AS Media Studies Foundation Portfolio

  Costumes and Props         Before taking my shots that I will be using in my magazine, I decided to research what goes into the appearance of musicians. Exploring this topic can help me ensure that my models fit the "look" of the magazine. Artists are also known for what they wear by their audience members and the props they use in each genre have a particular design that is almost like a dress code, costumes and props that allow the art to be used.  allow the artist to connect with the audience’s representation of how artists within the genre are seen. Although sometimes these representations are challenged as the artists outer appearance becomes a symbol to their music.      RnB artists show off their wealth from their outer appearance, they pair simple clothing with large and expensive looking jackets and coats. Jewelry such as chains, watches, rings etc are worn and often grills are shown on their teeth - this is to make them appear as tough and intimidating.  There is

   Masthead Analysis Before constructing my official magazine, I am breaking down and analyzing the techniques and set ups used in past magazine similar to the one I wish to create. For example,    RnB is unique and different than the other magazines, it is in a handwriting font, it is bold yet the ‘N’ is skinny. However, this still follows the other conventions of being red on a white background which once again allows it to stand out on the page and against the main image.  Another example is Vibe magazine, their masthead is bold and all caps, this catches the audience’s attention. Whether it is behind the subject or in front of it, ‘Vibe’ is generally red to stand out on the page, or white to stand out against a  gray scale  image. 

     Color schemes play an important role in the construction of magazines. Picking the right color schemes is just as important as the content you choose. Specific color schemes can be used to asses different audiences or objectives. 

    Now that I have my Music Magazine survey results I will be further evaluating my target audience and working to make sure my content is appealing to them.         From the responses I received, I learned that majority of  my audience is actually female and are all between the ages of 16-18. While this means my audience lacks diversity, this can actually work in my benefit as this makes it much easier to make my content relatable as I am also a female in the same age group. Furthermore, the majority voted that they would like to see a  Black Male Rapper in on the cover.  This is most likely due to the underrepresentation of women and sexism within the music industry. Thus, I will be including a male model on the cover but will also make sure to include women within the content to catch the attention of the audience while also bringing exposure. My audience also voted artist controversy or accomplishments on the cover. Therefore, I will make sure to incorporate this into the cover, m

      Black Male Rapper had the highest amount of votes. This is most likely due to the underrepresentation of women and sexism within the music industry. Thus, I will probably include both a male and female on the cover to both catch the attention of the audience and bring exposure.

    The majority vote stated that they would like to see ' Artist Controversy' on the magazine cover. This shows one of the main interest of my target audience. As a result, I will make sure to include something of the sort on either the cover or implemented within the remainder of the magazine.

               Red and blue had the most votes. Therefore, I can infer these are the colors that best catch the attention off my target audience. However, I will still incorporate the other color schemes within the complete production of my magazine.

     Before creating and conducting my own survey I completed further research to ensure that I am taking all of the proper steps necessary to get the best results. I will take the following steps when constructing my survey: Set a clear list of my goals and intentions for the survey Determine who will participate in the  survey . Decide the type of   survey   Create a list of questions Invite the participants Gather your responses Analyze the results Record and report the results Sources:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/articles/6-steps-to-conducting-an-online-survey https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/survey-research/

 Surveys           Today I brainstormed other ways I can get to know my audience on a deeper level. I decided that a survey would be a great way to do so. Surveys are one of the most commonly used strategies to gather and analyze information. They are a great help towards assessing opinions, thoughts, and feelings which is exactly what I need to do so I can construct my magazine in the best way to cater to my audience. Not only did I learn that using a survey will help me get to know my audience better but it can also be used as interactive content within my magazine. In my upcoming posts, I will take you guys along with me through the process of conducting my own survey.

 I decided to conduct a focus group consisting  of 5 Females 5 Males, ranging from ages 16 through 18. The purpose of this focus group was to get more insight on how to structure my magazine from my target audience. Each participant was asked to answer the following questions: What do you look for on a Magazine Cover? What color scheme stands out the most? What elements do you search for in a title? What font sizes fit each section best? What is the first thing in a magazine that catches your attention? After analyzing the group's different responses, I was able to construct a list of the important key points made by the candidates. These include: simple yet bold titles balance between bold and neutral colors no clashing colors less writing on double page spreads large font size for contents page keep double page spread organized