Photoshoot

Today, I took some photographs for my magazine cover and contents page.

College Magazine Plan

In class, we have been looking at college magazines and how they are both different and similar to professional music magazines. We are going to be making our own college magazine but it will just be the cover and the contents page. So far, I have planned how both pages are going to look like but when I make the pages, it might turn out differently. 

<-- So far, this is what I planned the magazine cover to look like.

<-- And this what I planned the contents page to look like. 

Let's see how the actual pages turn out..

XXL: Press Pack

This shows the targeted audience for the XXL Magazine and who there readers are and who they want there readers to be.

XXL has created a target audience and this is their rough idea of what they want their target audience to be. They presume that majority of their readers are male and older than 21.

Task Two: Double Page Spread - XXL

Conventions of page layout:
As usual, there is no masthead since it is not the magazine cover, however the title of the article is in bold and it covers quarter of the page. The font used for the title is simple and is not flashy unlike the magazine cover. A rhetorical question is used and placed underneath the title. The names of famous singers and artists are in red which can suggest that these artists are important since red can mean danger or an alert so it can stand out. The names acts like a teasers since it gives a sub-heading of what the little paragraph is going to be about. There is no drop caps, puffs, captions or pull quotes. Like normal articles, gutters and columns are used to separate the paragraphs from other paragraphs which keeps the page organised and it gives a clear guide of what to read next. Everything is aligned correctly and and there is also a relationship between the image and the text since the names that are mentioned are the people that are in the image.

Image:
This is a group picture of about 12 people. Majority of them are wearing black which has the connotations of power. They are all posing differently which can show their uniqueness in the group photo and shows a sense of their identity.The shot type is an extreme long shot so that everyone in the picture can be seen and you can also see a bit of the background. There is high-key lighting on the image to suggest an upbeat mood which links to the genre as music is supposed to lift up the mood and the artists in the image are examples of having some upbeat music. I would expect that they aren't wearing make-up as they are guys however there might be props in this image/ The gold chains and the big golden fur coat can be seen as a prop to make the image more powerful and also relates to the Hip Hop, R&B genre. It looks like the image was taken in a photography studio, this is because if a photo with 12 people was taken outside, it would be too much and wouldn't really link to the text.

Language:
The article has a clear structure and helps to guide the reader on what they are reading and who they are reading about. Each artist has there name in big, red, bold, capital letters and have a little section talking about the artist and what they have been doing for the past year and what they are planning to do in the following year. The mode of the text seems relaxed and talks about the artist maturely.

Task Two: Contents Page Analysis - XXL

This is the contents page from XXL magazine.

Conventions of page layout:
There is no masthead but the title "The A-side" could act like a masthead. Although, the XXL masthead is used, again in the top left hand corner and this shows the importance of the magazine. The font sizes are the similar same however some of the words are in bold for example the title for the pages alongside the page numbers are in bold. This emphasizes what is going to be on that page and stands out for attention. There are two-three different fonts and sizes throughout this page. Teasers are a main part of a contents page since it shows snippets of texts and reveals briefly what is going on. Teasers are used to attracted people within their specific target audience to read on and find out more about a specific article. There is a order on the contents page and all the information is on the left hand side of the page and this is because there is another image of the 10 people including Fetty Wap however they are posing different and you can now see what they were leaning/standing on in the photograph. This is accurate since most people read from left to right and the picture would either be the first thing they look at or the last thing they at in detail. The page numbers are in different colours so they can stand out better and you can find it easily and go straight to that page. There is a 3-colour scheme of white, blue and black and a bit of red for the XXL logo. You can clearly see that there is a margin alongside the page which again makes everything neat although there is no pull quotes or puffs.

Language:
Sub-headings like "Year-End Report Card","It's Goin' Down", "Make A Scene", "Like My Style", "What's Goin' On" and "On That Level" are used to show the reader what is going on in the magazine and they can just jump to that page if they are intrigued by the topic. Informality is used to create familiarity for the reader and to create a relationship with them, this is shown through the use of dropping letters at the end of a word. Instead of using the "g" in "Going" the writer has just left it and this creates a different /n/ sound when saying the word. The informal words link with the Hip Hop genre since when artists rap or sing, they tend to use broken English and shortened words so this has been represented correctly.

Image:
Again, there is the same 10 people from the cover page in this image and it has the same shot (Long shot) as the cover page. The image is exactly the same however the people have posed differently to the first one.

