The main aim of the magazine front cover was to draw in interest from video game fans which are likely to buy it. I did this by using a very recognisable video game character to catch people eyes, in this instance I used sonic and I made sure that he took up most the front cover to easily get people’s attention. The title covering the image stands out and is used to clearly state the main aspect of the magazine which allows people that are not familiar with certain characters or games to know what they’re buying. At the foot of the magazine I had a red box, red is known to catch people’s attention, so I used this to put what else was in the magazine. If the reader or customer didn’t like sonic then I used a variety of games to make a larger range of people want to buy the magazine. At the top of the magazine it has the title ‘PC GAMER’ this is used to clearly state that the magazine is about the computer/pc. The main colour theme for the magazine was dark, night like colours this was used to show the theme of the main game. However, I did most the writing in white to contrast the background and try to catch a consumer’s eye. I also used bold writing to show one of the games which would be included in the magazine ‘Mortal Kombat 11’. The bar code is an essential part of the magazine for selling copies. I put it in the corner to keep it out the way of the main or more important information.
With my Boys’ Magazine, I wanted to send a message about makeup being for everyone and not being a stereotypical thing for women. By using a man on the front cover with makeup products and also some typical things such as scissors, it gives it some normality of men being able to wear makeup. I used 3 lines for my front cover to keep it short and easy and I ended with the word “you” every time to emphasise the readers that it is about them. It is a bold message for readers that you should think about your own appearance and especially for boys, it is okay to wear makeup and express your own style.
Usually in most media, cultural and communication courses there are three main theorists that are examined and applied:
C S Pierce
Ferdinand De Sausure
Roland Barthes
And generally the following key language is part of this process:
C S Pierce – icon / index / symbol
Ferdinand De Sausure – signifier / signified
Roland Barthes – denotation /connotation / myth
Overview
To provide some context and overview I will provide a brief explanation for each one:
C S Pierce
Pierce (1839 -1914) was also a Linguist. Also interested in Language. Also therefore appropriate to Semiotics, when you are looking to use some key language to deconstruct a cultural text. Again he was looking to develop an understanding of the way in which Language is a way of connecting meaning to different signs. Often he is used to identify different types of sign, which can be categorised into three distinct categories:
An iconic sign – which has a direct connection to its’ object (ie it looks or sounds like the object)
An indexical sign – which has an indirect link to its’ object (think smells)
A symbolic sign – which has a random or arbitary link based on a shared knowledge or an agreement, for example, a shared culture or language (think letters, words, writing, shapes, squiggles, colours, sound effects, facial expressions, hand gestures, clothing, hair styles, etc)
TASK 1: Go to your blog post that has your summer induction task and identify 6 x iconic signs, 6 x indexical signs & 6 x symbolic signs. Is it possible that a single sign may be in more than one category? In other words, is the colour red a symbolic and indexical sign?
Ferdinand de Sausure
Ferdinand Sausure (1857-1913) was interested in Linguistics, in other words, he was interested in Language – so you can see why we look at him in Media Studies. As a brief overview, he was interested in the connection between’ a thing’, ‘an object’, a something’ and the meaning that human beings then attach to ‘this thing’.
He wanted to explore this area, as it seemed to suggest that things don’t have an innate meaning, rather that meaning is given to things, often through some form of interaction – hence, the notion of symbolic interactionism.
Sausure then developed an approach to understanding the way in which meaning is created by detaching the signifier (the thing, the object) and the signified (the meaning). So it is important to try and use these two terms when referring to Sausure, when you are discussing key elements or signs in a text.
Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes (1915-1980) is often seen as a founding father of Media Studies, as many of his books look at the way in which media texts hold meaning. For example, Mythologies (1957) looks at wrestling, Roman films, soap powders and detergents, steak and chips, striptease, plastic . . .
Roland Barthes is often seen as a structuralist in other words, he was interested in tracing the relationship between significant societal structures, like the media and popular culture and identifying how they made an impact on society and individuals. In particular, he was interested in the ways in which dominant structures created dominant ideologies. To that end, he was keen to encourage a reading of cultural texts from an analysis of what they were (analysing the object), which operates at a denotative level (think for examples elements and signs that are in a newspaper, or radio programme, film, television, advert or web-page), to what they might mean, which is at a connotative level.
Beyond this Barthes felt that by understanding a range of meanings (connotations) from a range of similar texts (paradigms) it was possible to develop an understanding of an overarching dominant ideology or at a point that Barthes identifies as a myth. In other words, an argument is presented that suggests that the mass media contribute to a dominant ideology around gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, class and status, which are actually are myths. It could be then argued that these myths are actually in-line with the dominant ideology (attitudes, values and beliefs) of the dominant groups in society.
