MEDIA LANUAGE

 QUESTION: How far do MOJO and RNR use different media language to create different connotations? (CONNOTATION meaning: an idea or quality that a word makes you think about in addition to its meaning.)

Answer on your blog. This is a high-value question and should take all lesson to answer. You can use the class blog search engine for more examples of how to analyse music magazines.

In your answer you should have 2 paragraphs:

• analyse the media language in MOJO and RNR magazine. 'Media language' includes the placement of the main image, the type of photography, lighting, colours, fonts, how busy or restrained the cover is, the layout (such as alignment to the margins), how serious or playful 
• make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the media language is used differently in both extracts to create different connotations. Are there similarities in both covers? What sorts of audiences are they targeting? You could think about MOJO's rock aesthetic of living loud and dangerously compared to RNR's folk, rock, blues vibe. 

The magazines use very different colour schemes to create the artist shown on the front page's image. Mojo's colour scheme consists of bight blue, black, white and a few yellow accents. While RNR uses much duller tones such as brown, black and white. This reflects the artist shown on the front page and their music style. Just from looking at the front cover were can infer that Christy Moore probably makes calm, slower music while Foo Fighters perhaps make more fast pace and rocky music. 

The magazines also have a very different layout, RNR's layout is clear, all the writing is in the same colour (white) and there isn't much that jumps out at you and catches your attention. Really accentuating the calm and relaxed vibe this magazine has. MOJO on the other hand has a huge title outlined in neon red that jumps out at you and the writing has a yellow accent to draw your attention to it. It looks exciting and different, almost intimidating. 

Another huge difference is how the artist are posing, Christy Moore looks clam and approachable, wearing a plain t-shirt and looking relaxed. This really captures the calm blues vibe this magazine and artist have, drawing in people who enjoy calm, folk rock and blues music. while Foo Fighters looks angry and amped up, ready to for an adrenaline rush as if he's about to jump out at you, staring directly at the camera and bearing his teeth in an animal-like manner. This will capture the attention of rock enthusiast, it shows the excitement and danger that hard rock brings. 

MOJO REPRESENTATION

 TASK:  Copy this MOJO 2019 cover into a new blog post entitled  MOJO: REPRESENTATION. Then write 4 points, one each about about the following.

How the producers have chosen to construct a version of reality that represents events, social groups and ideas to fit their purposes:

• MOJO wishes to attract a target audience that shares its reverence for ‘classic rock’ so constructs a version of reality that represents musicians as authentic heroes, striving for excellence

The messages and values conveyed and issues addressed:

• MOJO’s front cover associates musicians with quest, danger and struggle, celebrating the values associated with rock music of ‘living fast and dying young’
  

How and why (e.g. to enable quick interpretation) stereotypes have been used, including anti-stereotyping / counter-stereotyping:

• MOJO’s selection of a cover photograph of a white male may be to fit the stereotype of rock musicians – this will enable instant recognition by audiences
  

• MOJO’s anti-stereotypical positive representation of older people as popular musicians. This may reflect the anti-ageism of an older audience

0. 
   

Which social groups are under-represented or misrepresented:

• MOJO’s front cover represents predominantly white male musicians in photographs, under- representing female musicians and musicians of colour

0. There is a lack of representation for people of colour, all the people seen on the magazine are white. This is because it's target audience is predominantly white and male, which is why almost all people shown on mojos covers are men, just like this one which has a huge huge picture of a man right in the centre and only a tiny picture of a woman in the corner. 

MAGAZINE COVER

 

POPCORN HOMEWORK

 What is cross cutting and when can it be used?

Cross cutting is done during video editing to cut from one scene to another, showing what is happening at the same time in different locations to different characters. It can be used as foreshadowing, to show or suggest what is about to happen or when there is more than one plot within the show. 

LEGO MOVIE POSTER REPRESENTATION

 PREP You all have a handout with the individual character posters and the ensemble poster.

Analyse how gender has been represented in The Lego Movie poster campaign. Use the written handout to help you answer this exam question (10 marks)

The Lego Movie is an action move and like most action movies it is quite male dominated. This is portrayed in the poster campaign which consists of almost all male characters, Wyldstyle being the only exception. This really plays into stereotypical male attributes of dominating, strong and violent while women are seen as having more shy, quiet and small attributes.

 This is really shown in Lord Business' poster where he is portrayed as angry and violent by his angry eye brows, rage filled shout and angry red teeth-like helmet taking up most of the poster. This also portrays him as a very stereotypical villain, filled with rage and hatred, desperate to get what he wants no matter what. 

 However, Wyldstyle does not fit any of these stereotypically feminine attributes, she is shown as a confident, powerful woman who knows exactly what she's doing, this is really well portrayed in the poster campaign as she is smirking confidently at the camera and showing off her very anti-stereotypical dark, funky hair style. But she is still shown as feminine and beautiful by her heart -shaped lips and long eyelashes, making her desirable and painting her not as a damsel in distress but still a damsel and the perfect love interest for the hero.

Emmet, like Wyldstyle, doesn't fit into a stereotypical roles. He is portrayed as scared, confused and unsure of himself, the opposite of the expected characteristics for a man and a hero. This is shown amazingly in the poster campaign where we see Emmet with wide, afraid eyes and a fear-filled scream overtaking his facial features. His boring and ordinary hairstyle is also on show, further proving what an anti-stereotypical hero he is, not at all special or different in any way but instead very able and happy to fit in and follow the crowd. 

Vitruvius is not shown with typically male or female attributes, he is not strong and violent but he isn't shy and quiet either. He is portrayed as a wise, old wizard, filled with knowledge that he is ready to share with the hero when he is in need of guidance. This is shown in the poster campaign by his long white hair and beard, which is very stereotypical for a wise old man, and his bright shinning eyes showing his magical and wise attributes off perfectly. 

In conclusion, The Lego Movie is stereotypical as it is very male dominated and has a stereotypical evil, hateful and rage-filled persona and stereotypical wise old wizard, there for knowledge and guidance for the hero. But it also has an anti-stereotypical hero and female main role, the hero being scared, confused and ordinary and the female lead being confident and powerful but still beautiful and desirable. 

LEGO REGULATION

 Task 3: Go to the BBFC site and research age ratings. Why was The Lego Movie (2014) given a U rating? You need to click on the Ratings info

  

Go to the PEGI site and research what age ratings are about. Why is The Lego Movie video game classification 7+?

The Lego Movie was given a U rating because of it's very mild bad language, no swear words were used instead words such as "bum" "darn" and "heck" were used, and  fight scenes were not at all gruesome with hits that were only implied instead of shown. 

LEGO INDUSTRY

 franchise - A collection of media products (films, TV programmes and videogames) all based on one piece of work e.g. THE LEGO MOVIE, LEGO MOVIE 2 and THE LEG MOVIE VIDEOGAME 

synergy - Different areas of the media industry working together to promote the same product e.g. THE LEGO MOVIE uses linked products such as the DC superheroes and Lego figurines  

 tent-pole -  A film that expects to make vast profits and can use these profits to fund other projects 

 production - Making or manufacturing something e.g. the making of LEO MOVIE

 ensemble cast -  A cast composed of multiple characters that relate to everyone e.g. the large cast of LEGO MOVIE

 conglomerate - A large business organization that owns many companies  e.g. Warner Bros is a conglomerate, it owns LEGO MOVIE as well as DC Comics 

 vertical integration - A single company owns controls the production and the supply of a product e.g. TT Fusion, owned by Warner Bros, makes the video game while Warner Bros distributes it