Task Two: Front Page Analysis - XXL

Since I have chosen R&B / Hip Hop as my genre, the second magazine is have chosen is XXL.

XXL is a Hip Hop magazine made in America in 1997 and it is published by Town square Media. XXL is made for people who like Hip Hop music.

Conventions of page layout:
There is a masthead in the top left hand corner of the magazine and it is in red and white, even though it is big and bold, some of the masthead is covered by the people on the cover. The font has remained constant throughout the cover and it looks like it has been drawn on. The font is all over the cover and it attracts attention since it looks more unique and noticeable. There are cover lines, some on the right side and there is a cover line written in big white font which is placed on top of the image of the 10 people. They don't look like normal cover lines since they are placed quite messily however this makes the magazine unique and links with the Hip Hip theme since Hip Hop is quite crazy and loud. There is no pull quotes but there is a slight margin on the cover page since everything is straight however the splattered colours seem to go over it. The 10 people are new up and coming artists and this creates a relationship with the text and the image since it states below "2015's XXL freshman class built to win". In America, Freshman's are seen as the beginner and the young newbies.

Image:
There is a 3 colour scheme of white, red and blue however black is used for one of the cover lines. The image is of 10 people and the photographer has used a long shot so you can see all 10 peoples' bodies. They are the main focus of the picture and the photographer has framed them well. High key lighting is used to see everyone's faces clearly however artificial lighting could be used since they seem to look like they are in a studio. There is no set costumes in this photo, it looks like everyone is wearing clothes that matches their personality and who they are. What they're wearing are the norms in our modern society and this can be used as a representation of how some people dress nowadays, particularly in America. There are no props used in this photograph however since people appear to be standing and sitting and looking higher up; benches and chairs could have been used to make them look like this although they could just be PhotoShopped in. No one seems to be wearing make up however they could be wearing make up although no one would notice since it is not a close-up.

Genre  & Language:
Hip Hop and R&B are portrayed in the front cover and you can notice this by the way they are dressed and the way they are posing. The cover is structured differently which is unique and it seems like the editor is trying to create a relationship with the reader and the magazine. The font is messy hand-writing/graffiti which represents the Hip Hop genre quite well since graffiti is linked with going against authority, making statements and illegal unless you have permission. The font is all over the place however it manages to look well placed and thought out since it is spaced out.

Mixmag; Press Pack

Task Two: Double Page Spread Analysis - Mixmag

This is one of the double page spreads in mixmag.

Conventions of page layout:
There is no masthead. However the title of the article is in a huge font size and is in bold. This shows us what the main topic of the article is. The rest of the article is in small font and this is to show all the information but the beginning of the article is in bold which is unusual. Under the title "NWA", there is a teaser/snippet briefly concluding what the DPS is about and it is underlined which can drag the readers attention and make them want to read on further. This creates a relationship between the text and the images being presented on the page. Unlike, the other pages I have analysed; these pages have columns,which are important in writing articles since this helps us to read in order and not jumble sentences. There is no drop caps or pull quotes and there doesn't seem to be a margin however the checkered border around the article acts like a margin since everything is kept in place and the black and white seems to be the theme on the pages.

Image:
On the first page of the DPS, there is a group picture of members from the NWA. Even though the picture seems to look like it's in colour, in reality the picture is in black and white. NWA was a group from years ago and you can see that all the members look young and somewhat dangerous. The photographer has used a mid/long-shot since you can see Dre's full body however you can only see half of the other members' bodies and you can see the background. This could suggest that Dre was the leader of the group.

Everyone in the picture are wearing caps and big jumpers/jackets, this shows that they are indeed gangsters and this links to there songs that they have made. NWA was also made as a film and it has came out recently so this article would be very popular since there are a lot of NWA fans and fans of the movie. The guys are the main focus of the photograph however you can clearly see that they are in Brixton. Brixton could have been used as the setting because there was a scene of riots from 1981 with high crime and unemployment, it was a quite a dangerous place. Using a dangerous place as their background could show that they have power and not scared. Also, majority of black people lived in Brixton and that is majority of the population there.

Even though, the picture is in black and white you can still tell that the picture has high key lighting since you can see the sun shining on their caps and they haven't used artificial lighting.
The other two images are an image of their album cover an an image of Ice Cube. The album cover isn't as big as the other images but it links to to the text. The picture of Ice Cube is also in black and white and the photographer has again used a mid shot to show his body language and face expression. By his face expression you can tell that he looks angry and unimpressed and by his body language you can see that he is clenching his hands together which could suggest that he is going to have a fight. He looks like he has been PhotoShopped in since he stands out the most but you can see a lot of people standing behind him.

