Evaluation draft

Evaluation

Before starting my research and planning, I researched into many types of magazines so that I could familarise myself with common features used. Examples of magazines I looked at were Vibe and Cosmopolitan. I chose to look at these two as Vibe is an RnB music magazine which is the genre of music I chose to reflect my magazine upon, and Cosmopolitan because it’s a very successful women’s magazine so I looked at this in preparation for my research and planning in order to give me ideas. By looking at these magazines It gave me the knowledge of common conventions used throughout all types of magazines such as there is always a Masthead, which is the name of the magazine. This is always bold and big to create an eye-catching effect on the readers making it stand out. The main image is always the model/artist on the front this being the main feature of the magazine, taking up almost the whole page of the front cover in a medium shot. Sometimes there is a strapline which will give readers the opportunity to win things, special offers available and many more. A bar code is also another common convention on magazines in which I made sure I had when it came to creating my front cover.

After I had got familiar with magazines, I decided the genre of music I would like to base my music magazine around in which it was RnB. I chose this genre because I listen to this genre of music the most and have a keen interest in the artists of this genre. I felt also that as a listener of this genre I would know what fans would want in an RnB music magazine such as the artists that would feature within it. It also gave me a clearer understanding of what my target audience would want to see in a music magazine.

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

There are many features that have been used within my media products in which can be identified through my work. By doing the correct research within the genre of RnB for my music magazine, I have been able to truly identify the features and conventions needed in order to achieve a repeated layout and design in all my media products, in order to create a continued brand identity. On front covers of magazines there is usually always the name of the artists that are going to appear within the issue as well as other information however the information is minimal and not featured in a banner or puff but is just simply placed around the main image on the coloured background creating a sense of authority and dominance for the artist featuring on the front. This is also done in creating a simple layout. An example of this is in the Vibe issue in October/November of 2012 of Kesha.

 

 

I have chosen to use all these features within my media products to portray to my chosen target audience that authority and dominance is a big part of the RnB industry of today. The readership acknowledges that men in the RnB music industry are portrayed as dominant characters and the women are commonly presented as sex objects. Examples of front covers where women are displayed as sexual objects are shown below. I have chosen to present my model as a type of sex object in the poses that she carries out but also in the costume and make up such as the red lips being the colour of passion, love and sex however I have not presented my model in an extreme sexual way as some other RnB artists do, this is because she is a new upcoming artist who wants to carry a sensual look yet with confidence and an aim for success. I have used the colour red on my magazine and on my model to emphasize this sex object image. A RnB music video with exemplifies this idea of women being presented as sex objects is clearly demonstrated through the video by Christina Milian ‘whatever you want I got it’.  I have also chosen to place all my text around my main image on the front cover to show the readership that as a magazine we are experienced and knowledgeable creating a bond with its readers.

 

 

Within each of these three issues of Vibe, these women have been clearly presented as sex objects through the use of costume and poses in which all three will draw attention to its readers making these three issues successful creating direct address with its individual readers thus creating a bond. In the third front cover Beyonce has been photographed as wet, wearing tight clothing whilst posing in a very provocative manner, in the first front cover, Kesha is standing with a seductive facial expression as she stands suggestively with her mouth open with her right hand clutching her breast in a tight dress, drawing attention to male audiences. In the second front cover Keri Hilson is posing in a sexy police uniform costume with her left hand placed over her head, with her eyes glaring seductively into the camera automatically creating a sensual feel to the front cover but also creating a special bond with the readership. All three of these front covers exemplify how women in the RnB music industry as sexual objects, However I have chosen to go against this stereotype in some ways as I wanted my model to be portrayed as a fearless, independent, dominant artist but still with the edge of sexiness. In my front cover media product I have chosen to present my model in a seductive way but not to the full extremity of how these front cover issues have been presented. My model is portrayed as provocative and seductive yet confident in herself as an upcoming artist in the RnB music industry.

On my final media product being my front cover, my model has approached the readership with direct address in the way she is provocatively staring into the camera showing suggestiveness yet a drive and passion for success in her future, automatically creating a bond with the readers. Ashanti on the front cover of Vibe is a perfect example of direct address as she is staring into the camera as if she is glaring suggestively to her readers.

The conventions which are featured on the content pages of Vibe are kept very simplistic focusing more on the artists which will be featured within, displaying that the magazine itself focuses on the artists rather than having an overflowed layout with lots of text.

All three of these content pages above belong to the music magazine Vibe and all share a simplistic layout focusing on the main image being the featured artist. In each content page the artist is taking up most of the page again showing the focus of the magazine but also that it’s done to draw in the readerships attention.  The text is always placed around the main image of the artist to give the artists a sense of dominance but also to highlight the focus of this music magazine; being the artists and the music thus reinforcing the brand identity of the magazine as this is continuously repeated in all of the content pages Vibe offer.

