Magazines

Component 2 - media forms and products in depth 

Media studies in 4 sub-sections:

- Media language

- Representation

- Audience

- Media industries 

The media industry is a specialised industry

Stereotype - A commonly held representation of a group of people

Why have magazines become less popular?

- Potentially inconvenient

- Actually have to pay for them

- Competition from Digital technology; social media, etc

- Advances in technology, reading online

- Inconvenient in terms of clutter

Lévi Strauss - Structuralism 

Roland Barthes - Semiotics

Structuralism is the theory which uses binary oppositions; where two things contradict each other in order to create a contrast, creating drama for the audience

Semiotics is the study of codes; hermeneutic codes, which are things that suggest various things to the audience making them question things; proairetic codes, which use different media techniques in order to suggest something is about to happen; symbolic codes which show the deeper meaning of something; referential code which can also be known through intertextuality, that the media product references other media product through their product, attracting a wider audience.

Layout and design - very simple, very little or no writing so mainly just pictures as it is a high end fashion magazine

Font size, very small and meant to be minimalistic different colour themes throughout the magazine.

Images are high quality, taken by professional photographers and meant to make the models and clothing as appealing as possible. 

Mise-en-scene is quite surreal at times and can be seen to be strange to some audiences, but to other audiences who follow modern fashion it will be completely normal.

Language, when used, is very descriptive of the clothing and model seen to try represent the clothing to be as appealing as possible.

Anchorage puts the audience at a state of thinking the clothing is different and popular, not completely trying to sell the products, more just showing it all off.