Lindsay Finkelstein's
Question: How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Throughout the time I have been working on this project, I have improved my creative skills. For example, looking through different layouts and fonts, I have been able to find different items that would help my magazine be marketable. My knowledge of different programs, like Indesign, has improved and I am getting the hang of using different programs. Also, through research, I have found out ways I can see eye-to-eye with consumers and market my product in a way that is attractive to the readers.
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Questions: How does your product engage with audiences? How does your product be distributed as a real media text?
My product engages with audiences by appealing to their love of Disney. My magazine allows readers to stay on top of new events regarding Disney. Specifically, my magazine deals with Disney during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also gives an update on what's new outside of the parks, like what's new on Disney +. My product could be distributed physically and digitally. Digitally, I could make a blog and market my product through social media and other sites. Physically, I could find a publisher who is willing to internationally distribute it to newsstands and other places where magazines are sold. Questions: How does your product use or challenge conventions? ow does your product represent social groups or issues?
My magazine shows how a large corporation is adapting to changes during a global pandemic, specifically Disney. Disney means a lot to so many people and a lot of people want to know what is happening at the "Happiest Place on Earth." Through spreading out the ride queue to allowing only 35% capacity in their parks, Walt Disney World is challenging conventions when it comes to amusement parks and efficiency and safety during a global pandemic. The issue at hand is the COVID-19 pandemic. And although some people may not make it to the Disney parks, there is always Disney + available for those wanting to go, but unfortunately, cannot. My magazine could give people insight, whether they are Disney fanatics or are planning on traveling to the parks, on what is happening inside and outside the parks. The media is something everyone looks to for entertainment, whether it be music, movies, sports, or even video games. When viewing different types of media, it’s not likely someone will be thinking about how the media is trying to persuade you to think a certain way. And although we believe there are various different corporations who fund different aspects of the media, it is mostly generated from six big corporations: The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, CBS, News Corporation, Time Warner Cable, and Viacom. These six companies make up the entire mass media from music labels, movie studios, news networks, sports networks, and even parks and resorts. These different corporations each own smaller networks and labels and can use what is called synergy, which is defined as a cooperation of various subsidiaries of media conglomerates to either promote their work or promote ideologies that match with the company’s ideology.
When looking for more viewers to watch a show that is produced by the same network, they can use what is called cross-promotion. A fairly new example is on Freeform, they will show promotions for Disney’s new streaming service, Disney Plus. This new kind of technology makes it easier for viewers to watch movies and includes movies from different companies Disney owns. Touchstone Pictures, for example, is owned by Disney and produced the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, which is available to watch on Disney Plus. This also occurs with Comcast and their new streaming service Peacock. Another synergy that has been used fairly often is cross-production, which is taking one original product and producing it in several different forms. For example, the Marvel and DC Universes. They both started off as comic book companies but have flourished into big movie franchises under different companies: Marvel with Disney and DC with Warner Brothers, which is owned by Warner Media. A problem with these six companies running the media is the content the news stations they own put out. For example, Time Warner Cable owns CNN, which is known for being primarily left leaning and News Corporation owns Fox News, which is known for their conservative ideology. In this sense, they are using Bias of Inclusion in which these news stations promote information in the interest of their parent company. This results in very biased news and because it is targeting one specific audience, like Fox News is targeted towards conservatives, if they try to stray away from the interest of the parent company, they are going to be shut down. For example, in the most recent election, the executives at Fox News sent a memo to the anchors not to call Joe Biden the “President-elect” when the network called the race. This was because they were known to be Trump supporters and they didn’t want any legal trouble with the Trump Administration, so the executives thought it would be in their favor to stray away calling Biden the “President-elect” when it was obvious Joe Biden had already won the election. There are a lot of issues that can be raised from media ownership and funding in contemporary media practice, including bias and the widespread ownership of smaller conglomerates. With