I have chosen to also go with the simplistic layout with my content page to provide the reader that this music magazine’s focus is purely on the artists featured as well as the music, creating again a close relationship with its readership but also to create a continued brand identity within the music magazine making the readers familiar with the repeated patterns and layout features.

Within my contents page I wanted to keep the layout features simple in order to allow my readers to understand the magazine and create a relationship with them but also I chose to do a similar layout of the word ‘Contents’ as Vibe do with their content page due to the audience’s focus when first looking at something draws to the top left of the page, also it is a different and modern feature to the magazine in contrast to the simplicity of the layout, thus making the title ‘Contents’ stand out. The colour scheme within the content page is white, red, black and grey again keeping simplicity throughout emphasizing the brand identity. These colour's are quite basic colour's which relate to the RnB industry as it’s all about basics and simplicity, its more about the music so by using this colour scheme reinforces that idea.

Through my own product of the double page spread there are many conventions and features which can be identified through my own design. A common feature within my own product is the colour scheme which exemplifies brand identity as it is apparent through all of my media products which I have made and designed. The images take up a big space at the top of the spread, yet still leaving room for text; this shows the focus of the double page spread being the new upcoming artist. I chose to structure my double page spread with a simple layout making it simple themed just like the front cover and the contents page again reinforcing the brand identity but also giving the readership a layout they are familiar with in which they can follow and understand, creating a bond with the readers as it will be a recognisable feature within other issues of the music magazine.

 How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My three finished media products all demonstrate a clear representation of women in the RnB music industry. Women tend to be known as sexual objects within the industry automatically drawing attention to them however within my final finished products they appear to have an unconventional representation of women, as my model is not posing that provocatively nor has she shown any part of her body. Although women are equally important in the RnB industry, men always tend to undertake the more masculine role. An example of this is the issue of Vibe with Eminem featuring on the front showing a clear representative of masculine men but also within the front cover there are the name of artists such as 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Jay Z significantly demonstrating to the readership that race and ethnicity groups are seen as equal and are all included within the RnB industry. The class from which the audience and readership would come from can be varied, as there are no specific classes with the music that a person may listen too for example the president Barack Obama being high class featured on the front of Vibe in the November issue in 2008 stating that he listens to Jay Z, thus portraying that social groups don’t matter when it comes to the music industry as each individual has their different choice of music genre. Most of the music within the RnB industry is displayed as higher class due to the artists having wealth so this is shared through their songs and music videos. A prime example of this is Beyonce she is the Queen of RnB and has been for many years now, always being presented as upper class wherever she is placed as she has that authority in the industry but also due to the wealth she now has after achieving such an amazing career. Her wealth is always clearly shown through her music but also her clothing and costumes within music videos, the expensive clothing such as jewellery exemplifies her wealth and status portaying that she can afford many luxuries in the lifestyle she lives. Beyonce is now married to one of the most famous and wealthiest rappers in the RnB industry this being Jay Z so again displaying her wealth, status and class as an artist.

It is also not very often for you to see females of other races or ethnicity in the industry however with the society of today there are many new and upcoming young female rappers of a different race coming into the industry, such as Iggy Azalea. She is an Australian rapper who is featured below in an freshman issue of XXL being the only female on this front cover, as well as being a different race. However males are not usually presented in this way as there are a large amount of various races on the front covers of XXL issues as they are commonly dominated by African American rappers; which are stereotyped characters of Rap music in today’s society.

Within  all of my final three finished pieces the model featured almost goes against the typical representation in some ways as she does not reveal any skin however her poses could be seen to some as flirty and suggestive, as well as wearing red lip stick; this is always seen as provocative and sexy. She is wearing a black leather jacket, with a white blouse joined by a skirt and tights showing to her readers she’s focused in her music and doesn’t just want to be seen as just a sexual object but wants to be seen as a sexy yet confident and fierce upcoming artist. Within Rythmic’s music magazine various different races appear as there are many that feature in the RnB industry, which does not mean rappers will not discuss their race within their own lyrics as this is considered the norm in the RnB industry. In my finished media pieces my model is a new white upcoming artist who has just collaborated with Jay Z showing that race is not considered to be an issue in the music industry as they work together creating a sense of equality. I have chosen my model to wear basic yet stylish and affordable clothing to show her as a working class woman, wearing clothes that the readers can go and buy themselves if they wish thus creating a bond with the readership as Chantelle can be seen as someone the readership can relate too, giving Chantelle that down to earth, positive feel about her. Chantelle loves to interact with her fans in order to maintain the close relationship through social networking sites such as instagram and twitter where Chantelle will upload pictures and tweets of what she is up to so her fans can keep up to date with her.

