Evaluation Part (viii)

Reaction and feedback from your focus group?

For the front cover my focus group found the background picture as well as the magazine name very eye catching and attractive. And the structure and explanation of what the magazine contains was organised, especially the interview and the fact that I placed a quote made it look good and gives the reader an interest. 

Their criticisms of the front cover would be the consistent usage of the same font and style, this may work in a newspaper but a magazine would require more of a range of fonts and colours to make it stand out. Also the colours used for the text in the front cover clash with the colours of the background picture which makes it hard to read clearly.

As for the contents page, they liked how I structured the pictures with the page numbers this makes the reader not only know what the particular page is about but also a taster of who its about with a picture or portrait of that particular artist or person. Their criticisms would be that there was a few empty spaces in the contents page which makes it look unprofessional; maybe I should include a few more pictures which are music related such as instruments to make the magazine have more of a variety. Furthermore maybe a few advertisements to be included with the magazine would have helped. 

My layout for the interview page was structured very nicely in their opinion. The description of the artist “tu stun” and his self portrait on the side were eye catching and made them want to read the whole interview. On the other hand, there was too much textual information, especially if the magazine is aimed at younger viewers. Also the quotation in a different colour and font and in large was a good one to choose, people would look at it and think this is worth reading.

Over all they liked the magazine and would pay for it.

Evaluation Part (vii)

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

During the time of the construction of my preliminary task to the main task, I have learnt a lot of things mentioned in the past question. I was more experienced through time and this had helped me to construct a far better magazine than my preliminary task. For example, the colour schemes of my preliminary task were questionable. The quality, sharpness and composition were poor. This is because of the lack of care when the image was originally taken and underdeveloped editing skills. Also, I learnt how to use a variety of camera shots which can imply a variety of stories about him/her. In addition, another factor affecting the design of my magazine was the dramatic amount of research put into the construction compared to the preliminary task. The preliminary task had no research while the main task had a lot of research going into it. The preliminary task was constructed without the need of consultation and comparison with other read magazines, while the main task was compared to Vibe, for example, every single step. Therefore, from the progression of the task, I have learnt how an R&B/Hip-hop fits its purpose through the use of imagery, house styles, codes and conventions, etc and how to make a magazine suit their target audience.

Evaluation Part (vi)

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

I have learnt two things during the process of constructing my music magazine. Firstly, I have understood the quality and effect that Photoshop delivers within print productions. Through tutorials, easy step guides and friends, I have learnt essential and basic ways of manipulating an image; magic wand, lighting and special effects, magnetic and simple cropping, shading and the use of layers. Secondly, I have learnt and understood the technology of blogging which generally includes the creation of blogs, the maintenance of blogs and the permission of setting a blog. The word stands for a “web log” and they are effectively online diaries. Creating a blog is easier than it sounds. You enter your details where it says “create account,” then you will be taken to the page where you will enter the data, upload pictures, etc. Also, I learnt preferred requirements of blogging. For example, short sentences are better than long ones and that it is better to mention my subject as often as possible as this will help my blog get listed prominently on the search engines. 

Evaluation Part (v)

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted and addressed my audience through my use of images, especially on my front cover image. Most of the British public prefer visual stories, so they would judge something on a first glance. The use of a black and white and a close-up of the artist on the front cover create a powerful effect between the reader and the magazine. The most used mis-en-scene in the image on the front cover was the use of props. The designer hoodie, the fancy t-shirt, the “bling” and the sunglasses posed with a serious, hard look, encourages an audience/reader to what the “hype” is about. The masthead of the magazine was bright, bold, slang and informal, in which an audience who are frisk can relate to. An “arial black” font was used for most of my magazine; pull quotes, captions, mastheads, strap lines, headlines, standalones, etc. Whereas “times new roman” was used for the main text during the interview to create logic for the audience, especially if they are young teenagers or adults. Also, my structure of the magazine was clear and understandable. For example, the use of a black font on a white background.

Evaluation Part (iv)

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The target audience for my media product is predominantly young males and females. During my random questionnaire, there was a positive correlation between 16-21 year olds and R&B/Hip-hop as their favourite music genre. The age of my target audience is quite mature as real life topics like sex, relationships, marriage, street life, ambitions, etc, which my target audience may be able to relate to. Furthermore, the two age groups of “under 16’s” and “16-21’s” are most likely to be in full-time education are therefore less fortunate. My aim is to provide an affordable price for them. Even though my music magazine was mainly male dominated, I wanted to have a unisex audience, as I featured both male and female articles throughout my magazine, such as subjects on relationships, fashion as well as interviews from rap artists. Ethnicity and race should not be an issue for people who like R&B/Hip-hop because my questionnaire was randomly filled by a large number of people who came from all ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, anyone can relate to my magazine even though my research into R&B/Hip-hop showed that this culture is dominated by an Afro-Caribbean origin.

