Analyse one of your productions in relation to language.

To analyse one of projects, I choose to analyse my magazine cover, contents and double page spread from my AS year in media. Mainly my magazine front cover but commenting on language I included in other elements of the magazine. MU, my magazine is an indie/alternative genre featuring different bands and artists. The front cover features a girl who has the main story featuring within MU, which features on the double page spread.

Structuralism is looking at the bigger picture, people who look from a structuralist approach look outside the meaning and where the meaning came from. An idea from a sturcturalist approach is usually based on cultural experience and interprets the texts itself. A theory proposed by Barthes suggested that the true meaning of something is proposed through signs which are signified by the reader, known as semiotics. Levi-Strauss prospered the idea of binary oppositions where the form significant contrasts to create difference, for example: hero and villain.

In relation to my cover, the model has bright red hair which could signify passion. A passion for the artist’s music and the story within the magazine shares that. I’ve also used the colour red as a part of my colour scheme and runs throughout my magazine; in my double page spread I have highlighted an important quote by the artist in dark red to signify her strong passion and anger within what she is saying. This is an element of semiotics. I have also used an element of binary oppositions in my magazine through the use in the main story on my double page spread. Where the artist discusses bad times in her life but how they have changed her as person to reflect on how she is different from then.  It reflects on the difference of emotion depression and happiness.  The body language portrays confidence in the model, she leans into the camera slightly and her face catches most of the light showing her features, the lightening also brightens her hair more into a more fierce red. This could symbolise her being challenging. This is a copy of MU to contribute to my comments.

A further element of semiotics are the use of colour in the background and in her shirt, the white could be a signifier that she is pure and angel like. Her shirt could be an element of Levi-Strauss’ binary opposition representing the difference between dark and light to show a sense of mystery to her new personality to the readers.