Prezi

Xtranormal question 4

Typical male and female audience

This image represents the male audience for my magazine press play would look like and how he would be dressed

This image represents the female audience for my magazine. This is how an urban artist fan would look like up to trend and still causal.

Music Magazine Evaluation

Music magazine evaluation

1)      My music magazine is called “Xplosive”. The genre of my magazine is Hip Hop. The reason I chose this genre was because I personally listen to Hip Hop music and my knowledge of Hip Hop helped me navigate through the construction of my magazine.  I was challenged with conventions that would make my magazine a Hip Hop magazine. I used certain elements in my photos to make the magazine seem ‘Hip Hop’ such as certain outfits for example snapbacks; these are hats which I had seen worn by artists on many Hip Hop magazines. The dress code which I used was casual urban clothing such as jeans and hooded jumpers as I thought this would make my magazine seem more realistic to the genre and appeal better to my target audience. I brought a hoodie for one of my models to make sure he was dressed in street attire. From my case studies I gathered that some of the models in Hip Hop magazines are portrayed as aggressive. In order to comply with this I asked my model to make a slightly aggressive facial expression. I used certain features from my case study number one (XXL magazine) to help me create my music magazine.  In my magazine I used aspects from this magazine. By researching XXL magazine, I grasped an understanding on how to order and layout my magazine. This form of research helped me create every page. By analysing music magazines I found that most front covers had medium-close up images of artists facing outwards towards the audience. I did the same for my magazine as I made my model look directly at the audience and I took a mid-shot of him.  I thought by doing this the audience would be able to engage with the model. The second case study was from a magazine called “VIBE” this magazine helped me with some other aspects of my magazine. The contents page from the magazine “VIBE” was not structured in the way I would have wanted so I looked at XXL magazine and structured it around that. I took a range of images for my contents page in the photo studio and out of the studio to reflect a variety of content. I used three models including myself. I had an idea of how I was going to construct the contents pages as I wanted to have a range of different people so that there would be a variation of faces. From my case study of the magazine “XXL” I discovered that the contents pages had directly been aimed at one particular ethnic group and gender. I was going to use some variation but I thought that Hip Hop is predominantly a genre associated with males. For my double page spread I placed an image on one A4 page with a pull quote. On the other page I wrote up an interview with an artist. My layout for my DPS is clear and easy to follow. The research I did made it easier for me to make my magazine look like an RnB magazine. I took many different assets from my case studies and tried my best to apply them to my own magazine. By analysing the magazine I was able to consider which elements I could use and what I couldn’t use. From my case studies I discovered that Hip Hop magazines are not as formal other genres such as jazz or country. Hip Hop magazines are usually laid out to be an easier read. The large pictures and bold font made my magazine comply with the conventions of Hip Hop magazines.

 

2)      In my magazine “Xplosive” I portrayed young people between the ages of 16 – 24. This was because I wanted to reserve my magazine for the target audience of young adults who enjoy listening to Hip Hop music regularly and who make music a regular part of his/her lifestyle.  The main group I was targeting was urban groups this was because the genre of my music was Hip Hop and most Hip Hop artists and performers are from an urban background or from urban group. The clothing worn by the models on the cover and contents page represent urban artist as they are wearing the typical urban clothes such as snapback, jeans hoodies, jewellery  etc. this type of clothing is not only worn by ethnicity the urban it is multi-cultural. My magazine was aimed predominately at all types of ethnicities although the   models which  I had  used on the front page, double page spread and contents page come from similar backgrounds. The models were dark skinned or mixed race. I didn’t use any white models because in Hip Hop there are not many white artists. In my case studies I did not see any white artists displayed.  The typical buyers for my magazine would be young adults. The typical female would be considered as tomboyish, wearing jeans and hoodies. The typical male reader would wear hoodies and snapback hats and listen to mainly Rap and Hip Hop music. My readers will be similar to the people that are displayed in the magazine. For my contents page the elements of mise en scene I used was the clothing and props. To make my model for the front cover look like a more urban and Hip Hop artist I did some research to find an urban looking outfit. I told the model to a wear a Hoodie and jewellery as I thought it would help my magazine portray Hip Hop accurately. In my contents page I wanted to make the male models look as if they are the typical urban rappers to do that I made them wear snapbacks and hoodies. My models wore a watch, beaded chain and a bracelet. This is a statement to show that I considered what Hip Hop artists wear. Because my magazine is aimed at youth aged 16 – 24 and some people as young as 12 may be interested in reading I ensured I censored swear words and made sure there wasn’t an overpowering sense of negativity.

 

3)      The media organisation that I chose to publish my magazine was Bauer media group. The reason why I selected this institution was because in my research I discovered that Bauer had published many other magazines of other music genres so there is a gap in the market for a Hip Hop magazine. Bauer publishes MOJO, EMPIRE, Q and KERRANG. Also Bauer media group is regarded as a successful publishing group. To further reach out to my target audience I thought I should set up an online fan base source, maybe Facebook or a Twitter page. By doing this I could set up a constant link between the magazine and the magazine’s fan base. Fans would be constantly updated. Although this would have been good I think it would be better to have a site reserved for magazine buyers/ members. Because of the internet generation, online sources will help my magazine achieve more buyers quicker. Facebook and Twitter would offer free advertising. The website for the magazine will be available in a mobile version so people can access the site on the go.

