Final Magazine

Evaluation Activity 1

Evaluation activity 1

View more presentations from alexrwilson.

Evaluation Activity 2

How does your magazine represent particular social groups?

Eminem & I.Am.Will

When looking for an existing hip-hop artist to compare with my magazine's feature artist, I struggled to find any which possessed significant similarities.

The closest related artists to I.Am.Will appear to be Eminem, Asher Roth and Mac Miller. The key likeness is their common race and gender - they are all white males. Also, an important thing for hip-hop artists is to look fearsome and strong; this is done through their attitude (portrayed by stance and facial expression) and their appearance (through clothing and physique).

Eminem is a muscular man and so is my artist, and they both show it off (ie. my artist 'gets the guns' out, as pictured above).

Another slight similarity is short hair on both Eminem and I.Am.Will. Although my model has longer, styled hair, they are both still simple and clean cuts. Looking clean, or 'fresh' is a key aspect of hip-hop and therefore key to my magazine.

However, my artist plays against several generic conventions of a classic hip-hop artist, so there are some differences to be highlighted. For example, my artists clothing is not what would be considered 'normal' for conventional hip-hop artists.

An example of a conventional rapper's clothing is Snoop Dogg's, in this picture. His dress involves large baggy tops and bling. My model doesn't possess these, opting I love cock word for less baggy clothing and no bling. Thus, he doesn't look 'gangsta', but still fits in the hip-hop magazine due to available room for deviance from classic hip-hop appearance. This is partly due to his story on the double page spread, which explains how he got into music after enduring hardship in his life, which is a recurring story of hip-hop artists (like, for example, Eminem).

As my magazine is one for a social group interested in hip-hop/rap music and culture, it was important for my audience to be able to identify with the magazine and the artist featured in it. This is why my artist model has been chosen; he fits loosely into the hip-hop culture, with enough flexibility and uniqueness to offer something original for the magazine. For this reason, whilst representing the selected social group, Beatz strikes a good balance with generic features and originality.

Evaluation Activity 3

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

I have decided that IPC would be the best suited company to publish my magazine. This is due to them fitting the criteria to help my Unique Selling Point of supporting and raising awareness of new, young hip-hop/rap/grime artists in the UK.
As a UK-based company, who already publish NME magazine here, IPC have a an invaluable experience and understanding of the UK media market and, whilst they do not have an existing hip-hop outlet, they would be eager to diversify and tackle the British hip-hop music scene. Thus, it fits the 'UK' criterion of my Unique Selling Point.
As my magazine focuses on young hip-hop talent, it presents a new area of the music industry for IPC to explore. Also, as they are used to publishing NME (a rock and INDIE magazine) they would be interested in the original, individual aspects of my magazine.
Another important factor is that they sell 350 million copies of magazines per year - this prestige and success is the kind I am looking for to help sell my magazine.

Evaluation Activity 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

This boy is a typical potential buyer of my magazine. He (obviously) is an enthusiastic fan of hip-hop music. He shops in such places as Wellgosh, Selfridges and Flannels. He possesses Nike AirMax 90's; the Nike brand (especially trainers) have long been affiliated with hip-hop artists. As can be seen, he spends a lot of time and money attempting to look 'fresh' and emulate this hip-hop convention in his own unique way.

He would buy my media magazine because he is interested in the music genre being featured in the magazine. In addition, as a contemparility styled teenager (and proud of it) he would buy my magazine to keep up to date with the latest new artists in my magazine, and also their dress styles.

Evaluation Activity 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

After showing members of my target audience (16-25 year old males) my draft, I was given feedback to build on and improve my magazine to fit in more with the genre. After doing further research on how to accomplish these changes, I put them into practice. The above video picks up on details that make my final magazine contain generic conventions which appeal to my selected audience.

Evaluation Activity 6

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

My useage of Blogger this year has been my first experience of blogging. Therefore learning how to post, embed items, assign labels to posts and install gadgets have all been helpful skills developed during this time.

Again, this project has been my first experience with Photoshop. It was used to create and edit my magazine. At first I found it a very complex programme to use, but gradually I became familiar with the functions and the challenges presented to me with them and was able to create something I am proud of, using it.

My laptop was used to post on my blog from home. I found this helpful as I was able to take my work home with me and also access it wherever I was.

Scribd was used to post any Microsoft Word documents I did work on, onto my blog, quickly and easily. Examples of this include my moodboard and audience profile.

Much like Scribd, Slideshare offered a simple way of posting Microsoft Powerpoint slideshows onto my blog. Examples of my useage of Slideshare are my analysis of existing products.

Animoto was another online programme I was new to. Initially I struggled to adapt to the programme's 'rules' (ie, limited text on each slide) but after practice and trial and error I was able to create a successful Animoto video in the form of my pitch.

