Magazine Double Page Spread Draft

Coursework Album Covers

Front Cover 1 

 

 Back Cover 1 

                              

Front Cover 2 

 

  

Back Cover 2 

Album Cover Proposal

Front cover #1
 The original artwork will be a close up of a pair of glitter high heels with a high exposure filter, the background will be a white wall in order to emphasise the heels. The font I am choosing to use is 'Colours of Autumn' as I believe it reflects my artist the best - being crazy and outlandish. I will use low key lighting to imply that this photo was taken at a party. The theme of glitter is seen throughout the cover with the use of the shoes. 

Back Cover #1
 Again I will use the 'Colours of Autumn' font as again I believe it reflects my artist and portrays her as a party girl. The back cover will feature lines of glitter with a heart of glitter - this mirroring the song 'Cocaine Hearts' a rolled up dollar/pound note will be placed in shot in order to emphasise the drug. High key lighting will be used to bring out the plain white background and reflect off the multi-coloured glitter lines. For the typography I will use a fuchsia font as this stands out to the audience to read the song titles. Typical to albums the barcode and record label information will be placed in the bottom right to not distract the audience from the songs.

 Front Cover #2
 The second cover will feature the model in heart shape sunglasses and hold a sign that says 'Will Sing For Vodka', my artists name will be featured next to the artist but I will not be adding an album name as I believe it will distract attention from the sign.The door handle will be pictured in order to create the idea of a house party.

Back Cover #2
 The final background will be of the artist lying in a bath of balloons, the writing will be next to the artist and she will be wearing sunglasses to cover her eyes and to create a hungover impression. I will use the same font - 'Colours of Autumn' but in a cyan colour. I will use high exposure to bring out the colour of the bath tub but also the colour of the balloons and sunglasses. A bottle of alcohol will be seen in the shot to again emhasise the party theme. The colour red will be a strong colour in the artwork as it suggests love and lust. High key lighting will be used again to bring out the individual colours of the balloons and bath.

Album Cover

Front cover #1

 I chose to use images of Ke$ha as my artist as she is similar to the artist that I am trying to show in my final production. The cosmic background was used in order to showcase fun and a supernatural element to pop music, which is the genre I am going for - being pop and dance music. The colours for the font does not clash with the background and is clear to the audience who the album is by.

Back Cover #1

 Similarly for the back cover I used a cosmic background and showed the artist in the left hand side of the cover, although the colour of the stage costume is the same colour as the background it does not contrast and appear invisible. I am choosing to use the font in this cover as it reflects my artist as it appears to be a wild font with capital letters and sharp effect. As an improvement I would have to ensure that the cover is the right dimensions of the back cover but also include record label logos.

Front Cover #2

This was my first attempt at photoshop and I chose a simplistic white background and positioned my artist in the centre of the cover and the official logo placed next to her. In order to improve this cover I would use a background and make my photoshopping more defined to ensure that there are no background from the previous picture in the new cover.The picture that I used appeared squashed to the dimension, I would make sure that my photo is big enough to fit the cover.

Back Cover #2 

  I want my cover to feature a trashy like theme therefore the use of glitter fully identifies this, I want my model to have messy hair, the cover to feature a party type theme with bottles on the floor - emphasising that my artist is the party queen. I again used the font in the previous cover as it embodies the theme I am trying to show.

Album Cover Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BP3Q8DS

Album Cover Analysis

 The cover for Britney Spears' new single 'Work B**ch' and the theme throughout the image is Las Vegas - where she will be residing for 2 years. The typography is very modern and spaced out, interestingly her logo of her name has changed throughout her career, this depending on the album or it's theme. You see the main image of Britney Spears dressed in a risque showgirls outfit to fit with the theme, but the use of sex appeal with her chest out could entice the audience to be interested in the song/video - the use of sex sells and appeals to the audience. The backgrounds links with the foreground as it is a dressing room with props like; a harlequin crown, whip, pearls and feather boa. Glitter is used heavily in this cover on the table and mirror to again create a showgirls esque feel with the theme of performance running throughout. High level lighting is used surrounding the mirror to give it more of a professional performer feel, but generally low key lighting is used - high key lighting surrounds Britney to give the impression that she is a superstar performer. 

