Post Production Questionnaire-With Laura Keogh.
1) Is the front cover appealing?
'Yes the front cover did catch my eye and it looked interesting because of all the bright colours. i saw a glimpse of the front cover and because it looked exciting it made me want to read the page properly.'
2) What features on the front cover caught your eye?
'I think the bright colours caught my eye. They made certain words stand out which made me what to read the rest of the sell line. Also the white background is another thing which made me want to look at the front cover, it really made the picture stand out.'
3) What did you like most about the contents page?
'I like the font used and i like the fact that with each article a few lines are given because thats what i use in other magazines to see what i want to read.'
4) Is the the article on the double page spread something you would be interested in reading?
'An interview with a celebrity is something i will always be interested in, so yeah i would read the article, plus the whole page looks pretty so that would make me read the article too.'
5) Which piece is your favourite and why?
'I liked the double page spread the best because the whole thing works well together. I really like how the colours compliment each other and the picture of the model.'
6) What areas could use improvement?
'I think the contents page could use a little work because it looked quite plain compared to the other pieces.'
The Evaluation
In this evaluation I will be explaining the ways in which my products follow and invert the codes and conventions of music magazines and also how my products appeal to my chosen target audience.
My chosen target audience are females between the ages of 17-25, whose favourite genre of music is R&B. All my products are based around the fact that these young, feisty, females enjoy R&B music. So I have combined the codes and conventions of R&B and music magazines to make my front cover, contents page and double page spread.
The Front Cover
Above is the front cover of my music magazine ‘DIVA.’ As it is a new magazine I decided to stick to the codes and conventions of music magazines as it is a good selling technique, people are more likely to buy things which they are familiar to. Seeing a new unfamiliar magazine might make the readers feel uncomfortable. As I mentioned earlier magazine is aimed at women aged between the ages of 17-25, so the use of a bright hot pink colour will attract the feminine side of the females. The pink is contrasted with bright blue and black so that certain words in the sell lines are emphasised to attract the reader’s attention. No more than three colours are used on the front cover as this would be breaking conventions and will make the front cover look extremely busy.
As it is a newly released magazine the models head is not covering the masthead to show that at this moment in time she is not more important than the magazine, she may be on the front cover but the magazine is still the most important item. Many well known music magazines such as ‘VIBE’ and ‘Billboard’ normally have the models head over the masthead as their brand is easily identified they can afford to do this but DIVA’ needs to build its status before it can start placing models in that position.
Here are some examples of ‘VIBE’ and ‘Billboard’ mastheads. The artists head covers the masthead to show that he is more important and powerful.The model is a new R&B artist, and a medium shot is used because music magazines mainly used this type of shot however there some exceptions. The models hair is away from here face to show that she is not hiding anything and she is smiling to invite the readers into the magazine.
As with other leading magazines my main sell line is also in the left hand third as this is where the target audience’s eyes will first go because people in the western world read from left to right. Along with the important pieces of texts, the smaller prints are also important and have specific places on the front cover. I have also followed codes and convention with the date, price, barcode and website. They are important features of a front cover but not something the target audience will be interested in immediately. The date is placed under the masthead, it is important that readers can see it clearly but it should not take up too much room. The price and barcode are placed together on the bottom right hand corner as this is the area on the front cover where the target audiences eyes will go to last. The website name of the magazine is placed n the bottom right, as it is an important feature on the front cover because the reader can go to an interactive version of the magazine and can read more articles if they choose to.
An example of the barcode being placed on the bottom of a music magazine as it should not take up too much space.
In R&B music magazines, front covers with female models tend to have a minimalist background. This is so that focus is not stolen, and the reader solely concentrates on their appearance as in the R&B music industry a woman’s appearance is extremely important. I have continued this convention on my front cover and chose a white background so the model will have the reader’s full attention and so that the text will stand out and are easy to read.
Here are a few examples of female artists on the front cover of ‘VIBE’. Each front cover has a block colour as the background so the model is the most important item on the page.THE CONTENTS PAGE
Similarly to my front cover, my contents page also follows the conventions of music magazines. The same model and colours are used to maintain brand identity within the pages of the magazine. Another way of maintain brand identity is to have the name of the magazine and date also on the contents page, this shows continuity through out the magazine.
One main feature of content pages is to have sub-sections to make navigation easier for the reader. The two main topics my magazine covers are music and fashion; even though the target audience are in love with music reading about it will not be entertaining enough and this is why another topic is needed, however the fashion articles all relate to music artists so the music theme is continued throughout the magazine. The main articles in the magazine are shown on the contents page and each article has a teaser paragraph which will lure in readers. Instead of flicking through pages and struggling to find an article which suits the reader’s interest, they can easily go to the contents page and see what they like. Numbers are in chronological order to avoid confusion and make navigation easier.
Unlike other music magazines, R&B content pages just have one main picture and this is the convention which I have followed. The model on the contents page is normally the same model which is on the front cover and this is something I have incorporated in my products.
THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
My double page spread also includes the same model to continue the theory of brand identity. This builds up a sense of familiarity and the magazine and target audience form a relationship. Other music magazines, such as ‘Billboard’, use this technique too.
