In small groups we were allocated a genre to research; in my particular group we had to research country and western music. When researching this we found that country music was inspired by cowboy and western themes. Creating this moodboard helped us to understand how Mise en scene is used through costumes, colours and lighting.

The theme colours of this moodboard are very autumnal and it includes colours such as brown, orange, yellow and white. Through this moodboard it is clear that cowboy hats and leather boots are a big part of country culture. We’ve represented that the cowboys ride horses and use acoustic guitars to perform their music. We also discovered that country and western music is soft, natural, acoustic and melancholy.

After creating our moodboard we took some pictures of our model wearing clothes inspired by the western lifestyle:

We chose for our model to wear flanneled and layered clothing and for our prop we decided to use a piece of straw that he could chew on so it would draw in the western themes. In the first image, we used a background with a brown, wooden door behind him to express old fashioned and authentic vibes. In the second image we chose a backdrop with a plain white wall behind so we could have bright lighting because we can associate country and western music with being outside.  The photos are taken at a mid shot angle so we can clearly see that he is chewing on a straw. We chose to have him look off to the side during the shoots to communicate the idea that country is dreamy and nostalgic.

Focusing forward this will help me to use mise-en-scene in my music magazine because it has reinforced the importance of conveying a narrative to the audience. It will also help me to plan my music magazine because I will now research the conventions of my genre and use images, texts and colour in order to clearly present to the audience what type of music it is.

Whilst decoding this I learnt that every denotation in media has a connotation and print media conveys this through using different fonts, images and colours. I also discovered that the small details on this poster are used on purpose in order to convey a specific message to the audience. This can be shown through the poster of Harry Styles where he is expressing himself, yet behind this self-expression their is meaning, which the producer has incorporated into the design in order to attract the target audience.

Analysing this poster has helped me to see that the costume worn, hairstyle, makeup, posture, lighting used and facial expression are all used for a specific reason which in this case, is to attract young girls and teenagers. The use of all these things is also known as Mise en Scene.

Focusing forward this poster will help me to construct a good music magazine because it will help me to decode all of the elements I will need to think about. I’ve learnt the importance of connotations which will help me to ensure that behind everything I put in my music magazine there is a purpose.