American singer/songwriter Ke$ha released a remix album titled 'I am the dance commander + I command you to dance: The remix album', the cover of this had heavy influence from her debut album 'Animal' and EP 'Cannibal' as lots of photoshop was used to create a cosmic theme in the background - this emphasises the technicolor element surrounding Ke$ha. The main image is of Ke$ha on a sofa with an inflatable flamingo and sword with the background draped in multicoloured streamers, again the idea of sex sells is used as she is again dressed in risque clothing and has the word 'Party' written on her arm to emphasise the genre and her public image of being a party girl/wild child. The use of glitter is put all around the image to strengthen the party theme but also let the audience identify Ke$ha as one of her trademarks is glitter. Low key lighting is used around the main image but high key lighting is used around the main image to highlight Ke$ha as the main selling point of the album as she is a familiar face to the audience. Ke$ha uses a glitter font for her logo but in this instance it is a simple font but a cyan colour on her name and her lipstick.  

 

 The cover for Katy Perry's sophomore album 'Teenage Dream' features the singer nude on top of clouds made to look like cotton candy - as this was a recurring theme for the album as the booklet and CD were infused with a cotton candy scent. The typography for the album name is stylized to be a candy cane colour and design in order to emphasise the candy theme throughout the album. The soft pink colour of the clouds link in with the genre being a bubblegum pop album and all the songs have a reflection with the cover and it suggests that this album is a magical album - having a strong connection to the Candyland board game and 'Candyfornia'. The  artists name and logo is a red colour which has the connotations of romance and love - which the songs are mainly about love and breakups. As the main image of the cover is a portrait of the artist, high key lighting is used to highlight the artists body and clearly show her body, the nudity relates to the sex sells idea which is why she is nude as this creates controversy and this generates publicity.   

 

Lady Gaga's new album cover for her upcoming project/album ARTPOP features a range of pop art inspired paintings like The Birth Of Venus. The cover was created by America artist Jeff Koons and a design - the blue ball suggesting a metaphor for the Earth - was created specifically for this album cover as Lady Gaga and Jeff Koons now have heavy involvement with each others work. Intertextuality plays a key role in this cover due to the references to Sandro Botticelli and Jeff Koons, but also the Andy Warhol pop art inspiration. The main image is not actually the artist but it is a recreation of the artist by Jeff Koons, the sculpture of Lady Gaga and the ball are iconic to Jeff Koons' work. The use of her body can also be used as a publicity stunt as her hair is placed over her breasts - this again will generate more attention and publicity- the high key lighting emphasises the body . Her logo has changed over the process of her albums with this logo being bold and in a bright pink colour typical to pop art colours. The sculptures eyes are fixed onto the audience to engage them but to also be a main identifier for the album as Lady Gaga is known internationally. 

 

 

  The sophomore album from multi-platinum selling girl group Danity Kane titled 'Welcome To The Dollhouse' features all of the members sat in a white corridor positioned close to each other looking at the camera. The eyes of the members are directly facing the camera in order to engage the audience but to give a sex appeal to contrast with the white clothing which suggests purity. The use of the clothing being bra's and falling down clothes is sexual but also the use of hands on each other has connotations of sex and can appeal more to the male audience - for examples Aubrey's hand is placed on Dawns leg. The use of high key lighting emphasises the purity of the clothing but also can link in with the dollhouse theme of innocence. The logo of the band has never changed and has been a key selling point for the band as this is the identity of the band, the colour scheme changes with the albums in order not to clash with any colours. As the theme is dollhouse the girls represent the dolls living inside, some of the poses show this in order to look like they have been played with by a child - their music does contrast with this idea though for example songs like Striptease & Ecstasy.  

Children's Magazine - Seventeen

Seventeen magazine is the first teen magazine to be sold in the United States, it heavily focussed on making girls become role models in citizenship but has now taken a more fashion and romance approach in order to compete with rival teen magazines. It is aimed at 12-19 year olds as it is a huge gap within the teen market, although its secondary audience can be style conscious early 20 year olds. Often teen idols are put on the cover to fit the age demographic it is trying to appeal too, majority genders that appear on this magazine is females but in some cases teen heartthrobs like One Direction will be put on the magazine to appeal the the girls buying it - this magazine primarily aims itself at females as apposed to males, but some males may buy the magazine if a certain celebrity is on the cover of it. Seventeen magazine has often been criticised for losing its original message of trying to promote female independence and self respect to become a fashion magazine, but also it has been publicly been slandered for its use of photoshop on cover models which it has apologised for. 

