Media Institutions 

The Guardian 

It was founded by John Edward Taylor in 1821. Furthermore it is a broadsheet newspaper, which was the first to be fully coloured. In addition to that it was influenced by the Peterloo Massacres and the anti-corn laws campaigns. Finally it is a British national daily newspaper.

Walt Disney 

The Walt Disney Company was founded by Walt Disney. Additionally, together with its subsidiaries, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media.

Viacom

The founders are Tom Freston and Sumner Redstone. Additionally, Viacom, Inc is an American global mass media company, who focuses on cinema and cable TV. BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation founder is  John Reith, 1st Baron Reith. In addition to that he BBC's purpose is to inform, educate and entertain. Additionally, the BBC is a PSB (Public Service Broadcaster) that, we as UK residents, pay for through the TV license fee. 

News Corporation 

It was founded by Rupert Murdoch and they are a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education and information services. On the other hand News Corporation own some of the most well-known newspapers such as The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.

ITV

The ITV network came about as a result of the Television Act 1954, which paved the way for the establishment of a commercial television service in the UK and created the Independent Television Authority. In addition to that it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK. 

Sony 

The sony corporation founders are Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, it is head quartered in Tokyo, Japan. Furthermore it's primary focus is electronics and owns Sony Pictures/Music/Computer Entertainment and Sony Mobile Communications. It is the parent company of the Sony Group. Sony own Columbia Pictures.

Vivendi 

Vivendi SA (formerly known as Vivendi Universal) is a French multinational mass media company headquartered in Paris, France. The company has activities in music, television, film, tickets and video hosting service.

Twitter 

Twitter was founded by Jack Dorsey in 2006. There are also some issues associated with Twitter as it is quite controversial because it can be used to organise protests and these can spread rapidly. Furthermore it is ranked one of the 10 most visited social media platforms but the number of users was overpowered by Instagram. 

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation founder is  John Reith, 1st Baron Reith. In addition to that he BBC's purpose is to inform, educate and entertain. Additionally, the BBC is a PSB (Public Service Broadcaster) that, we as UK residents, pay for through the TV license fee. 

Institution Hand Out

Institution Presentation

MIGRAIN introduction to Media: Reading an image

MIGRAIN introduction to Media: Reading an image

This advert poster has been endorsed by 50 Cent, promoting the Reebok brand name.
Denotation:

The advert consists of two images which are split- in a collage. One of them has a shot of 50 cent looking very menacing whereas the other one has a shot of fingerprints from some sort of criminal document. In addition to that the other image has a quote on it which is written by 50 cent and a tagline in the middle of both images. Also, there is a Reebok logo in the bottom right which suggests what brand the advert is promoting.

 Connotation:

The advert is monochrome which helps emphasis the effect of both images. The image of 50 cent on the left shows that his expression is very serious and the different shades of black and white help us get the message across that he had rough past. Similarly the image on the right suggests a criminal record which could possibly be linked with 50 cent. In addition to that the army camouflage on 50 cents vest could also suggest connotations of violence. However the tagline suggests that 50 cent is not ashamed of his past, in fact he is proud of the fact that he has a criminal background but still ended up pursuing a very respectful career which makes many people look up to you as a role model.

Colour/Lighting:

As I said previously the advert is monochrome and consists of different shades of black and white and even greys. The left image of 50 cent has an almost black background whereas there is more light reflected on his face making his expression more visible. Also, there is more light visible on his upper body that is making it easy for us to see his chain and clothing- even the scar on his shoulder. On the other hand the image of fingerprints on the right doesn't consist of any many shades, the colour of the document is one shade of grey and the fingerprints are also one shade making it easy for us to see what the shot consists of. 

Composition/Pose:

The advert is made up of two separate images which have been together in a collage which gives the split image effect. 

The pose 50 cent has is very stern which makes his muscles visible. In addition to that he holds a serious facial expression and looks masculine.

The quote on the top right is in sans serif font which is modern, this implies that his words stand a meaning for everyone whereas the tagline is in a serif font which is more traditional suggesting he us a classic rapper.

Size/Type Of Shot:

The type of shot on the left image is a medium-close up of 50 cent and the type of shot on the right is a close up of the fingerprints since some prints are not visible in the shot.

Subject Matter:

No product is being promoted in the advert. The only visible brand association is the logo 'RBK' in the bottom right which is the logo for Reebok. This connotes that the celebrity endorsement was simply done for the publicity of the brand and not a specific product.

This is done because when the people viewing the advert see that 50 cent is the central image they will imply that a celebrity promoting a certain product/brand suggests they're exceptional. Also the idea of a past problems and then rising to become something 'powerful' motivates many young people which could initially interest them into purchasing Reebok products.  

 Setting:

From the images you can assume the setting may be of a police station due to the image of a criminal document. Additionally, 50 cent seems to be looking us directly in the eye which could suggest he is in some sort of danger or held captive.


Target Audience:
The target audience is mainly young teens and we can assume this by the use of 50 Cent promoting the brand. Young people would be interested with this product as soon as they see 50 Cent as a role model.The use of the quote also shares a bit of his life with us and gets the audience to connect with him- motivating them to do better.






This advert poster has been endorsed by Scarlett Johansson  , promoting a make-up product (foundation) produced by Dolce&Gabbana.

Denotation:
The advert consists of one image which is of the celebrity Scarlett Johansson. She is laying on a bed nude with a light pink silk sheet wrapped around her. We can assume she is topless since her back is bare revealing skin. Other than her face and back only her left arm is visible. In addition to that, there is a image of the make-up product imprinted onto the poster. The brand name is in the top right corner along with the product name under it. There is also some writing under the product image however it is not clear enough and you cannot tell what it says. 