Evaluation Part (iii)

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The media institution that might distribute my media product is based on my genre. As my magazine is an R&B/Hip-hop magazine, there is not really a broad market that will be content in distributing my magazine. This is because R&B/Hip-hop itself has a small scale under huge competition. R&B/Hip-hop music companies like Vibe, XXL and The Source are likely to distribute my music magazine because it follows similar house styles, codes, conventions and images. Companies like InterMedia Partners, founded by Leo Hindery, can sell Frisky as they sell Vibe. However, Harris Publications is a consumer magazine publisher located in New York that publishes over 75 titles including XXL, and therefore more likely to distribute my magazine as XXL focuses more narrowly on rap music, whereas, Vibe, features artists, actors, other entertainers and R&B/Hip-hop culture. Because my magazine focuses on rap, grime, soul R&B, Hip-hop and the culture itself, it will apply to a larger audience. This is why I believe it will be more successful than others. Institutions like urban music channels such as Flava and MTV Base, and urban stores such as HMV, WHSmith and newsagents will be contented to distribute my magazine for consumers to buy and listen to.

Evaluation Part (ii)

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media magazine represents particular social groups through text. The use of slang and appropriate colloquialisms throughout the magazine, especially in the double- page spread, are similar to those of young people into street culture. Also, the images used such as the artist on the front cover, show representation with young people into street culture. This includes a lot of working-class and some middle families. Gender is not an issue even though more males relate to R&B/Hip-hop and street culture. “Hoodies” is a fashion within street culture as well as jewellery like silver chains that relate to social groups in street culture.  One concept of R&B/Hip-hop music is to encourage younger people to move away from anti-social behaviour, drugs, etc. This is why many young people seek hope and inspiration through such artists. Also, artists for example used in my magazine, can be role models to younger viewers. Young people who have dreams of doing something amazing can achieve this. This is the same situation used in the magazine. The artist on the front cover made his way up from nothing, resulting in young people for example to think the "the impossible is nothing."

Evaluation Part (i)

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media product is a music magazine of an R&B/Hip-hip genre. The conventions used are similar to the appearance of a real R&B/Hip-hip magazine. During my research, the theme of having “bling” and a “hard look” were very commonly featured. Examples include props like sunglasses, jewellery, designer clothes, hoods/caps/hats, etc. This gave me the incentive to follow such conventions to use on my artist on the front cover so that my audience could see similar evident comparisons between my magazine and professional R&B/Hip-hop magazines. Also, throughout my magazine, the colour scheme consisted of three main colours; black, white and red. This is because red, as being a bright colour, and black as being a dark colour, stand out with a light contrasted colour of the background to create a sense of diversity to highlight the mainstream readership of the magazine. A black colour scheme connotes a dramatic effect whereas a red colour scheme adds passion, excitement and sexiness to the magazine. Similarly, all the fonts/house styles are typical of those used in an R&B/Hip-hop magazine as they are bold and stand out. This may attract a reader to a preferred article. In my magazine, especially the double-page spread, many colloquialisms were used, which is another form used in R&B/Hip-hop magazines. For example, I used words and phrases that would relate to the R&B/Hip-hop industry like, “I guess words can’t describe how much I owe him” and “You gotta evolve.” Furthermore, during my research into R&B/Hip-hop magazines, a typical story was of an artist and their purpose. This is usually portrayed through a medium long-shot of an artist, which most images of my magazine consist of.

Double-page Spread

Final Interview Page

During my research into R&B/Hip-hop music magazines, I had found that double page spreads talk about a whole range of things, from interviews to new albums. There is always a subject and information about that subject. In this case, an interview about the artist. Colour schemes in double page spreads consist of no more then 3-4 colours, so which is why I chose red, black and white, referring to the same house styles and masthead used in the front cover. There is a subheader of an interview picturing a powerful image of the artist looking up, along with his name on the right hand side. This may keep a viewer engaged into who this artist is and what they have achieved. Similarly, the pull quote next to the smaller image in the top corner may engage the viewer because it may appear as eye-catching. The interview itself is easy to read and well-structured, especially for a younger target audience. Also, most double page spreads I have seen during my research has some sort of advertisements, teasers or slogans. This is why I created a little teaser at the bottom of the page.

