Moodboards

I would be producing three moodboards which all connate the conventions of 'Hip-Pop'. I have gathered all my images from the search engine 'Google' as these moodboards would help me give a clear understanding of  my music genre and also would help me think of several ideas of what I can include in my magazine cover and pages.

From the images I have gathered I have identified many different conventions which would be useful to my magazine genre, the conventions include from (Smoke, Money, Drugs, Jewelery, Tattoo's, Gangs, Clothing, Alcohol, Expensive Cars and many famous different 'Hip-Pop' artists). After researching and putting together all these conventions my understanding of this is my magazine should be very appealing as my specific audience would prefer to see this. By showing appealing conventions to my audience they would feel as if they are more connected to 'Hip-Pop'.

By putting together three creative moodboards I have analysed that I would be need to creating images that would be appealing to my audience in every conventional way possible, this could be by giving one of my models a cigarette and by 'releasing smoke' as this is what common 'Hip-Pop' artists do in many music video's as this clearly shows how 'Hip-Pop' is represented.

My moodboard reflects on the conventions I have chosen for my music genre, as well as conventions for my third moodboard i have taken images of some of the top 'Hip-Pop' artists who influence this genre of music, my targeted audience would know this as they are familiar with the music they produce. Also in my third moodboard we could see an image of a huge 'Hip-Pop' legend 'Biggie' as he connotates the genre by wearing a mafia suit with a hat, as this connotates the figure of a 'gangster', he also has his added jewelery on his fingers which could represent his wealth. The artist also has a various amount of cash scattered across his hand and how he has a big cigar in his mouth the smoke from this connotates wealth from the smokey 'dollar sign'.

Typeface/Fonts Reserach

In these two presentations I have researched on different 'typefaces/fonts' which would be used as the main 'masthead' and also the 'main text' in my magazine publication. I have researched four different fonts for each slide and would give information based on how they are effective and how they would appeal to my audience.

Typeface Research 'Mastheads'

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Typeface Research 'Main Text'

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Conventions And Techniques

By looking at many different magazines of all different genres, I have been carefully focusing on their front covers, contents and double page spread as this has helped me produce this presentation in which i would be exploring key conventions and terminology used in the genre of my magazine as i would be mainly focusing on 'Hip-Pop/Rap', I would be listing all the different conventions from each of my magazine pages as these would be included in my final magazine publication.

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The Hypodermic Needle Theory

The Hypodermic Needle Theory was introduced in the 1920’s as it was the first effort to clarify the impact on a wide range of audiences and their reactions towards mass media. This theory suggests that audiences would react to any specific ranges of media which is presented to them, meaning any negative media which is presented to an audience would be believable to them as they would have no knowledge of a subject in the first place. This is one main way in which media is targeted straight to the audiences mind. In the early 1920’s when the theory was first introduced, governments had just discovered how they can use media to advertise and influence audiences through subliminal messaging, eventually most countries governments would produce propaganda through media platforms to try and persuade populations to their way of thinking. This technique was at its peak in Europe during the First World War as many media platforms were used and governments would produce propaganda’s in which would persuade men to join the army in order of saving their country and in return the governments would benefit them and their families. Now being in the 21^st century, the hypodermic needle theory has revolutionised and expanded over the years as more media platforms are now available for media to be generated and also user generated platforms are now introduced giving audiences the capabilities producing their own media and share it across the globe.

In my opinion the Hypodermic Needle Theory has revolutionised the way in which mass media is presented to the world, even though the theory states how it can impact a large majority of audiences which gets them to believe what the media tells them I believe platforms such as News Broadcasting can hugely be exaggerated. This is because my family background is originated from Pakistan in South Asia and the media has largely influenced people across the world to believe how Pakistan in all is a poor unstable country and how extremist groups are taking over certain regions making them comply with Islamic law (Sharia Law). This is mostly true to some extent as I myself travel to Pakistan every year and most the areas in large regions are modernising and the small towns are being revolutionised. Also how the media shows how Pakistan has one of the highest rates of terrorism threats is true to some extent as this is only in two or three regions in the country, the large cities are modernised with the influencing of British and American trends such as clothes, shopping malls and famous restaurants. On the other hand I also believe that this theory can control with the audiences mind especially with young youths, this can happen in specific ‘gang’ genre movies in which violence and drugs can be involved, the way in this is portrayed can mostly have an impact on young teenagers as this easily can influence them in thinking the act of behaviour is acceptable and becomes a desire for them to become ‘cool’. I do believe that many mass media platforms can be used impact audiences in many different ways and can change audiences opinions into whatever organisations want them to be changed to as if they mind control, this is proven to be possible as mass media has different levels of influence to different people. I strongly believe that the younger generation make all these theories false as the user generated platform gives them the ability to post their own views on society and different subjects especially how the youth don’t watch the news as the mass media impact doesn’t affect them as much as the older generation who don’t use online publications and user generated platforms.