Double page spreads are 50% image and 50% body copy and this is something which I have taken into consideration and I have dedicated a whole page to the model. This makes the article more appealing to the target audience and breaks up the texts so it does not look like there is a lot of reading to be done. Female R&B artists are strong, independent, sexy woman, and this has to be portrayed in my image to make sure that the conventions are followed. The model is standing in a prerogative way; however she is still looking elegant. She uses her sexiness is a sophisticated way. Her facial expressions are not too sexual, so the target audience will not feel intimidated by her. It is important that the model does not look to intimidating otherwise the readers will not idolise her. The background is in black and white, with only the flowers in hot pink to attract the reader’s attention. The same colours which appeared on the front cover and the contents page are on the double page spread too, this is so brand identity is maintained and also if the readers flick through the magazine and see the same colours which appeared on the front cover, they can easily recognise the article.
Two pull quotes are used to attract the reader’s attention. They can read interesting quotes from the article and then decide whether to continue reading the full article. The article is structured in a question-answer format as it is an interview and it is laid out in columns with the gutters being big enough so that the text does not mix. At the bottom of the interview is information on the artist’s tour. The readers are girls who like to live life to the fullest so following their favourite celebrities on tour is something that they would love to do. This information will be useful and exciting for the readers to read.
The genre I chose for my three pieces is R&B. I chose this genre so that I can represent it in another light. Normally people associate R&B with sex, drugs, violence and explicit language and often think that the listeners to the music are also just interested in just those topics; however this is not the case. R&B is mainly listened to by young black people and I chose to show how the young females appreciate R&B music.
Above is a picture of my typical target audience. She believes in the message that R&B artists send out in their music and she can relate to the lyrics of the songs. This is why R&B is her favourite genre. She can be seen as quite aggressive as she is feisty and independent but deep down she is just a girl who loves music.
My magazine is only being published in the United Kingdom s the publishing company which is suitable for ‘DIVA’ magazine is the national magazine company, http://www.natmags.co.uk/1-Homepage.htm. The national magazine company claim to know woman better than any other publishing company; ‘Nobody knows women like NatMag,’ and so even though they do not publish music magazines they will know how to attract woman to read the magazine. Also they have a lot of experience as they have been publishing for over 100 years this means they will have several contacts and will be able to place ‘DIVA’ on the shelves of many newsagents and many leading supermarket stores such as Sainsburys.
The target audience for my media products are females between the ages of 17-25 who are in love with R&B music. They are strong, independent and feisty girls who are always with their friends. Whenever they are alone they listen to their iPod and sing along to their favourite songs. She is not a follower; she sets her own trends and is not afraid to speak her mind. Even though she is very strong minded and fierce she is still a women and has a sensitive side. She enjoys to be spoilt and to be treated like the princess she is. The target audience loves to have a boyfriend but she is also satisfied and content with being single. She is happy with herself, her body and her life.
My three pieces are all designed to catch my target audience’s eye. They are suitable for the target audience because they all appeal to her needs and interests. The model who appears through out the three pieces is an attractive, successful music artist. This is someone the target audience can look up to and idolise. I tried to base my model after successful musician Beyonce because she is an R&B artist who reached her way to the top through hard work and this is something the target audience will appreciate and admire. The model on my products is attractive but the target audience will not be envious of her beauty they will respect her.
The content of the magazine is suitable to the target audience because it is all based about R&B music. The magazine is split into two section, music and fashion. The music section contains content all based around updates for celebrity tours, rating for albums and interviews with artist, for example, the article ‘ALISHA.’ This is an interview with a popular, new R&B artist. The target audience will like her songs and so hearing ‘Alisha’s’ work plans in the future will interest them. Also they will be intrigued to read about the artist’s personal life and feel closer to the reader through the article. Another example of how my music sell lines appeal to my reader is ‘The best experience of my life’ article. The target audience love to live life to the fullest so going to festivals and tours is one of their biggest interests. They love to interact with the things that they love. This article explains a fellow reader’s experience at a festival, and this will make the reader want to go to a festival and enjoy her music to the fullest.
The fashion section consists of articles about other celebrities fashion statements and wardrobes. ‘Nicki Minaj’s walk in wardrobe’ article is about R&B rapper Nicki Minaj sharing her wardrobe and outfits with the target audience. The target audience loves shopping and clothes so seeing a celebretities wardrobe are something they would love to read. Also it creates a friendly atmosphere as if two best friends where sharing clothes, the target audience will feel as if they are close friends with the celebrity.
In between heavy articles and interviews there are playful stories which are a light and entertaining read for the target audience. ’50 crazy celeb tweets’. The mode of address in this article is colloquial as ‘tweets’ is the short term for an online social networking site and so by using colloquial language the target audience feel as if they are talking to a friend. They would also be a part of this social networking site and so will be excited to learn the fact that celebrities are on there too and updating their profiles just like ordinary people. It is also gossip and every girl is entertained by a piece of gossip!
