Tuesday 31 March 2015

Evaluation - Question 5 - Draft - Prezzi

5. How did you attract/address your audience?


Introduction: I am aiming my target audience at 16-25 year olds who are mainly male and enjoy the Hip-Hop or Indie / Alternative music genre's and have a fashion sense according to their preferred music genre. Hip-Hop fashion  sense would be wearing Nike or Adidas tracksuits and having box fresh creeps, also they are known to wear brands such as Billionaire Boys Club, Supreme and Bape. Indie / Alternative fashion sense is wearing clothing that is different and standing out with lots of vintage clothes and leather jackets. With the basic look to the magazine it hasn't got a mainstream look to it which my target audiences try and stay away from which will attract them to the magazine. I believe this will attract my target audience to my magazine because it fits in perfectly with their interests.

Front Cover:

The first point of interest on my page will be my mast head as it is positioned at the top of the page and has the largest font size on the page which is to catch the target audiences eye so they are attracted to the magazine. The font that I used was Phosphate because it was bold and bulky which is the look I wanted so it will be the point of interest. I made the colour of the title black so it is easily readable and isn't too close together to cause any confusion, it is also hard to miss so it will be eye catching to the customers. I took inspiration from other magazines and the conventions they used in making my title bold and bulky with black writing. An example of this would be from the magazine Loud and Quiet which uses black, bold and bulky writing for their mast head.

Loud and Quiet image, FL!P image

The cover lines that I had used was very simple and minimal. This only had the name of my artist on the front of the magazines name 'Ben Edwards'. Also, it had a few words on the artist underneath which read; 'The future of music'. I used these words to attract customers to my magazine as it will lure potential readers into wanting to see the rest of the magazine and then hopefully buy FL!P. I believe that the content of having some of the artists / bands on the front page of my magazine was a good way of attracting customers to my magazine. By featuring these it shows my audience what is going to be within the magazine and then make them want to buy it if the music genre's shown are within their interests. This is a convention which I took inspiration from Clash magazine which uses both of these conventions which I have on my front cover. 

Clash image and FL!P magazine

The model / image which I used on my front cover has a similar dress sense to some indie scenestars with the skinny jeans and oversized jumpers. My artist is looking head on making eye contact with potential customers of my magazine to lure them in and give them the feel they are involved with magazine. This is aesthetically pleasing for my target audience because it is engaging with them. With images being all the way through my magazine it is another way of attracting my target audience into purchasing my magazine.

Brad picture


Contents page:

On my contents page I included to my magazine has bands / artists and content which would attract potential customers into purchasing my magazine. I made sure it was interesting and would be what they want to be seeing on the contents page so it will make them look forward into reading FL!P. I added more bands / artists to the contents page and not just what was on the front cover so it has a variety and not just a few things which will also interest my target audience. I made sure that my contents page was very easy to navigate around and to find the contents on it as the page numbers were with the features. I added two images to my contents page with a mid shot which had eye contact with the readers as this shows a powerful use of photography. With one of the images I laid it out to show the photographers name below the image used. The magazine which gave me inspiration for this convention and the lay out of the page was Fader magazine issue number 36. I also used columns with my content that I had written so it made the page look sharp and professional in its lay out.

Contents page, Fader contents page

Double page spread:

I first included the same text which I used on the front cover of my magazine which read; 'Ben Edwards, The future of music'. I used this at it introduces my artist well and attracts viewers to read to article. I added an introduction to set the interview up as I explained a little about 'Ben Edwards' and what he has achieved, my target audience enjoy reading interviews so this will attract my target audience to my magazine. So by doing this it instantaneously makes the readers want to read the article about an artist within their preferred music genre. I also chose to use big bold writing with smaller writing as it makes it look professional and contrasts well. The article which I have written has good content and has bold writing with the questions asked which will attract customers as they will sot the questions and then look forward to the response of the artist. The article is in three columns which shows it in a professional light and makes the page look tidy and neat which will look aesthetically pleasing to my target audience.

Picture of double page spread


Monday 30 March 2015

Evaluation - Question 4 - Draft

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

An example of my audience profile is a student, Tom Brown from Leicester. He is currently at college studying a media course which he loves. Tom is also working at the local newspaper shop in his spare time which can help him generate some money towards going out and going to local gigs and festivals. Tom loves his music and has always been into hip-hop, but has recently taken a liking to the indie / alternative music genre which he is discovering new artists and bands every day. He listens to artists and bands such as A$AP Rocky, SchoolBoy Q, J Cole, Kasabian, Crystal Fighters and has recently discovered the rising band - Peace. The type of music that Tom likes is the exact music genre that will be in my music magazine, meaning Tom will be interested in my new magazine and what is has to offer. The audience that I am targeting is 16-25 year old males and obviously Tom fits straight into this category as an 18 year old with love for hip-hop and indie / alternative music. This makes Tom a good audience profile for my music magazine. Tom will come under a few tribes which include stylers and indie scenestars. This is because Tom wears brands such as Nike and Adidas. However, Tom has been known to mix it up and wear clothes that set him apart from the crowd by wearing baggy flared jeans which are becoming a trend within the indie fashion. Also, Tom attends festivals and has attended Parklife, Glastonbury and is going to Leeds festival this summer which will be the second successive year he has attended. Tom likes to find new and old music and has a Spotify account which helps him with this search. He also has a Soundcloud account which he uses to help him find the latest hip-hop.

