My Media Product

‘Expose’ is a fashion magazine design which I thought would be an interesting form of media product, to convey the key issue of ideologies being promoted to women in contemporary society.

Originally, many photographs were taken, but the posture and appeal of this particular shot seemed appropriate. In Photoshop, I firstly use the white balance and brightness settings to make the photography more edgy. Through use of layers, I then removed the background and carefully smoothed the edges. The text was then created and positioned accordingly.

The blue colour is enticing, which juxtaposes the serious tones of the grey text, which allowed me to convey a serious message. My connotations of ‘Expose’ consist of institutions, promoting ideologies, such as ‘appearance is extremely important’ through the selling of such media texts.

The subtitles include celebrity icons; Victoria Beckham and the Olsen Twins. These appeal to diverse female audiences, as they experience a sense of escapism (uses and gratifications). Women aspire to be like these celebrities. ‘Expose’ reinforces this notion, that women feel they need to seek such advice on fashion, from ‘stereotypical aspiration templates' like Victoria Beckham.

The incorporation of bold and italic phrases in the mise-en-scene creates a sense of urgency to the audience, making material things, such as glamour, fashion and men, appear important. The hypodermic needle theory refers to the audience and how they are metaphorically ‘injected’ with ideologies by the media. These are not criticised or rejected, but we are indeed, heavily influenced by them and will imitate what is portrayed on such magazine covers.

Giant House Rabbit

I wanted to share this image because it enables me to emphasise one of my passions: animals. I took the photograph originally just so I could capture my pet rabbit Peter, doing something spontaneous.

Once I looked back at the image on my laptop, I realised that it was quite an interesting photograph. The fact that he is so enormous and in terms of space, dominates the whole of the closed frame, is quite amusing and almost mythical.

The position of the rabbit almost makes the viewer feel as though they have reduced in size - this personally, is comparable to the expectations of an Alice in Wonderland reality.

Bradford's "Wastefield"

I find the Westfield site in Bradford City Centre absolutely fascinating. It baffles me how the regeneration project is progressing so rapidly, when literally a hole in the city has been left for years. Many sites in Bradford have been left to deteriorate. The old Odeon cinema for example, has been left and is now in such a poor condition that it contains Asbestos.

This photograph signifies change. The fact that somebody has sprayed graffiti over the barriers surrounding the Westfield site, shows that it goes unnoticed. There is some slight reassurance knowing that there are people out there, that care.

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is a renowned Japanese animation film studio. One of my favourite directors and also the co-founder of Studio Ghibli is Hayao Miyazaki. Most of my favourite films derive from the anime genre, produced by Miyazaki. These include Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Most of Miyazaki’s films critically explore contemporary issues such as feminism, war, and industrialisation. All of these films follow the theme of relationships and developments between protagonists.

I am going to focus on a few films from the Studio Ghibli collection and explore the key themes and issues in more detail.

Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away"

Spirited Away is probably the most renowned film from the Studio Ghibli collection. The main theme that can be identified from this film is the plight of Chihiro from childhood, to adolescence.

Spirited away explores postmodernism; the relationship between Chihiro and her parents, the recession of the city which has led to the abandonment of the fair ground and also the industrialisation and environmental damage that progresses through time, which led to the loss of the Haku river.

The vibrant colours used on this image portray the fantasies of a child, imagining the unimaginable. The central position of Chihiro’s rigid body indicates that she is the main protagonist, and will endure some form of journey, whether this is physical or metaphorical. The enigma that remains is what potential epic journey does Chihiro encounter, with the presence of the mythical creatures positioned behind her?

Studio Ghibli's "Grave of the Fireflies"

Grave of the Fireflies is a compelling anti-war film which was written and directed by Isao Takahata in 1988. The film is based on the 1940’s war time Japan, where there was a distinct presence of hardship.

Grave of the fireflies focuses on two siblings, Seita, and his little sister, Setsuko. During the bombing, the children become orphans and have to survive through the war, but experience tragic loss and the effects of malnutrition.

The DVD cover contains many connotations of Fireflies. In the film there is a presence of fireflies which the two children catch, watch and capture. These insects act as metaphors for the young siblings, as they tragically die at a young age. Another interpretation that can be made from the fireflies, is that the bombs being dropped by the enemy, are illuminating the sky and harming civilisation.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto is a highly controversial game, rated for 18 year olds. I chose to write a blog on the cover for the fourth game released for Grand Theft Auto, because it is so influential to the younger generation of today’s society.

Although the graphics appear very realistic in this game, they are only a reflection of our expectations of realism. For example, when a protagonist is has been shot in the game, they react and continue shooting back as if nothing had happened, but in reality, we wouldn’t be able to pursue a gangster at high speeds in a vehicle, whilst shooting a gun (classic iconography of violence).

Games are vital for visual culture. In terms of uses and gratifications (Blumler and Katz), they create a sense of escapism, which allows us to experience activities which in reality, we wouldn’t practice.

Banksy's "I Want Change"

The deep red of the wall in Banksy’s ‘I want change’ street art conveys serious political undertones. On the sign that the homeless man is embracing, is small text reading: ‘Keep your coins, I want change.’ In terms of semiotics, the sign and worn clothes signify that the man is homeless and the environment surrounding him, which is only along the street.

The sign contains punctuation, which gives connotations that the homeless man is educated. A stereotype of homeless people is that they are alcohol and drug abusers, which usually leads the assumption that they are from an uneducated, subordinate social background.