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

Harris Publications is the media institution which will be owning my music magazine Rythmic. Harris Publications are an American company which was founded in 1977 by Stanley R Harris who was a part of the publishing business from the late 1950s, showing he is a very experienced publisher.  The company publishes over 75 magazines such as XXL, Men’s workout magazine, King, Celebrity Hairstyles, Exercise and Health and many more showing itself to be a very successful publishing company. My target audience will benefit from Harris Publications being the ownership of this magazine as it is a very experienced company; they know how to handle a magazine from its past experience and if any problems occurred they would have the knowledge to mend the magazine. They also cater to many different types of magazines not just music magazines from the likes of fishing, dog magazines and weapons and guns. Harris Publications have owned a very successful RnB/Hip – Hop ‘XXL’ and as they have managed to create such a successful, well known magazine it gives me confidence reassurance that Rythmic will have the same outcome. The circulation figures of XXL are 136, 532 with a readership of 78% truly exemplifying the success of the magazine. The readership of Rythmic will feel satisfied and comfortable as Harris Publications are a well known successful allowing the readers to find it easy to be able to trust them as a company, knowing they are experienced within the RnB genre.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The three media products I have designed and produced are clearly suitable for the chosen target audience, being from ages 16-21. A target audience is a group of either customers or readers who a company or business aim their products towards in which I have aimed my three pieces of media towards female readers, starting from the age of 16 as many young females are very much interested within the music industry especially RnB as they are reaching a level of maturity. The target audience ends at roughly 21 as many women at this age are still interested in the music of RnB but become less interested as the younger women seem more interested and interactive. This doesn’t mean that any females over the age of 21 will not read or stay interested within the music, it’s their choice but it’s a prediction that the magazine have made. The younger the reader the more interested they tend to be as they are the key listeners to any upcoming artists just like Chantelle, as they love anything new, modern and fresh to the industry. However music does not have a particular set target audience as its anyone’s choice to listen to what they like, so therefore Ryhthmic cater for all females who enjoy the music of RnB. The target audience and readers of the magazine may not necessarily have a great deal of confidence, however she is able to speask her thoughts. Yet if confidence is not at its highest music is always there to help with specific situations to be there thoughts, voice or even mind. Rythmic will not only be seen as a music magazine but as a friend or guidance, to entertain its readers as well as being there when the reader is having a bad day. Many links will be included within my magazine such as interviews, tour dates, new album releases, any entertainment required. Rythmic caters to its target audience successfully as it appeals to both the younger readers as well as the older. For the younger readerships, the magazine will feature new and upcoming artists such as Chantelle and for the older readers, older RnB artists will feature as these are artists everyone has knowledge of and the songs are recognisable also due to their success in the music industry. Rythmic will not set their magazine to just that age limit, there is no age limit as it will cater to all females who love the RnB genre.

How did you attract/address your audience?

 The entirety of Rythmic will attract to the readership as it is important for readers to be able to pick up a magazine and be fulfilled with the content of what they are reading. Rythmic also offer cross media synergy through the use of building up a website for its readership to read and find out any new music updates anywhere they are, with today’s society internet is available on mobiles, so if a reader is not able to pick up one of the magazine’s distributed weekly the magazine is available at any time of day where it is updated hourly in order to attract and keep its readership happy.  Apps are another feature in which Rythmic attract its readers, not all music magazines offer apps on mobile phones, but with the technology of today Rythmic have managed to apply an app in which like the website readers are able to visit whenever they wish to receive updates on any RnB news. In order to attract and address my audience, I have used a range of ways. By using specific artists within Rythmic such as Chantelle, Beyonce, Drake and Ashanti this has allowed the readers to feel connected with the music magazine as they know the magazine caters to their needs by using their favourite artists as the readers can relate to them showing that the magazine cares about its readership. The colours used throughout the magazine are colours in which are familiar with my readership such as greys, blacks, whites and red these being colours in which are associated with the genre of RnB. I know this from researching on other RnB music magazines such as Vibe, XXL and others. These colours can reflect a moody, mysterious vibe which some RnB songs associate themselves with. The colours could also reflect nightlife which both the artists and readers can share a common ground with, thus attracting many readers allowing them again to feel connected within the magazine. The mode of address that is used throughout makes it obvious to the target audience that Rythmic is aimed at them through the uses of colloquialism in the language. The tone is very casual and informal, attracting to the readership as they can then form a relationship with the readers creating brand loyalty as the readers will feel so comfortable and satisfied with the magazine they won’t wish to turn to any other music magazine. By talking to the readers in a language they are familiar with, it makes the readers feel as if the magazine is a friend; this is something that Rythmic intend to do, as the readers are a main priority for them. Mise – en –scene is another way in which the readers are directed. Items of clothing could enable the readership to feel connected not only to Rythmic but also the artist as they may share some similar items of clothing. If a reader is able to afford items of clothing that artists wear, it would give the reader a sense of accomplishment and privilege as they share the same clothing, which could refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs of self esteem and self actualisation. The reader would then gain much more confidence in them through being able to relate to an artist but also to be able to afford items that artists wear and own, showing that the readers of Rythmic are truly being the best that they can be, being confident in themselves as individuals. Within Rythmic the layout has been structured in a clear and simple way in order for the readership to be able to easily identity and understand any aspect of the music magazine. Having a clear, simple well structured layout throughout.

