Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

If i look bat at the preliminary task i was set, of designing a school magazine front cover and contents page compared to my music magazinge, i feel i have developed various techniques in the different softwares used; photoshop and pages. I learnt how valid it is to have enough research on what you are hoping to produce and do planning. This technique will allow you to produce an effective product which detail added is there for a reason.

I feel after completing my prelimanary task i was not fully confident on the codes and conventions, however I learnt what sort of things went on a magazine and the reason behind it. I focused on my wewakness and try to develop my knowledge on codes and conventions and i researched several different types of magazines and what sort of marketing they where targeting. From looking at several different genres and the codes and conventions they used, I fully developed a solid understanding and was able to produce my own.

In the production process I faced a few problems such as positioning. I wanted my product to look professional and be able to chalange the magazine I was researching codes and conventions. I tried out various positons for my conventions, but after looking at the source's front page I fealt I had chose the right position for it. The magazine I researched only had one image on the contents, therefore this part of production was not too difficult, however i needed to make sure there was enough text on the page.

If I was able to redo anything about my music magazine I would crop around the images i produced. I did attempt doing this however I found it too difficult to produce this. I saw this technique on the magazine i reasearched The Source.

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Original Photos

Original photos

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How did I attract/ address the audience for my music publication?

Question 3

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What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Question 6

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Who I am basing my artist on

De La Soul



Run Dmc

How does my media product represent particular social groups?

In the main image of my music magazine there are three photos which are merged together. The three male models are wearing a mixture of clothing, as two of them are dressed in hoodies whilst one is wearing a jumper. One of my male models has his hood up which may be seen as stereotypical for teens our age. My three male models are representing the social group linked with hip hop.

The clothing worn by my male models is a combination of intimidating and smart. One of my male models is portraying both whilst the other two have one or the other. In comparison to the magazine i researched, The Source my magazine does not use the stereotypical American Hip Hop look.

This appeals to the market i will be targeting because it portrays youth culture, which they can have a direct link with. The male models are of a mixture of origins such as; African British, Caribbean British and Asian.

Who would be the audience for my media product?

The music magazine i will be creating will contain a mixture of present Hip Hop and 80s Hip Hop. I have chose to combine the two as the 80s was a crucial period for Hip Hop and can be seen as the making of Hip Hop. In my music magazine there will be articles which cover a wide verity of topics other than music, just like the music magazine i researched, The Source.  Topics will include; fashion, music, business, health, politics, etc.

My target market is aged between 16-19. My target market does not have a specific full time job as this age period is when the move onto higher education. At this age they are mainly on a part time job, therefore they may be earning a basic salary.

My audience would listen to fair bit of music as they will need to have a solid enough knowledge about the various artists. They may be listening to music from a download illegally (e.g Limewire) or legally (e.g iTunes). They also  may attend live performance of the various artists which produce music in the same genre. Also they will be able to access music on various radio stations and music channels.

If the stereotypical point of view is taken on people will often say that my target market spends their money on alcohol, cigerettes and drugs. This view is true in some cases however, my target market often spend money on tickets to music events and attend the cinema. Therefore there spair time is mainly occupied. the other hobbies which they may take up is sport, such as; Basketball, footballl and boxing.

The type of products I will advertise in my magazine, will be items of clothing, trainers, hats, bags and technology which will have a link with the artists i am promoting and will be items desired by my target market. 

What kinds of media institution might distribute your magazine and why?

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In what ways does your music magazine use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real music magazines?

The genre of music I have chosen for my music magazine is 80s hip hop. I have chosen to research two different recent hip hop magazines: Vibe and The Source. I previously have done research on the music magazine mixmag, therefore I had knowledge about the conventions which consist on the front cover: date, issue, barcode, price, masthead, lures, main image, mode of address, cover lines and strap lines.  I used the information knew to analysis The Source and follow the conventions and codes which it consisted as it was the same genre.

The Source used a masthead which was big and bold and in red colored font to show the significance of it. After trying out various colors for my mastheads I chose to use the colour red and blue with intervals of black to represent how the magazine is ancient. The colour red and white is used throughout the page and the font is very consistent. I also used consistent and clear font however I had to vary the colour as due to the image background I was unable to use white font. There is a lack of text on the front page as each strap line is followed by a few words to lure the audience in. I also adopted this technique and on my music magazine and limited the amount of text.

The Source also uses a consistent font throughout the contents page and colour. The background is also white. Each page tile is written in red with grey writing for the description. Also the section description is in black font which fades into grey. There is only one image on the contents page which is anchored. I also chose to use one image on my contents page however I enlarged it to the background. 