Similarly to any other music magazine my magazine has competitions to meet R&B artists. This would be a dream come true for the target audience so they would jump at the chance because they would be meeting their idols so they would compete in the competitions. Also it adds an element of fun and excitement to the magazine.
The overall mode of address of the magazine is friendly and informal. Colloquial language such as, ‘tweets’ is used because the target audience is young and would be using these words themselves.
The aim of my magazine is to satisfy all the needs that are in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs so that the readers reach the top self actualization.
A successful magazine aims to help its readers reach the top of the pyramid. My magazine helps readers achieve the top two sections. By reading articles of other celebrities using social networking sites and looking into celebrity wardrobes, they realise that everyone is equal and this will make them feel as good as a celebrity. They feel happy within their bodies and with their lives.
Whilst making my products a learned a variety of techniques and have seen my self improve in certain areas. I am now fully confident in using Photoshop and I can use any tool on the tool bar to edit a picture in several ways, whereas in previous years I was nervous to experiment in case I made a mistake. I use to struggle to remove a background, using the magic wand tool and make an image blend into a new background; however during this project these skills improved the most. Also using a blog was completely new to me and I was quite nervous about getting it wrong, but after working with the blog and learning from trial and error, the blog became easier to work with and now I can upload things onto my blog with ease. Photography was also another area where I had no experience in and taking the shots for my media project was something I found extremely interesting. Experimenting with lighting and poses was fun.
My existing skills such as making a picture into black and white and making only certain colours visible on a picture have also grown as I played around with the colours and explored different looks and tools to achieve the end result.
Looking back at the duration of the project I think I have learnt a lot since the preliminary task. My Photoshop skills have developed, I learnt that patience is needed when editing a picture as it has to be perfect and I think that is what I lacked when I did the preliminary task. Also I have also gained some photography skill. During the preliminary task I did not experiment with poses or lighting and make up but for the main task I took the time to learn about these things. i feel overall throughout the duration of the product i grew skills in every area of the products and can now use them for other projects to come.
CONTENTS PAGE
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Mock Ups
Questionnaire Analysis
This was the first question on my questionnaire as my target audience are females between the ages of 17-25. After looking at the results I now realise that mostly 17-21 year olds were asked and to improve my research I should have asked an equal amount of people from both age brackets.
The next question I asked was about how often the target audience read music magazine. This is an important question because if they hardly ever read music magazines I would have to make sure my magazine is extremely appealing. From the results we can see that 50% of the people only read music magazines sometimes and 30% never read them. This may be because they do not think that there is a suitable music magazine that caters to their needs, they may not be the right genre. Or it could be because the target audience do not have the time and money to read a magazine regularly this is why they read it whenever they get a chance.
I decided to ask this question because one of my feature articles would be reviewing live gigs. Similarly to the previous question, the proportion of the target audience only attends gigs sometimes. This again could be because they do not have the time or money to go on a regular basis. But because large amounts of the target audience do attend live gigs/festivals sometimes I will still be featuring an article on the topic. This may encourage the target audience to go more often.
For this question I discovered that 50% of my target audience are willing to pay £2-£3 for a high quality music magazine. This shows that they are willing to read the magazine and will be dedicated to it.
The majority of the target audience are attracted to the magazine by the main image. This is because it is the biggest item on the page and is the thing that stands out the most. From the results I realised that none of the target audience are likely to see the articles and this can be because the sell lines are quite small compared to the main image and masthead and they will not catch the reader’s eye. Surprisingly only a small amount of the target audience notices the masthead, this again could be that it is not as large as the main image. Also it is much easier to look at a picture than to read a heading.
The results to this question are spread out widely. This shows that the target audience need a variety of articles in order to fulfil all their needs. Celebrity gossip was the most popular choice so I can feature articles which focus on the lives of music celebrities. This way I can still give the target audience what they want but also incorporate music. From the people that I asked, no one choice the other option which means that these are the main articles that people will enjoy reading about.
Open ended questions
In my questionnaire I had a total of 8 questions. This is because I did not want it to be too long so that people feel intimidated by them or feel like they are doing some sort of exam. Out of the 8 questions 2 were open ended. I only included 2 open ended questions because the target audience would feel uncomfortable answering long questions I also made them impersonal because the target audience should not feel as if they are being interrogated.
The first open ended question I asked was ‘Are you a big music fan? Please state briefly how music features in your life?’ I asked this question because it will help me understand how my target audience use music in their daily lives. I can use this information to make sure that my articles are related to their daily routines. The general response was that music is something that target audience need daily. Most people said they listen to music on their journeys and when they are doing school work because it ‘motivates’ them. Music is a inspiration to them and this is why the main artists in my magazine will be ones that the target audience look up to and inspire to be like.
The other open ended question I asked was. ‘Who is your favourite R&B artist and why?’ I did not ask what their favourite genre was because my magazine is aimed at females who like R&B. Half of the target audience chose a male R&B artist and the other half chose females. The females who chose the male artists mainly said because they are good looking and have good lyrics in their songs. However the females who choice a female R&B artist said they like that specific artist because she is an inspiration and good role model. This was extremely helpful research as my magazine was going to show off the success of female artist and I can continue to do so but I have also learnt that I should incorporate information on male R&B artists too as they are equally as important to the target audience.
