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.

Anchorage

In class we studied anchorage and the meaning behind it and why it is used. The real meaning of anchorage is the action of securing something to a base or the state of being secured. In media studies this simply means to anchor the meaning of the image. This can be done through the use of words that are juxtaposed or placed alongside an image.
Here is an example of an image of a musician being anchoed:

                        I am A KEY WORD
Below is the example i done during lesson:

Is SOLO a NO GO????

       















Pharrell Williams contemplates recent success with N.E.R.D
Pharrell Williams took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss his recent success with N.E.R.D. Pharrell Williams mentioned how he feels he has grown since his Neptunes days and how he feels about calibrations with other artists.


Evaluation; the use of the copy has anchored the image because it expresses the feelings of the artist due to the pose he is taking up in the shot. The caption and the headline also explains what the image is about.

Music Magazine Analysis

The front page of this music magazine 'VIBE' consists of many technical features. The photograph is a close-up shot of the artist Kanye West. The image is anchored by the text placed to the left. The words 'the truth hurts KANYE WEST' explains the meaning of the image and the reasons behind his choice of expression. The artist has taken up a serious and distressed look. This represents the distress he may be feeling. A quote is used from his interviews, 'I AM RAP'. This quote shows Kanye West's frustration and again anchors the image.

Also anchoring the image is the words 'HIS 50 GREATEST SONGS', the number 50 is expressed big and bold to highlight his great achievement.  throughout his music career. Also included in the phrase is'(AND 10 TO DELETE)', the use of this ands a hint of sarcasm and creates humor.

The denotation we get from the front page is what we can see. Present is a large photo of a man, which is looking directly at you. H is wearing a grey baseball sweat with a blue collar, the button is undone. Behind the phphotograph of the man is a grey background which darkens as it descends from top to bottom. There is writing on either side of the man, however the writing on the left is larger and stands out. The name of the magazine is placed behind the man.

The connotation we get from the front page is what is being suggested, there are many possible suggestions we get from the front page. The man is looking directly at us suggesting that he is serious and looks slightly aggrivated, which links to the text on the left. 'the truth hurts KANYE WEST' showing his reason behind his expression. The man has a full beard which may suggest he is experiencing some stress. |The man also has his head tilted slightly to the left, suggesting he is fed up. His name is also used in capital letters on the left 'KANYE WEST', this is showing the high status that he is carrying.

Using an online website compared to the magazine.

or

mixmag official website 

In class we focused on how it is to use a magazines online website compared to the actual magazine. We highlighted the differences, similarities, special facilities, how easy is it to navigate and is it more convenient. I focused on the magazine named mixmag, which is owned by a company named Development Hell, which is a media- industry jargon for a film, television screenplay and computer programme. They buy rights to many popular novels, video games and comics. when i was looking at the website i felt it was easier to read then the magazine as the layout is more convenient to read. The official website of mixmag may be harder to access as you are likely to serve sever problems or the website may be facing constructions. Where as the magazine will always be at your leisure. To navigate the website all that needs to be done is type the word 'mixmag' on GOOGLE and there will be a link to take you directly to the mixmag official website. The special facilities available on the website are; you are able to watch mixmag TV, which you will obviously not be able to watch from a magazine.

Mixmag TV

There are also podcasts available to available to download of a verity of DJ's mixes. On the website there is also a download feature which links you to the favourite and most downloaded albums and tunes. The similarities that i have recognized are; the masthead, main theme of music, you are still able to get free wallpapers, images used on the front page, same interviews. However the differences that i have recognised are; there are less adverts on the website, the colour scheme used is different and there are extra features on the website.

Magazine Front page analysis

During the production of creating our music magazines, we mad sure we focused and concentrated on any techniques or conventions that were needed to prefect our magazine. In lesson we analysed a choice of magazines, my choice of magazine was mixmag october 2010 edition. The conventions which i focused on from this magazine front page were; Masthead, Strapline, Lure, Coverlinem, Main image and Background.

There were several points i highlighted from this magazine that will aid my music magazine production. For the masthead, i noticed that the title relates to the target audience because it is aimed at DJ's. The Font used is simple and bold however the dot used on the 'i' resembles a disk which are used by DJ's. It also uses the colour black which is often classed as universal. Furthermore, I noticed the effective use of the strapline. The purpose of the strapline is to give a slight hint of what is included in the magazine. The font used is block like with the word 'DJ' enlaqrged and centred between the strapline. The word 'DJ' is in black where as the rest of the strapline is in orange. This choice of colouring allow's  the word 'DJ' to stand out and shows the importance of it. Also the use of the illumines colour allows it to stand out. Also, there are several coverlines used. These coverlines gives a slight clue of what is included within the magazine, all the covelines are aligned to the right in order not to overlap the images. The font used for the coverlines are bold, clack and simple. Futhermore a lure i present amongst the coverlines. This lure gused demonstrates a small quote which is used from and interview inside the magazine. Below is the work i done in class;

Research into Front Covers

persuasive techniques identified from Dizzee Rascal's Myspace page

The text which we have analysed has been taken from\Dizzee Rascal's myspace page. This text contains a number of techniques which are used to persuade the audience in the artists favour.
Throughout the text the writer attempts to give the audience the impression that Dizzee Rascal is a hugely successful artist who is breaking records as we speak. I gain this impression from the number of statistics stated. "The first official release from the 2008 Dirtee Stank camp, "Dance Wiv Me" featuring Calvin Harris & Chrome shot straight to number one in the UK charts". Here the writer states Dizzee Rascals achievements followed by a wise choice of vocabualry "obliterating everything in its path" to emphisis this.
The writer also presents many opnions as facts throughout the text. the lack of puctuation. The text includes a statement from Wyclef Jean, mentioning him saying Dizzee Rascal is one of the best rappers in the world. Here we unsure of how accurate this statement is due to the lack of opinion. However this is an opinion made rather than a fact.

The audience targeted by this promotional text is carefully selected. The vocabulary used identifies that the audience must have a wide span of knowledge on the music industry. We know this from the termenoldge used to raise Dizzee Rascals profile. "Mercury award winner" and "callaborations with artists as diverse as Artic Monkeys and Fatboy Slim demonstrates Dizzee's vision and musical genius.". The text also clearly states Dizzee Rascals achievements and how he is seen to be a "valuable" asset to the UK. As his "UK flovour has travelled successfull to all corners of the globe". Not forgetting the mentioning of the "global" status his record label concieved with manager/producer Nick Cage in 2002 has.

Throughout this text their are many exaggerations about the artists. However it is well structed and there are various techniques which may attract the audience to the artist.

information on coursework task

For media we have been assignedd the task of creating our own music magazine which has to be 100% original and we have to promote a new band. I will have to make very important decisions on how i am creating my music magazine. the audience that i will be targeting will older teens aged 16-19. i will have to decide on; the title of my magazine, the genre, new bands identity and so on.