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SEPTEMBER 2012: IMAGES & ICONS M M MediaMagazine edia agazine Menglish and media centre issue 41 | septemberM 2012 FEMINIST ICONS OF NORDIC NOIR THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE ALBUM COVER STEVE JOBS AND THE ICONIC APPLE THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN english english and media centre SELF-IMAGE AND THE | issue | 41 issue | september 2012 MEDIA ICONS IN THE HOOD MM MM MediaMagazine is published by the English and Media Centre, a Welcome to new readers just starting out on your media and non-profit making organisation. film journey – and welcome back to those of you returning to A2 The Centre publishes a wide range and other Level 3 courses. of classroom materials and runs courses for teachers. If you’re This first issue of the year is on Images and Icons – traditionally studying English at A Level, look out the first port of call in Media Studies. You’ll already be well for emagazine, also published by practised in reading and analysing still and moving images, but the Centre. what’s this slippery term icon? And what does iconography mean in the context of The English and Media Centre Media Studies? You’ll know the word from the graphic symbols on your desktop, but 18 Compton Terrace that’s only one meaning. At its simplest, it’s described as: ‘An image; a representation’ London N1 2UN or ‘a symbol resembling the thing it represents’. Most definitions remark on the Telephone: 020 7359 8080 term’s derivation from religious imagery: ‘the representation or picture of a sacred Fax: 020 7354 0133 or sanctified Christian personage, traditionally used and venerated in the Eastern Email for subscription enquiries: Church’ (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/icon). Hence, the Oxford English [email protected] Dictionary refers to ‘a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as Managing Editor: Michael Simons worthy of veneration’, while the Urban Dictionary defines an icon as ‘a legend, role- model or superstar’. Editor: Jenny Grahame Of course, it’s more complicated than that. It’s often easier to define the term by Editorial assistant/admin: listing those we all acknowledge as icons of popular culture: for example James Zelda McKay Dean, Monroe and Garbo on-screen; Elvis, Judy Garland, the Beatles in music; Design: Sparkloop Madonna or Gaga as superstars who have successfully recycled the iconic properties Print: S&G Group of other, older icons to create their own brand image … Yet none of these icons Cover: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo appears in this issue! Instead we feature cultural icons old and new, from Brenda courtesy of image.net Hamlet’s analysis of the changing nature of James Bond, and the self-aware image ISSN: 1478-8616 construction of George Clooney, to ‘wannabes’ such as Lana del Rey, iconoclasts such as the Sex Pistols, or newer fictional archetypes such as the heroines of Scandinavian crime drama. And we consider how that grumpy emo minx Emily the Strange has emerged from a skateboarding ad to a multi-million dollar brand which has now become a global icon. But what about iconography – the symbolic visual elements of a text which resonate beyond their literal meaning, and come to be associated forever with the conventions of their genre? Look out for James Rose’s analysis of the opening sequence of Once Upon a Time in the West, which embodies the essence of the Western, or the use of myth and horror icons in The Cabin in the Woods. More controversially, Pete Turner analyses the iconic elements associated with the chav in media representations of young people, while Steph Hendry discusses the role of advertising iconography and commodification in the ways in which we construct our own identities. And finally, the seamless blending of literal, cultural and technological iconography in the work and life of the late Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. Lots to get you started. We’ll be publishing a double web supplement with our December issue, and there’s still some room for articles on your own personal favourite icons or preferred iconography – just email your contributions to [email protected] and you could find yourself published online! Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue. This magazine is not to be photocopied. Why not subscribe to our web package which includes a downloadable and printable PDF of the current issue or encourage your students to take out their own £12 subscription? 