Media Questionnaire
The image below is of my questionnaire which I used as a part of my target audience research; I asked 20 people from my target audience there opinions on music magazines.
My Model
The model I chose is a very close friend. I chose her as she has previous experience in modelling. Also she has an attractive face and a petite body, also her personality is the same as my target audience and this will shine through her images and expressions. We took loads of different practise shots and then we chose the best pictures. Here are a few practise shots which we took:
Front Cover Analysis
Vibe magazine is an R&B magazine aimed at males between the ages of 17-25 and this is reflected on the front cover of the magazine.
The masthead is in uppercase and is in a display font, in the colour red. As it is quite bold it automatically suggests a male target audience. The colour is red is used to represent the sexuality of the main model in the magazine. Every week the masthead is in the same place and in the same font to maintain brand identity. The word ‘vibe ’is used here to mean a good ambience to represent the good atmosphere the magazine and the genre of music makes. It suggests that the target audience likes relaxing while listening to music.
The main model is Beyonce and we can automatically tell that this is an R&B magazine as Beyonce is an R&B singer. The shot is a medium-long shot; this was used to show the most seductive and curvaceous parts of her body, which tells us that this is aimed at a male readership. Her costume is quite revealing and looks wet. This is another technique used to lure in the readers as it clings to the models body and is partly see through, which will tease the male readers. Her facial expression is also seductive; her eyes are not fully open which makes the reader focus on her lips; they are parted which gives the impression that she is inviting the reader into the magazine. It is also another way to represent her sexuality. She follows the codes and conventions of the R&B genre by being an attractive, young, successful woman.
On the upper left hand side is the main sell line, also known as the body copy. It is on the left hand third of the magazine because in the western world we read from left to right; the reader’s eyes will go here first. The article is about a photo shoot with Beyonce. This will make the reader buy the magazine as they will be excited to see saucy pictures of her. The colour red is used to highlight certain phrases of body copy. The reader will instantly see ‘strips down’ and would want to read more to see what the article is about. Red is also used as it represents sexuality and the theme of this cover is very sexual. The body copy is also in a bigger font than the other sell lines, to show that it is the main article. However it is not bigger than the masthead as it is not as important. The magazine also uses a more relaxed mode of address; colloquial language is used, for example they have shortened Beyonce’s name to ‘B’. Only people who are interested in R&B would understand that abbreviation.
On the upper right hand side is a sell line about travelling, which is something the target audience would be interested in. They are spontaneous and therefore like travelling to different places and live their life to the max. This sell line advertises a ‘summer guide’ for different cities. The article will be exciting and also will inform the readers of how to make their summers productive. Similarly to the body copy, this sell line has the main phrases highlighted in red and the rest of the text is in black to form a contrast, for example ‘and more’ is highlighted in red is teasing the reader to buy the magazine and read on.
At the top of the magazine above the masthead is the Header. This is a pull technique used by the magazine to interest the reader even more. It lists the other artists which will be featured in the magazine to show that it is not just all about Beyonce. It is fulfilling the needs of the target audience.
At the on the bottom right is the barcode which is kept out of sight as it is not important to the target audience. Similarly to this, the website is also kept on the bottom however this time on the left. This is because it is slightly more important that the barcode however it is still not something the target audience what to read first.
The front cover as a whole is the most important part of the magazine and it needs to show different aspects of the magazine so the readers feel content. The aim of the magazine is to help readers reach the highest level of Maslow’s needs of hierarchy; self-actualization. This magazine does this by fulfilling sexual and entertaining needs and also giving advice to the readers by telling them the best summer cities.
Front Cover Analysis
Billboard is a music magazine which does not focus on a specific genre, meaning that their target audience is very broad. In this issue there is an R&B singer on the cover, which tells us that it will be slightly more aimed at people who listen to R&B. But also at the top of the masthead is another heading saying ‘Women’s Magazine’ telling the reader that this issue is a special edition aimed at females who enjoy R&B.
The masthead in lower case which tells us that the readership and the type of music are not in your face, it is more relaxed. The main colour is white however the gaps in the letters are filled with bright colours to represent the youthfulness and fun in the target audience. As this is a special edition, there is a title above the masthead but it is in a smaller font which means that the masthead is still more important. Every week the magazine places the masthead in the same place and uses the same colours to maintain brand identity.
The main model is Beyonce. The shot is used is a medium-long shot to show off her body. Her head is covering the masthead to show that she is more important than anything else on the magazine. Her hands are on her hips to show her power. She looks successful and in control. However she still manages to look sexy as she has her lips slightly parted. Her costume is a tight dress which looks sophisticated but also looks sexy as it shows off her curves. As the dress is white we can automatically see that she is a wealthy, powerful woman as the colour white is associated with power. The background colour is a mixture of blue and black which creates a mysterious atmosphere. This makes the main model seem mysterious and it is as if once the reader reads the interview everything will become clearer and the white on the front cover also represents the clearness.