This aligns his views to a Marxist interpretation of society (one based on the ideas of Karl Marx), where the dominant ideology of society is actually the ideology of the dominant groups in society, which may not necessarily be in everybody’s interest or benefit.
The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e. the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. The class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production, so that thereby, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it. The ruling ideas are nothing more than the ideal expression of the dominant material relationships, the dominant material relationships grasped as ideas.
Following this line of thought, cultural texts that appear to support the dominant ideology can the therefore referred to as ‘reactionary’ as opposed to texts which challenge the dominant ideology which can be referred to as ‘radical’. Although, what soon becomes apparent in any textual analysis is that most texts usually appear to have elements that are both radical and reactionary. As such, it may be necessary to think further about where meaning comes from, because if we think about it with reference to the theory of symbolic interactionism, then we need to consider the role of the audience in constructing meaning, as well as thinking about the role of the author of a text, or even the institution that made it. This idea can again be referenced to Barthes in his proposition of the ‘Death of the Author‘ and will be explored in another post. For now here is an excellent animated video that helps to explore some of the ideas that I have put forward.
TASK 2: Write up a blog post that provides a short definition and / or explanation for the following terms:
Roland Barthes (his ideas of dominant signs / dominant ideology)
C. S. Pierce (and his categories of sign)
Ferdinand de Saussure (the separation of object and meaning)
The reason I chose to do this specific magazine cover on the Simpsons game hit and run was because I used to play this as a child. This game was enjoyable and interactive and I thought that this would be a good game to promote to other children, even though it is an old game it was a hit in its time. It was an award winning game as I specified on my front cover.
Firstly I researched some magazine covers on the internet to see how they were structured and how they were formatted. I targeted PlayStation magazines as this was the main console for The Simpsons game to be played on. This is how I was able to get design ideas for my magazine cover. I went into Publisher as I thought this was the best place to create a front cover. I composed many drafts for the magazine cover. On my first draft I copied the front cover of the hit and run game with the PlayStation title and a blank background. I realized that this hadn’t the colour genre of the Simpsons, therefore I decided to do this completely different.
I moved onto my final draft which is the finished piece. This final piece is the best it can be in terms of colours and the boldness throughout. I immediately wrote PlayStation in big, bold letters to show the reader that it is best played on PlayStation, of course including the original PlayStation logo. As you can see above this, there are other names of consoles that it can be played on. I think this is a nice addition to it as I saw this on many other magazine covers. Moving onto the pink circle which is meant to be seen as a sticker, this shows the reader that this game has an award for being the “fave” game to play. This means that they are going to be persuaded into liking it more. To the far right of that, is the PlayStation controller shapes in bright yellow, this conveys to the reader that it is PlayStation based. Every magazine cover has gaming terminology to show what the game entails. Also it highlights the information on the inside for the reader to feel like they have to open it to find out more. I have executed both of these things, trying to give them hints to open the magazine. This in turn will lead them on (with the use of ellipses) as to what will be revealed inside.
Finally, for the main feature, I have shown a picture of the Simpsons and the title below it. This shows the reader a fraction of what the game entails. I chose the picture as I wanted the whole of the Simpsons family in it as they are the main characters in the game. I also dotted some of the other characters that appear in the game. These were shown as small features to draw the reader in. The title is in a bold colour to show the reader the name of the game. The Simpsons logo is in bright red with the name “Hit and Run” in a white box encompassing it. This gives the effect that it was stamped on. This will appeal to the reader when they first
come to look at the cover. I chose a blue background as this is in reference to the Simpsons sky when you’re introduced into the game.
This magazine cover for “Boys life” defeats the idea of stereotypes for men. The cover challenges society in a way in which men are wearing makeup and wearing a product that is stereotypically designed for men. The magazine also challenges the role of masculinity in society and how people still believe “make-up is just for women” but shown clearly by Jeffree Star and Manny Mua, it isn’t. The question on the magazine “Can you be the next Covergirl?” is also going against society in the way in which men can also be the Covergirl and it is not only for women. The pink background and Jeffree’s pink hair also symbolises the feminity that is being portrayed by males. I chose Jeffree Star and Manny Mua because they are both males who are beauty influences. This is a lifestyle which usually women would take an interest in.
The version of the boys life magazine i made opposes masculine stereotype, this stereotype shows boys only enjoying action or dangerous situations. I choose a school boy as the main focus of my magazine to show that boys can also enjoy work and school. Showing boys how to enjoy and make the most of school, not only does this break the stereotype but it allows boys to have a successful future. I have also chosen a young impressionable boy to oppose the stereotype of men having to be strong and powerful.
