EVALUATION

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

There are many features of a music magazine that can be seen through my own design. By researching music magazines within the RnB and Hip Hop genre, I was able to recognise the conventions and features in addition to a repeated layout. On the front cover there is usually the name of the artists featured within the magazine, and also snippets of information which may appear. This is not placed in a banner or box, but just placed over the background. The November issue of Vibe does this with Keri Hilson as the model. Another common feature that appears on this issue is that most of the writing is placed around the main image to portray the effect of dominance on each issue.

I chose to use this feature to show my target audience that dominance is a large part of the Hip Hop and RnB culture, the readership will also understand that males are portrayed as dominant within this industry, so for a female to pose like a male and wear similar clothing, it will indicate that society is changing in relation to the new growth of female rappers. The effect of placing all text around the body of the model will also show the audience, that as a magazine we are portraying the amount of knowledge we know about the industry, creating a trusting bond with the readership. The women of the Hip Hop and RnB genre are referred to as sexual objects, further shown through the Ashanti video

‘Good Good’. This is also proven through the way women are presented on the front of magazine covers, which is shown below.

Each of the women are presented as sexual objects within all three of these Vibe issues. Beyonce has been photographed to show her as wet, and posing in a seductive way. Kesha has a sexual facial expression, whilst clutching her breasts which will draw more attention to her body, both her and Beyonce are wearing fitting pieces of clothing to attract a male audience. Kelly Rowland is nude whilst again clutching her breasts. She also has a seductive facial expression whilst creating direct address with the reader forming an intimate bond. All three of these pieces portray women as sexual objects. However I chose to go against these stereotypes, and portray a female artist as dominant, strong but yet with the slightest hint of sexiness.

 

The model on the front of this cover has shown no direct address with the readership, creating a closed relationship with fans. This is due to her being a new artist on the music scene. This had been done once before by a male artist where he has chosen not to create direct address with the audience as he felt like he had left him down. This artist was Chris Brown, in an XXL issue. The clothing worn is not seductive, as the white t shirt is baggy. This again is common iconography for males, within the Hip Hop industry as shown below. Conventions have been challenged as the artist on my magazine has taken the style of a male Hip Hop artist but added her spin on it. Just by a female daring to take such a classic style and wear it proves how much the music scene has developed; that not only can women be seen as sexual objects but be as strong minded and blunt as a male. The purpose behind my featured artist is to prove that she can be male orientated in certain aspects by wearing baggy clothes and trainers, yet still show a feminine side. The effect of this on the audience will help them to be themselves, and prove that they do not have to follow stereotypes, that being unique is not terrible. Conventions of clothing are truly challenged for the better by morphing the two conventions of male and female into one, to create an unforgettable artist.  

 

The conventions of contents pages from VIBE are to keep the pages plain and simple, to direct most of the attention towards the featured artists. It also shows that most of the attention within the magazine will be focused on the artists. All of the articles written will not go off topic, yet stick to the artist and only the artist (no random gossip).

 

Each of the contents pages above belong to VIBE. The theme of being simple occurs within each. The main image takes over most of the page/ attracts your attention initially. The text is placed around the body of the featured celebrity to again highlight the effect of dominance. This reinforces the brand identity. I have chosen to go with the same simplistic look, to ensure that the readership understand that the sole focus of the music magazine is the artists, and their music.

 

I wanted to keep the same simplicity within my music magazine. I had chosen to keep ‘CONTENTS’ towards the top of the page, similar to VIBE. But this is due to the audiences eyes go directly to the top left of a page. The colour scheme within the contents page is plain, white and black are the common colours used. Why I had chose to use these colours is due to the fact that these colours are these colours are the basics, and the Hip Hop and RnB culture is all about the basics, artists sing about the basic features of their lives, what they do or do not have. So the colours relate back to the industry of music chosen. The straightforward layout keeps to the conventions of a contents page to be simple, and clear. Allowing the readers to understand the magazine from the outset in, this will build a secure and easy relationship between the readership and magazine.