2 MediaMagazine | September 2012 | english and media centre MM contents Front Page News No second acts? The Bullet by bullet – the 04 29 making of a very (post) 48 iconography of the modern icon Ian Bland traces Western Through his analysis Self-image and the the transformation of Lizzy Grant of the opening sequence of 06 media – selling us our to Lana del Rey, and wonders Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time selves How do the media what we can learn from her in the West (1968), James Rose influence the ways we see iconography about the current examines its iconographical ourselves, and our construction state of the music industry. content to establish its meaning of our own identities, particularly and wider relationship to the in this era of social networks and The iconography of the genre. media saturation? Steph Hendry 32 album cover Christopher explores the issues. Budd goes behind the scenes of creative agency The Intro Icons in the hood – how Partnership to discover that 12 working-class youths album cover art is alive and became chavs Is this the well. He offers a guide to cover beginning of the end for the reading, with ten covers that word ‘chav’? Pete Turner looks at changed the world. recent representations of modern youth’s controversial icons. You think you know the Have a strange day – the 52 story ... icons of horror in The Cabin in the Woods iconography of Emily Sara 16 Written by the creators of Buffy Mills explores how this simple and Cloverfield, you might think image of a sulky black-haired girl you know what to expect from has become a global icon. The Cabin in the Woods. But as The Battle of Algiers Sean Richardson points out, 37 – an iconic drama- this is a movie that speaks to documentary Nick Lacey universal fears and mythologies. introduces a powerful film made 46 years ago, which God Save the Queen: offers important lessons to the 56 the iconography of the politicians of the 21st century. Sex Pistols 35 years on, Mark Ramey investigates the Goom’s Cartoon iconoclastic Sex Pistols and How to be gorgeous – 41 The Eyes Have It! their brief but game-changing 20 George Clooney as an relationship with the monarchy. icon of 21st-century What lies beneath? Analyze that – clarity and Hollywood How does an actor Lund and Salander – the subtext in the cinematic become an icon? Symon Quy 42 60 unpicks the language of stardom feminist icons of Nordic images of Stanley Kubrick and considers the changing noir Jonathan Nunns explores Kubrick fan Will Rimmer reflects screen persona of George the idiosyncrasies and appeals on the signature style of the Clooney. of two very contemporary icons controversial auteur, and from an area relatively under- identifies eight images which James Bond – the represented in popular culture demonstrate the iconic power of 24 special world of an until recently – the world of his visual style. extraordinary icon How Scandinavian crime drama. The Apple and the icon has the 007 mythology survived Broadcast journalism student Tara the test of time, and how has 64 Cox explores the iconic status of Bond’s representation developed Apple Inc., and the work of its to reflect social and cultural distinguished co-creator, Steve change? And what can we learn Jobs. from his continuing iconic status? Brenda Hamlet investigates. english and media centre | September 2012 | MediaMagazine 3 MM Front Page News On Thursday 12th July, over 60 students, The first award went to the film opening, Blitz: The MediaMag friends and families were lucky enough to attend a ‘really atmospheric and intriguing WW2 set Production Awards – our MediaMagazine Student Video Awards 2012, pre-title sequence for a film that then appears at the National Film and Television School in to take place 60 years later and involve a creepy screen talent of the Beaconsfield. ghost girl’. Corin felt that it ‘sets up the concept future! We had the fantastic opportunity to tour the perfectly and draws you in, in the process.’ NFTS, visiting the TV and film studios, which Unfortunately the production team, Sophie Grieg, Ben Fraser, photographer have hosted such famous alumni as David Yates, Charlie Manton and Catherine Ward-Thomas were director of four of the Harry Potter films, Ashley unable to attend, so teacher Jason Mazzochi, from Pharaoh, writer of Ashes To Ashes and Nick Park, Hurtwood House, collected the prize on their the director and animator of Wallace and Gromit. behalf. We even visited the very room where he made The next award went to Charley Packham, A Grand Day Out! A special thanks goes to Jon Odelia Yu and Jessica Wilson of The Latymer Wardle, the NFTS Director of Curriculum, for School for their music video, ‘Stripper’. Corin inviting us to the venue for the event. The guided dubbed it a ‘nicely photographed performance tour took us behind the scenes at the studios to video of punky girls performing the song’. He preparations for the graduation films, including also enjoyed ‘some good art-direction, editing, animations, documentaries and fiction. In the lighting and photography.’ main cinema, Jon talked about the work of the The final award, the Special Prize For Creativity, school and showed us a showreel of extracts from was presented to GCSE student Riley Clements, films, interviews and other thoughts from past from Claremont Fan School, for his animated students.