Wednesday 22 January 2014

Misfits DVD Cover Analysis


Here we can see we have a media text for the show MisFits. From first glance we can see that both the title text and the image below it both act as dominant signifiers due to them being the main thing on the text. We can see that the protagonists of the show are being represented in a very stereotypical way which is shown by how there is a muscular black male who happens to be wearing a chain, all of which are a general stereotype for black people as they are usually associated with crime. We can see that the lightening has connotations of the phrase “a storm is coming” which means something bad is coming and is reinforced by the anchorage of the masked individual in the background of the image. We can see that in terms of the genre conventions this particular media text is being broadcasted on channel 4 which is renowned for having programs aimed at teenagers as shown by programs sharing the same network such as “The Inbetweeners”, “Big Brother” etc. We can see that slug-line is “In a class of its own” which gives connotations that the characters have something unique whilst it not telling too much information that there is no point watching it which makes the viewer want to watch it.

Heroes DVD Cover Analysis




Here we can see that the Heroes title is the first thing we see on the page, the text itself is very stretched and linear which gives a very older and more mature look and feel to the text which gives hints that the text is for a more mature audience such as young adults. We can see that the title itself is the dominant signifier on the page as it is the first thing we see due to the blur effect covering a large portion of the cover image. Carrying on from that we can see the blur effect on the title itself gives a hint towards the narrative of the story with it looking very eerie and misty which is reinforced by the anchorage of the solar eclipse within the title itself. We can see that in terms of the genre conventions that this program airs on NBC which is an American network which broadcasts a lot of programs aimed at Teenagers and younger adults which is also reinforced by the age rating of 12 in the bottom corner and on the spine of the text. 

Being Human DVD Cover Analysis

Here we can see that the “Being Human” text is the first thing we see on this media text. The text itself is very thin and long which gives connotations that it is for a mature audience and not for younger viewers. We can see that the 3 characters are the dominant signifiers on the scene and it is safe to assume that they are the main characters within the media text. Looking closely at the characters themselves we can see that the female character has connotations of being a ghost which is reinforced by the anchorage of the unnatural glow around her as well as her legs being fairly transparent. As well as that we can see that the central male has connotations of being a shady character due to his dark clothes and is again reinforced by the anchorage of the blood-stained bag that he is carrying. We can see that the other male present has connotations of being a werewolf and is reinforced by the anchorage of the animalistic scratch marks on the male’s shoulder. We can see that the slug-line at the bottom of the cover says “Time to face their demons” which also acts as an anchorage in putting across that what these characters are unnatural and also  gives an insight into the narrative of the story almost like a preview. We can see that the text itself is on a dark alley way which gives connotations that these characters have had a ‘dark’ past which can be reinforced by how there is a distant light at the back of the image which gives connotations that there is ‘a light at the end of the tunnel’ which means there is hope and can give connotations that the characters are in trouble as shown by the dark lighting on the characters. In terms of the genre conventions on the text we can see that it has placed a review from a well-known source (in this case, IGN) in the top left so it doesn’t act as a dominant signifier but is noticeable to the viewer and helps sell the media text due to the positivity of the review from a well-known source and these are normally found on DVD covers. We can also see that they have placed the “BBC” logo on the spine of the media text which has connotations that the show is made of a high quality due to the budget that a company spends on certain media texts such as Doctor Who for example, by having a renowned company logo on the text it helps make the viewer to do something i.e. buy the DVD. Carrying on from that, the BBC logo being there shows that the target audience will be of a mature age due to other shows being broadcasted on the channel such as Doctor Who, Holby City etc which all are aimed at older audiences such as adults.