Genre & Language:
The article has been structured well and the tone seems chill but aggressive since swear words are included which is unusual since most dance music do not include profanity. This article is a contrast to the actual magazine genre, because it is a dance music magazine however they have included an article about a popular Hip Hop group from the 1980's. This could be because some readers listen to a wide range of music and not just dance music so this can create a relationship between the reader and the writer, also it creates a sense of familiarity and acceptance since the magazine includes a variety of different things and doesn't just concentrate on one.

The pictures represents black men as intimidating and aggressive since they are wearing dark clothing and have a stone expression on their face, however if you read the article, it says otherwise. Obviously, this meaning isn't intended for the audience since the article is supposed to make the readers understand what was going on and what was going though their minds at the time. Reading the article, it talks about how Ice Cube and the others came up with NWA, how it all started and their reasons for it, how the police didn't seem to understand them. It literally shows that they started from the bottom and they got somewhere and the things they wrote and rapped about then are still relevant now and will always be.

Task Two: Contents Page Analysis - Mixmag

This is the contents page from Mixmag. 

Conventions of page layout:

There is no masthead on this page since this is not the cover page however the "contents" bit could be classed as the masthead. The word "contents" has a completely different font to the rest of the text and it looks more interesting and fun, this is so it can stand out. The 'mixmag' logo is shown in the top right corner of the magazine to show the importance of the magazine and what is going to be in it. Underneath the 'mixmag' logo, there is a small version of the cover page along with people's name to give editorial credit.

The font size is practically the same for most of the words however the important bits are in bold to show that they are the page numbers and includes what is going to be included in that page and they act like teasers since it is a snippet. Margins are an important tool in magazine making and this is used a lot. This is used to keep everything aligned and not look disorganized. 

There are no pull quotes, drop caps or skyliners on this double page spread. Usually, contents pages are only 1 page whereas this one is a double page spread. This spread includes a lot of detail and images and that's why there are 2 pages. Even though you cannot see the text boxes, you can see that text boxes have been used on PhotoShop or InDesign to make sure everything is typed up properly and in line.

There are subheadings like "Cue", "Industry Insider", "Features", "Fashion", "Tunes" and "Directory" so the reader can quickly find the article they want to read or find the sections of the magazine that they like the best which makes it easier and conventional. The page numbers they have given are not even and go up in different numbers the article for Loco Dice is on page 60 but ends at 68. Adverts are not given page numbers, therefore they are not included in the contents page. For example, the advert on JVC Headphones is not given a page number but the article next to it does include a page number.

Image & Genre:

The image is of a young woman who appears to be at a party and this links with the genre of the magazine. I know this, because the photographer has used a medium-long shot to show her upper body and you can see the background, however you cannot see the lower part of her body. The girl is smiling at the camera which shows that she is having fun and you can see that the camera has framed her to be the main focus since there are people behind her but you cannot see their faces which could suggest that they are somewhat irrelevant in this shot. There is high key lighting to show that it is a welcoming and upbeat atmosphere.
The woman is barely wearing any clothes but is dressed in black. Barely wearing any clothes is like a norm at a party since it is usual for a girl to reveal her areas like the stomach or the chest. This goes with the stereotypes that women are like sex objects. She has posed in a way that doesn't completely reveal anything but you can see a lot of skin and she appears to be wearing make-up (i.e lip gloss).The way she is dressed links with the club/dance culture theme.

There are three other images; one of fireworks, one of a guy posing in a certain way with his hand and another with a woman in the distance. In the picture of fireworks, there is a lot of colour and this makes the scene look happy and fun filled, also you can see that there is many people watching the scene. A long shot is used to capture everything which excites the reader since the image looks amazing. The other 2 photos are in black and white and this makes this seem like a dull atmosphere.The woman in the "Helena Puff" photo has no expression and looks neutral and slightly depressed, a long/mid-shot has been used to capture the background however you don't see the full frame of her body. 

Task Two: Front Page Analysis - Mixmag

The genre I have chosen to do is R&B / Hip Hop so one of the magazines I have chosen is Mixmag.

Mixmag is published in London and was launched in 1982. Mixmag is aimed at people who like dance or club music.

Conventions of page layout:

The masthead is in purple and it has the biggest font on the page. The masthead has to have the biggest font so it can be eye catching and notify the readers of what magazine they are reading. Unlike most magazines, the main focus, in this case is Loco Dice, is not covering the masthead which makes it look simplistic or it could show that the main focus isn't as important as the magazine name.