For the research of my target audience I used channel 4's UK tribes and this helped me look for the categories of people that could potentially be my target audience and to read my music magazine. I found a few categories that suited my magazine and the audience that I wanted to target and Tom also fell into a few of them. The categories are; indie scenestars, young alts, stylers and trackies. The information that I gathered from UK tribes about indie scenestars and young alts is that these are the types of people who search for new upcoming music. Tom is also know for going to upcoming bands and local gigs on occasions. Another element of these categories are that they like to attend festivals which can be a feature within my magazine as I could preview some festivals and also interview artists and bands that have been or are going to be at certain festivals. These festivals will include Reading and Leeds and Glastonbury. They also have a fashion which is bringing back fashionable clothing in the 80's which includes the new upcoming fashion which are baggy flared jeans. Tom likes to wear these at times, accompanied by a bomber jacket which is also from the 80's time period. I could use this within my magazine as it will keep the readers happy and will also be associated with the indie / alternative genre. I had also chose stylers and trackies to be another category that could potentially read my magazine and the dress sense goes with the hip-hop genre. This fashion will include box fresh trainers, tracksuits and brand such as Nike and Adidas. The distribution of my magazine will be online which can be subscribed for as it will suit both of my genres as they don't want to be seen buying magazines in mainstream shops.

Name: Tom Brown

Age: 18

Occupation: Tom is studying a college course in media which he loves. Also, Tom works at the local newspaper shop in his spare time, usually at weekends, to earn some money which can go to his funding for media equipment.

Interests: Tom's interests are going to pub and clubs with his friends, he plays for a local football team, he loves listening to the latest music of all genres which is why he would love to read my new general music magazine.

Favourite brands: Supreme, Palace, Ralph Lauren, Bathing Ape and Billionaire Boys Club.

Favourite magazine: Clash

Favourite music: ASAP Rocky, J Cole, Schoolboy Q, Kasabian, Crystal Fighters and Peace

Favourite activities: Football, listening to music and going out to pubs and clubs.

Slideshare

Evaluation - Question 3 - Draft

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

The type of media institution that I would like to publish FL!P magazine would be a company such as IPC media or now known as Time inc which is a major multinational distribution company. This already has an established reputation amongst British based magazines with NME and Now magazine. I believe that  a company such as Time inc would allow the potential for my magazine to be published and reach a broader audience, particularly that of which I have aimed my publication at. I think that there is a gap in the market of Time inc and my music magazine can fill the gap and become a success due to its individuality. The magazines that time inc publish already are NME and Now which concentrate on music, fashion and gossip. These magazines are both mainstream and have lots of readers and people who buy the product. With an already established media institution willing to publish my magazine then I believe it will fill the void in the market for a double cover music magazine, predominantly aimed at men, again highlighted that if they were to publish my magazine it wouldn't be a great financial risk because of the difference in magazine that they already produce and that there isn't a magazine like it apart from Fader which is still aimed at some different audiences.

The retail price that is charged by Time inc for their magazines is different as Now is 99p and NME around £2.50 which is lower than my price of the magazine but I believe when people see the price they will know that it will be a good quality magazine. Also, it is  monthly magazine so it will be profitable and therefore able to invest in my project. My magazine appeals mainly to males at the age of 16-25. This shows that it wouldn't be at risk to the company financially as there should be a wide enough audience to with an interest in buying FL!P. 

Magazines that would be published and distributed in a similar way to my magazine are again NME and Now. These magazines are distributed online and in some mainstream shops and magazine/book stores. This is the way I want my magazine to be published and distributed but in less mainstream shops as that isn't the audience I am aiming for with my magazine. I think that Time inc would be the most suitable for publishing and distributing my magazine as they don't already have a magazine like it and it will make a profit because of the wide audience it attracts and the price which viewers of FL!P won't mind paying as it will be for a good magazine and what they're into.

Company logo, Now magazine, NME magazine

Inforgram

Friday 20 March 2015

Evaluation - Question 2 - Draft

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?