Youtube was a good source of inspiration for me; I was able to look at hip-hop music videos for inspiration on the styles present in my magazine (eg, costumes, props, font). I found it very easy and enjoyable to use. In addition, I also created my answer for Evaluation Activity 5 on Youtube using the annotations and notes tools, which is another new skill I've learnt.

Tubechop was a tool I used to select a small part of a Youtube video which I wanted to post on my blog for inspiration. Again, I was new to this tool but found it very easy to use.

This is the camera model used for my test shots and final shots too. They were transferred to my computer via USB cable.

 

I used Windows Movie Maker as a means of answering Evaluation Activity 5. Through this I learned how to edit videos, add music/audio to them, and co-ordinate different events to happen at times on the video.

Evaluation Activity 7

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

I feel I have progressed extremely well from my preliminary task to my full product. Not only have my production skills developed, but my understanding of audience areas and generic conventions has also increased. This has made me able to focus the skills I have learnt on developing a product which is specifically well suited for a particular genre and target audience. The first area of my work I feel I have improved on is my camerawork. As you can see, the image on my preliminary task is blurry which decreases the quality of the picture. Also, the prelim picture taken looks more like a general photo - it lacks purpose. On the other hand, my final product's images DO have purpose and look well suited for the task I was asked to do (music magazine). Also, the quality of the image is better as it is not blurry; both pictures were taken using the same camera so this wouldn't have affected this, and therefore the improvement is purely to my more developed camerawork skills.

Another area of work I have improved on is my editing and Photoshop skills. My preliminary pieces are very simply put together with only 2 clear layers - it is clear this has been done by a beginner with Photoshop. There is only one image used, and all the text is the same; it’s not very adventurous. In addition, the editing is shoddy. My use of the magnetic lasso tool to ‘cut out’ the image is not good - there are some rough edges. The image seems to stand out from the background in a way such that it doesn't blend well into the page. On the other hand, my final piece’s images are cut out a lot better; after experimenting with different tools, I found the ‘background eraser’ tool was, albeit more time consuming, a better tool for ‘cutting out’ the image. Through my choosing of tools, I have been able to get a greater grasp of how efficient each tool is and how to use it in different situations, depending on the amount of time I had.

Also, my selection of images has improved. My Research and Planning helped with this, as I was able to find inspiration from existing pictures of hip-hop artists and, combining these with my improved camera work skills, I was able to make my own similar images which were befitting of the genre and task.

All these areas of development for me, add to the credibility of my final product which, undoubtedly, is higher than the credibility of my preliminary task. My improved skills areas (layout, camerawork, image quality/suitability, colour harmony, etc) have all made sure of this; my product is an improvement because of my more developed skills and understanding of the demands of the task.



Double Page Spread Draft

Contents Draft

Cover Draft

Pitch Feedback Evaluation

The majority of my pitch feedback was positive...

• creative pitch - well thought through, good choice of words.
• good Unique Selling Point (supporting Young MC's)
• potential for successful magazine
• different to other people's ideas.
• good name choice

However there was one common area for improvement...

• change bottom of age range from 14 to 16, as some material may be unsuitable for 14 year olds.

I shall act upon this feedback.

Inspiration - Image

I like the way the image fits on the page and its thought provoking lighting/shadows, combined with the facial expressions. See Cover Analysis for further detail.

Inspiration - Pose

I like this shot of 50 cent as it is engaging with the reader, due to his eye contact and reaching out towards the camera. As you can see above, I took inspiration from this shot in one of my test shots.

Inspiration - Pose

I find this image very dynamic - it blends personal details of the model (Eminem) with more business-like features. For example, his tattoos are visible, as well as him being in a shirt and tie. I like the pose, as it seems he is revealing his more personal details by undoing his tie and shedding his business persona.

Inspiration - Colour Palette & Image

I really like the colour palette on this magazine cover; it is bold and very defined - the text and masthead stand out from the page whilst also blending well with the features of the cover. The mix of black and red text helps break up information on the cover, and both colours stand out on a white background (especially the red, which is used on the masthead).
I also admire the image used on this cover; as a black and white image, it sticks to the set simple colour palette to maintain simplicity, and helps the red text stand out. This is done though, without taking any quality from the image. It is a very stylish close-up shot (to see facial expressions in detail) and is striking and though-provoking due to its black and white nature. If anything, the lack of colour allows both the image and the red masthead to stand out separately and together, in a stylish and effective way.

Contents Mockup

Mockup Contents

Mockup Cover

Double Page Spread Analysis

Double Page Spreads

View more presentations from alexrwilson.

Contents Page Analysis

Contents Page Analysis

View more presentations from alexrwilson.

25 word Pitch

Newest Hip-Hop prodigies. Culture. Supporting unique, young, talented MC's. Fresh. 14-25 year old males. Original. Artist interviews. Broad. Universal rap. Simple block colour.