Whether or not this is the harsh reality intended to be represented by Banksy, my interpretation of this sign, is that a larger percentage of society needs to take action towards the homeless to keep them from the streets.

One of the reasons why I like Banksy’s work is that he isn’t reluctant to express his truth.

Banksy's "One Nation Under CCTV"

Banksy is a British graffiti artist that produces his street art to portray his perspective on ethics, culture and politics. ‘One Nation Under CCTV’ for me, demonstrates that no matter where or who we are, we are always being observed and our actions always lead to consequences.

The question that is provoked from this piece of art is: ‘how much wrong must there be in today’s society, for us to be under such profound observation?’ The location of the graffiti is stereotypical of the estates found in Britain. The buildings are not aesthetically pleasing. The ‘no entry’ sign anchors the notion that it is a dangerous place to be.

A sense of realism can be extracted from this street art because as a nation and individually, we will be observed many times in our life span, whether this is for the benefit of others, or due to consequences of our own actions.

Perhaps Banksy is trying to express that we, as a society, lack the freedom that we deserve.

Studio Ghibli's "Princess Mononoke"

This blog will be used to express my initial interpretations of the Princess Mononoke trailer. To start with, non-diegetic music can be heard, which is eerie and provokes an anxious feeling.

A sense of purity is apparent, as natural and mythical shots are used, as the god walks and plants grow up, around his legs and also the small white creatures, almost metaphorically act as light, guiding the warrior and princess.

Juxtaposed to the theme of purity, is the idea of mankind being destructive. The grey represents pollution and the black tar is a stereotypical image associated with pollution. The explosions are abrupt, and the mist reinforces the ghastly atmosphere of war.

“The richest land in the world” gives connotations that the ideological values within the film surround monetary and hegemonic values in the iron industry. The war that is created from such values creates an unbalance between mankind and the force of nature. This is signified by the thunder, which is a metaphor for the angry gods, or alternatively, the consequences of pollution.

The main themes of this trailer are: death, fate, love, nature, mankind and greed. Heroic music (again, non-diegetic) fades in towards the end, implying that the princess and the warrior help nature to overcome the destruction of mankind.

Introduction to Blogging

My intentions for these blogs, is to relate to identity. I want to explore pieces of art which I find compelling, to give and receive constructive criticism for my own pieces of work and also represent issues and objects within contemporary society.

Some of the illustrated blogs, will contain images of various pages taken from my Visual Diary. I hope to give a detailed analysis of the thoughts that I encountered whilst putting together the most vital and personal pages of my diary.

I hope that this will give a more thorough insight into my interests and personality and also to enable me to learn more about myself and express my ideas and thoughts.

Amsterdam Experience

Another significant part of my identity belongs with travelling. Although I have only been to a small selection of countries, I aspire to visit many more and take in the culture and the variations of nature.

Amsterdam is always associated with prostitutes and marijuana, which seems so pessimistic towards the city. However, there was so much more to embrace. The architecture, which you can see to the bottom left of the image, is fascinating. From the 17th century canal rings, to the historical infrastructures, which façade the modern buildings you would normally anticipate with such a popular city.

Dissimilarity from the traditional characteristics of Amsterdam can be indentified from what can only be connoted as contemporary influences on society; for example, the iconography of youth today, alcohol and unhealthy food. Whether or not any of these things are considered as acceptable, or inappropriate, or not particularly valued, each contributed to the whole experience of another culture.

Glamour Exposed

Behind this depiction of glamour is the notion that beauty and glamour are important - such values are ultimately manipulated by the media. There is an iconic relationship between the accessories worn by the model, sunglasses and court sandals (the signifiers), to the concept being signified: glamour.

The foil material was used to represent the blinding lights of the journalists that obsess over latest fashions and trends, worn by celebrities. The collage of printed articles connotates how media institutions reinforce the notion of women turning to such texts, to be offered aspirational templates of perfection, in relation to beauty, fashion and glamour.

It is interesting to explore and create something that is an aspect of women’s everyday lives and how the media can have such a huge influence on how we think and perceive such trivial topics.

Textured Identity

For this piece of work, I will be considering semiotics and how texture can impact the connotations conveyed by the audience. My physical form not only signifies my existence, but it also portrays my personality. Taking into consideration the ideological value, that appearance is important; I shall briefly explore personality through aesthetics.

The use of texture, adds depth to the image, this acts as a metaphor: 'there is more to what meets the eye.' The green space was made from dried grass. Nature is an aspect of my identity as it is something I enjoy being around. The complimenting blue tones in the sky are formed by various pieces of thread, paper and ribbon. This may be for dramatic effect, but it also represents the creativity and imagination that i possess.

In a sense, I feel that this representation portrays society as it is created by many fragments of nature and mankind – both of these influences impact our lives.

Abstract Lily

This photograph was taken in my bedroom with a Fuji Finepix S1500 and edited in Photoshop CS2. The purpose of this photograph was to capture the lily in a bouquet of flowers. The camera setting was set to scene recognition. Although I tried many other settings, this one seemed most appropriate and formed better quality.

The contrast between the colour and desaturation is very apparent. The vivid pink of the lily grabs the attention of the audience, especially as it dominates the majority of the close-up frame. We can make connotations that the smaller flowers surrounding the lily are less significant, weaker, as the lily is reaching above them, striving towards the sunlight.

Although this photograph can be improved upon, I particularly like it because I can relate it to my identity. Lilies are my favourite flowers, and in a sense this photograph could act as a metaphor for my self, as I like to stand proud and strive towards my aspirations.