Research into straplines

I have done some research into straplines, as they will be useful to the production of my music magazine. I collected research to give me information I need to add on my music magazine. I looked at different music genre's to see the sort of information they include. Below are the straplines I looked at:
Hip Hop Weekly:

 Kerrang

 Mixmag:

 NME

 VIBE:

Research into the music press

What is the music press?
The music press is an very important factor in promoting new up coming artists as well as keep raising the profiles of old artists in terms of popularity. The music press is also very useful in keeping the audience upto date with happenings in the music industry.

The music press is able to cover alot of ground as it can come in forms as a:
Music show:
MTV's TRL

BET's 106 & PARK

Also magazines or online websites such as:

The Source

The Source Official Website

Vibe

VIBE official Website

The use of the music press leaves the audience up to date with artists . This also allows money to be made by artists and record labels.

Different font styles/ colours/ size for my masthead

During my research and planning i focused on various masthead used by magazines from different genres.

Below is the masthead from vibe magazine. Vibe is a hip hop magazine, who targets a wide range of age groups. The font of this masthead is in bold a black. The letters "V,I and B" are in capital letters, whereas the letter "e" is in lower case. Below the masthead is a the slogan of the magazine. "redefining hip-hop". The words "hip-hop" are in blue to allow it to stand out and show the significance of the genre.

 

Below is the masthead from the magazine mixmag. Mixmag is a magazine which is aimed towards DJ's as it contains a wide range of music which are often used for mixing. The font of the masthead is curved and white. The "i" has a dot which resembles a disk often used by DJ's.

 

Below is the masthead from the magazine The Source. The Source is a music magazine which specialties in the Hip Hop genre. The magazine is aimed mainly at the age group 16- 30. I get this impression from the artists used and the content. The masthead demonstrates the power of the magazine as it has a hand with a firm grip on the "o".The colour of the masthead is red which resembles a colour of passion.

Below is the masthead from the magazine Kerrang! Kerrang! is a music magazine which promotes the rock genre. The magazine targets the age group of elderly teens. The font and colour of the masthead is in white with a black background. The masthead is an onomatopoeia as it looks as it sounds. The font is shattered and in capital letters.

Average price of magazines aimed at a simular audience

Through the process of research and planning there were essential which i had to focus on as my magazine must have had it. I focused and gathered information on prices charged by different magazines which are ttargeting simular audience to me and simular gender. Below are magzines which i researched their prices charged.

Vibe charges £3.85

Hip Hop Weekly charges £2.25

The Source charges £3.25

There are many characteristics, which determine the price of a magazine such as; the paper used, artists in the magazine or even the owner of the magazine.

My target market

The target audience that i will be aiming my music magazine at will be older teens aged 16-19. When producing my magazine I have to focus on what will appeal towards them and what sort of things they like. The genre of my music magazine will be a mixture of 'Old Skool' rap/ Hip Hop. Blow are items and images which i feel relate and will appeal to my target audience.

Target market

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Preliminary Task

For our preliminary task we were set the task of producing our own front cover and contents page for a school magazine. The magazine had to be based on the promotion of Acland Burghley School as an Arts College school. We had to plan our front cover and contents page on paper to get a rough idea of what we want them to look like. However their were certain things which had to be included. We had to include a mid shot of a pupil which must have been 100% original. Also we had to have: a masthead, strap lines and inside features. The mode of address must have been considered for the magazine.

I started producing my front cover by creating my masthead. I title my magazine "The Guide", which is a link to the purpose of the magazine. A guide to pupils who attend the La Swap sixth form. I choose to use a font that resembles handwriting and will stand out, so the audience will instantly know the name of the magazine. I used colours that a very bright and vibrant which represents the youthful audience. Next i added a few cover lines with a less complicated font and similar font. The size of these cover lines are much smaller than the masthead to prevent an confusions and to prevent an overcrowded page.

I have also included a competition in the magazine where students can win tickets to attend Thorpe Park. I have written this on the right hand side in red coloured font. The text has been aligned to the left to prevent the text overlapping the image. At the bottom of the page i have included the school website. This will be helpful for students as a quick access for when in need also to promote the schools website. Also on the right hand side I have written the words 'Must Do!!'. This cover line will attract my target market as it gives them an insight of ways to prevent boredom.

The coverlines on the right hand side also give an insight of what is included. "50 must watch pupils" is an important article included which shows my target market their achievements are not going unrecognised. The number "50" is larger than the rest of the text, to show the importance of the number.

Once I have placed my conventions around the page, I placed in the main image which is of a 6th form student relaxing against an artistic wall. The smile on the students face demonstrates the positive feelings he is feeling. The image if the student is a mid shot taken at eye level. The student is anchored by the words "exclusive interview with Mr Art". The key words are slanted to go across the students body. Once I Enlarged my image to fill the screen I made a few adjustments to my conventions.

