AICE Media Studies AS Level: Kevin P

               When I began thinking about my magazine, I had an idea on what topic to do, but that soon changed as I said in a previous blog detailing my final decision. After being content and staying with the topic of stress and mental health alongside the spreads of music and color, I realized I needed to figure out who my target  audience is exactly.      Stress is a feeling that can occur for anyone and anywhere, regardless of age and regardless of location. Stress can  also result for a multitude of reasons including educational and personal stressors. With this being something everyone can experience, it is harder to choose a specific audience.      However, after I spent time thinking I came to the conclusion of teenagers and young adults, specifically the age range of 13-21. Throughout these ages, teenagers are beginning  high school and young adults are almost graduating college and are figuring out their lives, all these events and transitions can cause people to feel overw

     With every magazine spread, images are involved, but of course, research needs to be done prior in order to analyze what will fit the spread in terms of its focus. Below, I have attached multiple images that I will be using as inspiration when I attempt to photograph, or design my images for my magazine on stress and mental health. 

      In the advertisement illustrated  above, a woman is lying on the floor next to a males dress shoe, without clothes, covering her breasts. The text above her reads "Keep her where she belongs..."      The purpose of this advertisement is to depict how men should control women during the 1950's and to sell the shoe illustrated.  Coinciding  its purpose, the advertisement is targeting men, particularly those married.  The stereotype at the time was that women should be kept in place, inside their home being a housewife. Lying next to the shoe, it can be implied that  men were supposed to use force to keep women at their feet, fitting the gender superiority of the mid 1900's.       To further understand how the purpose of this advertisement can be  taken , the eyes of the woman draw the viewer to the shoe, leading to the depiction of how a woman at the time should be at the toes of a man. The sepia, monochrome tone used across the  advertisement  also gives the imag

      Donald Glover released his track This Is America in 2018, and it quickly gained popularity. The music video racked up 11M likes and over 800M views on Youtube.      In 2019 the single won four Grammy's, Awards for Best Music Video, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Melodic Rap Performance. Alongside these recognitions it also won multiple MTV and BET awards such as Best Choreography, Best Direction, and Best Impact Track, among other awards.      Deeper into the music video itself, it has served as a harsh, yet true depiction of society to this day, targeting the entire American population, regardless of race.  The video draws attention to the two different worlds we live in today, black vs white.      Glover draws emphasis to how there has still been no movement on gun laws promoting stricter ownership meanwhile mass shootings continue to occur. In the video he references multiple mass shootings in recent year by re-enacting the Charleston church shooting in 201

                                       This year, Lil Nas X, Tom Holland, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were GQ's 2021 Men of the Year Cover Stars. Illustrated above is the cover of music star Lil Nas X in a display of his personality, and how others perceive him.       In one pose Nas X is wearing a white tux, displaying what people want him to be, a normal and culture situated pop icon. The other picture represents who Lil Nas X wants to be, it portrays who he is. He is a decisive and outspoken star who wants to be himself. The duality perception on Lil Nas X is  exemplifying the ever changing opinions of society, and with his truer self holding onto the situated version of him, he is showing how he is not afraid to defy the gender norms set by society today and be an example for others.      Deeper into who Lil Nas X is as a person, he is apart of the LGBTQ community and this cover can be seen as an  inspiration for others in the community. Nas X is trying to defy what normal is and

                           Bias, the act of being in favor or against something. Bias is something no matter how hard one might try, there is no way around it. It is present all around us, however, there is ways to limit this act of favoring a certain person or thing. Oftentimes, using factual information such as evidence and statistics bolsters the credibility of ones statement and limits the unfairness caused by someone even if it is unintentional.      One of the most popular forms of bias is confirmation bias. This occurs when  someone looks for and interprets information that would support an assumption or theory they already have. Once receiving this information, the person would then dismiss the possibility of there being  another side. This form of cognitive bias can be seen when one is quickly to deny factual evidence that goes against their belief, actively seeking out information whether its statistics or simply opinions that will support their assumption, and selective reca

           The Sixth Sense was released in 1999 and is an American Psychological Thriller. Centered around a young child experiencing visits from ghosts he speaks to his therapist with unexplainable consequences occurring as a result.       Throughout the movie the directors used different camera movements and sound techniques to     produce the master piece that the Sixth Sense was.  M. Night Shyalaman, the director of the movie incorporated several camera angles, but the most impactful one was  the close-up shot. In certain scenes throughout the movie where there was tense motion, the shot made sure to capture the emotion of the actor, allowing the viewer to fully take in what was happening. Shots like the one illustrated above capture the emotions of the characters on scene and maximizes its potential with the audience. In certain scenes with the thermometer and the tape recorder, the focus close to the objects added tension to the scene as it continued, making it feel as real as po