new technology and the need for efficient ways of entertainment comes new ways for big corporations to profit off of these needs. By focusing on a certain aspect that the audience enjoys, movie producers, music producers, or even game makers can make a lot of money because people want more of it, especially with the live action remakes of old Disney movies. These corporations have enough money to spend on the quality of a film, so the audience will enjoy it. There are a lot of issues with how the media is run, but overall, these corporations seem to understand what their audience likes. Questions: 1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? It represents the people who want to go back to Disney because it makes them happier and in a time during a pandemic, it is much needed. Also, showing how Disney is doing in a pandemic can shed some light on how big corporations are dealing with COVID-19. 2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text? Many people are at home and want to be as close as they can to going back to Disney and this would be distributed online and in print at different newsstands and at stores where people can easily see it. This would be a good choice for my table of contents because there is room to organize and show every topic that would be in my magazine. I would change the color scheme and the objects on the pages, but it would make sense for the Disney/Tomorrowland theme I am going with. I chose this example because it looks very modern, which is the route I am going for with the Disney/Tomorrowland concept. I really like it because it is organized and it is easy to understand and comprehend in the sense that the reader can find the pages and articles easily. I chose this example from Esquire magazine because it is also neatly organized. I really like the layout, but I will change the color scheme to match my Disney/Tomorrowland theme/concept. The area where the pictures will go gives me an opportunity to show and describe the topics I will use. Possible article topics:
~The title/masthead is based on a land in the Magic Kingdom park in Walt Disney World and it suggests that the magazine is about Disney things. ~The mood or tone is very happy and in a "fantasy world". And, the yellow over the black gives the cover a "pop" and draws the reader's eye. ~Cinderella's castle has been used for the cover. It starts at the bottom of the castle and looks up making the castle appear larger than it is. The picture is very bright and lit. ~The strap-line is "Rides, Characters, and All Things Disney!" and it suggests that the reader is going to read about all things Disney as well as the rides and characters in the theme park. There is the use of exclamation points to emphasize that everything the reader is going to see is exciting. The first comparison is from the movie Sydney White with Amanda Bynes, which is a direct comparison to the 1937 Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The second comparison is from the show The Simpsons, which depicts Mr. Burns and Smithers performing an experiment on Santa's Little Helper. This is a direct comparison to the Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange. The last comparison is from the movie Lilo and Stitch in which Lilo is talking to her sister Nani and behind Nani, you can see a movie poster for the Disney movie Mulan, which is a subtle Easter Egg. Intertextuality is when one text makes a reference or comparison to another text either directly or indirectly. The three types of intertextuality are indirect (optional), direct (obligatory), and accidental. Indirect (optional) intertextuality is when filmmakers are inspired by other works made before. The audience can understand what inspired the filmmaker, but it is not important to the interpretation of the story. Direct (obligatory) intertextuality is when the filmmakers make comparisons or reference other texts on purpose, like Easter Eggs or "fan service." Accidental intertextuality is when the author did not intend to make a comparison between text, but relies on the audience to make those connections.
Look at a magazine cover. What can you tell about the type of magazine it is; what kinds of articles it contains; who is likely to read it? Why? This magazine by The Rolling Stone is most likely read by music fans and fans of the Beatles. On the cover, you see The Beatles, (from left to right) George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr. I noticed that George Harrison and John Lennon, who have passed away, are wearing white shoes, while Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who are still alive, are wearing black shoes. The main title is weaved into the picture right behind the band's heads. The main article 'Why the Beatles Broke Up' is sure to get the reader interested because The Beatles were a worldwide sensation and many people are interested as to how they split apart. Also, underneath the main article name, it says the words 'The Inside Story' which means they have first hand experiences which makes the reader more intrigued in the magazine. And, because this magazine was released in 2009, a long time after they broke up, you will more readers of an older generation who grew up with them as well as younger generations who have a love for The Beatles as well. The picture used for the cover is in black and white, which most likely means that this photograph was taken in the 60's or 70's and while they were together.
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