Q1
- 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? While creatingmyfrontcover,contentspage andDPS, I have triedto use some of the formsand conventionsthatIfoundwere usedinhiphop magazinesthatalreadyexist.Ihadto use these conventionstomake mymagazine lookmore professional,andalsotoshow how all of the pages were part of the same magazine (ie throughthe use of certaincolourschemes). Front Cover As we can see frommy frontcover,I have usedthe rule of thirdsto designandlayout where my mainimage will go,andwhere otherthingssuchas the mastheadandthe coverlineswill go.Iused the RIME magazine asan example whencreatingmyownfront cover.Theyusedthe rule of thirds and placedtheirimage ina waythat the mainmodelsface wason the hotspot,therefore attracting the audience’sattentiontoit.Idecidedtodo the same thingand placedthe image of my model on the top righthotspot. Usinga colourscheme isalsoimportant,andI decidedtouse the themesof verymonochrome coloursand splashesof redtohighlight certainpartsof the magazine.We can see fromRIME magazine thatthere wasalsoa colourscheme used,sothisisa conventionof rapmagazines.More specifically,Ihadto be careful notto use too muchcolours – I foundthat ingeneral,hiphopeditions of magazinessuchasVIBE,XXL etc… usedverybasiccolourschemesandthere wasn’ta lotgoingon on the frontcovers;thisgave thema more formal lookandstylizedthe magazine ashiphop.I therefore decidedtodothistoo,and keptmycolour schemesverysimpletotryto make my hiphop magazine lookmore formal,whilestillkeepingthe style of itashiphop.
- 2. The hip hopmagazinesIlookedatall gave directaddressto the audience.Ifoundthatthiswas quite importantincreatingthe theme andfeel of the genre of hiphopor rap.I therefore decidedtohave my model lookdirectlyintothe camerawhentakingmypictures.Ialsotookpictureswhere the model wasn’tlookingatthe camera,andI foundthat these didnotworkverywell increatingthe themesforhiphopand rap. Whenlookingthroughalreadypublishedfrontcovers,Ifoundthatthere wasa range of shotsused. There were magazineswhichpicturedthe mainmodel inaclose up,and some magazineshadthe mainmodelsinlongshots.Ifoundthat a mediumshotworkedverywell formyfrontcover.It allowedme tofitmymastheadand coverlinesinsothat the front cover still lookedformalandnot all overthe place. Thisparticulartype of shotwouldalsoattract the audience’sattentionastheyget a good viewof the artistsface. The way the model lookedwasalsoveryimportantinshowingwhat genre mymagazine was.For example,the use of the hoodie connotesthe themesnormally associatedwithrapmusic. I foundthat the barcode workedverywell whenplacedaroundthe bottomcornersof the magazine; havingithere still allowedme toplayaroundwiththe majorityof my frontcoverand allowedmore space for manipulationof the coverlines.Thiswasalsothe case withthe price and date on my magazine.Idecidedtohave thembothnexttothe masthead,onthe topleft.Ona display,this wouldbe visibletothe audience sotheywill see the price anddate clearly. I alsodecidedtouse a puff on myfront cover,althoughthiswasnotusedverycommonlyinhiphop or rap magazines.HoweverIfoundthatitworkedverywell withthe coloursIhadusedalreadyand the particularshape of the puff Iusedseemedtoenhance the fontthatI had usedformy masthead, furthershowinghowthiswasa hiphopmagazine.Ithinkthat it workedwell asthe blackstoodout verywell againstthe muchlightercolourof the clothesthat the model iswearingandso would attract the audience’s attention. Contentspage
- 3. One thingI foundquite commoninpublishedhiphopmagazineswasthatthere wasnormallyonly one photoon there,aswe can see fromthe contentspage on the right.However,frommyaudience researchand throughaskingpotential audiences,Ifoundthattheywantedtosee more photos across the magazine,anda contentspage wouldbe a goodplace to put these.Also,Ifoundthathip hopmagazinesgenerallyfeaturedmales:thisparticulargenre hasmore male artistsandpossibly fans.However,againfrommyaudience researchIfoundthatmy targetaudience wantedtosee femalesaswell asmalesinthe magazine,astheythoughtthiscouldpotentiallyincrease the target audience size andattractmore people. Therefore,Iaddedatheme of ‘rap’to the otherimagesthatI put onhere (forexample throughcostume likeahoodie orcap,or throughthe