Here is a short video below on how The Hypodermic Needle Theory is used in mass media and how it influences children and what they learn to do.

Different Shot Types

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Basic Elements of Photography

After researching much on the main elements of Photography, In this presentation I would be researching on the aspects of Basic Elements of Photography, I would be researching  on basic elements such as 'Single Point on Interest', 'Lighting' and the 'Rule Of Thirds' and would be explaining how they would be used in photography and how these aspects would help me to take my images for my magazine publication.

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Radial Analysis; Vibe Double Page Spread

I would be analysisng this Double Page Spread from the Magazine Vibe as this is from the same editions in which I have analysed my front cover and my contents page. At first glance the page seems very busy with one main image of the artist Movodo as an image of him was previously used in the contents page also and a bunch of text all related with the image, also with the artist we can see two females located on both sides of him as this helps make the page look complete and could be related to the article which is written about the artist. Due to the layout of the publication this tells the audience how formal and important this article could be and the format of the double page spread tells the audience how the page could have detailed information in which readers would be interested as this also tells the readership how Vibe magazine also appeal to the more serious readers rather than their targeted audience.

The text which is used in the publication is organised into columns as this sort of formal format is normally shown in publications such as newspapers and less in magazines, this shows how the article could be formal and related to a serious issue. The double page spread is unconventional as there is no masthead located in the publication along with other features which are seen in a magazine and the rest of the features aren’t present. Most of the audience wouldn’t realise this but for the people who do would realise how this double page spread is different to other magazines as this shows how Vibe Magazine is formal and less gangster orientated from other magazines. There are two types of texts used in this publication which is the Headlines and the additional text as this is also seen in formal publications such as newspapers as this could attract more serious readers due to the layout.

   

The main image which is used is of the artist Movado as the artist was previously seen in the contents page as now the audience would realise why the artist’s image was displayed on the contents page as the main article is based on, the image is unconventional as the image is displayed across the right hand side of the page rather than the middle or onto one full side of the page, the image also consists of two females to be seen on either side of the artist as they are dressed to be sleek and sexy and conotate a female gangster representation. On the other hand we can see Movodo in the same clothing he was to be seen in the contents page and also in the same body language as he is slouchy and relaxed sitting down with his head tilted to the left side of his body as this shows something about the artist himself. We can also notice the image is taken in an unknown location as this shows how the artist wants to hide his identity from the world, also the brightness to the image is limited and consists of a black and white theme which is consistently used throughout the magazine pages as this makes the whole magazine look more traditional and having a more consistent Housestyle traditional.

Radial Analysis; Vibe Magazine Contents Page

I would be analysing this Vibe Contents Page which is from the same issue as the Vibe Front Cover I analysed is from an issue from the Vibe magazine. At first glance of the contents page it seems to very simple as the whole page and background has one whole image and the information is clearly displayed on the right hand side of the page as well as the conventional Vibe Contents logo on the top left of the page as this shows a consistent Housestyle throughout all Vibe magazines. 