The masthead has become a iconic statement within the teen market and the colour of the font often changed to fit a certain style or to not conflict with the background or hair colour. The magazine is priced at $3.99 so it is not expensive for its viewers and is a monthly publication featuring current styles, beauty advice but also relationship advice. The cover lines of the magazine clearly show who the audience is with titles like 'Are you addicted to dude drama?' and 'Fun makeup'. Some people view some of the content as inappropriate for the younger audience as the magazine can be seen to promote certain subjects like weight loss or a striking heading on this magazine of 'Get pretty faster'. Real life stories are also put into the magazine to give it a more sense of reality with shocking stories of real life situations - like 'I was almost kidnapped on my way to school'. The graphics and typography is very bold to the audience and certain words are highlighted to give the magazine the idea that it will help you if you buy it, words like Pretty and Free are highlighted to instantly demand attention but also the '425 fashion tricks' makes the viewer interested in what they are. The main cover line again is aimed at the audience to buy the magazine as it suggests that if you read this 'secret' then you will never have a bad hair day again, the rule of three is seen as you clearly see the triple divide in the format. Plugs are seen on this magazine as apposed to Vogue and Playboy - it says 'Free bracelets' because it will attract people into getting the magazine just to get the bracelet. Although the magazine is not known internationally the magazine has used certain tactics to strengthen the magazines identity - by being the main sponsor for America's Next Top Model but also employing Kendall & Kylie Jenner as West Coast fashion representatives. 

Mens Magazine - Playboy

 Playboy has become one of the most iconic brands internationally starting from it's first magazine funded by the founder Hugh Hefner in 1953, featuring icon Marilyn Monroe. The magazine labels itself as a gentleman's lifestyle magazine and features nude pictorials from celebrities like; Kim Kardashian, Anna Nicole Smith and most recently Kate Moss. It has become a global brand and is now on every medium, some countries feature their own editions of the magazine but it is the American edition that has become the statement piece for iconography. The magazine was the starting point for the company which has now gone onto becoming one of the biggest brands, selling makeup, perfumes and clothes to the public. To add to the list of achievements that the company has made, various reality shows have been filmed in the notorious Playboy mansion - most famously Girls Next Door which centred around the lives of Hef's three girlfriends Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt. Hugh Hefner is the editor of the American edition but also founder of the company, he has gone onto becoming a celebrity in his own right from his job title but also scandals involving women and three girlfriends. 

The logo is the main identifier of the magazine and company and they also use a bunny as the trademark to be put on products which is recognisable to the public. The slogan of the magazine is 'Entertainment for men' which specifically states its primary audience of men, it also suggests that the magazine is an entertainment magazine. The cover lines again are very subject specific to the magazine and are very male orientated - for example 'The music and sex issue' & 'Aubrey O'Day breaks free of Danity Kane (and her clothes)'. The cover lines also centre around the main image to bring total emphasis to the body of the models, the typography is very clear and is multi coloured on certain issues but they are very bold and clear colours like reds and blacks. The main cover line is also very specific to the magazine - being 'Risque and famous sexiest celebrities of the year' - suggesting that the audience was allowed to vote their opinion of the sexiest celebrity. The slogan above the masthead - 'The Sex and Music Issue' suggests it has more importance as it is a themed issue which relates to the interviews and music theme running throughout - but also that cover girl Aubrey O'Day is a singer. The rule of thirds is seen in this magazine as it is separated into thirds but in this case the writing surrounds the main image to not derive attention away from the cover girl - her head overlaps the logo which again makes the eyes face the audience to engage them. Playboys main focus is to use curvy girls as apposed to other magazines (like women's magazines) that use emaciated models to showcase the magazine or products in the magazine. 

Female Magazine - Vogue

 Vogue magazine is an elite fashion and lifestyle magazine primarily aimed at women or fashion conscious people, originally an American publication the company has branched out to major countries. The magazine has become one of the biggest symbols in fashion, the magazine keeps its readers up to trend with current fashion by showcasing and attending fashion shows of what will be big in a certain season. The coveted September issue was made into a documentary style film to showcase the work behind the magazine. Celebrities are often used on the cover however editor Anna Wintour has often made it publicly clear who is allowed and who isn't allowed to be on the cover. Anna Wintour has become a celebrity in her own right following her job, appearing on the cover but also her status within the fashion industry. The company hosts a annual MET Ball Gala in which celebrities and people that are huge in the fashion industry attend. As it is a high end fashion magazine, it is priced between $15 - $20 and is a monthly magazine. 

