Sessions 7 and 8 catch up!

OKay guysI know this is a lot to get through but I got really into this piece of work and was so happy that I finally caught up on it! I am loving these lessons now and am finding it a lot easier to do the work now that I enjoy it :D I even have an idea about what my final essay is going to discuss! Anyway, I have some more writing to do for the other parts of the course but I think I might post a little stuff on here through the next week if I get a spare moment!

1.       The site(s) of the production of an object or image eg.

·         How was it made? Using a film camera.

·         Using what methods, materials, tools, what kind of technology?

·         The advert was made using HD video cameras I can imagine, post production software, Photoshop

·         How can you describe its composition?

·         Is it identifiable as a particular genre? It’s not easy to discern what genre this advert is.

·         Who made it, where and when? Maybelline commissioned the advert to be made but it’s not clear where it was made although I would assume in a studio mostly and it would have been made a few months in advance of Christmas as it’s a festive advert.

·         Why did they make it? Who was it made for? It was made to entice potential customers to buy up matte perfection for their faces for the party season. They have created false need; telling the customer that it is the right thing to have matte skin that is flawless. It’s made for people who think they have spotty skin or uneven skin tone (although this foundation, I know from experience, actually increases clogged pores, spotty skin and naturally uneven skin tone).

·         What else was being made at the same time? Perfect match foundation by Rimmel which promises much the same thing but in a non-clogging liquid form.

·         What was the social, cultural and technological context of its production?

2. The site of the image:

What visual effects are produced by the materials and techniques used? The skin of the models is completely matte and ‘flawless’. Most likely they are wearing a LOT of stage quality make-up and have been airbrushed in post-production. The background used and the outfits they wear in this make it seem high class, business like but natural and toned down. It conveys the idea that powerful, independent beautiful women all have matte skin so they use Maybelline. The bright stage lighting used makes everything bright and youthful looking.

What are its formal qualities, for example:

• The composition or design of the image;

Everything is very minimal, there are few models, a simple backdrop and barely  any effects.

• Its spatial organisation;

A lot of close ups to show how flawless the skin is even up close.

• Its content or function;

The function of the simple back drop, wardrobe and natural looking make-up is to show how ‘normal’ skin should look and how the women in this advert are naturally beautiful without over embellishment. The function is to promote this make-up as being unrecognisable as make-up to everyone around you and that it can make you look like you are naturally ‘beautiful’ and ‘flawless’.

• The use of colour, tone, texture;

All the colours in the advert are very minimal but they have women of all skin tones and colours. Everything is very bright, youthful, matte and smooth.

• The style of the image

How does the image relate to its social context? I don’t think that the advert really is about the product. Just like perfume or car adverts never talk about the benefits of the product anymore. They are all trying to sell you a way of life rather than the product itself. The women in the advert are supposed to make the audience buy the product because people want to be like those women; strong, independent and beautiful. Basically, the women who will be using it most likely won’t be partying all night or working in a high powered position so socially, it’s not very relevant or even relatable to the customer.

3. The site of the audience:

How has it been displayed and where? The advert was on TV but it is also available on YouTube and shown on the homepage of the Maybelline site. Also the advert would have been in sidebars of websites and would have been made into a paper format for editorial such as Vogue and Elle.

How has it been circulated eg. Are there multiple copies or just one? This would have been mass published as this is a very well known brand.

What viewpoint or values does it offer to its audience or consumers?  As mentioned before,  this advert offers the value that perfect skin is skin that is covered up, that is one colour all over, one that is not shiny or pink or spotty. It conveys ideas of what perfection is and what true beauty is. It says you shouldn’t have skin that looks any other way, especially in the party season. It creates this false need to have it for the party season because you don’t want to have shiny skin at Christmas.

How does it relate to other visual texts? A lot of adverts for beauty products, clothing brands etc. all create this need to have what’s in rather than what you want or need. It’s entirely postmodern; having stuff for stuffs sake not because you need it.

Who is the audience? Is there more than one (eg. Lapper herself, critics and art historians –

What have they written about it, tourists, and art lovers)? Mostly, the audience is meant to be women who are terrified of getting old or not looking as beautiful as they should do (which could be anything from 18 – 85!) Teenagers I think are especially affected by these adverts I think because they strive to be perfect and liked by their peers. To be popular at any cost.

What meanings do audiences construct and how? I can only talk personally but I think that the audience would watch this ad then turn to themselves in the mirror and start to point out their flaws and they create this need, which they didn’t have prior to the ad, for the product because it can fix all these problems they have (even though it was the ad itself that caused these problems in the first place).

Are these the meanings intended or preferred by the person who made it? How do we know? We don’t know, we can only assume. I assume that the thought running through the head of the advertiser who create the advert was that they wanted sexy, powerful looking women to make their product look important and make people want it. Bar that I wouldn’t have thought they would think that deeply on it.

Is its meaning challenged/contested by different social groups? I would have thought that the guy or gal who designed the advert would fight for the meanings that they started off with and people who were avidly against the advert because it conveyed images of ideals of ‘perfection’ would probably appose that. With anything that is in the public domain, there will always be someone to oppose it.