2. Representation in the Media
• By definition, all media texts are re-presentations of reality. This
means that they are intentionally composed, lit, written,
framed, cropped, captioned, branded, targeted and censored by
their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of
the reality we perceive around us. When studying the media it is
vital to remember this- every media form, form a home video to
a glossy magazine, is a representation of someone’s concept of
existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols which can
be read by an audience. However, it is important to note that
without the media, our perception of reality would be very
limited, and that we, as an audience, need these artificial texts
to mediate our view of the world, in other words we need the
media to make sense of reality. Therefore representation is a
fluid, two-way process: producers position a text somewhere in
relation to reality and audiences assess a text on its relationship
to reality.
3. Brief: Produce an image for a poster
campaign to recruit teachers
Different shots
1. Close up: to illustrate
facial expression and body
language
2. Long shot: to demonstrate
the image/look a teacher
should have
Mise-en-scene: inside a class
room with props such as
books and equipment
Bright lighting/ natural
lighting- creates a cheerful
atmosphere and focuses on
the facial expression of the
teacher
INITAL
IDEAS
Interaction between
the teacher and
student
Students
Formal and professional outfit/costume.
This will make the target audience
believe that the teacher is confident and
it makes a superior impression
4. Editing
After cropping the image which only includes a student
and the teacher I added a effect to make the image
brighter. I flipped the image so that the teacher was on
the left side of the shot rather than the right. The
reason for this is because the natural eye flow of the
audience is from left to right therefore the image of the
teacher will immediately attract the audiences
attention
I added a ‘splash’ effect from
the app I was using on a iphone called whiteagram. The
splash paint brush allowed me
to make the whole image black
and white, with colour only on
the teacher , focusing on the
educator
5. Effects
Final Image
Other effects such as making the image Hi-defintion simply made the image look more
professional and clear due to the low quality levels of the camera I used. Once I was happy
with the lighting, contrast and brightness levels I chose the blemish tool to blur all out other
than the teacher and student. This tool is designed to clean up marks on smooth areas of
your images that sometimes appear if your sensor has dirt on it.
6. Final Image
The set task was to produce an image for a poster campaign to recruit teacher. Therefore I
intended to base the image around a teacher. In my initial ideas I thought it was
particularly important to think about what the audience would expect. My initial thought
was to include a teacher who demonstrates enthusiasm and charisma. The image is
focused on the teacher rather than the students. The reason for this is because if there
were more students(long shot) rather than a close up shot this can be interpreted as the
satisfaction on teaching students rather than enjoying being a teacher. This is evidently
shown through their body language and expression. Therefore I decided it was critical to
either have a mid-shot or close-up of the teacher to portray her enthusiasm and passion in
teaching. A striking image is key to capitulate the audiences attention. The image
connotes that the teachers is relaxed but eager from her body language. Another way in
which this is shown is from the teachers clothes. The casual but smart top with the sleeves
rolled up suggests that she's comfortable and content. The eye contact between the
student and teacher is very crucial in the shot as it shows the teacher is attentive . The
bright natural light from the room give a warmth in the atmosphere of the image. In
addition I included the typical props used in a classroom such as books, white board, pens
and pads in order to construct an instructive outcome.