For my contents page I choose to fill images into various shapes and place them across the page. I have used the masthead also on the contents page, but in a smaller font size. I included the word "contents" which has a different font and is more bold. The images used shows the various buildings of the school and the articles included. To allow a slight bit of extra information in another way than text. The font used on the contents page is simple and black which is grouped in different groups.

If I was given a choice I will develop a few things about my magazine. I will develop my front cover by improving my coverlines. I feel the color clashes with the background and there are not enough around the page. Also there is a lack of debt on them. I will improve my contents by making the font more appealing, to my target market. Also make my magazine appeal more to arts.

Preliminary Task evaluation

Below is the evaluation i have don on my preliminary task:

Media presentation1

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Mode of address and use of language in music press

Mode of address is the way the language of the magazine speaks to you. It can speak to you formally or informally. The language which a magazine may use may be specific to a particular genre of music and also use a particular slang terminology. The use of this will allow the magazine to appeal towards its target market.  The use language in the music press also has an inpact on the mode of address. Characteristics such as: Below is a magazine cover where I have analysed the front cover, investigating the mode of address;

• The language used on the front cover of this magazine is informal
• Lnguage used is specific to the Hip Hop genre
• Wors such as:"Gets Gangsta" demonstrates this
• Colloquialism: "Unsigned hype"
• Slang: "Mama", "Rock a suit"
• Metaphor:
• Adjective: "HIp Hop Rocks!!!!"
• Adverb:
• Fact:
• Opinion: "Trey songz the hrdest in R&B"

Music magazine content analysis

We analysed three different magazine sin class, focusing on the content and the purpose be hind each.
Top of the Pops

• The genre is Mainstream Pop
• Different font styles are used
• Pink is used throughout, to appeal towards young girls
• The artist on the front page is Justin Biber
• The Prizes/ Competitions/ Freebies available are; eye make up, posters, stickers, win dates  
• The different types of articles are; gossip coloum, quizzes, interviews and fashion
• The magazine is aimed at females.

NME

• The genre is Rock/Indie
• The font stays consistent throughout the magazine, likewise the layout, sizes may vary
• The colours black and white are used with occasional colours
• The artist on the front page is the Kasabian
• There are no competitions or freebies
• The different types of articles in the magazine are; music reviews, festival reviews and interviews
• The magazine is aimed at male with a passion for music

Mixmag

• The genre of the magazine is electro pop, dubstep, drum n bass and pop
• There are different font styles use with different colours, however the masthead font is consistent throughout the magazine.
• There are a variety of colours used, mainly colours associated with night time and glow in the dark raves.
• The artists on the front cover is P Diddy and Felix.
• The prizes/ freebies/ competitions available in the magazine are CD and win tickets to raves.
• The different types of articles in the magazine are; reviews of clubs, trends, interviews and adverts.
• Thismagazine is aimed at males with an interest in DJing

Semi Otics

Semi Otics is an attempt to create a science of the study of sign systems and their role in the construction and reconstruction of meaning in media texts.

Their are three types of semi otics:
Symbolic- A sign that represents an object or concept solely by the agreement of the people who use it.
Iconic- Are things like religious paintings, statues and stained glass windows found in churches.
Indexical- Signs which have direct connection with what is being signified.

Signs consists of a signifier, the printed magazine advert itself and something that is signified, the 'idea' or 'meaning' behind the set of images used in the advertisement.

Below is a semi otics analysis of an magazine front page:

There are a numerous amounts of semi-otics used through this magazine front cover. The shot used in this magazine is a close-up shot taken at eye level. The subject  fills majority of this frame allowing the audience to see the detail of the subjects face. This shot allows emotion to be created from the subject. The angle of the camera allows the camera and subject to be the same level making the audience feel equal to the subject.

There are various indexical, iconic and symbolic signs used to construct and reconstruct the image. An iconic sign on the subject is the tattoo of the cross on his forehead. This sign signifies that the subject is religious and follows the Christianity religion. Another sign used is a symbolic sign. The subject is wearing a black suit with a black tie. This items of clothing are symbolic as they represent death and will be worn at a funeral.

There is a direct link between the image and the text on the left. The text anchors the image, defying the image and explaining the reasons behind it.