Test Shots

Scribd Test Shots

Test shots for magazine. Personally I think Page 2 Top left is the best shot. Comments would be appreciated :)

Costume & Body Language Inspiration.

Inspiration for poses and costume choice for my cover model.

Audience Profile

AUDIENCE PROFILE


 This is the profile of a typical potential customer of my magazine. He is interested in making music and appreciates hip-hop music very much. He is young and male; my niche market seems to be young males (14-25 years old) as this is the audience that rap/hip-hop music targets and appeals to the most.

Cover Analysis

Cover Analysis

View more presentations from alexrwilson.

I tried to find varied covers with unique images and styles. However, there seems to be some apparent guidelines for cover design and layout which most magazine covers follow.

Inspiration - Eminem Rolling Stone

The image on this magazine cover has inspired me in that it is unlike the image of most hip-hop artists. Eminem is pictured in smart dress and couldn't be differentiated from another celebrity when looking at costume alone. One side of his face is lighted, whilst the other is in shadow, which gives the image a dynamic edge. The black and white photo gives the cover a vintage feel which is always an appealing quality.

Moodboard - Rap & Hip-Hop Music

Moodboard





After consulting my findings on my moodboard, I have discovered some recurring themes of images of hip-hop artists, in photoshoots, costume, colour and body language. I felt it was important to look at different album covers and photoshoots, as well as their live performances, to get as wide a range of inspiration as possible. By using this moodboard in conjunction with other inspirations posted on this blog, and my analysis of magazines, I hope to get a better understanding of the sort of images I should be using myself.

In all my images on the moodboard, rappers have common styles of dress. The first is wearing sportswear and baggy clothes, such as Tupac, T.I., Eminem and The Game pictured above. These fit the 'gangsta' stereotype, which is a big part of the hip-hop culture, due to the backgrounds of most hip-hop artists (deprived, inner city upbringings, often involved with gangs). Wearing these styles of clothes are helpful for the artist as they give more identity and are more personal than other outfits. However, they are not dirty. An important part of hip-hop culture is to look 'fresh', whatever is worn.

Some hip-hop artists, such as The Notorious B.I.G and Kanye West, take this 'freshness' to a unique level with their own individual dress styles, whilst still retaining the objective to look clean cut. Many rappers have followed Biggie's style, donning suits for photoshoots in order to show seriousness and the business side of rap music. Thus, there are two sides to the conventional hip-hop artist - the casual, baggy clothed, more personal rapper, and the smart, suited public image. This knowledge will come in helpful when deciding what style my featured artist in my magazine shall be, depending on the nature of the article.

It seems that when a theme and mood for an album or magazine feature is chosen, then the corresponding pictures, on covers or inside, reflect that mood. For instance, Eminem's Encore album cover (pictured on the mood board) has a theme, like his other albums, of a performance, due to the terminology used (The Eminem Show, Encore, Curtain Call..). Therefore, an image on the front is useful to help visualise this, hence the image of him bowing to an audience on stage on the cover.

The mood of the album is quite a somber, revealing one (much like Eminem as an artist) and therefore the image on the cover reflects this in a unique way - his life is a stage and this is his Encore. The colours used are dark to further reinforce the mood of the album.

The body language used in the images above by hip-hop artists is very closed. Many have their arms crossed or are making hand closed hand gestures. There are little or no smiles either; the rappers seem serious because of this. The point of emphasis is the model's eyes. This is a notable feature of photos of hip-hop artists and shall prove valuable knowledge when shooting for my own magazine.

Another point worthy of note is that most hip-hop artists are black. This is a stereotype that comes with the 'gangsta' notion. I shall be thinking of whether it would be more effective to play up to this stereotype and use a model who is black, or break it and a white model.

Magazine Name & Masthead Fonts

Fonts


After much deliberation and research into hip-hop terminology, I have decided my magazine shall be called 'BeatZ'. The name is catchy and interesting, and also stays true to the nature of the genre (hip-hop). In music, especially hip-hop, the beat is a key element of a song, without which the song would be structureless and lacking in speed and mood. Therefore, the title 'BeatZ' for my magazine infers that it is a fundamental part of the music industry - finding and supporting new talent - much like the beats are fundamental to hip-hop music.

Possible fonts for my magazine masthead.
As a hip-hop magazine, i wish 'BeatZ' to retain some hip-hop qualities, even though it is a magazine primarily for new unsigned talent. One such hip-hop quality, i feel, can be contained within the font of the masthead, if chosen carefully. To keep the magazine's style close to it's roots, I decided to investigate Old School fonts to see if any would be suitable.
Above are my findings, along with other fonts which caught my eye. I used http://www.dafont.com/ as inspiration, and hope to adapt and personalise fonts which follow one of the styles shown above.