Skyline has been used to emphasize the point that Mixmag is "The world's biggest dance music & club culture magazine" - this has been written in capitals but the text size has not been enlarged. There is no pull quotes, captions or drop caps however gutter has been used to keep everything aligned and not look disorganized. A cover line has been used to show the relationship between the image and the text. "The return of Loco Dice" helps to notify the reader of who the person on the cover is if they didn't know and it acts like a caption and a teaser since "The return" sounds like he is going to make a comeback and intrigues the reader. Cover lines are snippets of text to interest the audience and this has been used 4 times on the right side and once on the left side. This notifies the reader what is going to be included in the magazine. The font remains constant throughout the cover. Main and important information is in bold for example "plus" - the boldness makes it eye-catching and drags the readers attention there. The font size also remains the same, for example the words that are underlined are the same size.

The cover is clearly structured and the mode seems upbeat since it is talking about music. The bar-code is situated in the bottom right corner next to the price in small print. The price is in small print so that the readers do not pay attention to it and just take it to the counter and buy it and be shocked about it at the counter. It has photography credits in the bottom left corner in small print since it isn't important information.

The magazine has also given out a free download card which includes the cover mix. Having free stuff in a magazine makes people want to buy it just to get a small product even if they don't read the magazine.

Image:
Loco Dice is a popular DJ who specializes in Hip Hop,the magazine frames him. Even though he is covering majority of his face with his hands, you can still see some parts of his face but he has posed in a way to create a shadow on his face which can show mystery and danger. Loco is wearing a simple white shirt which can imply purity and matches the simplicity in the title. It appears that he isn't wearing any make-up however styling products on his hair could be used to make it look "wind swept" or a fan could be used to make it look this way. Loco is wearing no jewelry apart from 2 rings. Again, this shows the simplicity in his clothing. There is a 3 colour scheme of purple, black and white.

Genre:
There are no stereotypes and nothing is portrayed badly on the cover page. You don't see any hint of culture on the cover which could mean that the magazine is neutral. By the way the magazine cover is designed and laid out; you can tell it is a Dance/Club music genre, Purple is a relaxed colour and shows that club/dance music has a calm atmosphere. The background colour is a very light blue and this goes well with the purple as it also makes the magazine look calm. Ibiza is a well known party island that most people go to when they want to go clubbing and since this is one of the cover lines, it shows that this is a feature of a magazine which represents the club/dance culture. Lastly, music artists like Skream, who is a music producer for electro music, and David Morale, who is a house music DJ and producer, are used on the cover to show complete the genre and since Dance music is the theme of the magazine; it links well with the artists that they have chosen.

Magazine Making Practice

Today in class, we were practising how to make a music magazine cover using PhotoShop. Even though I have used PhotoShop many times before I learnt something new. I learnt how to create many layers like the masthead layer and the main cover line then we learnt about gutters. Gutters are like margins and they keep everything in place and in line. I learnt how to use the rubber tool to make the masthead look like it's behind Chris Brown since Chris Brown is the main focus of my cover. Also I learnt how to import pictures into PhotoShop without it being unfocused, this creates a clear image.

This is my finished product.

Task 3 - Preliminary Task: College Magazine

In class, we have been looking at magazine covers and this week we have been looking at college magazines and comparing them to professional magazines that have been made.

This magazine looks like a professional magazine however it could be made by a student.

How is this similar to music magazines?

This magazine cover is similar to other music magazine covers because:

- The model in this magazine cover is covering the masthead.
- There is a bar-code in the bottom left corner.
- There is a 3 colour scheme of white, black and lime green.
- There is a mid-shot which is commonly used in a magazine cover. This shot shows his body language and you can see that he has books in his hands which shows he is educated. This links to the masthead "College Lifestyle".
- There is a main focus on the model and there are cover lines included, this shows what is going to be in the magazine.

How is this different to music magazines?

However, this magazine cover is different to other music magazine covers because:

- The magazine is not talking about music but is talking about life in college.
- In music magazines, the model never smiles and keeps neutral and also takes a pose however in this magazine cover the model appears to be smiling.

Class Work: Looking At A Contents Page

Induction Assignment

First Blog Post

Hey! Welcome to my blog!

My name is Aa'ishah and this is my AS media blog where I will be posting majority of my AS media work and projects!

Stay tuned.
Bye!:)