Unit 10 - Task 2b - Photography

 b. You will need to understand how to read photographs and how they work as a form of visual communication engaging a specific audience. You are to choose and discuss at least two of the media sectors from task 2a explaining and demonstrating your knowledge as to where and why digital photographs are used in your chosen media products. You are to address the following forms of visual communication

• shorthand communication-universal symbols, colour
• mise en scène-(setting, props, costumes, make up, figure expression)
• ‘anchoring’-the text or other visual material

The two 'media sectors' I have chosen from task 2a will be Advert - electronic billboard & CD cover/thumbnails, this is because I believe these two areas are really strong in my own knowledge, but also with the fact of using digital photographs to perfection, which allow me to describe and address these two media sectors amongst the visual aspects, as I would know a lot of about these two since I used to make thumbnails for YouTube videos, and I've made adverts for school projects; posters etc. Therefore, this allows me to understand how digital photographs are used in these specific areas of visual communication (shorthand, mise en scene & anchoring) and where & why we use these in both of the media sectors (Advert-electronic billboards & CD Cover/thumbnail) I have chosen.

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In adverts produce on electronic billboards, shorthand communication genres such as universal symbols & colour may be used because they wish to make their product name stand out more to a specific age group/audience. In general, using communication like this is to produce a method of selling; universal symbols are strongly used amongst teenagers, but they are also used by a lot of social media takers amongst the millions of the world wide people on the internet. However, with product and sales in adverts, they would use universal symbols because it just informs all and every person what the product may contain or if it's recyclable, and by using universal code instead of just simplistic writing, it appeals to users as universal codes and used around the whole world, and majority of people know what the symbol means as soon as they see it.

 Adverts may use shorthand communications, to make the product of the advert sold as a quick, simple, but appealing product for audience to buy... with adverts, the general public & online internet users, don't want to wait around for adverts, and because it's an electronic billboard advert, they intend for the product to be something short & snappy and just cut to the chase; and by using universal symbols and colours in electronic billboards, it will appeal without question to any and all audience; using bright and vibrant colours appeal straight to an audiences eye, and would bring them back to the shorthand communication such as the title. Having symbols which everyone knows, or have seen before tells the audience it's proper and for some users, it proves the product has these specific qualifications to ensure the product is one, mainstream, two, produce correctly, three if it benefits the environment/word etc. And to have these specific aspects on a billboard advert, it reinsures people into considering if they should actually by it, and in some way it appeals to some consumers, and provokes them into feeling 'if I bought this, I can save money, or enjoy a good meal (whatever the advert really is), and I can see the packaging is something like recyclable or the product is suitable for men only (this depends on the universal code).

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The same in adverts is generally used in cd covers/thumbnails, and overall will have the same purpose. To sell a product to a specific audience - would could be classed as a niche product, but it's not generally because it's allowed for all dependent on the age range. For example, on CD covers or things like DVD covers on the back they would generally mark the age its suitable for and anything below is not - a game cover marked with a 3+ symbol, provides the proper salesmanship and shows the shorthand communication used in CD covers used is for peoples reinsure, but can typically appeal to users who are influenced into believing seeing something you're not allowed is good to do. Colours are used because that stand out to audiences; same with adverts, having colours in your product appeal to a lot of audiences, and draws audiences eye sight towards your product. Colours such as bright and vibrant shades, appeal mostly to the majority of younger audiences, such as teenagers and kids, and to have these colours on products such as CD covers/thumbnails appeals more, and can make the audience attention straight onto the product, and influence them into buying the CD, just from the cover alone.

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Overall, photographs are in used in many different media sectors, but in my own media products and the chosen media sectors, they come under the fact of using visual communication such as explained already; shorthand communication, but the products also use mise en scene & anchoring. In CD covers they use mise en scene generally for the person posing in the CD cover, this helps make the cover effective. CD covers/thumbnails use mise en scene by depending on what the CD aims to portray, for example if the CD was a rap one, talking about gangsters/drugs/weapons, the CD cover would normally have the person and then they will place the person in specific area of the CD cover, and this would be called the composition so they can fit the line of sight for the audiences. Next would be the type of setting they have, if the background in plain or whatever the CD is, maybe a jail cell. Next would be if they have any props, for example if they are holding a weapon or a phone, anything which will be used to take the photograph, and then next is the lighting used and angling to get the best possible picture. Next could be the facial expression or posture of the character, to sell something or make the audience think of something about the character. Next and possibly finally, would be the makeup used and then the costume too; this is all done same for CD Covers and Adverts on electronic billboards, because their whole purpose is to sell there idea across to the general public and have there pictures advertised everywhere so they can wholesomely sell their product effectively.

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Photographs also use anchoring both in adverts on electronic billboards, and CD covers. This is simply produced and done through constructing & editing titles on software's such as Photoshop, where anchoring officially comes into place; Photoshop you can write a title out, and change the font, apply colour, change the size, thickness, the style (bubbly, thick, bold) and just overall get the best title font / type face you wish for your product. This is important because the product name must stand out to viewers, because that's what they're going to want to remember the 'name' and remembering the style too keeps it up in the publicity world, and makes more people know about it too. For example, if you saw in it store once, but then saw the same on an online website, they would remember it and then possibly search more about or search similar products created by the company. However, with titles you want to have something remember able because it will keep its name amongst the other big industries too, such as Apple. Everyone knows apple & remembers apple, because of the Universal code/anchoring of logo they use, and then having their simplistic, but appealing and bold letter font always kept the same for all their products, and wherever someone sees their logo or font style, they'll remember that's Apple, the company for making smartphones etc.

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