The body copies for magazines are usually on the upper left hand corner as it is the first place where the readers eyes go, however this magazine slightly breaks the codes and conventions for magazines and has the main sell line on the bottom left. The body copy is still on the left hand third but not in the conventional place. The body copy is the sell line which has the largest font so it stands out however it is not bigger than the masthead which tells us automatically that the masthead is still the most important piece of text on the front cover. The colours of the sell line are quite dark, bold and very powerful. The black and blue represent the power of the main model and white represents her wealth and is also used to highlight words and phrases of the sell line. The models name is written in all three colours to represent that she is all these things and to make a nice effect. For contrast the colour yellow is used to make the pull quote ‘plus’ stand out. This informs the reader that other artists are also involved with the magazine. The main content of the article is an interview with Beyonce and it praises her successes as she is ‘women of the year’. This is will attract the target audience as they believe that women should be recognised and appreciated. The mode of address is quite formal as no colloquial language is used. The language used is sophisticated to represent the model and target audience.
On the upper left hand corner is an article about a Mexican/American artist Jenni Rivera. As there are other articles which are not based on R&B singers, the target audience will be much broader. Similarly on the bottom right is an article about a rock band ‘Paramore.’ This draws in the rock readership and informs them on the bands successes of becoming a headliner. By having various artists the magazine shows that it is full of variety and people who like more than one genre can find this very interesting.
Also on the left side is an article about the hip-hop singer ‘Wale.’ This article links to theme of the main sell line; R&B. On the bottom right is an article which talks about the top singers of 2009; this article is aimed at anyone who buys the magazine and does not have a specific genre as it talks about artists collectively. This article and the website are placed on the bottom right as they are least important and this is the place where the reader’s eyes go last. The website on this issue is not of the magazine but is a special website for Beyonce fans, this is because they are praising her and this is a special edition issue.
The reader who buys Billboard magazine is a serious music fan and because the magazine provide various different articles they are helping people reach the top step of Maslow’s hierarchy; self actualization. People who like more than one genre can happily read about all the different new and upcoming artists in each genre and also read up on all the interesting gossip.
Contents Page Analysis
Above is the contents page for the R&B magazine ‘Vibe’. Contents pages are mainly filled with images and have very little text. This contents page has one main image (of the R&B singer Ciara) which covers a large proportion of the page, instead of having lots of smaller images. As the magazine is aimed at a male readership, the main model is positioned in a very sexual way which teases the target audience and lures them into the magazine. She is laying down which gives the impression that she is powerless, this makes the target audience feel as if they are in control. The models face is very seductive because she has her lips partly open, however her makeup is very simplistic so that it does not steal focus from her body. Also her costume is revealing her legs and she is wearing heels which elongate her legs, making her look even more appealing to the target audience. Her legs are positioned in a ‘V’ shape; this tells the readership that she represents the magazine. Above her legs is the letter ‘V’ in a display font, the edges of the letter looks like string which is controlling the model by her legs like a puppet. This is another way to make the model look powerless and the reader seem full of power and in control. The colours on the page are very silky which emphasise the sexual ambience. The lighting of the image also adds to the sexual ambience; it is dark on top but there is spot light on the model to highlight her positioning and her body. It also shows the readers that she is the most important thing on the page.
The title of the page is broken up into sections; this is the same on every issue and it is a technique for the magazine to maintain brand identity; every time a reader see’s this contents page they will immediately link it to the magazine ‘Vibe’. It is modern and different which represents the style of the target audience.
The sub headings on the page are in a serif-font and the typeface looks as if it is in Script MT bold because it looks like handwriting. It looks sophisticated and fits in with the sexy image of the model. Other pieces of text are written in a sans-serif font are much less informal. The important phrases and words are highlighted in bold so they stand out. The formal sub headings and the informal text are always the same in each issue; this is another way to maintain brand identity. The texts on the contents page are references to the most interesting articles in the magazine. They have promoted these articles because they are the ones that are most likely to attract the target audience and make them read on, further into the magazine. It is also a way to make navigation easier for the target audience. Instead of flipping through lots of pages they can go to the contents page and easily find what they want without wasting any time.
Contents Page Analysis
This is the contents page for an issue of ‘Vibe’ magazine, which is an R&B magazine. Similarly to the other contents page this too only has one main image instead of lots of smaller images and this is another way ‘Vibe’ magazine maintains brand identity.
The main image is of a male rapper. The magazine is aimed at a male readership, so by having a powerful male icon as their main model will attract in the target audience. The shot used is a medium-close up shot and he is positioned in a violent pose. He is holding his chains towards his face as if he was about to break them. The jewellery also represents the rappers wealth and success as it is very flashy and he is not just wearing on piece, there are several neck chains. He is also wearing rings, and many bracelets and a watch, which adds to his wealth. We cannot see any clothing apart from a hat. This allows the model to show of his muscles which implies strength and aggression. We can also see his tattoos which are normally associated with strong, big men. This emphasises the idea of violence and strength. The hat is common for rappers to wear and he is following the codes and conventions of R&B by wearing one in the image. The models facial expression is also very aggressive. He looks as if he is growling at the audience at this is to show that he is very powerful and strong. We can also see his gold teeth; this is another way to represent his wealth and success.
