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

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Contents Page Analysis

Contents Page Analysis

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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

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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.