Audience Feedback

I also asked what would be the likely hood of you to purchase The Throne?

80% said they would buy The Throne

10% weren't certain if The Throne was for them

10% said that The Throne wasn’t there type of magazine to read

Audience Feedback

When I printed my front cover, contents and double page spread, I asked 120 men and women to find out there opinion of my magazine.

I asked questions such as what category do you

think my magazine falls under?

80% said urban/Hip-Hop

20% said women lifestyle

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

From the start and during the course of the preliminary task I was naïve in thinking I knew all aspect in what went into magazines and what sort of work I had to do. However that was not the  case the preliminary task made me realise I had to do a lot more planning in order to achieve a perfect publication. I learnt that making a magazine was not as easy as I thought In terms of taking into consideration many different aspects such as appealing to your target audience and maintaining that relationship. If I was to do this task again I would set myself a lot more time to make my production pieces because I didn’t realise how much time taking and actually manipulating the images actually took.

Analysing My Feature Page

• Slightly darkened background to add emphasis on my models

• Sexy image of my models to attract more readers

• Text in two colours to keep the simplicity

• Same position to suggest in some ways they are equal

• Clear heading

• Colour coordination

• Huge quotation to intrigue the audience.

Analysing my contents page

• Exclusives advertised

• Features

• Different images from the front cover and double page spread

• Different topic location

• Multiple images

• Colour coordination

Analysing My Final Front Cover

• Masthead

• A busy page full of topics and images

• Great Alignment

• Bold Lettering

• Colour coordination

• Strong image to captivate the audience.

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

During the course of this process of creating my products I have further developed my skills when using Photoshop, I felt the best way to do this was to venture with the software myself as tutorials wasn’t the best option for me.

Also my products contained my own images, capturing these images helped me improve my photography skills because I needed my pictures to be the best that they could be.

Using Photoshop To Manipulate My Photos

I took images off my models, but had to further develop them in order to make my magazine look to a professional standard. I took the image for my front cover and I removed the background so all you see is the model.

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

This is an existing magazine produced by XXL, covering the December and January issues. These were the highest selling issues of the year 2012, the best feature of these magazines is the constant repetition of the layout. I duplicated this throughout my work as I believe me and my target audience would come to a common ground in terms of ideas as this look, provides more of a professional image.

Photography Planning - Contents

For my contents page I will include two images, one close-up and one long shot. My models will look totally different as I don’t want a reoccurrence, so my audience doesn’t get bored.

Photography Planning – Feature Page

•For my feature page I will take a landscape image of models so they cover the whole spread, I plan to use the original background I took the image from because the women are the main focus and simplicity is bliss.

Photography Planning – Front Cover

•On my front cover I will use a long shot of my models, as I want to capture the whole of there beauty as that is my main focus.

•My models will look straight in my camera lens so you capture there emotion and how serious and passionate they are.

•I will place my photo on a background with a grey gradient as this will compliment my models, fashion choices.

•I will take a serious of pictures in different positions, with different outfits so I have a choice to pick from.

•My models will have a sexy yet classy and business type attire, representing female empowerment.

•I wont have such a heavy lighting upon my models as I want to show there true beauty.

Representations Within My Magazine

Representations of men and women across all media platforms often highlight:

•Sex/Physique

•Sexuality

•Relationships

•Financial Stability

•Relevance

Hip-Hop has been around for more than 70 years and has changed drastically over time, within society today people are easing more to the sound of it, as media is developing people see a true image of the artists.

•I want my music magazine to shone a more positive light on Hip-Hop artist and there relationships , that the wives behind these rappers and strong, independent and clever. I believe that there is a niche in the market for my type of magazine.

Theories Of Stereotyping- Branston And Stafford 2006

Stereotype – “A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing: "sexual and racial stereotypes“

There are 4 main issues within stereotyping

1.They include categorising and evaluating of a group being stereotyped.

2.They normally pick out a feature of a person and suggest that this is the main reason behind categorising someone

3.There opinion is a group is not always a negative perspective.

4.Stereotypes often try to affiliate a complete different aspect of someone and categories with someone with the exact same difference

 

My Proposal

I Intend to produce my magazine called The Throne, a fresh new Hip-Hop magazine, issued every month for male and females aged between 19-30 who appreciate good music, independent women and strong men. The publisher for my magazine will be Bauer Media Group as they are the current publishers of Q magazine which is a similar publication to mine. My Magazine will represent men and women with confidence, power and control. I will capture my audience by using strong, appealing images along with big bold and bright colours. My price for the magazine is £2 s I believe that is an affordable amount for target audience, my magazine will also consist of 150 pages with the measurements of 29.7cm x 21cm .

