<p>This thesis is about cover illustrations of DVD movies as examples of visual communication. I have studied the cover illustrations of the three movies <em>Gran Torino, Secret Window</em> and <em>As White As Snow.</em> My research assignment has been to find out how the cover illustrations of DVD movies communicate in relation to the story. I have also been looking for what makes a cover illustration interesting and if the interest in itself is individually considered or if there are certain general rules regardless of the observer.</p><p>To reach a conclusion I have been studying components in advertising pictures, visual communication and how the commercial producers use advertising to communicate with the observer. Semiotics, advertising and comparisons between the cover illustrations have been my method for analyze.</p><p>I have come to the conclusion that cover illustrations are meticulously produced, and that every single part of them is important for the observers’ over all impression and interpretation of the cover illustration. The place of picture elements, colours, looks and occurrence of persons in the covers are striving to send a uniform message about the cover and movie. They also guide the observer in his/her interpretation of the cover and what kind of movie it represents, and they are components that make the cover more visible. What makes the cover illustration interesting is both something individual and something general. For example the occurrence of humans, looks, strong emotions and colours make the cover more visible and interesting in relation to others. The observers’ interest for the cover may be individual depending on the observer’s experiences and interpretation.</p><p> </p>

This thesis is about cover illustrations of DVD movies as examples of visual communication. I have studied the cover illustrations of the three movies Gran Torino, Secret Window and As White As Snow. My research assignment has been to find out how the cover illustrations of DVD movies communicate in relation to the story. I have also been looking for what makes a cover illustration interesting and if the interest in itself is individually considered or if there are certain general rules regardless of the observer. To reach a conclusion I have been studying components in advertising pictures, visual communication and how the commercial producers use advertising to communicate with the observer. Semiotics, advertising and comparisons between the cover illustrations have been my method for analyze. I have come to the conclusion that cover illustrations are meticulously produced, and that every single part of them is important for the observers’ over all impression and interpretation of the cover illustration. The place of picture elements, colours, looks and occurrence of persons in the covers are striving to send a uniform message about the cover and movie. They also guide the observer in his/her interpretation of the cover and what kind of movie it represents, and they are components that make the cover more visible. What makes the cover illustration interesting is both something individual and something general. For example the occurrence of humans, looks, strong emotions and colours make the cover more visible and interesting in relation to others. The observers’ interest for the cover may be individual depending on the observer’s experiences and interpretation.

A picture says more than thousand words - an analysis of GQ Magazine´s cover images and ninth grade student´s views of them is an essay in media and communication studies covering 15 hp. This essay examines how men and women are depicted on the cover of GQ Magazine and how ninth grade students perceive these images. Our research questions are: How is gender presented in cover images? How do the students interpret these images? What possible differencies or similarities are there? Our theoretical framework is based on gender theory. Methods used are a survey conducted at Tegs Central school and a semiotic analysis of the cover images. We have to keep in mind that the cover images already have a stereotypical representation of the women and men, and that will automaticly affect the students answers. The essay shows that the semiotic studie describes profound thaughts on connotation terms. The survey studie shows that the students have the ability to analyse GQ Magazine´s cover images in a denotation level. Since the social problem is about what images says and what possible affect they have on the viewer. It is therefore important to have a critical mind when it comes to analyse images and be aware of these general representations of gender.