  The masthead of the magazine is Vogue and has become a statement of fashion, the iconic font has also been featured on fashion shows and events to publicise the magazine and brand. In the magazine example of Emma Stone's cover, bright pink colours are used on certain words in order to bring attention too them, but some words like 'plus' and 'exclusive' are used to increase viewer interest in the magazine but also make you want to buy the magazine due to its exclusivity and content. As it is a high end magazine there are no generic plugs on the cover - as apposed to tabloid magazines like Heat which advertise free holidays. The typography is very elegant which is a reflection on the magazine, but also the cover rarely or never uses lower case letters as they want to bring as much attention to the magazine as possible. The main image (being of Emma Stone) uses the model to have her eyes directly at the audience to engage them into buying the publication. The cover lines directly relate to the fashion magazine mainly being about fashion and beauty tips as well as lifestyle tips, the magazine wouldn't necessarily use sex or relationship advice as they may view it as cheapening the elite brand. The magazine has been criticised in the past for the over editing of the models on the cover as it creates a negative impression for people that read it and can in extreme cases lead to anorexia/bulimia rise in teenagers. The use of nudity on the magazine differs from a 'lads mag' as it is done tastefully or with lingerie, a pregnant Claudia Schiffer appeared nude on the German edition of vogue, as apposed to fully topless covers seen by mens magazines - 'lads mags' are drastically cheaper than fashion magazines like Vogue & Elle.

Easy A

 Easy A is a teen comedy starring Emma Stone as intelligent teen Olive Pendergast who has a troubling and tarnished reputation. The film is set out in the quiet Californian town of Ojai which is the perfect setting to contrast with the craziness of Olive's reputation - as Olive decides to give what her audience is making her out to be, therefore she embroids a scarlet A to corsets. The film takes direct inspiration from the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel The Scarlet Letter, it was featured within certain scenes of the film - the original not the film adaptation as it is comically referenced throughout by Olive. Rumours are the main focus of the film mostly false rumours made up by her peers, including long term enemy Marianne Bryant who is strictly religious and believes that Olive should be expelled for her 'dirty skank' reputation - shown when rumours escalate to a mob of students (ran by Marianne) picketing for Olive to be expelled. Intertextuality has a huge role in this film with references to The Scarlet Letter & The Breakfast Club, there is a love story involved between Olive and her long term crush 'Woodchuck' Todd - she soon mends broken relationships and remends her reputation with a series of webcam filmed confessionals throughout the film.   

 

  The use of high key lighting is used throughout the film with certain scenes where Olives life spirals out of control are filmed in low key lighting to reflect Olives emotions, but it also makes the audience pity her. The setting of the school is easily identified by the audience as the location has generic school items like desks and lockers - this would relate to the target audience of teenagers as it is a teen comedy. In the beginning of the film a panning shot is used to pan down from the credits to the actual setting to set the scene, establishing shots are used immeadiately after to again show the audience the setting - closely followed by close ups of the school sign to allow the audience to see where the location is and to confirm that it is a school. When the group of girls bump into Olive the camera tracks down to her, you have a clear idea in your head who the main protagonist is of the film. Close ups of Olives face are used when Rhiannon and Olive are talking and focus pull is used to make the foreground (Olive) more important than the background of Rhiannon. The camera track paper that is blown in the wind to Mr Griffith which then the camera pans up to him - the use of high angle shots make him have authority and Olive seem weaker due to her position. Over the shoulder shots are used to make the audience have an involvement within the shot - as a lot of the film is shot using a webcam, close ups of Olive are predominantly shown, the use of the strong eye contact establishes a relationship between Olive and the audience. Non diegetic music is played at the start of the film - its upbeat to make the audience have a positive vibe about the film, voice overs are used when Olive is talking over a scene to give an autobiographical sense about the film.

Great British Bake Off

The Great British Bake Off is a UK reality television competition consisting of amateur bakers fighting for the chance to be crowned star baker - a weekly award given to a baker for being the best in that particular challenge. As of series 4 the two judges were allowed to eliminate two people at one stage in the competition but generally one person is eliminated each week. The two judges are cooking royalty Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry and the show is presented by hilarious duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins - who provide comic relief at often tense scenes.  