The heading on the page is broken up into sections. This is the same on every issue; it is modern and unique which represents the target audience. Having the heading in the same effect every issue is a way to maintain brand identity. It is the magazines signature heading. Behind the heading is a capital ‘V’ in display font. This is to represent the name of the magazine and this is also featured n every issue and is another technique used to maintain brand identity.
The subheadings are in a serif font. It is very formal and looks like handwriting. The formality of the sub-headings contrast with the violence in the image which makes the models aggression stand out even more. Whereas the other pieces of text are in a sans serif font but bold is used to make certain phrases stand out. The font of writing stays the same in each issue to maintain brand identity.
The text is broken down into sub-headings to make navigation for the reader easier. They can easily find the section they are interested and read a small introduction about various articles. The page numbers are provided so that the reader does not have to flick through the whole magazine they can just go straight to the article they are interested in.
Vibe Magazine double page spread analysis
The double page spread features Usher – a stereotypical, black, male, R&B artist to which target audience would be familiar with. A typical convention with double page spreads is that they usually are half images and the other half is text. This issue of Vibe follows this convention as they have dedicated the entire left hand to an image of Usher.
The anchorage image on the left-hand page of the double page spread shows the musician in a denim shirt, which gives him a more casual look; this makes the interview. The shirt is made by G-Star RAW – a designer clothing company that produces fashionable urban clothing. This fits in well with the stereotype he is portraying. He is also wearing a watch and smoking a cigar, these are connotations of wealth. The artist is looking away from the reader in this image; this makes the audience perceive him as a superior persona.
The quote on the left-hand page of the double page spread is in a different, larger
font than the rest of the text, this attracts the reader’s attention to it. The quote is in front of the smoke from the cigar; it surrounds Usher and highlights his face. ‘GREATEST’ is in capitals, this has been done to make the word stand out amongst the rest of the text and to emphasise the importance of the word within the quote, as it is representing the artist. The question and answer page of the double page used lower case letters; this gives the interview more of an informal ambience. Questions are in a bold font so the target audience can tell the difference.
The quote from Usher on the first page of the double page spread informs the reader of the musician’s intentions as an artist in the industry. The artist uses slang, for example ‘ain’tgon’’, and curses, this gives the interview an informal ambience, making the reader feel friendly towards the magazine and as if they are friends with the artist. Genre specific names such as ‘Will.I.Am’ have been used; this would appeal to Vibe’s readers as their target demographic would be familiar with these artists.
Vibe Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis
The artist featured in this double page spread is Solange Knowles so the target audience will probably be people with an interest in R&B and Pop as it is the type of music she produces. She also produces more soulful music as her inspirations are 60’s band like The Marvelettes. The age group she may also appeal to can range from males and females. This is because her sexuality will appeal to the males however her music and fashion sense will appeal to the females. She may also appeal to a wide range of ages. So this can change from people of younger ages to people who are older because the pop can appeal to a younger audience.
The language throughout the article is very laid back and informal. A lot of colloquial language is spoken and lots of abbreviations are used, for example, ‘grown-ass-woman swagger’. You can see this language is used freely as the magazine knows who their audience is and is determined they know that they’re audience knows the type of language that is being used. The magazine is forming a friendship with their target audience. This makes the audience trust the magazine and so they will continue to buy it.
For most of the double page spread the colours only consists of black and white, then you see shots of colour. In the text the only colour used is blue, and that is to only highlight the important bits of text like the word ‘Now’ and the artists name itself ‘Solange Knowles.’ The only thing fully in colour is the main image of her. This is in colour because they wish the draw as much attention to her as possible and this is also why they have put only her name in colour. You can see that even the little pictures of her that are covering the highest third of the double page spread are also in black and white.
The main font type being used is a sans serif; the whole double page spread is very simplistic so this type of font is best suited for this type of magazine. The front cover of this issue also consists of sans serif fonts as it makes the biggest impact and suits the magazines style on the whole. The front cover like the DPS uses colour the highlight the important sections of the front cover. The front cover of this issue featured President Barack Obama and so this is why the main colours of the double page spread are red, blue and white to make a connection to America and their flag.
The first third of the double page spread is taken up by seven small images of Solange Knowles and half a big image of her. The page has basically been separated into two with images on one half and writing on the other. The first five image of Solange and the big one frames the first section of the writing and the other side the pull quote is there waiting to be read. The ratio of pictures to writing seems to be the same; this may mean that their audience may be quite visual as well as enjoying reading a good article.
Mise-en-scene
In this image of Rihanna the background suggests Rihanna is in the streets or perhaps a local neighbourhood, instead of a studio. This makes her seem down to earth and it is as if she is returning to the place where she started from, as many R&B artists originate from ‘ghettos.’ She is also dressed in a very causual outfit consisting of a white top and necklace. This is showing the audience that even though she is a celebrity she is down to earth and does not always need to make a fuss. Her hairstyle is also quite simple yet sophisticated. It is straighted and she has hair covering her eyes which draws the readers attention to her facial features. She is playfully brushing the hair away from her face, which shows her fun, carefree side. This makes her seem approachable to the audience. Her make-up also continues with the theme of simplicity. She is wearing natural shades of lipgloss and blusher which contrast against the black eyeliner making her eyes stand out. It is visible that she is wearing make-up but it is not over done. Her facial expression is also quite playful as she is smiling. The pose looks as if she has been photographed whilst laughing. The lighting is bright which emphasises the playful and joyful ambience of the image.
