Research Rationale

I have chosen the genre of Hip-Hop for my music magazine, I will need to conduct research into this genre and collate data from my target audience. My target audience will be Hip-Hop lovers around the age 16-25, as most Hip-Hop is pre-dominantly targeted at young adults and teenagers. This is an advantage for me as some of my peers in sixth form belong to this age group and listen to hip-hop which makes it easier for me to collect data as it is less time consuming. The benefit of conducting a research is that it broadens your understanding of what the audience demands/requires which you can implement into your magazine. I will gain different types of data through various methods such as focus groups where a particular convention of the magazine will be discussed, another example is a questionnaire where I will be asking open questions as they generate more of an accurate outcome as the interviewee is free to answer in any way they desire which does not limit the amount of information retained, compared to closed questions which prompts the interviewee to answer in a certain way which creates a biased outcome/findings. These findings generate qualitative data.

On the other hand I can also gain quantitative data by giving the target audiences questionnaires which would contain multiple choice answers which will be taken into account to generate quantitative data. I will also use the internet to gain a better understanding on how artists are portrayed in this music genre in order to conform or to subvert from the stereotypes in terms of how induvial artists are portrayed in a hip hop magazine.

This is a mood board I have created in order to analyse and compare various forms of typography.

Initial Thoughts

https://soundcloud.com/neel-patel-128/initial-thoughts

PRELIM TASK Flat Plan

PRELIM TASK

I used the same model that was on the front cover as one of my pictures for the contents page as this will automatically create a link between the contents page and the front cover which results in a higher cohesiveness of the two pages. The readers will be more aware of the fact that these pages are from one magazine due to the links and the cohesiveness for the front cover and the contents page. I also used the same colours that were on the front cover for my contents page as this will make the magazine look less odd. As if other colours were used it may hint some form of sloppiness of the magazine as other colours suggest the magazine may be going off-topic from the information provided by the front cover. I also used the masthead on the contents page as this improves the cohesion of the both pages as the same content appears from the front cover appears on the contents page. However, too many similarities may bore the readers due to the same conventions appearing again and again hence, the use of different fonts for the headings and numbers.

PRELIM TASK:Contents Page Layout

I gathered various information from magazines to come up with a suitable contents page for my target audience. I used my flat plan to structure the contents page in terms of the texts and images. I used Photoshop to construct this magazine. I started by adding texts to the contents page and the main images, to formulate a rough idea of where to add other pictures ensuring that there are no blanks to make the contents page eye-catching and not dull.

 I experimented with various colours to see what colours would go well with the pictures. I used brown as it is a dark and a vibrant colour which would make it easier to read the text over the image in the background. Also the contents is a different font and colour to that of the front cover as this creates inconsistency within the magazine so the reader feels that its not the same content throughout the magazine, it can also be more appealing as the reader is not viewing the same colours every time.






However, the range of colours used would make the magazine less sophisticated and less appealing as there are two different non-complementary colours which were used.I dealt with the issue by changing the font but, using colours that were used on the front cover as this gets rid of some inconsistency of the colours and fonts which makes the contents page look more sophisticated and creates a link to the front cover. Through the use of Photoshop i decided to add shadow to this text this would make it more eye-catching but not too much as it wouldn’t get too much attention, which is beneficial as the readers are made to focus on the other text 

NEW Heading

Moreover, the new colour didn’t go well with the other text which had a relatively different font to the font used for ‘contents’ so I used a complementary colour to the colour used for the heading this was suggested by the colour wheel i made sure that this colour was bright and eye-catching and it suited the image of the model well. The colour i used was a bright pink which would be suitable for the contents page and the image, as the image depicts a picture of a girl, hence the use of pink as it conveys connotations of a female girl. I researched on complementary colours where i found the colour wheen which depicts what shades go well with other, i used it to decide what colours to use.

Also the opacity of the image was reduced to make the image blend in with the background colour white, this was done so the image didn’t stand out on the contents page therefore it looked as if it was part of the magazine. I also adjusted the brightness and contrast of the image by using levels which gave made the image more clear only to an extent where it didn’t stick out too much.

I added images after to the contents page to fill in the blank spaces of the contents page, these images linked to the headlines of the article which was shown by the use of numbers which corresponded to the numbers next to that particular article headline related to the image. I also ensured that too many images weren’t added to the page as this would have made the contents page overcrowded, hence I filled out the blank on the bottom left by adding the masthead of the front cover to the contents page which would make the magazine more cohesive.

I experimented with various effects on Photoshop to make the image blend in and look appealing this was done by dropping shadow which made the image look more appealing as well as sophisticated, due to the shadow having a light black colour. The images were placed diagonally placed as this made more space between the two images at the top to prevent overcrowding and to make it more eye-catching. I also did it with the image at the bottom so all the images had the same effect as they all have the same purpose which is to hint the reader about the headline. Lastly, i decided to place the two images with the same background next to each other as they are similar. 

PRELIM TASK:masthead

My masthead is called key to success as my magazine is about guidance for the new sixth formers, therefore I thought it would be suitable for my magazine to be called key to success as the magazine acts as a ‘key’ to success. Also the name sounds sophisticated and mysterious therefore it will encourage people to buy this magazine as they may want to find out more about this mysterious ‘key’.

