Preliminary Task: Front Cover Textual Analysis

Setting - There is no setting however if there was to be a setting, I think a natural surrounding would suit best, for example it could be the park, the college building or somewhere in the college area. Having a natural, calm and rural area will represent a quiet and calm atmosphere. Having a black background makes the poster look sophisticated and professional creating a good composition.

Costume - The young man's outfit portrays a casual yet simple student and his clothing blends in with the background which creates contrast between the two; also the white blends in with the lighting. The subject is wearing a Jesus cross necklace which could be fashion statement but can also suggest that he is religious and could possibly go to a religious school. It is suitable for a college magazine because he is wearing no inappropriate slogans or clothing. The reason for the subject not wearing something like a business suit would be odd because generally college students would be able to wear their own clothing and also college is known to be a friendly community and not a professional work place.

Props - The books the man is holding is 'Law, business, society' this shows that he is a student studying law and politics or something similar, this represents that he is hard working, intelligent and possibly studying to get into university.

Lighting - From what I can see, the lighting is low key and artificial, also the light shows the subjects details clearly. looking at the black background and the subject's jacket, the light is directed shined on the top half of the subject's body (shoulders to his head) and this suggests that the subject is the main focus. Also the light creates a gentle and calm feeling which is suitable for the poster because if strong, bright light is shined then it could over-power the whole poster image making it look harsh.

NVC - The subject is smiling which implies that he enjoys college, possibly his subjects and the path he's chosen to go. The way the subject is carrying/holding the books is rather masculine and it clearly shows what subjects he has chosen to study in his career path. Again the smile is simple and casual; not too cheerful. This indicates that college can be enjoyable however it can be hard work and stressful.

Masthead (Logo) -The masthead is a lime colour which gives a natural and calm feel but because of it's bold and large typography, it stands out well creating a balance. The masthead stands out from the dark black background and the background creates a silhouette around the font. The lime colour also contrasts with the sub-headings in the front cover which creates a subtle balance.

Dateline - The month/year of publication is very small this suggests that the magazine issue could be suitable for a year or more.

Main Image - This front cover represents an image of a normal, everyday student people would generally see, relating to the magazine. The main image stands out because it takes up most of the front cover and over powers all the other elements making the main image stand out and attracting the target audience.

Cover-Lines - The cover lines use up the blank spaces, this makes the front cover look busy however not too informative. They do not over power the Main Image or the heading because the font is small and the colour scheme on the font contrasts with the whole of the poster. The cover lines convey the main points in the magazine which would attract and help separate texts which makes it easier for the audience to pick out what part they're interested in reading.

Main Cover-line - The Main cover-line is larger than the subheadings but smaller than the heading, this creates an impact on the top half of the magazine making it look more bold which grabs more attention. Also the size suggests that it is a interesting topic or piece information which would interest the target audience.

Left Third - The main cover-line is on the left third so it stands out on the shelves in shops. There isn't too much text so people will not get bored looking at it. The colour's scheme contrasts with each other making it look proffessional so people would take the magazine serious. Also both colours stand out from the black background making it stand out on the shelves.

Bar-code - The bar-code is placed on the bottom left so it does not intervene with the elements on the front cover which means that the bar-code is insignificant.

Selling Line - Is short and simple. People do not usually notice it and ignore the fact that it is there because it is minor element to a front cover.

Website Link - The website link is small so it does not over power anything on the front cover; this also shows that the link is unimportant.

Induction: Movie poster Textual Analysis

Harrison Ford aka Indiana Jones.

Costume - His outfit suggests that he is an archaeologist, also the bag he wears around himself proves that he is an archaeologist. His hat suggests that he could be exploring any type of weather for example, humid/hot, rainy etc. His hat is quite old fashion in a way because nowadays archeologist do not wear hats like the one Harrison Ford is wearing. This shows a stereotype towards the way archeologists dress.

Props - Most archaeologists carry a brush and chisel but in this picture Harrison is wearing a gun and holding a whip this could suggest that his 'job' is dangerous so he needs protection. This gives the audience an idea that his job could be at any location and anything could happen which is symbolic to the genre.

Setting - from my analysis, the setting is set in a tomb or cave which portrays that Harrison Ford is a archaeologist. Also the setting is quite mysterious and mystical which hints to the audience that this is film may involve magic. On the bottom left and right corner of the cover there are unusual patterns which portrays a sign of history and a mystery.

Lighting - The light is coming from the skull and it outlines Harrison Fords silhouette from his head to his torso then the lighting becomes low key when we look at his legs and this is because his legs are not important in the movie. The skull also stands out because it is the light source, this also proves that the light is artificial and not natural. The light represents fire because of the colour, this conveys warmth however the skull represents death.

NVC - Harrison Ford's posture is tall and heroic which gives the audience an idea of the movie genre which is action/adventure. His fists are clenched which can be intimidating and it also portrays that he is brave, ready for a fight. This challenges the stereotype of archaelogists being boring and that most archaelogists are middle aged or elderly people. Here the man looks quite young and strong just by looking at his physique.

Anchorage - The text 'Indiana Jones' looks comical and this connotates that the movie can be quite humorous which conveys the suitable age group and the target audience of this movie and from my analysis I think it could be for family, PG or 12+.

Induction: Re-creation of a Movie Magazine Front Cover

Original:

<- What I started off with



Outcome:



The main goal of this activity was to try and re-create a similar front cover as the original. I started off with only the image of Chris Pine who is the main character in Star Trek, then I edited it on Photoshop by stretching the image and cropping it. The main focus for me was having to figure out and choose which typography would be most similar with the original.

In the end, I think both photo's do look quite similar however there needs to be small adjustments to some things, for example the shade of the photo, the word 'total' and a few more. Overall I am satisfied with what i've done and did the best I could with the skills and ability I had.