 

Several conventions of double page spreads can be seen through my own design. The common features of a double page spread are that the image takes up half of the page and the text takes up the other half if not less. The sole attention is paid to image, and that text from the article is placed above in quotation marks to allow the reader to get a quick insight into what may be appearing within the article. I chose to follow these particular conventions in order to keep my double page spread simple, which is the layout of each page, reinforcing the brand identity. I have also chosen to place the same piece of text in the right hand corner of the page, to reinforce the brand identity. The images of the artist have been placed along the top half of the page, in order to the audience to scan the images an easy manor. Half way down the page along the bottom an interview begins. There is a quotation over the top image, which is another convention I have followed. The quotation will allow the readership to feel involved within the article before reading it. Creating a strong relationship with audience from the beginning. These can all be seen within the image of the double page spread bellow.

 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Social groups are people who all share the same social relation. My three finished products create an unconventional representation of women within the Hip Hop and RnB industry. Women are presented as sexual objects, they are there to look at and grab male attention straight away. Although women are equally important in the music industry the males tend to take a masculine role, whereas the women are portrayed to be delicate and sexualised characters. This can be perceived through the image of Ciara on the cover of VIBE. The race of women in this particular genre is mainly African American.

This is due to America being known for the ‘ghetto’ and being raised in the ‘hood’ (which is portrayed through Jay Z’s’ ‘99 Problems’); both of these features are mentioned throughout Hip Hop and RnB artist’s lyrics. It is not often for you to see females of other race or ethnicity. . However due to the modern society there are now upcoming female rappers who are of a different race, such as Iggy Azalea is a rapper from Australia who features the freshman issue of XXL. As presented on this front cover she is the only female, let alone being of a different race. Males are not presented in this way, there are a number of races on the XXL issue for men, and be that as it may the page is dominated by African American male rappers which are the stereotyped characters of Rap music.

The class which many of the audience would be for my magazine would vary. There is no particular specified class allocated by the music you listen to. For example Barack Obama is high class yet he claims that he ‘would listen to Jay Z while lifting weights’. It depends on each individual’s musical tastes, for example you could be working class yet claim classical music is your own personal favourite. Most of the music industry is shown as high class; this is because how much money they have made. For example below are Jay Z and Beyonce. Both artists are the most popular couple within the music industry. They both are key features in the Hip Hop and RnB world, but are presented as upper class in almost any setting. This is mainly because of how much money they have earned from their career. The wealth and class is portrayed through the items of clothing worn and the way the couple present themselves. The expensive items of clothing indicate luxuries which both artists can afford, the expensive cars that are purchased in addition to Jay Z purchasing an island making them upper class.

 

 

Below are my three finished products. The female artist portrayed within each of my pieces goes against the typical representation women would have in the RnB and Hip Hop genre. The artist is wearing a white t shirt that is not tight, so it does not outline her figure. However little black shorts are worn which can show the audience that the female enjoys showing skin, and being seen as a sexual object without that being the only impression given. More masculine items are worn such as the snapback and Air Jordans, these are both items usually worn by men. The overall representation of the female is that she is both in control, confident (features of a man on the Hip Hop and RnB scene) in addition to being/ feeling sexy, and comfortable in her own body. The artist who is on all three of my products is Asian. This itself is extremely unusual as there are only a few female artists who are Asian that are included in the industry or who have become mainstream. Honey Cocaine is an upcoming Asian rapper, however she takes a different approach to fame by keeping an extremely close relationship with her fans through instagram and twitter in addition to showing off how wealthy she has become. The representation of race is therefore far from typical as the usual artists from these genres are African American.

 

Although Karisma may be of a different race does not change the fact that her lyrics may contain information about where she was raised if she lived in ‘hood’, these are the norms of being an RnB/ Hip Hop artist and do not change due to your race.  In the finished products below the upcoming artist gives of the impression of working/lower class which is further proven through the post production research on twitter below.