 I chose this font as it is looks sophisticated, clear and vibrant which are all key elements for a good masthead to attract my target audience.

This font on the other hand looked scary rather than attractive it’s also not suitable for a college magazine as this theme carries connotations that of horror which was is not my theme for this magazine.

I like this font as I feel it is sophisticated but not too much which would be ideal for the school magazine, however It would draw too much attention to the masthead rather than the other conventions on this magazine. Also some of the letters such as the ‘y’ are hard to identify which would make it unclear also there is too much space between each letter which would make it hard to fit the masthead on the magazine. 

PRELIM TASK:Photo manipulation

        I realized that there were shadows in the background, rather than photo-shopping them out i cropped them out as i didn't really need all of the background. I then zoomed in on the model so the audience do not focus on the clothing as much.







lastly i adjusted the lighting by the use of different levels as i felt that this image needed brightness and contrast, for the image to be eye-catching to the audience.

                                                          BEFOREAFTER

PRELIM TASK:Final shots

This is the shot I used for my front cover, I decided to use this as it is a medium-close-up shot which exposes the clothing of the model. The clothing suggests that this is a sixth-form student as the model doesn’t appear to be wearing any form of uniform, the scarf especially highlights this fact as scarfs aren’t normally a part of school uniform.  Furthermore, the colours are exposed due to this type of shot as it catches the colours of the background and the models clothes. The model in this shot appears to be wearing black which is vibrant and clear and goes well with the theme of sophistication and elegance in this magazine it also hints a level of mystery making the audience want to find out more about this magazine and read it. I have used a white background instead of a natural background as this allows the readers to focus on the main image rather than the background, the model in this case. The model also appears to have a goldish hair which resembles that of the key in ‘key to success’ suggesting that he has the key to success which makes him a symbol of guidance in this magazine which makes the model appropriate for the target audience and a school magazine. Finally, the smile on the model conveys positivity which links well with the overall theme of success. The model also appears to have an angle of gaze which draws the readers to the magazine, overall I chose this picture as it is suitable and appropriate for the target audience and it is a photo that you would normally find on school magazine.

I chose this picture to be on my contents page as the background is very bright which links well them theme of success as it suggests that the future is bright. Also, it is appropriate for a school magazine as the model appears to be wearing a bag and holding a book. Also I like the fact that the trees are depicted as obstacles in this picture which can be overcome by the book the model appears to be holding, which encourages students to study.

                                                                            

                                                                     

I chose this picture for my contents page as it is highly suitable for a school magazine as it is a student in a school environment which allows the readers to engage with the picture as they may relate to this image. The low shot was established as it allows the reader to see the environment of the study room and the models expressions as well as books and bags.

                                                                                               

I chose this medium shot for my contents page as the lighting on the model is good which makes the photo clear and bright therefore, it is easier to see the angle of gaze of the model. Also, this image is related to the headline ‘yaw makes it big’ therefore a white background was chosen so the reader can focus on the model yaw. This picture portrays yaw’s spotlight therefore it used it for my contents page which is one of the main articles in the magazine.

                                    

 

I used this picture for my contents page as I liked the lighting in this picture as there is little lighting on some parts of his face which creates darkness that evokes a sense of the mystery which links with the models interview, also there isn’t much darkness so the reader can clearly see the image. Lastly the person on the right is present which gives the reader a feeling somebody is there, this goes well with the theme of guidance as there is someone watching over the student.

PRELIM TASK:Reader Profile

Hi, my name is Ketchup Segway I have just started sixth form and I’m currently doing maths, economics, physics and psychology I love these subjects as they are all interesting which acts a huge motivation as it encourages me to do revise. I like listening to music from rock to old school hip-hop, swimming, dancing, and watching anime and singing. I’m currently enjoying all of my subjects especially economics however, I struggle with trying to balance my social life and revision as I have poor time management skills. I seek advice on how to manage my time and some effective revision techniques, I struggle with time management as I have just made new friends that like partying a lot and I have difficulty in differentiating on what’s better for me friends or education. I’m also having a hard time fitting into my new sixth form as it is a new environment with new students and teachers. 

PRELIM TASK:Magazine Deconstruction

PRELIM TASK:Initial Thoughts

Hello I’m Neel I’m currently studying As Media studies and my preliminary task is to create a college magazine. I’m planning on creating a magazine in which the subject matter would be on guidance for the year 11s transition to year 12. Therefore the target audience for my magazine will be teenagers aged between 15-17. There will be different segments in the magazine which will consist of effective revision tips, how to balance your time between social and academic life.

I’m planning  to go with ‘key to success’ as the name for my college magazine as it is provides directions and guidance for the students to survive and succeed in sixth form both socially and academically. I’m planning to use the same colours for my content page as it provides uniformity which eliminates any form of jumbled mess meaning it will keep the magazine clean. Also same colours might symbolize being a part of a trademark so the same use of colours will make it easy for the audiences to identify my other magazines produced. Lastly, I am looking forward to incorporating my ideas and creativity in this course.