Contemporary Communications - Case Study Example

Contemporary Communications Introduction: Visual images that we see can sometimes powerfully influence viewer perception and opinions and have a profound impact. While photographic images have a stark reality about them and may therefore be more believable, other kinds of images can be equally potent. With modern techniques which are available, images can also be altered, juxtaposed into each other and otherwise altered to present different kinds of images which are much more potent than the reality. The following essay has selected two images to analyse from the perspective of how they are represented. One of them is an image of a very young child that is sucking on a water bottle, while behind the child, a gun that has been unhooked from its holster is visible, tied around the waist of an unknown person who is dressed in white. The second pictorial representation is a very sharp knife which has obviously been used in a murder because there are large splotches of blood around it. Both of these images deal with violence and crime; however the representation of the two images are geared towards conveying different kinds of messages, both of which are significant political issues of the day that have been a source of debate and discussion for many years , especially in the recent decade. The two images used in this analysis are presented below: Image No: 1 Image No: 2 Analysis: At the outset, it may be noted that both the images appear to have an underlying message that highlights the horrors of violence. The first picture is suggestive of the threat posed by guns while the second is of the threat posed by knives which are used in murder. Hence, both of the pictures appear to be communicating a message against violence, but a closer examination as detailed below suggests that the underlying messages may actually be rather different. As Sturken and Cartwright have said, all media forms tend to “enmesh viewers within different spheres of public action and debate.(at pp 317). The first picture which is discussed in this essay, i.e, the picture of the child with a huge gun in the background deals with one of the more significant issues of the present day, i.e, the high rates of crime using guns and the need to control the use of guns. The second picture is more clear cut, because it is obviously intended to present to a viewer’s mind, the dangers of crime itself, especially in the use of weapons which can become deadly killing agents. Sturken and Cartwright also discuss representation, which refers to the use of images in order to create meaning to the world around us (at pp 255). At the outset, in the first picture, showing such a young innocent child in the foreground while a big, threatening gun looms in the background, appears to support the argument that guns are dangerous. The visual representation of innocence versus the threat posed by the gun is a representation of the underlying danger inherent in the use of guns. This must however be contrasted with the text of the picture, which states “Because I am my child’s keeper”, thereby appearing to provide the justification for the use of guns, i.e, an individual acquires a gun in order to protect his or her young ones from danger of violence and crime. This suggests that the underlying message in the picture is not against the use of guns by highlighting the element of threat inherent in it; rather the actual message the image seeks to convey is that it may be permissible to use guns as a means of self defense. The very use of a young child also has a deeper significance. Firstly, it depicts a strong impression of the innocence of the young child and the representation of this innocence also leads the viewer to an inference about how a large percentage of the victims of gun shots may generally be innocent victims. Secondly, it also depicts the child as being perplexed about what is going on around her, apparently seeming oblivious to the looming threat that is just behind her, as depicted in the gun. This is also a representation of the way many members of the public are perplexed about the causes and the effects of crime. As a result, there is a considerable amount of sub text inherent in the image; it conveys a much deeper message than what is immediately evident on a superficial perusal of the image. There are two major aspects in a visual message that contribute to its appeal to the audience and make it memorable – audience resonance and strategic relevance. If an advertisement for example,is to be memorable, it must first of all resonate with the audience. It must spark off a reaction in the viewers by catching their imagination and inviting them to stop and think about the message. An advertisement or message must seek to achieve the boom factor, which is the creation of the essential quality, which creates a lasting impression in the mind of the viewers. The second aspect to be taken into consideration in creating a successful advertisement or message is strategic relevance. While a message may be able to provoke the viewer to think, it must also achieve the desired objective, i.e, to make the viewer think about the product being advertised and achieve the required degree of sales. Therefore, it must be relevant to the sponsor’s strategy before it can constitute a great and memorable message; if the message is not oriented in line with the sponsor’s objectives it will be arresting and eye catching, but will not achieve the desired objective of sales of the sponsor’s products. In the case of both the images, these aspects have been achieved; especially in the first image which immediately arrests the attention of the viewer by the juxtaposition of two contrasting images – the innocent child and the gun. It is likely to spark off a reaction in an average viewer who will immediately see the danger of the gun as even more overpowering because of the context and proximity of the young child. Secondly, it is also relevant to the message that the creator of the image seeks to convey; i.e, advocating a lifting of gun control. This