 

 

 

With the items she is wearing not being seen as a luxury, yet pieces of clothing which everyone can purchase. By her doing this it allows the readership to create a closer bond with her, as they are able to have the same luxuries as the artist which is not common with rappers/singers. However a white t shirt and Jordans are common items of clothing on many rappers/singers no matter how wealthy one may be.

But this is just her start to fame and becoming successful, perhaps as her fame and wealth rises so will her status.

 

Who would be the audience for your media product?
A target audience is a group of people who the producer intends to use/view a product. I feel that the three products I have produced are suitable for my target audience. The target audience for my magazine will be females from the ages of 16-35. It starts at 16 because at this age, young women start to understand music much more in depth, in addition to this, females begin to take consideration towards the world at this age, they may also be able to relate to artists by understanding struggles perceived through music.  It ends at 35 because many women at this age would most likely have children, and may not have time to pursue their interest in music, or however may choose not to begin listening to new artists as they are comfortable with the well known artists. However, just because the target audience ends at 35, this does not mean that all 35 or plus year olds will immediately stop listening to this genre of music, but when they wish to stop. The females that this magazine is intended for will have a real passion for music; it will be part of their every day regime. Education is a must for the audience, as the artists who shall be featured within BEATS will also stress how important it is to not take free education for granted. The audience may not have the greatest of confidence, yet she will be able to speak her mind, on the other hand if confidence is low from the audience music may be there to help them through specific situations to be their voice when unable to speak their mind. Not only will my music magazine entertain the audience but be there as a friend, someone to turn to when having a bad day. A close link will be established from the outset of my magazine, as it will include information that the readership will wish to know. For example tour dates, and interviews; entertainment just when needed. My magazine caters to the target audience as it will appeal to the younger readership by featuring new and upcoming artists such as Karisma, the older target audience will be catered for as ‘old school’ artists will also be included; as these are rappers/ singers that everyone will have knowledge of due to their successful run in the music industry.. Music is not set to particular age limits; therefore the magazine will cater to all females who enjoy the RnB/Hip Hop genre.

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

The programmes which I had used when creating the three finished products are Adobe Photoshop and Blogger. I had only used Photoshop once before but was able to pick up new skills and use the tools correctly. The internet also helped me to  as i used YouTube when editing my pictures, for example you are able to a video finding out how to enhance certain features of your body. I have been able to master the magic wand tool, when removing the background of my images within the double page spread which took a large amount of time in addition to patience, as did changing the balance of colours within a number of the images used, in order to create a glowing effect.

 

 

 

 

I had never previously witnessed or had been on a blog before coming across blogger. This site had also enabled me to learn how to use slide share as well as have greater knowledge in the blogging world. For example I did not know that if you publicly publish your blog it is open for others to view, and individuals are also able to follow your blog. Slide share has made blogging much simpler, by allowing me to upload power point presentations whilst viewing in blog form. Blogger teaches you how to indent WebPages into your work, whilst still looking professional. You are also able to download an app for blogger meaning if you happen to take a picture which is linked to your work with a click of a button it will then appear on your Blog. Now uploading onto a blog could not be any simpler. My typing skills have also improved due to the research and planning section of this project which has helped me to type more efficiently. I now also realise that social interacting sites such as facebook & twitter can be used for educational purposes, for example getting feedback to then show in work. This is an easy and reliable way of gaining evidence, which I did not realise; the public would be so open to doing. I was also able to choose fonts myself from dafant.com which is a website that was unfamiliar to myself, not only did it give me the opportunity to choose from a variety of fonts that could cater to any of my needs, but also installed in the simplest way making the process short and sweet. By using Photoshop it has also allowed me to improve my computer skills, now I will be able to show others how to use specific tools within the programme. On my front cover I used a range of tools such as the ellipse tool to create a puff I also changed the brightness of the initial image to display an ‘imperfect’ picture to show the realness of the artist.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience through a range of ways, such as the language within the article produced would include jargon that people who take an interest in the music industry would understand. For example within the interview that is presented on the double page spread, the word ‘dope’ is used to describe a music festival.