Music Genre and Re-presentation

In class we focused on how different music genre's appeal to different genders and different age groups. We also looked how men and women are being represented in each genre.
In class we had to make a list of various things which may represent each gender.
Below is two prime examples of how a male and female look in pop and hip hop.
Beneath is an male and female artist from Hip Hop genre
Tyga

Keri Hilson

Beneath is a male and female artist from the POP genre

Justin Timberlake

Cheryl Cole

Below is a list which i feel represent each gender:
Male:

• Sport 
• Pratical
• Football
• Rugby
• Arrogant
• Providers
• Trainers
• Emotion less
• Blue
• Masculine
• Higher paid jaobs

Female:

• Moan
• Focus on appearance
• Mood Swings
• Pink
• Shoes
• Emotional
• Caring
• Gossips
• Not as intellectual

We also had to focus on two music genres and say how each gender is being represented. I choose Hip Hop  for men and Pop for women. We had to make notes under three categorises; Appearance of artists & fans, Lifestyles and entertainment choices & Music style, typical song content & themes.
For Hip Hop
Appearance of artist and fans;

• New Era Hats
• Hoodies
• Jeans below the bum
• Chains
• Tattoo's
• Watches
• Earings
• Colourful clothes
• Designer brands
• Trainers

Lifestyle and entertainment choices

• 4x4 cars
• Sport cars
• Extravigent lifestlye
• Women
• Parties
• Lack of resposibilities
• Drugs
• Alchool
• Gang
• Violence

Music style, typical song content and themes:

• Rap
• Grime
• Drugs
• Money
• Girls
• Getting Shot
• Getting stabbed
• Up tempo

For Pop
Appearance of artists and fans:

• Make up
• Lack of clothing items
• Accessories
• Neat Hair
• Boots
• High heals
• Shirts
• Jewellery
• Perfume

Lifestyle and entertainment choices:

• Parties
• Drugs
• Alchool
• Mini Coopers
• Gym

Musical style, typical song content and themes:

• Ballard's
• Meaning behind the lyrics
• Love
• Family
• Life
• Slow
• Up Tempo

We also looked how men and women were being represented in an magazine. We had to focus on an magazine which we have not done before therefore I choose Top Of  The Pops. We had to focus on the front page, contents page and a double spread article. focusing on the technical aspects such as; Lighting & colour, Camera angle, shot, facial expression, body language, costume & props, setting and iconography.
Below is front page I had to mention how men and women are being represented:

• The colour light purple background, with pink, purple and white font
• The lighting used may be fill lighting and back lighting may be used as he is well lit
• The camera angle is eye level
• The shot is a mid close up shot
• The camera is zoomed in to show his facial expression
• His body language is relaxed, this represent him being a desirable object

 Unfortunately there is no contents page in Top Of The Pops, this is due to the readers tend to know the magazine well and just flick through with no purpose.

Image Analysis

In lesson we focused on various technical features that go into an image being constructed. We focused on the various shots involved in an image and noticed that the size of an image within the frame has various technical names according to how close the camera is to the subject. The different types of shots are; long shot, medium shot, close-up shot, big close up shot and point of view shot. We also focused on the angle at which the camera is held at. The types of angles which we recognised were; eye level, high angle and low angle. Other factors which can have a affect on the out come of a shot are; setting, framing, focus, colour, lighting, composition and body language. Focusing on these technical features will be a great help for us when taking photos for our preliminary task and our main task. We studied them to see the reason behind them and the massage that they create.

Below are the different examples of shots;
Long Shot

Medium Shot

Close up Shot

Extreme Close Up Shot

Below are examples of the different types of angles;
High Angle

Low Angle

Eye Level

For Home work i was assigned the task of finding two images of bands and analysing them. Below are the two images that i choose and the points which i have noticed from them;

N.E.R.D

• The band is set against a background which resembles space and possibly suggesting that they are seen to be out of this world on the music industry.
• The lighting in the photo is used to enhance the band making them stand out and look clear.
• The theme used in the image has a link with the bands previous name:Neptunes.
• The focal point of the camera is focused on the band.
• The camera is positioned at eye level allowing the audience to connect with the band.
• The image is a mid shot, however a slight bit closer as we are seeing above the hip.
•  The image is in colour and a variety of colours are used mainly red. The colours are blended well and the image is well lit.
• The band is the only thing included in the framing as the take up majority of the shot.
• The body position of the band members as the two on the left and right have a  very negative position with their heads down and eyes closed. Where as the member in the middle looks very confident and a slight bit angered.

Gym Class Heroes

• The band is set against a black background, which may be interpreted as a colour of dullness and death. Also the use of this colour allows the band to stand out.
• Each band member has taken up a different body position. The choice of this creates movement to the image.
• The theme of the image resembles a live performance
• The camera is positioned at eye level, allowing the audience to directly connect with each artist.
• The band are not the only focal point of the image as their instruments are also included in the image.
• The lighting used on this image is artificial lighting such as; back light and key light. The use of this lighting allows the band to stand out also the background contributes to this.
• The photo is a long shot of the band members.