My magazine represents a wide range of audiences ranging from 'Indie Scenestars, Young Alts, Trackies and Stylers'. Indie scenestars and Young Alts are associated with an indie background and listen to that music genre. Trackies and Stylers are associated more with hip-hop and that music and also the lifestyle that it entails. The magazine which I have produced is mainly focusing on the 'Indie Scenestars and Young Alts'. This is due to the fact that my magazine is a double cover magazine which features an indie cover that I have used and a hip-hop cover which is the other side and I haven't created that one. I think that I can attract a wider target audience due to this feature I have used. I have come across with the type of genre I had in mind for the attraction of my target audience. I mirrored a black and white colour palette to mirror Loud and Quiet magazine and Fader so it has the effect needed on my target audience and attracting them to my magazine. Also, by mirroring Loud and Quiet I can keep the indie theme which is the side of the cover I have produced. The camera angle which I have used is a mid shot which is clever as it is showing my artist top half of his body which brings all attention to him. Also, by getting my artist to have eye contact with the readers it will attract and lure readers into the magazine. The facial expression that my artist is using is very important. This is due to the fact that I have produced a serious magazine and the fairly dull facial expression portrays the genre very well. My model Ben Edwards has similarities with Liam Fray and Jamie T. Although Jamie T can be associated with rap he is also associated with an Indie scene aswell. Liam Fray and Ben Edwards have many similarities and fall into the same category as 'Indie Scenestars', they even have the same hairstyle. They are all of a white ethnicity which most of the singers who fall into the Indie category tend be of this ethnicity. In terms of fashion sense Ben is more casual than smart unlike Jamie T and Liam Fray but the two artist can be know for wearing casual clothing aswell. Also, Ben Edwards can be associated with the smart look at times aswell. I have mainly focused my magazine with a male audience and target market due to the fact that my media product mainly has photos of male artists and bands, therefore it will appeal to a male audience more.



Evaluation - Question 1 - Draft

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of music magazines)

The graphology for my magazine is pretty simple, I used inspiration from; Fader, Clash and Loud and Quiet. The masthead of my magazine 'FL!P' I used the font 'Phosphate' which was already downloaded onto the Photoshop software. This is a big, bold font which is eye catching and it stands out. The title that I used was 'FL!P' my reasoning for this was because the magazine is a double cover magazine. I thought this would fit better than my original title which was 'Cross' as I think 'FL!P' has more of an edge and is more appealing to a reader. My masthead/title is similar to the font of Clash and Loud and Quiet which is the type of audience I want to be viewing my magazine. My masthead is above the main image on the page so it can be easy to see and so it is more effective. I tried to make the layout of my magazine simple and minimalistic so that it is able to meet my target audiences.







The graphology of my page and the layout I chose was me challenging the idea of not having the basic layout of a Z, H or F basic layout.  I thought that I would challenge this and try something unique with less writing on the front cover which will show off the image. I have used some inspiration from the magazine Loud and Quiet and created a front cover is that of a similar design.







The costumes that I have used for my model are ones that I have picked out myself because when looking at other magazine such as Clash and Fader I realised that the fashion was a vital point of the page. Therefore, I put my model in an indie brand which is Lyle and Scott on the front cover. This will appeal to the indie scenestars who are viewing the magazine as it i a brand that they will be wearing. You will also see my model in a Stussy jumper which is there to appeal to the more mainstream readers of my magazine as this will appeal to them and is something they will like. This will be vital in luring potential buyers into purchasing my magazine. Another one of my models is seen wearing a plain blue tee-shirt which gives the magazine a casual look to it so it is seen as more of a laid back magazine. The hairstyles are both messy and not very neat which gives the magazine an edge rather than having perfect hair which we all know isn't reality. 


For the camera work and framing of my images I have specifically chosen to use a mid shot for my front cover so it brings in some of the models body which is there to show the clothes of the model off. When researching magazine front covers I felt like the best looking and most appropriate image to use was a mid shot. This then also worked well because my model was photogenic so it made this image look even better and it suited my magazine. I have mainly used mid shots because I felt this was the most appropriate type of image to use for my magazine. However, I have used a close up image on my contents page which is to show the variation of images and that my magazine has some variety to it. The framings of my photos are all well presented and look good which makes the images even better. 



The style of my contents page was a developed one from fader magazine. I did this as it created a different effect which I liked and thought would work well with my magazine. My front cover and double page spread are quite simple design so I thought a busy looking contents page would mix it up. The initial contents page I was going to do was a design that I had thought of myself but when looking for inspiration in other magazines, I came across this design in the Fader magazine which I liked and wanted to develop. The images I used were two different models who I added so I could please all the types of genres within my magazine without it looking out of place. The contents is what really matters on this page and that is mainly what the readers will be looking for. However, I know how important images are in creating a magazine which is why I selected to use two images instead of just one. I also feel by using two images it helps me get across the indie,alternative/hip-hop vibe.



The design that I used was one that I had already thought of using before looking into other magazines for inspiration. This design has been used in other magazines before as I found out from looking through them. I wanted the pages to look sharp with a casual edge. I have done this by aligning all the writing perfectly with casual photos. The fashion I have used throughout the magazine would go well with the genre I am targeting. The magazine is a double cover which has indie/alternative on one side and hip-hop on the other. The side I have created is the indie/alternative which suits the genre and would stand out on the shelves.


The colour palette that I have chosen is a very simple design. I have used black and white as I believe this best shows my magazine how I want it to be portrayed. This simplicity also helps portray the indie/alternative theme of my magazine.