The show primarily uses high key lighting to make the show appear more positive and family orientated. Colourful equipment and british flags are used to emphasise the positive and patriotic element of the show, but also the colourful equipment can sometimes contrast with the gloomy British weather. The start of the show often uses an arc shot/reverse arc to zoom in/out of the two presenters before showing last weeks episode with non diegetic voice overs talking about the highlights. This then cuts to the opening graphics - graphics are used a lot to show what the bakers are actually going to make. Focus pull shots are heavily used when on the food being made, they are also used on contestants when talking to other contestants of the judges/presenters - over the shoulder shots are used when talking to make the audience feel more involved in the scene. Interestingly high angle shots are used when there is a tense scene or stressful scene as it makes the audience feel a sense of power over the contestants when things go wrong - it is used when the baking process goes wrong and the contestants are stressed. As the format is a reality television show, cast confessionals are filmed using close ups so it is just their face and shoulders in the shot to keep fixed on any emotional detail that may occur. As the show tries to influence you into being proud to be british, establishing shots are used to show british scenery in their area, as the show like to play on patriotism with often British classic recipes. Conversations between the cast are diegetic sounds and they are generally the only diegetic sounds within the show, however non diegetic sound plays a huge role as voice overs talk about what a particular contestant will be baking, the process and also previous challenges. But also music plays a huge role as the show often uses upbeat music to again emphasise the positivity of the show and that it is family orientated, but also the music can change to very quick and light music in tense scenes - this makes the audience feel anxious and tense to what will happen. 

Social Integration - Music Artists

 Music plays a huge role in peoples lives and the help of social media has greatly broadened the audience for music so more people can easily search and listen to an artists work. The idea of inclusion is considered to be an important therefore people may listen to a particular artist or genre in order to involve themselves in a conversation made by a group or friends. Sites like Youtube allow viewers to search popular music and even rare music from artists as you may be borderline obsessed with a certain artist or group. Social integration can also apply to movies and television as again people may watch a particular film or show in order to be able to be included in discussions about the show/film. 

 Talking from personal experience I have witnessed and triggered social integration within my group of friends. Recently one of my friends introduced me to Australian hip hop artist Iggy Azalea (right) as my friend is very current within the hip hop and rap genre of music. I have fallen in love with the Australian rapper and her music is meaningful often talking about her gamble of a trip from Australian to Miami at 16 with practically no money at all. Although she is currenlty considered to be a up and coming artist, her songs 'Work' and 'Bounce' have climbed the charts being in the top 20 songs on the UK's Official Charts. Her new song 'Change Your Life' features rapper and mentor T.I and is expected to appear in the top 10. Another artist that I was introduced to was Taylor Swift who I was introduced to by one of my friends who loves country music and is one of Taylors biggest fans - I did the same by introducing her to glitter princess Ke$ha (below). The use of social integration has allowed people to communicate and discuss topics, it gains an interest about a certain media and creates conversation about it - as now I can talk about Iggy Azalea & Taylor Swift music. 

Entertainment - Keeping Up With The Kardashians

 Keeping Up With The Kardashians is a reality television show featuring the lives of the Kardashian/Jenner family and the drama that follows them in their socialite lifestyle. The show has been named the 'mother of all reality shows' due to its 7 year run (at this moment) and the family has signed the biggest paid contract in reality television history of $40 million dollars for a run until 2015. The show has been an international success for its audience and has created a worldwide brand - the Kardashian brand that in 2011 it was reported to be worth $65 million dollars and the show has created worldwide fame for the family - specifically Kim, Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian. The family has been a story of success for the tabloids as most magazines sell more if a Kardashian is on the cover but the lies often result in the sisters publicly slandering the magazine - whether is be by public statement or Kim Kardashians $10,000 tweets. 

 The show is relate-able to the audience because primarily it is a show based around a family. But mainly this show is extremely entertaining due to the clashes the family engages in but also how each of the dubbed 'cast' has their own out of this world personality. Situations in the show have been critisised for some of its scenes as some people view them as 'manufactured and staged' like Kim's 72 day wedding to basketball 'star' Kris Humphries but the family and Kim have honestly said how it is a reality show, they are followed by cameras for approximately 7 hours a day and the relationship wasn't staged. The aspect of reality in the Kardashian shows are real and the family has completely opened their lives to the viewing public and world - for example the birth of Kourtneys two children Penelope & Mason and also the pregnancy struggles that Khloe faces. Although the family has been catipulted into instant stardom it has not changed their overall message that family is the most important thing in life. The network has shown various spinoffs documenting the sisters expanding their DASH store  - opening them in major cities like New York & Miami. All of the shows are instant hits in the ratings as the family has become a statement of reality TV stardom currently unmatched by any other celebrity, It is currently filming its 9th season and sets to continue to showcase the meteoric rise of the Kardashian/Jenner family.