Connotation: 
Scarlett Johansson has a very enticing look. The bare skin gives a more seductive feel to the poster- almost hypnotising the audience. Her lips are slightly parted,suggesting a flirtatious expression also as she is addressing us directly with her eyes, it is as though she is trying to put the audience in a trance with her beauty. She is portrayed as a elegant yet sensuous woman with the way she is positioned and her pose. On the other hand the product name 'Perfect Luminous' implies that this foundation gives you perfect skin with an amazing 'luminous' glow. This appeals to most people since everyone wants almost 'perfect' skin. Scarlett Johansson is a beautiful women who many ladies look up to and the brand have used her to represent impeccable skin since that is what will allure people into buying the product.


Colour: 
The colours used in the advert are a range of different light pinks/nudes. This represents elegance and class/wealth. The background is almost white emphasising the glowing effect on Scarlett Johansson's skin. In addition to that there's more shadows around the perimeter of her face making her features and dewy skin more prominent.


Composition/Pose:
There is only one image however the models face is more towards the left side and there is a small image of the product imprinted onto the right side. 
Like I said previously the model, Scarlett Johansson is laying on her belly with her back revealing bare skin. She has a captivating look on her face and is looking directing at the camera in a almost hypnotise way. The silk sheets wrapped around her could signify wealth which could connote that this brand of make-up would be appealing to people of a higher class.

Size/Type Of Shot:

The type of shot is a medium-close up.

Subject Matter:
The subject matter of this poster is the make-up product which is a foundation called 'Perfect Luminous' which is in the right side of the poster however Scarlett Johansson takes up more of the poster in size but we can clearly identify the subject matter being the perfume as Dolce&Gabanna is such a famous brand.


Target Audience: 
The target audience would be women who wear make-up however since Dolce@&Gabanna are a well known expensive brand it is suitable to infer that women of a higher age and higher class would be more interested in purchasing this product.

Dominant/ Oppositional Reading Of Adverts

Nike Ad- the dominant reading of this advert is that this advert is that young males who may be living in estates or may be part of the lower class can pursue the career they enjoy and have a passion for with the right gear, essentially referring to Nike footwear. On the other hand the oppositional reading is that some young males who cannot afford to purchase Nike footwear due to their expensive price may look at this advert and feel deprived since they don't own a pair of Nike trainers. in addition to that the background of the 'estates' makes young males assume that this specific type of clothing portrays you as a 'hood-rat' or 'gang member' so they behave like one. 

50 Cent Ad- the dominant reading is that despite having a criminal record, 50 cent became a great rapper who many young males see as a role model. He is portrayed as someone who is proud of his past and this makes young males assume that it is possible to achieve anything. However, the oppositional reading is that this advert is promoting crime and violence. It is making young males imply that they can get away with crime and instead of making them view 50 Cent as a person who learnt from his mistakes, the tagline 'I am what I am' is connoting he doesn't see his past as a lesson- he sees it like an achievement. 

Media Consumption:


Television

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television?

          25 Hours

• What times of day do you usually watch television?

          After school between 4-7pm

• What programmes do you like best and why?

           I like to watch TV series or documentaries because I find them more interesting and I              don't easily get bored.

• Do you watch alone or with others? If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch?

          I usually watch TV alone but if my siblings are with me they watch it with me and I                   decide what we watch.

• Do you watch 'live' TV or on-demand/catch-up? Do you use any other devices to watch TV (such as laptop of tablet?)

          I tend to record certain TV series and watch them when I get home or whenever I'm  

          free but I usually watch documentaries live. I use my laptop to watch an episode if I

         forget to record it.

Radio

• Do you listen to the radio?

          Yes

• If yes, what stations do you like best and why?

          I like kiss fm and the capital because I listen to music when I'm in the car.

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to the radio?

          1 hour

• Where do you listen to the radio?

          In the car
Cinema

• What films have you seen in the cinema in the last month?

           The Visit

• What films have you seen in other places – for example, through rental, satellite film channels (free or otherwise) or through video-on-demand?

          Straight Outta Compton

• Who else watched the films with you?

          I went to the cinema to watch ' The Visit' with a friend and I watched 'Straight Outta                 Compton' at home with my brother.

• Who decided what films to watch?

          I did

• What devices do you typically use to watch films: TV, laptop, tablet, phone etc.?

           Laptop or my phone
Online

• How often do you access the internet?

          Everyday

• Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work?

           School and at home

• What are the main sites that you access?

          Google

• What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment?

          Online shopping, to watch a movie or research.

• What different devices do you use to access the internet? What is your primary device for accessing the internet?

          My phone

• What social networks do you use regularly (e.g. Twitter, Instagram)? Why do you belong to these networks in particular?

          Snapchat, Instagram and Whatsapp.

 Action Plan: I need to read more newspapers and be aware of what is going on around the world and I also need to purchase more magazines to expand my media knowledge.

Introduction:
I chose Media Studies because I did Media Studies GCSE and I thoroughly enjoyed it because it allowed me to be creative and use my imagination whereas in other subjects you are restricted. I was interested in the way certain things are portrayed with the use of Media and I found film language analysis intriguing as it made me see movies in a different perspective. Media is important because it is always expanding and changing and has become a big part of our daily lives. I hope to learn how to put together a short film and improve my editing skills. My media interests would be social media and news because I find that social media is constantly developing and appealing to people of many age groups. On the other hand, news seems to have a major impact on the way we think and how we stereotype groups or make assumptions due to what the media decides to show us and how they make certain situations more important rather than the ones that are actually worth spreading awareness about. Like I said previously I did Media as a GCSE therefore I have some sort of practical media experience. My other A-level options are Sociology and English Literature.