophisticated but when the two are alone she plays a sweet and vulnerable act. Even though, Audrey Hepburn plays a daring and sexy part in this film. She does not expose her body in an appealing way and to satisfy the male audience and their desire.
Although, she is sexy, stunning and sophisticated she does not show it in a seductive or provocative way. For instance; she does not show off flesh and is only a one man’s women. Never the less, in mean girls this is represented in the opposite way as young teenage girls are seen as sexual objects and dumb blonde bimbos. By this, we can see how much society has changed over years gone by because, films in the 60’s were seen to be more about housewives and even though they were sexy they didn’t make it seductive in order to please the audience. Therefore; this goes against the typical values for women as their roles are changing as years go by.
Never the less, this is not the type of representation we as the audience would accept from a 1960’s film. As females were more to be seen as housewives, this goes against the hegemony values as this film shows a women that is seductive and sexy in a discreet way. Though, a vast majority of the time, the props that were worn throughout the movie was a long black dress which could signify that she’s powerful, has strong emotions and is sophisticated. Also, the fact that she wears a dark colour dress can be because, she’s feeling inconspicuous and maybe empty.
Whilst studying the title on a number of different media platforms identify how this representation can be presented on broadcast, print and e-media. For example, for e-media the representation of teenage girls can be exaggerated on websites such as; miss bimbo. Whereby; the audience can create characters to their own likening. The user generated content allows individuals to get more involved with each other and share their opinions. On the website, www.missbimbo.com people can get involved with each other and talk amongst them. The website is more concentrated on how consumers can create their own characters and can browse the site for fashion tips and news etc.
To a certain extent females in teen movies are seen to be bimbos and objects. This could be due to the way they are represented in movies and the props that they are dressed in, which is mainly provocative. A vast majority of the time, “female stars are constructed to appeal to male desire”[2] and therefore to appeal to a male audience female in teen movies are represented as objects. Laura Mulvey’s argued that “Hollywood cinema objectified women in an image for the pleasure of men”[3] this can be evident to why females are represented negatively on screen and act the seductive manner they are represented having. This idea is evident in the 2004 movie, ‘Mean Girls, follows the protagonist on her journey to becoming a ‘plastic’. The plastics, as the main protagonists of the narrative, are shown to be complete opposites. Regina George is shown to be the femme fatale of the movie, with ‘her lackies’ Karen Smith (the bimbo) and Gretchen Weiner (the sheep) following her every move which relates back to the idea of a child wanting to be exactly like her favourite ‘Barbie doll’.
[1] Mean Girls Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film.
[2]http://dominantroles.blogspot.com/
[3] Laura Mulvey’s (1975),"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
At the start of the movie, it is evident that Karen Smith, the first of the plastics that we are introduced to, is a bimbo. The scene depicts the ‘plastics’ partaking in a physical education lesson where Karen runs to catch the ball but accidentally hitting it with her ‘boobs’ instead. Another female character, Janice, who contrastingly is shown to be a gothic, masculine figure, tells the protagonist “That’s Karen Smith, she’s one of the dumbest girls you’ll ever meet.”[1] The close up shots of the group of friends sitting on the grass laugh and talk about ‘Karen Smith’ and start mocking her and what she did to Damien in their English class. “She asked me how to spell ‘orange’!” [2]This reinforces her status as the bimbo as ‘orange’ is a word which children are taught to spell in the early years of primary.
[1] Mean Girls Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film
[2] Mean Girls Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film.
Further, the common stereotype of a female is the term ‘bimbo’, which is typically shown through, blonde hair, flashy make-up, large breasts, mini skirt and high heels. Also, she is seen to be uneducated, helpless and stupid, this appeal to a primary audience of males due to the male desire, which reinforces the idea of Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze. Females in teen movies are given more the passive roles than the active whereby, “In the past, lead roles for women have always seemed scarce compared to males”[1] This quote shows that female actresses had limited roles against men as they over powered the cinema. In ’Mean Girls’ the female actresses have the roles of being a distinctive ‘girly’ girl. However, males play part in more of the action part of the script. “When females have roles, they are mostly shown as being negative roles,”[1] this can be seen in the movie Mean Girls as they are constantly being represented negatively throughout the film, which is due to the role that they have been told to play and take part in. This can be due to the clothing they wear and the way they act. For example; the medium slow motion shot of the four main protagonists in Mean Girls draws attention to the clothing, which is exceedingly sexual which backs up the quote above. What’s more, a shot shows the way the ‘four plastics’ walk in the corridor, this somewhat shows that the characters are seductive and resembles a predator going after its prey, reinforcing that they are ‘man eaters’.