Information - E! News

The E! network has been the breeding ground for instant celebrities, the network has helped publicise celebrities through international successes with shows like; Keeping Up With The Kardashians, All About Aubrey and Fashion Police. The format of the network is generally reality shows but they have branched out to producing topical shows or chat shows and as of recently the show is producing its own soap opera style show. The network received rebranding to make it a pop culture expert channel with simplistic graphics in either monochrome or pastel colours as its main focus is to keep up with current trends. E! News focuses on updating its viewers on breaking celebrity news and news breaking stories in popular culture.

E! News is a 7 day a week news show which specialises in keeping the public up to date with current trends and news in pop culture. It entertains the audience with its modern feel with close ties with interactivity to its viewers through social networking sites like Twitter - the show has segments like 'Chat Pack' and 'Sweet and sour tweets' where tweets are used to voice peoples opinions on a certain topic. The hosts of the show alternate daily but primarily host Guiliana Rancic and Terrence Jenkins. As it is an information show it is also a respectable journalistic website with people working behind the scenes at the show to write stories to post on their websites - the most important and often controversial are aired on the show to create a buzz about the show. They will often invite celebrities onto the show to have a candid chat in their talk show set up stage to compete with shows like 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' & 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'. E! has also been one of the first channels to do live red carpet footage hosted by internationally renound comedienne Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa. E! News now capitalises on the slogan 'The place for pop culture' as it is now identified as a pop culture network and show.

Personal Identity - Summer Heights High

 Summer Heights High is an comedy sketch show produced and starring Australian comedian Chris Lilley. It centres around three characters; the eccentric drama teacher Mr G, the introverted trouble maker Jonah & the bitchy snob Ja'mie. The show is primarily filmed in Summer Heights High school with extras being actual teachers and students that attend the school, Chris Lilley provides endless amounts of humour when playing these characters with each of the other characters being played perfectly to fit certain stereotypes found in schools. The shows relate-ablilty is key  as it features very common situations in schools for example; when a photo of all Ja'mies friends with insults on them gets sent the them and counselling is set up for the group to resolve the situation.

 The audience of the show is middle class people aged between 16-35 and the characters each show this with their ages, therefore you can identify with each of the characters. You can also identify with the situations that occur within a school but also see how these characters are actually showing you the types of people that go to schools. The actual genre of the show is mockumentary being a fusion of the words mock and documentary meaning it is to showcase certain situations in an informative way - being the types of people and situations that happen in schools but also the mock part adds comedic value to the show to make it entertaining. The documentary/reality style format also adds comedy as it makes the show seem more real and emphasises that there are characters like this found in schools. I personally can identify with the characters of Ja'mie and Jonah as they both are a similar age to me and I have witnessed those types of people at school - but generally everyone that attended school would be able to relate/identify.

Sexuality - Will & Grace

Will & Grace is an American Sitcom lasting for 8 seasons, it depicted the lives of four friends; WIll, Grace, Jack & Karen living in New York and their lives as they each come from different levels of success in their careers and personal lives. Again it has a similar format as Friends and is filmed in easily identifiable locations like the apartment. Some of the situations and characters are un-relatable to the audience but the show uses this to their advantage to add comedy in the style that you will grow to know these people, and see how they deal with these situations - like when socialite Karen hires a makeup counter girl to be a surrogate in order to keep her marriage alive and because she is jealous of Grace getting attention for being pregnant.

The show features two openly gay characters from different sides of the dubbed 'spectrum' - Will is openly gay but has a extremely masculine character, whereas Jack his best friend is also gay but very flamboyant and feminine. It can be seen as positive and negative representation because of someone people describe Jack as being a stereotypical gay character by being incredibly style conscious and bitchy, However Jack is a powerhouse of humour with his one liners and incredible bond with Karen. Like New Girl,Will & Grace does not discriminate due to sexual preference this is made obvious as Jack eventually has his own show and works in the entertainment industry and Will is a successful lawyer. The show represents the gay community in a positive way an example would be that two of the lead roles are played by gay characters. Will & Grace aims its show primarily at the gay community because of some of the language and themes run throughout and the show capitalises on its market by having gay icons like Cher star in cameo appearances. Will is represented positively because of his intelligence and wit but also his serious and caring side to him, he also has a very important job of a lawyer but retains his charm and affection for all of his friends. 