Members of society who do not take an interest in Hip Hop/ RnB music would not know that this is another word for good. The images would also appeal to my chosen target audience who are females from the age of 16-35. This is due to the poses carried out by the artist; she poses with authority, and with a sense of power. Women within the 21^st century understand that women have just as many rights as men now, and the fact that this particular artist is highlighting how strong women are by taking male poses will bring courage and pride for women.

The items of clothing that the artist who was featured on the magazine had worn would also appeal to the target audience due to them perhaps owning items similar, allowing them to connect with the artist. If any member of society is able to afford and wear the same clothes as a celebrity then it brings a sense of accomplishment , that an individual may be able to be as successful as the celebrity  by wearing the same items of clothing. These pieces of clothing can portray the artist to be seldom. That just because they have a high income does not mean that they will waste this away, and spend it just on material goods. It shows the artist does not need money to be happy, and this is further developed by setting. In addition to this my magazine will attract its target audience by the names mentioned on the front cover. The artists who are mentioned on the front cover of the finished product are a range of upcoming artists as well as singers/rappers that have been around for a while. This highlights just how versatile the magazine can be, it caters for the new generation whilst making sure there is sufficient amounts of information for the well known artists. These may be by including interviews, tour dates, personal conversations, latest tweets, instagram pictures or favourite songs. The purpose of the target audience to buy this magazine is to here information from artists themselves, and this will not include gossip. The readership will be searching for album release dates, who may have won specific awards (for example Jay Z and Kanye West wining best collaboration at the BET Hip Hop awards), personal interviews, if there will be any resurrection in the music industry (for example Destiny Childs come back).  The magazine will include all these pieces of information. The readership will also have a chance to get involved with the magazine by taking part in competitions. This will allow the audience to form a stronger relationship with the magazine itself, they may feel a bond and see it as natural to continue purchasing the product.  The main reason why the audience would want to purchase any magazine is if it looks appealing, does it attract them and are the stories to their interest. A niche market is formed as the magazine is specifically about music and targets females. What will attract the readership to pick my magazine off the shelf and be willing to purchase it will be down to the main image on the front cover.  

 

If the artist looks welcoming then the readership may wish to find out their secrets to happiness.

 

 

However if the artist featured looks stubborn and angry then the audience may then also with to find out why they are so angry. The sell lines will be small snippets of what is inside that are the most important, these will work by intriguing the audience to go ahead and buy the magazine in order to read it and find out more information. For example on the cover of my magazine it has ‘DRAKE’ across the top left with the statement ‘new album?’ underneath, helping to attract the female audience as he is a popular male figure within the Hip Hop industry. His fans will wish to know about his new album and as will most of the readership, a new album by any artist from these particular genres create excitement for individuals who enjoy listening to Hip Hop and RnB.  I carried out a post production questionnaire to find out if I had satisfied my target audience’s needs.

 

 

 

 

 

The questionnaire above was handed out to 20 females who are fans of the Hip Hop and RnB industry.  All of the participants agreed that the image was the feature that stands out most to the readership.

 

 

They also agreed that the sell lines are appropriate, which means that I was able to satisfy the readership’s needs, as they are happy with the stories I had provided based on the questionnaire produced before creating the products.