By looking at this contents page the layout is very unique and interesting as the most dominant feature of this page is the main image as we can see a well-known Jamaican artist Movado as he engaging with the audience by looking directly at the camera as this becomes appealing due to the body language the artist is displaying in the image as he is slouchy with his jewellery hanging down from his neck and his jewellery which is displayed on his wrists as this conotates a stereotypical gangster, this is also seen behind the artist they are three extra characters which are facing away from the camera making Movodo the main attraction within the page. Also the text is displayed upon the artist which doesn’t make the page look crowded, a conventional feature as Vibe mostly uses is the font in which they display their contents such as the contents masthead which is bold and clearly visible and also the unique structuring of the contents ‘Departments’, ‘Style’ as this is unconventional to any other magazine as this is all laid out in terms of different aspects relating to the articles.

The main image within the contents page is very unique but yet very appealing towards its targeted audience. The image shows the artist Movodo and three other characters located in a mysterious hilly area, at first glimpse we can tell this image conotates many gangster aspects and would give shivers to any of the targeted audience due to how the image is presented. We can see Movodo with a slouchy body language which may seem mysterious to the audience with his body relaxed and his head face down to the left side of his body, they are many interesting features in which conotates the gangster reputation such as the dark clothing is very appealing and the colour black represents a mysterious and dark representation of the character, also his Gucci belt represents his a ghetto aspect within the image as this could also signify the characters wealth and investment towards designer clothes. The basic Hip/Pop conventions are to be seen such as the chain hanging from the artists neck and also the jewellery around the wrists as this also tells us that the artist has a sense of style within him. We also can see two characters across the back of Movodo as they also represent a ghetto background by having the conventional chains around their neck and also the baseball caps on their heads; a mystery character is seen far in the background with his hands in his pocket walking on a path. If closely noticed all the characters have a certain distance between them as this could conotate how in the ghetto world one shouldn’t trust others as this is why everybody keeps their distance from each other, however this cleverly used as all the characters are to be shown clearly and uniquely. The image is also displayed in black and white colours which go well with the atmosphere of the grey clouds in the image and also with what the image is conotating about gangsters, overall this effect is used well as also seen in the front cover of the Vibe edition.

The text which is used on the contents page is very little but is seen to be very classy as this text is widely used on Vibe publications, the text conotates the classiness of the magazine and how it could appeal to most formal readers. The Contents masthead is one of Vibe conventional titles as this is always used in all their publications to show their consistent housetyle as the audience would recognise this every time they read an edition to Vibe, also the black used within the contents masthead contrast with the whole black and white look of the whole page which would attract the audience. The text makes the whole contents page look more organised as each of the titles are segmented into different aspects which makes the page look less busy and crowded and more into detail giving the right information to the audience as this makes it easier for the audience to navigate around the magazine.

Radial Analysis; Vibe Magazine Front Cover

I would be analysing is front cover of a popular Hip/Pop magazine ‘Vibe’. This magazine is also of the genre Rap/Hip-hop. Since this follows the same genre as the magazine I would be creating I would be analysing the conventions in which make this a successful magazine and would be implying these features when designing my own publication.

The front cover has a consistent house style theme of the colours ‘black’ ‘white’ and ‘red’ as these colours stand out when displayed on a plain white background as the colour black which is seen on the suit, tie and hat conatates mystery and darkness as the character has something in which needs to be revealed, the colour white which is used as the background and shirt is used so the whole publication looks appealing but also the colour symbolises purity. The red colour which is used on the masthead and also on the coverlines does make the text appear more different to the other two colours but also this colour conatates blood, evil and also fear.

The layout of this magazine cover is simple which makes it easier to understand and read for the audience, due to the use of colours in the publication it becomes more elegant and easy to read as the publication tends to stand out more. The main image used has an old school gangster theme with the black and white suit which normally gang members would wear. In the publication they are a few coverlines as the page doesn’t look as busy; however by doing this the viewer can avoid being confused by reading many different coverlines as they can focus on the detail of the image. Overall I feel that this layout is quite simple but very appealing as you can tell that it was well thought out as where the masthead, main image and cover lines are placed correctly.

The masthead which is used in this front cover publication covers the top front of the cover which makes it very appealing and easier to read. The colour of the masthead also helps in making the lettering very appealing as once the audience read the first letter of the typeface they instantly would recognise the next lettering as this typeface is Vibes own personal typeface.             Magazines tend to have a bold masthead and are one basic convention in all magazines. The masthead being ‘Vibe’ reflects the target audience’s ethos and personality because it shows how lively they’re and the vibe they actually get from the magazine.