This image advertises Mariah Carey’s sexuality and her passion for music. Her gold dress is very lavish and reminds the audience of her wealth and success. It is also very revealing, showing off her legs and her cleavage. Also she is laying down in a very provocative way and taking pride in her appearance and body. Her hair is draped across the piano in a sensual way, emphasising the sexuality of the image. It is in loose curls which indicate femininity. Mariah Carey’s make up is noticeable but does not steal focus from her body. The natural colours gently emphasise the features on her face. Her expression is warm as she is smiling friendly at the audience. The piano in the image is a prop which shows the audience Carey’s love in her music. It is as if music makes her feel free and sexy. However we cannot see the whole piano which shows us that she is still the most important thing in the image and the main focus is on her.
In this image Beyonce stares deeply at the audience whilst lying provocatively on the beach. As the setting is by the sea, she is wearing a bikini which shows of her voluptuous curves. She is proud of her figure and is not afraid to show it off. Her hair looks windswept which adds to the ambience of the sea side. Beyonce looks as if she is not wearing any make-up which emphasise the natural theme of this picture. It appears that she is wearing minimal make-up to show off her natural beauty and to continue with the natural setting. Her eyes are looking deeply into the audience while her lips are parted seductively. Her facial expressions added with the positioning of her body makes her sexually appealing to the target audience. As she is outside the area around her is bright which highlights her body and shows the audience that she is not hiding anything.
The video below inspired the main look of my model. The video is of a song by artist Kelly Rowland and the lyrics talk about her being strong and in charge which is exactly how my target audience like to be. The hair style she has whilst wearing the latex black and red outfits is the hair style I choice for my model as I think it represents the women in a strong light and whilst looking attractive it does not distract the target audience from the models expression
Kelly Rowland- Commander:
Costume Ideas
The female artist who will be featuring in my magazine will wear costumes that reflect her strong independence but also her diva side. She loves dressing up and always looks so glamorous but in a sophisticated way.
As a professional R&B artist she thinks it is important to make a lasting impression where ever she goes. Her wealth and success is represented in her outfits and this is why she takes pride in her appearance. She loves a lot of ‘bling’ and has diamantes on a lot of her items; however she does not look tacky or cheap. This shows people that she is wealthy and enjoys spending her money on expensive items. She also believes in the saying, ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it.’ She loves showing of her best features in body hugging dresses. She believes it is good to feel sexy but look sophisticated at the same time. Her favourite colour to wear at important events of photo shoots is white, because it is sophisticated yet very glamorous. However and parties she loves wearing unique and bright dresses.
Accessories are also a big part of her image. She always has amazing and fancy jewellery to add to her glamorous appearance as a diva. It also shows off her wealth. Like every other girl, she too has a love for shoes, mainly high heels. High heels elongate her legs which make them appealing to her audience but they also make her appear powerful and confident.
Reconnaissance
In R&B males and females are represented in very different ways. It is common that when males are on the front cover of a magazine they are normally accompanied with busy backgrounds and props. The props and locations are used to show men in a powerful and successful light. This is shown in the examples given beneath. Both front cover are from ‘Vibe’ magazine and both show the male artist in a powerful light. The image on the left shows the singer Usher in pilot uniform and a USA plane behind him. The audience immediately think of connotations with the army and strength. Similarly the image on the right shows the R&B rapper Lil Wayne. He is crouching on a throne which represents his success and wealth but also power because the reader automatically thinks of a king which is associated with power.
However normally in the genre of R&B females tend to be in a plain background. The bold background colours contrast with the models outfits to emphasise the models presence in the image. Having a small amount of props in the background also makes the reader focus on the actual model instead of looking around the page. This is shown in the images beneath. Both front covers are featuring a female model and they both have a plain background which makes the models features stand out more.
In my magazine I will not be featuring a specific location or any props. The background will be a plain colour so that readers focus mainly on my model.
Mission Statement
Diva is a new, stylish music magazine which is on the rise and solely focuses on the independent and strong women in the R&B music industry. The name of the magazines reflects the women that are celebrated in the magazine and also the target audience. It will reflect that women are as powerful and talented as men and deserve the same amount of respect. We believe that the modern women should be celebrated and this is what the magazine aims to do.
The reader of Diva magazine is a woman between the ages of 17-25. She is fiery and likes her independence. She does not like relying on people and is a lot of fun to be around. She is popular as she is always with people and music is something that isn’t taken lightly in her world. She has a passion for it and this is why she would buy a monthly music magazine.
The magazine as a whole is full of attitude; just like the readership. The mode of address is very frank and bold because the women in the magazine and the target audience are like this too. They are very forward and direct so the magazine is also straight to the point.