The use of sexuality is easily identified throughout all 8 seasons of the show because of the characters and situations used. You can also get a positive reception from characters like Jack that make humorous comments towards the gay community which shows that he can have a laugh about his sexuality. The character of Karen has often been involved with bisexual tendencies to add comedic value to the show as she is married, but also to broaden its market - all of the characters have a certain sexual preferences which allows the show to reach a wide audience. 

Age - Spring Breakers

Spring Breakers is a 2013 crime film focussing on 4 girls that rob a restaurant to afford to go to spring break, do endless partying, doing drugs and getting arrested. The film has received a lot of criticism for the glamorisation of crime and substance abuse but also the often 'lazy' dialogue - as a lot was improvised to create a natural flow throughout the film. However the directing was praised due to the camera emphasising the neon jungle theme and the realism of actual teens at spring break. The film has often divided its audience by some people describing it as a cult classic and others labelling it as unrealistic and immoral. 

 The film represents teenagers in a highly negative light, teenagers are subjected to many stereotypes like being in gangs, partying and committing crimes - this film does well to show these stereotypes. It does bring the issues to the surface the problems of spring break and do parents actually know what their children are doing whilst on spring break? It also suggests that teenagers are easily led taken specifically by the character of Alien (James Franco) who involves the girls is his criminal activity. The four girls specifically live up to stereotypes and emphasise what the media is saying about teens, the constant use of drugs highlights a bigger problem with spring break. Controversially the character of Faith (Selena Gomez) originates from a strong Christian background and this film showcases that her religion is almost forgotten when she goes on spring break - her actions often described as 'sinning' by herself. The promiscuity and raunchiness of the characters also generates a negative representation of girls as it suggests that all college girls are like this even though this is evidently false. It also strengthens sexual culture of women and the strong sexuality is seen as the characters are often wearing bikinis - including when they do join Alien on their crime endeavour. The absence of older people in this film suggests that they are the control and without them the teenagers are running wild, Evidently shown as the judge is the only older authority in this film and he puts the girls in prison; Spring break overall is a haven for teens that go to party and drink without their parents. Alien although maybe older, is only vaguely older than the girls and lives up to a masculine role but is represented badly due to his control over the girls and overpowering possession and persuasion. 

 I easily identified these aspects of representation because the film features generally around the five characters (above) and the actions that they commit. The excessive partying and drug use lives up to lingering stereotypes and shows teenagers in an even worse light than they already are, the film glamorises crime that are committed by the girls and creates a gang like feel as all of the characters committing the crimes are enjoying it and the police are no where to be seen - suggesting that there are no repercussions for your actions. I personally loved this film but the negative image of teenagers is evident as it does strengthen a stereotype but does make you open your eyes that there are teenagers that are like this and spring break can be a toxic place. 

Race - New Girl

 New Girl is an American sitcom based around the lives of four roommates living in an apartment and all of the hilarious events that occur from this. The show is often described as a distant spinoff as the pop culture phenomenon Friends as it has a similar format and style, with a group of twenty somethings living in an apartment trying to figure out their personal and professional lives. The show overall receives highly positive criticism due to the comedy value and relate-ability  of each of the situations - like heartbreak & redundancy. The cast also demonstrate that they were born for these roles; like the character of Jess is played perfectly by Zooey Deschanel due to her quirkiness & positivity. Which contrasts with Jake Johnson's broody character of Nick Miller and how the two dynamics clash which makes for hilarious television. 

The show represents different dynamics positively by not discriminating against any race/rel

igion or sexuality. This is often shown through the characters whether they be primary or secondary characters - for example Jess' friend Sadie is a lesbian but has a high power job of being a doctor. It shows that just because you are a certain race or sexual preference does not and should not discriminate of what career you allowed to take. Religion also plays a big part of this show of having two different religious beliefs and bring together different cultures in order to create comedy but also inform you about different beliefs. Specifically Judaism & Hinduism are focussed on with Schmidt (right) is jewish and works in a respectable marketing company and has a strong career. Hinduism is focussed on more in season 2 when Cece (right) decides to have an arranged marriage in order to have children, she is of indian heritage and again is represented positively due to her job as a model but also how she is confident, intelligent and also headstrong. Finally the character of Winston is also represented positively due to his incredible wit and humour and how although he is seen as an outcast, he still delivers one liners that ultimately make a scene - he works at his dream job at a sports radio and the show highlights his ambition of one day having his own show.