 

4)      The target audience for my magazine are young people aging between 16 and 24. The reason for this is because the majority of people who listen to Hip Hop are quite young. The gender market for my magazine is mainly male but also female as I didn’t want to create a division in the market. For my magazine I tried to make it realistic and accurate to what Hip Hop is like I took pictures of a particular ethnic group that is generally associated with Hip Hop. I thought there would be a more accurate depiction by using black/ mixed race ethnic group.  The location of Xplosive magazine buyers would be urban and built up areas such as London.  The reason for this is because the magazine is based on urban artists from an urban background. Online on Facebook or Twitter fans can post there music videos to get noticed which would increase the product sales as people would be striving to get noticed. The fan base for Xplosive would dress in street apparel, consisting of jeans, hoodies and caps. The average age of the magazine buyers would be around 20 years old.

5)      To allow the audience to constantly interact with Xplosive I created an application for the leading electric devices on the market. Android, Apple and blackberry users can easily access latest news and updates via their phones. This means that at the touch of a button all of the fans can read the magazine without having to go purchase a new issue from the shop. The app is only available for subscribers and each user will have their own password.  By using this app the audience would be able to declare which features of the magazine that they enjoy most by completing a fun and interesting survey. In my opinion the audience will find the electronic version of the magazine better and it would be more popular than the hard copy. My magazine will also offer a delivery service. A magazine will be delivered to the reader’s front door for a monthly subscription fee. To advertise the product I will host concerts and gigs. If a lot of people know and recognise the name ‘Xplosive’ then next time they are in a shop they will be more likely to pick up a copy to flick through it, which may lead to more purchases.   I got some feedback which I received from my audience to show which elements were more attractive to them. The majority of the audience thought that the activities and magazine features were very interesting. They enjoyed reading an interview with a world famous Hip Hop artist. A lot of people who gave feedback liked the use of photography throughout the magazine. I used these features to target my audience as they will have something to relate to - especially the interview. The interview enabled readers to understand the life of a Hip Hop artist.

 

6)      In the process of creating Xplosive magazine I have learnt new ways to create professional documents using a variety of software and equipment. To create the front cover, I used Adobe Photoshop. I learnt how to correctly layer, position, edit and perfect images. I learnt that to not disproportion an image I had to hold down the shift button whilst enlarging images. I used the spot removal tool and air brush tool to remove blemishes and imperfections in the images I used. I also learnt how to adjust the colour and size of the font correctly. A key feature which I learnt was to erase parts of the masthead to make it appear behind the main image of the artist. At first it was difficult to remember to select each layer, in the right hand selection panel, before I wanted to make adjustments to it but eventually I got the hang of it. To create my masthead I played around with Adobe illustrator and adjusted a default font to create my own. I created my contents page and double page spread in Adobe InDesign.  InDesign was very simple and easy to use. I used a lot of images and shapes when using InDesign and to layer them was easier than using Photoshop. In order to upload my documents I had to save the document as a jpeg. I did this by opening them as an adobe PDF document and then I saved them as jpeg images. Using blogger was new grounds for me. I haven’t used it before. After some time I found it simple to use and soon it proved useful as I received important feedback from classmates which helped me polish up the magazine to give it a professional look.  To take pictures I used a DSLR camera in a photo studio room. I learnt how to set up the studio room and adjust the brightness of the flash screens. To take out of studio pictures I used a Compaq 12 megapixel digital camera. In order to get a greater amount of feedback I presented a proposal in front of the class and received feedback.  I used a video recorder to record the feedback so I could look at it later on the computer and make changes.

 

7)      In mine and my classmate’s opinion I have improved my publishing skills since I created my college magazine. My music magazine is more professional looking. I think this is because I analysed other Hip Hop magazines thoroughly, whereas before I rushed into my college magazine without consideration. I now understand to create a professional piece I have to take time to research and plan effectively. I have developed an understanding on how little things and slight change in colour tone can make or break an end product. I played around and tried different fonts, shapes, and images. By doing this I could get the best of the best. At one point I created three separate front covers in order to reach the highest standard possible. I have learnt how to correctly place images and text. I learnt that too much empty space can look ugly but on the other hand if the page is too overcrowded then it also will look ugly. My images for my music magazine were professionally edited in Adobe illustrator. I altered the lighting and tone on some images which I had not done before whilst creating the college magazine. On my music magazines front cover I used colours and fonts that are easily legible instead of bright pinks and greens which appeared in my college magazine. The contents page of my music magazine had a better structure and is more professional than my college magazines contents page. The college magazines contents page was not laid out in a professional manner. There was a large amount of empty space. The title was overly large and disproportioned to the rest of the font on the page. On my music magazine I made sure I looked at style models which helped me know how to construct it better. My DPS for my music magazine was clearly laid out and simple. I used one large image and a pull quote on one page. On the other page, there is an interview.  Overall, all things in consideration, my publishing skills have improved dramatically since creating my college magazine.  I have learnt how to use a variety of software effectively, such as Photoshop and InDesign. I have learnt how to use a DSLR camera and set up the photo studio. The reason why I think my music magazine is more professional compared to my college magazine, is because of the depth of planning. I planned what costumes, models and colours I was going to use. I also planned and booked studio time using the class call sheet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feedback

Looking back at feedback you received from the college magazine, how do you feel your technical and creative skills have developed?

Feedback

What could be improved?

Feedback

Which elements of the magazine does the audience like?