Planning my interview

During my research into double page spreads, specifically interviews because I had personally thought interviews are the best way to relate to an artist, I had found that interviews were based on the artist, the music itself, song writing, sex, relationships, etc. Therefore, these were topics I had covered in my interview.

Rough layout for Interview page

On my interview page I had a rough idea of what I wanted as I annotated and analyzed other magazines that were a similar genre as my magazine. All of the double page spreads consisted of at least 2-3 images and the interview. So my rought idea for my magazine will be containing a image which will be taking up one whole page which will be on the left hand side. The layout of the interview will be easy to read and will not be complicated as my target audience are the type of audience which will like the interview easy and readable. Also my interview will have a sub heading which will tell us what the page will be about and also the artist name which will be bold and big, so that the readers will know who the artist is and will have a idea on what will be coming up.

Before and after Interview Shots

I had used a plain, light background so when I edit it on photoshop, it would be easier for me to cut around my artist. I had then edited this image by using photoshop by adding more brightness, sharpness and contrast to make it more lively. I had opened the image up on photoshop and cut around my model.

Contents

My contents page follows codes and conventions used in other R&B/Hip-hop magazines. During my research, of contents pages, text was aligned in little stories and images or an image was used. So i had made my contents page easy and straight forward so it will be less complicated for my target audience. My page consisted of four images each with their own story. This is why my contents page may be unique. Most contents pages had one main image whereas this one had snap shots of different images creating more engagement to the viewer. Furthermore, during my research, I had found that contents pages should not be fancy and full of colour. It should have a plain background consisting of the same house style and colour used in the front cover for any text that was used. The images used in the contents contain fashion, sex scandals, celebs, upcoming artists and depravity, which all meet codes and conventions that occur in young people's lives and what they may be interested in.

Front Cover

Planning my Front Cover

For my front cover I had looked at other R&B/Hip-hop magazines during my research. I had listed down the things that i thought all front cover magazine always have;

• Masthead
• Teaser 
• Images 
• Conventions
• Bar code
• Price
• Issue number 
• Other information

Also, I stuck to the house styles conveyed as i wanted my magazine to contain at least 3-4 colours so that all the issues that will be coming will have the same house styles. This idea developed from the Vibe magazine as all their magazine contained the same house styles throughout.

My Language Choice

During my research, the informal and slang use of language was frequently used throughout magazines to address their target audiences. This is usually approached by young people as my questionnaire suggested that they are the most likely group to approach informal and slang language. Therefore, using this convention in my music magazine helped me target my audience.

My Final Masthead 

The name 'Frisky' refers to the verb of being energetic, lively and playful, which all relate to R&B/Hip-hop. This name is not to masculine as it can be related to both sexes. Also, the word itself sounds informal which help target a young audience.

I had used this font as it is bold and eye catching. I had made this more engaging by making the font colour bright red as this will contrast the background . I had chosen this so that it would stand out from the white background, adding a dramatic effect because . My masthead was very similar to other mastheads used in different magazines. One way is that the actual image is placed in front of the masthead. Also, it is bold and large and most importantly, has 1-2 syllables because most R&B/Hip-hop music magazine have very snappy mastheads.

Magazine names

These are few of the names that came to idea when I chosen my genre which is R&B:

• Hustle
• Bumpin
• Grime
• Step-up
• Tunez
• Wave
• Flavour

Rough Front Cover layout

I had a rough on a plain white paper sketched out what i would like to want on my front cover and where codes and conventions should be. For example, I wanted my masthead to be bold and big at the top and my image to be in the centre taking up most of the page.

Before and after Shots of Front Cover

Before

After

The image before edited, is where I placed my model on a plain light background so that it will be easier to edit on photo shop. The position of the image gave my music magazine a sophisticated look in which this idea came up from all the R&B/Hip-hop magazines I had researched and therefore gave me a brief idea on how my final image should look. This is why I transformed my image which know looks like when edited. I had cut out my image in photoshop and placed it on a white background. Also, I had airbrushed my image by using 'surface blur' so my image looks flawless and maculate. The dark and shiny shade of my image is seen to be the main feature of my image on the front cover and also so it stands out, looks engaging and appealing to the males as well as the females.