As a magazine me team and I promise to deliver a magazine that helps the target audience reach the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; self-actualization. We think that it’s important to make a relationship between the magazine and target audience this is so the target audience can feel as if it can trust the magazine and turn to it for guidance. Our aim is to offer juicy gossip for entertainment, along with great opportunities to meet their idols and also advice on their social life.
The magazine will be a monthly magazine because the target audience will not have the time too read a weekly magazine or the money to pay for one. It will cost £2.20 and will be distributed in all supermarkets, music retailers and newsagents but also in specific fashion retailers which sell ‘street style’ clothes that represent the genre of R&B. The target audience also have a choice of subscribing to the magazine by the post or through the magazines website; www.divemagazine .co.uk.
As I have mentioned before Diva is a music magazine and the majority of articles will be about the soulful women artists in R&B. Reviews of live concerts, promotions of albums and singles and interviews with different artists will be featured every month as this will inform the readership of the upcoming events and latest gossip. Also to make the magazine unique it will have a feature article about new upcoming R&B artists and will be interviewing them outlining their struggle to get into the music business and when their album is due to be released. This will be something that the readership will be looking forward to read every month. Even though the magazines main focus is R&B music, the readership will not be completely satisfied with just articles on music; they need other aspects to help them reach self-actualization. So my researchers went out and tried to find out what else the target audience needs to be completely satisfied. The writers of Diva magazine will also include articles appearances and fashion, for example, there will be articles informing the readership how to do their make up like a certain artist they look up to, or where to buy clothes that certain artists wear. The women artists are often quirky dresses and each artist has a different style. This inspires the target audience to be different and quirky too and by looking at their role models fashion sense they can develop a look of their own.
There will also be competitions to win tickets for live performances or to meet one of the featured artists in the magazine; this adds the element of fun and excitement into the magazine, which represents the fun and excitement that the readership like to have.
Target Audience Profile
The readers of my new upcoming magazine are strong minded, independent, good looking females between the ages of 17 and 25. She is a popular girl who is always surrounded by here peers. Whenever she is alone she is listening to music and is a bubbly person who likes to sing around the house and in the shower. She is not a follower; she is a leader and turns the latest trends into her own original style. Her fashion sense is trendy urban. Music is a major part of her life and she constantly has her IPod on. She never takes life too seriously and enjoys playful banter. Here attitude in life is very care free she feels strongly about the phrase ‘you only live once’ and this reflects in her lifestyle as she does whatever she wants, whenever she once, however she knows the difference from right to wrong.
She currently will be in college as they do have a career goal in mind but however chose not to attend 6th form as it would be too strict for her; she loves her freedom and does not like being told what to do, by going to college her educational life is more relaxed and she has more control over it. Her chosen subjects will be something that allows her to express her thoughts and feelings. Music is a subject that she would take as its one of her favourite things in life. She can express her thoughts through the lyrics and beats of songs. She also has a part time job as she enjoys buying expensive and quite unique things to represent the quirkiness in her personality. As she is a student she still chooses to live at home but her parents are laid back and she is allowed to go out as much as she likes but within reason. She does not take advantage of her parents trust.
The reader’s love life is very casual. She likes to be single to maintain her independence but that does not like to have fun and feel some emotion towards her. She gets all her relationship needs by having casual relationships of ‘flings’. She never follows the traditional image of a woman who always chases after a man, she likes to tease the men and make them chase after her; likes being the centre of attention.
On the weekends she likes going out as she likes to get the most out of each day. During the day she spends time with her family as she thinks family time is important. She would normally leave the house in the late afternoon at maybe do some shopping with her friends or go to a friends house. In the evening her and her group of friends would have a familiar place where they would go and socialise, for example, an urban café in a shopping centre and then move onto a club which they again are familiar with. If she is not socialising then she will be playing around with her hair and make up trying to think of new styles and different looks and putting her skills into practise with her friends.
Music is not just an interest of hers; she has a passion for it as she feels she can relate to it. Her IPod is one of her favourite things and is constantly on. The song depends on her mood and on what she is doing at the time. Artists such as Rihanna, Beyonce and Alicia Keys are on her IPod. They are strong women such as the target audience as these are the sort of women that the target audience aspires to be like. If there is a concert or live gig going on with an artist that she likes she will defiantly take the opportunity and go to it. This is when she feels completely herself as she likes to let her mind and body go with the music; she feels exhilarated.
At the moment she does not read any music magazine as there are not any R&B music magazines that only focus on women artists. Lifestyle magazines are something she reads on occasions if she feels she needs guidance but she does not buy them regularly because she is hardly in that situation. An R&B music magazine will provide her with lots of entertainment but most importantly it will be a comforter as it will be filled with the types of women she looks up to. Movies are another interest of hers. Her favourite genres are horror and comedy. She enjoys horrors as she likes the adrenaline and comedies are something which helps her unwind. The internet is another important aspect of her life as this is one of her main ways of socialising and communicating with her friends. She is a strong follower of social networking websites and also uses the internet for online shopping and, if needed, college work. However her mobile phone and IPod are her main gadgets.
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