Website Analysis

Looking at the website for my chosen TV programme, Misfits, there are various elements within the home page which contribute towards creating a relevant and striking impression of the programme for the audience: teenagers and young adults aged 16-34 who enjoy TV programmes which are adventurous, action-packed,  and dramatic.

 Screen shot: http://www.e4.com/misfits/

Screen shot: http://www.e4.com/misfits/

Layout: Paradigms and Syntagms

The syntagmatic choices refer to the effectiveness of the layout, specifically the positioning of different paradigms, and why they were chosen to be portrayed by editors in the way they are.

 

Some paradigms, such as the main image of a principle character-as well as screen shots of action scenes-appeal to the viewer because they present the show as exciting and action-packed, as well as giving the viewer insight into the content/narrative and main characters if they perhaps haven't seen the programme before.

Generally, the homepage consists of few fonts and colours : black, grey and orange because these colours represent elements of the programme. Black and grey create an 'urban' feel while orange represents the colours of the character's costumes, which are also widely featured across the website. The main font also relates to the inner-city theme.

Interactivity on the homepage is also an element which is heavily featured. There are links to the Misfits Facebook and Twitter page and comment boxes are positioned along the right hand side. These all encourage the audience to get involved in supporting the show and sharing their personal views, ultimately promoting their success while appealing to a young audience who enjoys using social networking.

Images: Denotation and Connotation

Looking specifically at the images which are used across the website, we can see many shots of characters in their costumes and snapshots from the programme, all of which represent the character as young, metropolitan and current. The connotations of their costumes- community service jumpsuits- imply that they are trouble makers or stereotypical 'youths' who may get into trouble with the law. This representation is shown in the images through appearance related stereotypes e.g. sportswear, hooped earrings, lots of makeup, which are widely recognisable for modern day 'youths'. (see pictures below)

The body language and facial expressions of the characters also contribute to the stereotypical representation of teenagers. We can see in these pictures, the actors have very confident, cocky facial expressions, and in many of the images, they have their arms folded/hands on hips/eye line upwards etc, and this portrays a very bold, valiant representation of the characters.

We can tell from looking at the snapshots of the episodes, that a range of culturally diverse actors are used in the show, (i.e. various genders, ages, ethnicities, and social classes) this is to appeal to a wider audience and makes sure it doesn't limit itself to repetitive and unoriginal opportunities for themes/issues raised. It is also a fairer representative of the real society they are choosing to portray by involving a wide range of socially diverse characters.

Anchorage which accompanies the images encourage the audience to explore the website through relating to their wants and needs. 'Behind the scenes' and 'Q&A' allow the audience to feel as though they are getting exclusive access to parts of the show. Buzz words such as 'Newsflash!' and colloquial language (e.g. 'Loadsa pics') are used to appeal to the young, current audience by setting a fun, informal tone which they are comfortable with and can relate to.