My magazine will be quite formal in the sense of the layout, as I'm trying to reach an audience that is rather serious about there careers and choices in life. My music magazine is similar to Q magazines, however very different my magazine appeals to more of a niche audience compared to Q. There is not enough of urban type magazines with a positive light on Hip-Hop in particular, I believe my magazine could change that.

Preparation

•Initiating my project, I had to first think of what I was going to call my magazine, after much thought I came up with The Throne. I name it this because my target audience branches across to Hip-Hop readers which is mostly dominated by males fighting for the crown.

•I also had to decided whether  my magazine was going to be sold, national or globally. I believe it was in my best interest to go for nationally then further expand, as I fully understand the British culture and think I could gain there fan base.

•When deciding this I had to considered the price I was then going to sell my product for, I looked at many different magazines to get  a rough estimate also considering the types of people that will purchasing my publication. I came up with a round price of £2, this key feature will further antsy my audience as it is an affordable price.   

•After all of this I had to create a mock up of what my front cover would look like, I had an image from the beginning of what the final product would look like, I had changed minor things throughout the process. However I believe my initial idea was great, though my final product is even better.           

How will attract or address my audience?

•I will attract my audience by using colour coordination on my front cover and throughout the magazine

• Appealing image with a slight sex appeal about it, to attract male attention and female admirers on the front cover

•Glossy images throughout the magazine to give the audience more interest.

•Interesting topics

•On my contents page I will use an interesting image to keep people intrigued but not use to much text so it doesn’t throw the audience off guard.

•On my feature page I will include a large image of my main focus with a juicy interview

•Using all of these features will help me, I believe my target audience attracted to my magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My music magazine will be aimed at women between the ages of 19-35 who look up to strong independent women, also who listen to Hip-Hop music and that admire the ‘Gangsta’ Image . Whoever will be reading this will see 4 strong women, in happily and healthy relationships representing the positive side of hip-hop marriages.

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

I have looked at Q magazine as part one my key referrals  I also looked in to there publisher which is The Bauer Media Group. My magazine will have a number of similarities with Q magazine, I’m positive The Bauer Media Group will be attracted to magazine and be sure to distribute my magazine.

How will your product represent particular social groups?

•I plan that my magazine will represent independent woman aged between 19-35

•Within my magazine I want a positive light shone upon the ‘rapper wife’ image perceived instead of the negativity

•My magazine will represent strong, independent, sexy and confident women. I will show this through my images and quotations used.

Ideas For My Feature Page Layout

For my feature page I would like to include the quotation aspect of this page as I believe the audience will be more interested in reading the article if they see it has a deeper meaning behind the big, bold lettering.

This is the result of my interpretation of the quotation feature.

Analysing Contents Page

I chose to analyse this contents page from Q magazine as it caught my eye. I really liked the structure particular the alignment of the texts.

Also Q likes to use the same colours throughout there issues which I liked because I’m going to keep the same colour coordination throughout my production, I feel that if the publication a strict routine in there routines the audience may find it more legitimate and also will be more accepting to change if there were a case.

Ideas For A Magasine Cover

This is the 5th year anniversary issue of XXL magazine, I thought this was the best layout as my magazine is aimed at the hip hop genre audience, similar to XXL. I liked the raw and boldness about this layout as I feel the simplistic side gives it more of a hip hop feel.

The main convention of a music magazine that XXL applies is colour coordination, which I feel makes the magazine more familiar to the audience as much like hip hop change isn't really accepted within the  industry.

Ideas For A Magazine

I saw this front cover of Q magazine and ideas sprung to mind of how I could piece my front cover together using different images. I chose Q instead of XXL magazine because  although XXL had a more hip-hop vibe, Q had the better layout I was looking for. Q has more of a extravagant edge, with bolder colours. The image on the front cover features Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and Dave Grohl. When at the time this issue was released were the biggest stars at the time. These are used for effect to antsy  the audience to purchase the magazine as one of the wealthiest rappers ever graces the front cover in a casual attire, with a pose that suggest he is beyond confident within himself giving the audience a sense of belief. Lady Gaga stands behind him as an independent woman holding her title, whilst standing next to Dave Grohl as he holds his guitar he shows a cool dude image. I liked how artists from different genres can come together and stand united, which s what I want to enforce with my magazine unity.

Conventions Of A Music Magasine

•Taglines

•Masthead

•Bar Codes

•Logo Of Magazine

•Bright, Bold And Glossy Colours

•Colour Co-ordination

•Image(s) Of Relevant Artists, Bands Or Celebrities

•Competitions

•Cover Lines

•Eventful Front Cover

•Daring And Audacious Pictures

•Bonus’s

•Alignment

• Bold Text

•Several Topics