 

 

Another way in which I attracted and directed my audience was my carrying out post production research. I posted my final three pieces onto the social networking site; Facebook where I shared a post asking for any feedback on my pieces. This reinforced my knowledge on what RnB fans wanted within a music magazine. Below are some examples of the feedback that I received. Other ways in which I carried out post production research was through creating a Questionnaire full of questions in which my target audience could fill in and give me feedback on what they like and dislike.

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

In creating my three media products I used a software called Adobe Photoshop and a website called Blogger in order to help me make my work effective and professional. I had only used Adobe Photoshop a few times before so wasn’t fully knowledgeable with the software but I soon picked up on things and learnt some new skills such as using the tools it provides effectively. When designing and making my three pieces I became familiar with tools such as the magic wand tool; this allows you to remove a background from an image. I had to use this several times with my images as I wanted to get rid of the background colours in order for me to replace it with a new one to get my pieces to the level it needed. Colour balances or effects were also available for me to use if needed to make my images look more effective, professional and interesting and I used this in all three of my media products to allow my work to be at a modern and professional standard but also to give a shadowy effect on my images. The internet was also another technology I used in the process of constructing my products, as I watched many videos on YouTube suggested by a teacher where I could watch videos which taught me how to enhance an image, or to get rid of something. I found this really helped me when creating my media products as I learnt how to use many tools in order to do some of the things I watched online. Blogger is a website which you can post blogs on, something I had never come across before but with some help from my teachers it was simple and easy to use for me to upload my work onto. I never knew this website existed, but I also wasn’t aware that once you post a blog it is publicly viewable to anyone and you can gain followers through your blog also. SlideShare is another form of technology which I have learnt about when creating my products, it is a website in which you can upload your work onto and it will create a form of a PowerPoint for you which you can then just upload to your blog. An app is also available on many of the new phones so if you’re not able to get to a computer/laptop you can post new things to your blog via your phone through the app.

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

In conclusion, overall I feel that by carrying out the preliminary task I have now gained so many more skills such as on Photoshop. It has allowed me to learn more skills, I now feel confident in using the tools that Photoshop offer.

I now have a much clearer understanding of use of colours, fonts and layout structures. For example when making my preliminary task the fonts and colours that I used worked well and were well laid out but could have been improved in various ways if I had used my time more wisely and taken more time in deciding the design of my task but also what fonts to use. I also feel that the layout of my final piece for my music magazine has been designed in a much more professional manor as I now have a clearer understanding of how conventions and common features should be presented on a page, as well as sticking to one colour theme this benefited the outcome of the final pieces. By carrying out both tasks of the preliminary and the main task I now feel like I have been able to manage my time much more cautiously but I have also been able to take any advice and feedback given to me and put it into my work in order for me to finalise any finishing touches on my work, making me acknowledge what works well together and what doesn’t.  When carrying out these two tasks, I have felt that it has helped  me in various ways to ask for feedback from others as they can identity any areas that can be improved better than you can sometimes. On my preliminary task shown below, I felt like it was quite boring, as I didn’t feel like there was anything appealing to the front cover. There didn’t appear to be anything attracting my eye looking at it now, making me realise it wasn’t as good as I thought at the time, however I feel that on my music magazine front cover visually it is much more attention grabbing, through the use of professionalism through fonts, colours and structure. A clear brand identity is shown throughout all of my three pieces in which the readership can easily identify by the use of colours, fonts and again structure.

Looking back to my preliminary task, creating symbiotic links is not a feature in which I used, whereas for my main task I used this feature making it more appealing for the readership but also making it easily identified, creating a bond with the readers of Rythmic. I feel now that by doing my main task, I can now identity common conventions of music magazines and apply them to my work to adapt these to the genre of RnB. On a whole, I have learnt so much by carrying out a preliminary task, I have been able to understand key terms, and identity all conventions of magazines through carrying out the preliminary task all in which have helped me gain a true understanding of what is meant to be featured on a front cover, contents page and double page spread.