[1] http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_annihilation
[1] Laura Mulvey’s (1975),"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
More to the point, “The typical complaint is that women in films are either 'virgins, mothers or whores”[1], this quote shows that women have set roles in cinema viewings, which portrays the fact that there will always be an appalling and negative reputation for females. This can seen in the text ‘Mean ‘Girls’ as there is a particular clip in the film showing Karen Smith going inside her bedroom with a male, Which then her mum knock on the door and say’s: “Can I get you kids anything? Something to eat or drink?, How about a Condom?”[2] This quote shows that mothers are seen to be just as bad and near enough saying that having sex is acceptable and ok. However, this goes against the typical ideology of women as they are meant to be represented as housewives that cook and clean for their family. Also, it shows how values have changed over time in society as parents in the past would educate their child about something useful and necessary. The fact that she said ‘kid’ makes it more dramatic as it shows that their not even old enough to have sex.
[1] http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824016/index.html
[2] Mean Girls. Dir. Mark Waters (Viii). Perf. Mark Waters. Paramount, 2004. Film.
On the other hand, female stars are making the films more exciting and thrilling to watch. This can be due to “The number of female protagonists has increased, and female characters play a larger part in propelling the narrative forward”[1]. This can be obvious through the role of being a sexual object to satisfy the male desire or being a ‘bimbo’ to make the film appeal to a wider market. Also, the quote shows that females are being used to make the film more recognised and known, and this will be done by the way they act on screen and the role that they will play.
[1] http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824016/index.html
The main protagonists are dressed in tight costumes such as; long leather boots, tight leather like red skirts and boob tubes. The connotation of this specific colour signifies love, passion and romance. Combining both the connotations and provocative clothing shows that the text is partially for a male audience because, males are seen to be attracted to the female body, and the red connotation represents romance between the opposite sexes. Therefore the "Audience gains voyeuristic pleasure from watching a film"[1]
[1] Jill, Nelmes, 1996, An Introduction To Film Studies, London, Jill Nelmes. Page 230
Also, the text can be viewed for a C1 and below demo-graphic audience. Moreover, the audience can relate to the text for escapism and surveillance purposes. Whereby; they may relate the text to their personal relationship or watch the film for their own visual pleasure. The target audience for the film is mainly targeted at females who may watch the text for personal identity.
In contrast, the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) The reason why I have chosen this text in contrast to mean girls is because, it is a well recognized mainstream hit whereas, mean girls is a modernized version of a teen movie in today’s generation. The film is about a man who moves into a New York apartment building and becomes interested in his pretty, quirky neighbour Holly Golightly. Her lifestyle is somewhat different as it is confusing and fascinates Paul. It is said that in public she flirts around, being sexy and sophisticated but when the two are alone she plays a sweet and vulnerable act. Even though, Audrey Hepburn plays a daring and sexy part in this film. She does not expose her body in an appealing way and to satisfy the male audience and their desire.
Although, she is sexy, stunning and sophisticated she does not show it in a seductive or provocative way. For instance; she does not show off flesh and is only a one man’s women. Never the less, in mean girls this is represented in the opposite way as young teenage girls are seen as sexual objects and dumb blonde bimbos. By this, we can see how much society has changed over years gone by because, films in the 60’s were seen to be more about housewives and even though they were sexy they didn’t make it seductive in order to please the audience. Therefore; this goes against the typical values for women as their roles are changing as years go by.
Never the less, this is not the type of representation we as the audience would accept from a 1960’s film. As females were more to be seen as housewives, this goes against the hegemony values as this film shows a women that is seductive and sexy in a discreet way. Though, a vast majority of the time, the props that were worn throughout the movie was a long black dress which could signify that she’s powerful, has strong emotions and is sophisticated. Also, the fact that she wears a dark colour dress can be because, she’s feeling inconspicuous and maybe empty.
Whilst studying the title on a number of different media platforms identify how this representation can be presented on broadcast, print and e-media. For example, for e-media the representation of teenage girls can be exaggerated on websites such as; miss bimbo. Whereby; the audience can create characters to their own likening. The user generated content allows individuals to get more involved with each other and share their opinions. On the website, www.missbimbo.com people can get involved with each other and talk amongst them. The website is more concentrated on how consumers can create their own characters and can browse the site for fashion tips and news etc.
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