has been achieved through the text message, which clearly plants a message in a viewer’s mind which makes him or her look differently at the use of guns. As opposed to seeing them as weapons of violence, the text which is also a part of the image, suggests that guns can also be viewed as a protection device rather than as an aggressive weapon. It suggests that people should be allowed to carry guns in order to be able to defend their loved ones from criminal elements. The use of the colour white is also very clever in this picture. The colour white is generally associated with purity and innocence. This is likely to make the viewer subconsciously associate the wearer of the gun as a person who is not a criminal and does not have evil intentions like criminals do. The use of the colour white also corroborates the depiction of the child as a potential innocent victim who needs to be protected by an angel, since angels are traditionally dressed in white. The picture of the knife is also likely to resonate with an audience, simply because of its sheer shock value. The knife in itself would not have had the same effect, if it was not presented with the image of blood. Moreover, the splotches of blood are so large, that it becomes immediately obvious to a viewer that they have been produced because a murder has taken place. The haunting sense of a life lost is clearly evident and the potential threat of violence inherent in a gun is underlined clearly. As Sturken and Cartwright have also pointed out, the exploration of the meaning of images also needs to take into account the social context, beliefs and ideologies which have produced them (pp 21). Ideologies occur in the context of propaganda, which the authors define as the use of “false representations to lure people into holding beliefs that may compromise their own interests.” (pp 21). The first image is a depiction of this aspect, because the purpose of the image is to promote gun rights propaganda; in other words it is calculated to make the viewer think about various arguments and debates which may already have been playing out in the mass media such as television and newspapers advocating the use of guns. There is a large following in the United States of gun enthusiasts, who firmly advocate the elimination of gun controls. In the process of transmission of images through various media, the sponsor working through its advertising or publicity agency is the source – the creator of the message, which is the message itself. The channel is the medium through which the advertisement is transmitted and the receiver is the consumer. The Stern model acknowledges that the source, message and receiver may have multiple dimensions, sometimes existing in the real world and sometimes in the virtual world within the text of the message (www.allbusiness.com). The message itself may assume different literary forms, while receivers may be sponsorial or actual customers. In the case of the first picture, the objective of the message is actually advocating the use of guns, as a means of self defence and for protection of self and loved ones. However, the manner in which the image is portrayed does indeed have multiple dimensions, because part of it exists in the real world, i.e, the child and the gun in the holster of an adult; but the virtual representation that is not immediately evident but is nevertheless suggestive of a message is an argument and debate against gun control. Just as Sturken and Cartwright have stated, irrespective of the social role that is played by an image, using a camera to create an image almost always involves “some degree of subjective choice, through selection, framing and personalization.” (pp 259). In the case of the first image, the photographer has chosen to interlay two different and separate images together into one selected shot, using different sized photos juxtaposed together in order to convey the impression of a very small, defenceless child against a large, possibly dangerous person carrying a gun. As opposed to this, the second image has chosen to manipulate an image in such a manner that it appears that the knife has just been a part of a gruesome murder scene. The image maker in this instance as well, has chosen not to depict the victim’s body or the injuries which may have been caused by the knife. It is quite probable that the knife only caused a deep wound to some part of a person’s body, but by cleverly choosing not to show the state of the victim, the viewer tends to jump to the conclusion that a crime has occurred which quite probably might be more heinous than what it might have actually been. In this way, the image maker also promotes his or her own propaganda against violence and the use of knives and highlights the dangers. Conclusions: On the basis of the above, it may thus be concluded that both the messages are very potent in terms of expressing a message against violence. They both serve to highlight the issue of violence in a viewer’s mind and make him or her aware of the consequences and threats. The object of the violence is different in the case of each image, the first deals with guns, the second with knives. The manner in which they are represented is also quite different. The first image is far more subtle, because it represents a juxtaposition of two images; a young child and a gun, but while the initial impression suggests one message, a closer look challenges the viewer to think about it differently. The second image succeeds in what it chooses to conceal and how it presents the material. The representation of images and the subjects of the images are different, but a large part of their impact lies in the manner in which they have been represented. References: * Stern, Barbara B, 1994. “A revised communication model for advertising:multiple dimensions of the source, the message and the recipient”, Retrieved September 9, 2010 from: http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/advertising/450254-1.html *Sturken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa. “The mass media and the public sphere”. Read More