dark lighting) totry and make mymagazine more attractive forthe audience. I alsofoundthat the contentspage of hiphop/rapmagazinesusedthe rule of thirdsto keepit lookingformal.Aswe see fromthe ’50 Cent’contentspage,the rule of thirdshas beenusedtokeep it lookingorganised:the phototakesupthe left2 thirdsandthe contentstake upthe right third.I decidedtoalsouse the rule of thirdsto keepmymagazine lookingneatandformal. Ifoundthat a lotof the hiphop magazinesIlookedatincludedlarge photosof the artists,soIdecidedtouse a longshotof my model andplace himonthe rightto take up the rightthird of my contentspage. Then,I usedthe 2 leftthirdstolistthe featuresthatwouldbe inside the magazine. AnotherconventionthatIfoundwasimportanttokeepto wasthe use of a colour scheme.All the magazine contentspagesIlookedatusedveryspecificcolourschemes,generallyusingbrighter coloursto attract attentionorto highlightcertainthingsinthe contentspage.SeeingasIhad used the theme of monochrome coloursandredto highlightcertainparts,Idecidedtocontinue this,to showhowmy frontcover wasconnectedtomy contentspage andalso to create the formal lookof hiphop magazines’contentspage. I alsodecidedtoplace mymastheadagainon the top leftof my contentspage.Ifoundthat not everyhiphopmagazine Ilookedatdidthis;but the majorityof themdid.Thiswouldshow thatthis contentspage isconnectedtothe frontcover.To attract lessattentiontoitthat everythingelseon the page,I decided tomake itlessbold;I fadeditslightly. AnotherthingIfoundwascommonlyusedonthe contentspagesof hiphop/rapmagazineswaspull quotes. Idecidedtoadd one to the article thatwouldbe on myDPS to give the audience aglimpse of whatwouldbe featuredinthe article andto make themwantto readon further.Asthiswouldbe a more importantpartof the magazine,Idecidedtouse a redfontto attract the attentiontoit.
- 4. DPS I usedthe ‘KidCudi’DPSwhen creatingmy ownto be able to create the atmosphere thatwas createdhere as I feltthatthis wouldworkverywell forthe image that I wantedtouse. Therefore,Idecidedtoleave the whole leftpage foran image,andmy article wouldbe on the rightpage of the spread. Eventhoughthere are a few people inthe image,Iputthe focuson the mainartist whom the article isabout,by making everythingelse blackandwhite, but leavinghimincolour. I neededatitle thatwould attract the audience’s attention. Todo this,I useda veryboldtitle anddecidedto continue mycolourtheme of monochrome coloursandthe brightred.Thisworkedwell as it showedhow myfrontcover, contentspage and DPSwere connectedandgave my magazine a particularstyle.I foundthat thisbigtitle wasa verycommonlyused conventionof the hiphopandrap magazinesthatIlookedat,so I have developedthis. AnotherthingthatI foundwascommonlyusedinthe magazinesIlookedatwas pull quotesonthe DPS; a small sectionof the article thatengagesthe readerandmakesthemwantto read on.I decidedtostickto thisconventionanduse aquote frommy article.Iplacedit above the image on the leftside of myDPS, above the image.Ifoundthatthe particularimage Iusedallowedagood space for me to put a quote,andit still keptitlookingformal. AnotherconventionIstucktowas the use of a drop cap.I foundthat the magazinesIlookedatdid this:it wasone of the thingsthat wasconsistentthroughoutthe magazines. The blackfontIused standsout againstthe greybackgroundand the large drop cap showsthe start of the article. One importantconventionIusedwhenplacingthe article onthe rightside of myDPSwas usingthe rule of thirds,and usingthe gridlayoutto place the text.Most of the hip hopDPS I lookedatused either2 or 3 grids.I foundthatthe 3 workedbetteronmyDPS as it made it seemmore organised.
- 5. I foundthat noteverymagazine DPSIlookedat useda mastheadthatattracteda lotof attention. The focus of the DPS is the article andthe image,andthe mastheadisthere forbrandingandto showhowthe 3 pagesI have createdare connected.Therefore,Iplacedmymasthead,small and fadedin the top leftcornerof my leftpage onthe DPSjustto show this. Page numberingwasalsoa conventionthatIstuck to.I foundthat the hiphop magazinesIlookedat didn’tuse verybigfontsor verybrightcoloursforthis as theywere notsupposedtoattract a lotof attention.Iuseda simple fontandplacedthe numbersinthe outside cornersof the pages.