 

 

 

This is further proven through a recorded interview with the magazines target audience:  

 

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

Harris Publications is the company that owns my magazine. Harris publications is an American company, which is interesting as some of the artists who are included within issues of my magazine are British, allowing an American company to give their views on artists. Harris Publications has been founded in 1977, by Stanley R Harris who had been part of the publishing business since the late 1950s. The publications business itself has proven to be a success as it publishes over 75 titles. XXL, King, and Men’s work out magazine are just a few of the successful magazines which the company owns. The audience of my magazine will benefit from Harris Publications being the owners as they are a well known company who run a number of successful magazines. I chose these owners because they clearly know how to manage all kinds of magazines, as the mags which they own vary from being about music, to fishing, and even weapons such as guns. This company own XXL which is well established Hip Hop magazine, as Harris Publications have managed to create such an amazing stamp in the magazine business for XXL they can only try to do the same for BEATS, making them a suitable owner for a new/ up and coming Hip Hop/ RnB magazine. XXL have a circulation figure of 136,532 proving the success of the company. XXL are the most bought music magazine, outselling Rolling Stone by 9972 copies, the readership is also 78%. By releasing a music magazine aimed at females could boost their ratings, as it is more common for females to buy magazines. Harris Publications have a number of ways to advertise BEATS, one of them being through numerous of their other magazines. The advantages for BEATS will benefit from having the same owners Harris Publications as they will be able to use XXL for publicity, the two magazines (XXL & BEATS) may look like they will be rivals but in actual fact the issues will be extremely different from the artists featured to the layout displayed. The only similarity between the two may be including the same tour dates but that is it. XXL and BEATS may also share a number of readers.  The readership of my magazine will feel extremely comfortable as Harris Productions are a well known company and will find it easy to trust them, due to them having knowledge from the Hip Hop/ RnB genre. Brand Loyalty could also influence the audience; if they have been purchasing magazines published by Harris then they may feel guilty choosing other magazines. The magazine will be successfully delivered to the audience through the help of advertisement of such a big company, and word of mouth. Creating the right customer image in addition to forming a stronger connection between readers and the magazine based on Harris Publications having first hand information on how to attract the Hip Hop/RnB audience.

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

Conclusively I feel that I have improved greatly with skills needed to use Photoshop. I feel that I have now been able to experiment and try out new styles when editing photos, as my preliminary task image was hardly edited.

There is a clear improvement with the understanding of how well images and fonts can be presented on a page. For example the fonts and colours chosen for my preliminary task work well, but could have been improved if I had used my time more wisely, and taken the time to search for more suitable fonts. I also feel that the actual layout of my production look much more appealing than my preliminary task due to working with one particular colour scheme. From carrying out both my Preliminary task and the final production, they have helped me realise how to use my time, and take advantage of the advice given. I feel that I am now able to realise what works well together, and what can look out of place. It always helps to take on board fellow peers critics as they can spot particular things that can be improved on your work better than yourself. My preliminary task looks like there is too much going on visually on that one page, immediately creating a tacky look. On the other hand my music magazine visually is appealing there is a structure to it, and a clear brand identity laid out for readers by the use of colours and fonts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For readers there is a clear symbiotic link to my finished product, such as using the same colour theme, fonts and the model in the images have the same clothing on, making it obvious that all three pieces are part of one magazine. This is not something I had included within my preliminary task, the colour scheme had many colours hence why it doesn’t look professional, and I feel that I have developed my skills by producing final pieces that take the look of magazines. I also feel that I have obeyed all of the conventions of a music magazine, and adapted them to the style of the magazine. For example, I have included a puff, and fitted the text according to my image. These factors occur in many music magazines as shown below.

 

 

 

To the left is the double page spread that inspired me next to my final pieces.  When first witnessing the Solange double page spread I found it extremely attractive yet complicated. However I still attempted it, and eventually created my final piece. I feel that is works very well, and gets the Hip Hop message across, I would never have even attempted such a difficult double page spread but through completing a preliminary task I had gained the courage to create such a piece, overall I feel it has made a big impact on all of my finished products by tying them all together.  I have also learnt that trying new things can really improve your work. For example in my double page spread I had used a pull quote to be over one of my images originally, but by experimenting with the pull quote it has now taken place within the interview, creating a professional look.  The main element that brings all of my final pieces together is the background in my opinion; it adds such an edgy feel to the whole magazine, really emphasizing the starting from the bottom appeal that the artist brings to BEATS.