As I actually watch the show itself, I identified the different representations of the characters easily as the show deliberately encourages you to be yourself and is shown through the characters. It does not discriminate against any religion, race or sexual preference by including all types of people and often giving these people successful careers and high comedic content. New Girl also subtly brings different types of people together to promote the idea of equality and how acceptance is key. Overall New Girl has a positive influence over people because of the message it is trying to promote in an entertaining way, it is obviously successful as the show gets high rating and has been commissioned for a third season.

Gender - Real Housewives of Everywhere

Franchises like the Real Housewives have opened up a world of scrutiny regarding the lives of the women on these shows. There are/have all together been 8 American Real Housewife shows including; Atlanta, DC & Beverly Hills. These shows have created 'Bravolebrities' - celebrities of the company Bravo - which follows the lives of a group of upper class women living their everyday lives and the drama that ensues it. The show dictates which housewives are replaced and who are brought back depending on their 'storyline', which is why shows like this fall under criticism for trying to manipulate scenes in order to create drama. The producers often cast women with strong personalities that they know will clash with other housewives. Generally the franchise does well in the ratings and comes on top of other shows on the channel or above other shows on different networks.

The show receives negative backlash due to some of the women on the show, like Kim Zolciak (Pictured left) who was described as a wig wearing, chain smoking alcoholic by some viewers. Whereas other housewives have had to face public bankruptcy, suicides and alcohol/drug addiction - which poses the question, Do these shows actually ruin peoples lives? The shows are represented negatively due to the impression that all girls should be married and subservient to their husbands. But also gives women as a whole a bad name as on the show they typically argue and have cat fights over the smallest subjects, it raises the impression that all women are backstabbers and bitchy. The show also glamorises the idea of wealth and appearance are more important than brains and personality, as a lot of the women (Specifically the Orange County housewives) come across as airheads with stereotypical appearances - being; bleach blonde hair, orange tans, snow white teeth and carrying dogs in their designer handbags. Shows belonging to this franchise anger people because they do not agree with the women's fame and how they degrade any achievements any female has made in their life - like how Hillary Clinton is at a high position of political power. Some people also disagree with the 'Housewife' element of the show because it makes it appear that all women should have this role and stay at home with the children, But this has totally changed as women are finally seen as equal and people like Oprah Winfrey & Hillary Clinton are embodying success as a woman. 

This was identifiable as the women on the show are considered to be negative and how the whole basis of the show can have a highly negative effect on teenage girls that would watch the show, as they may grow up with the impression that they will marry into wealth and have their own reality TV show. The real housewives are a fixation of popular culture as they are often described as 'war zone shows' by journalists and jokes are made constantly about these shows because of how degrading they are to women. Although people do disagree with the show it is still watched by millions of viewers and is unlikely to disappear any time soon, which just shows that the criticism and negative representation does not affect viewership.

Class - Courtney Stodden

 This newspaper article is about American TV Personality Courtney Stodden after being evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house and being reunited with her 53 year old husband Doug Hutchison. Although she is a celebrity in her own right and falls under the category of being upper class due to her wealth, she downplays this by the way she dresses and her often criticised rise to fame. Her background includes coming from a modest town - Tacoma, Washington DC - raised by a middle class family. 


Courtney has often been scrutinised by the media by the way she dresses, her marriage but also her choice to have breast implants at 18 years old. She is generally represented negatively as people don't agree with her choices in life, also they don't believe she is a role model. She is also represented negatively due to people thinking it is wrong that she is 19 and dresses overtly sexual. However shows like Celebrity Big Brother have allowed her to get over peoples pre-conceptions of her and look past the judgement of appearance because she actually is a positive and caring person, beyond her appearance. 

 I have identified this by looking at magazines and newspapers which brand her as 'superficial' and a 'slut'. Even some papers refusing to report on reality stars like; The Kardashians & Courtney Stodden - as they disagree with their rise to fame and who aren't considered to be a justifiable talent and therefore are not seen as role models. The only way perhaps Courtney would generate a good image about her is if her image was no more, people are judgemental towards her and already form an opinion on her regardless of her personality.

My Favourite Film

My favourite film is The Amazing Spiderman because I love comic books and I'm obsessed with Marvel & DC. I also love this film because the two main roles of Gwen & Peter were played by my favourite actors/actress - Emma Stone & Andrew Garfield.I'm a fan of the original Sam Ramni shot films but felt like the franchise did need a reboot and Marc Webb did the franchise justice. Although this film was the worst commercial Spiderman film, it still did receive $753 million dollars worldwide which still made this film a commercial success internationally.