The main image which is used in the magazine is an image of an international known American Hip/Pop star ‘T.I’. The image is a close up shot which only displays the stars’ face and shoulders (upper body), the shot is also eye level as the Hip/Pop star is looking directly to the camera. This kind of shot close up shot helps the audience focus more on the characters facial expression and grab more attention to detail.

The effect Sepia which is used on the publication gives an urban gangster look is mostly used in genres such as Hip/Pop images, as this makes the image of T.I appear more classical and old school which often refers to a gang life. To maintain a gangster old school look the rapper T.I wears geeky glasses and a black suit hat which connotates an old school gangster leader. Most stereotype rappers clothing would be different compared to the smart clothing which T.I is wearing T.I is wearing smart, this is again due to the connotation of old school gangster as this theme changed into hoods etc after the 20^th century, this eventually make the audience think of a different perspective of gangsters and their life by analysing there clothing. The facial expression which T.I has is quite serious and lets him maintain that urban look. His body language best suites the facial expressions as both these techniques go well together. The targeted audience would be attracted to this front cover as they would be aspired by the artists modern look as he creates a new stereotype for Hip/Pop, as this inspires people to follow the footsteps of the artist.   

Introduction To Main Task

For the main task I have been asked to design a competitive music magazine consisting of a Main Page, a Contents Page and a Double Page spread, the genre I have chosen to focus on is Hip-pop/RnB. The reason why I choose this genre is because I could relate and clarify to this genre of music as I am familiar with most artists and the songs that they produce.

For this task I would be producing a maximum of four main pages with at least four main images, one included within each page and any additional images and montages which would also be included, the images which would be used in the magazine cannot be secondary images taken from the internet as they have to be photographed by me. The magazine and images would then be edited and constructed on Photoshop which would make it appealing and attractive towards its audience.

The target audience that this magazine would appeal to is young teenagers to young adults aged between ‘13-25’ of both Male and Female genders, as many people within this age category could relate well to this style of music genre. The magazine would be appealing as it would grab the attention of its audience by its creative imagery, striking colours, main appealing stories, eye catching typefaces and interesting layouts. My magazine would also include interesting ‘Freebies’, such as tickets to exclusive concerts or an artist’s merchandise, which would appeal to the target audience I am to trying to interact with.                          

If my magazine was being published I would distribute a new addition every week to keep my target audience more interacted with main stories and interesting ‘Hip-pop’ Gossip. During this main task I would be trying to improve my Photoshop skills as I would be editing images and creating different fonts and resizing them accurately into my magazine as I would want my publication to be of a professional standard.
I would also produce a ‘Typeface’ Research as I would be looking at different fonts and how they create a different moods and how it would attract my audience.

I would be researching on different typefaces which would be used as ‘Mastheads’, ‘Main Texts’ within my magazine. 
I also would be looking at different ‘Conventions and Techniques’ which are used in ‘Hip-pop’ magazines as these also would be useful to use in my own magazine.I will be looking at ‘Conventions and Techniques’ used on ‘Front Covers’, ‘Contents Pages’ and ‘Double Page Spreads, as it would create a better understanding for me as I would be using these Techniques in my magazine.

To help with general ideas which I would be using in my magazine, I produced a ‘Primary Questionnaire’, which I would be handing out to various people as this questionnaire would give me feedback on people views and opinions on what I can or cannot include in magazine and what features would best attract my audience. I would be asking 10 various questions which would help me decide on what my audience would want to see in my publication such as (more of images or text) or (more interviews or artist gossip). I then would gather my information and findings and create graphs and tables based on the questions which would help me decide how to make an effective and attractive publication.

To help put my ideas together I would be designing two flat plans each for my ‘Front Cover’, ‘ Contents’ and ‘Double Page Spread’, as I would put together my ideas and see how effective they look together as this would show me how my real publication would look and any further ideas I could add while designing my magazine.

To finish of my publication design I would evaluate it by summing up with how easy/hard the task was to complete and how my product meets professional standards compared to a real publication, I would be answering many questions towards my magazine and what skills and techniques I have learnt since my preliminary task.