Research, analysis of front cover, 6.

This is the type of magazine i want to create, a pop magazine mixed with some country aspects for example the acoustic guitar which is a clear symbol of the country genre and the classic outfits that Taylor Swift is wearing in some of my previous posts, were i have outlined the sort of clothes that i would like for my magazine. Basically i will attempt to represent the hybrid genre of pop and country that Taylor Swift has created.  

Representation theory

Taylor swift, a sweet and innocent musician is being represented here.The guitar is a definite symbol for the country music genre however her casual dress is modern and is more symbolic of pop. The model Taylor Swift is in the foreground of this image, i believe that the image is being created in the interest of the photographer, just as  Richard Dyer's theory states: 'a star is an image, not a real person', I agree with this theory as it is clear a stylist has chosen to give the model a stripped back appearance, allowing her to wear casual clothes as the photographer allows her to pose, just her and the guitar. This is a very normal and casual representation contrasting greatly with when she is on stage performing and playing the part of a more extravagant performer, this therefore shows that she is being represented by a photographer very differently to as her fans are used to seeing her and upon looking at this magazine we as readers are lead to believe the star is a normal girl, wearing casual clothes, hair tied back, natural makeup, with the guitar standing out as one of the main features of the magazine.

Unlike Laura Mulvey i do not believe Taylor Swift is doing this for the approval of men and the 'male gaze' because she is not dressed provocatively and although her makeup and hair make for an attractive appearance, her pose (standing behind the guitar and holding it gently) does not symbolize a particularly strong and outgoing women, however perhaps the magazine wanted to create the effect of a innocent young lady, which would attract the younger female audience as opposed to a male audience, as the indexical signs; dressed in trousers, long sleeved jumper (not a stereotypical female outfit),her body being covered by the guitar, and hair tied back,working together in this image do not represent a sexualised image, if it were then i would have agreed with Laura Mulvey's theory. 

This magazine is very simplistic, it contains only primary colours and black which helps avoid colour clashes, There are 5 cover lines including the main cover story which is on Taylor Swift and  PUFF in the top corner. 

Research, MOJO magazines i found in Tescos

The use of PUFFS including buzz words in the top left hand corner will look good on my magazine as it will attract the eye of  potential readers. This magazine does not adhere to the convention of eye contact with the camera, there are many models situated on the front of this cover all arranged in a collaged effect however none of them are making eye contact with the camera making direct address with the reader impossible. The Mojo masthead is also covered by the slogan of the magazine and a PUFF this is also breaking a convention. 

I like this simplistic design, with the headline in very large font, it stands out and gets the contents of the magazine across easily and quickly.  There are no cover lines down the side of the magazine which is another convention broken, the reader is now unable to see the contents of the magazine. The eye contact convention has again been broken, instead of making eye contact with the reader two models are looking at each other which could be a symbol of their deep love but also could be seen as excluding potentioal readers and therefore making them disinclined to read the magazine. 

I like the organisation of this group image. I also love the way just black, gold and white has beeen used to create a constant house style. Again the masthead is being covered by the slogan, throughout my research i have discovered that this is a constant feature of Mojo magazine and has become one of their own conventions. 

The collage effect on this magazine is very aesthetically effective. There are a very little number of cover stories on this magazine and that is because the entire magazine is covered in models, this is extremely unconventional as usually there is only one model or a small group arranged with thought and detail however this appears to have a more random effect. 

Research, Rollingstone magazine featuring Taylor Swift, analysis of front cover, 5.

Research Rollingstone front cover analysis, 4.

This magazine i believe supports Laura Mulvey's theory, as rollingstone is usually a rock magazine this isn't the kind of representation i would expect. This image is extremely provocative and is clearly taken to attract the 'male gaze' that Mulvey suggests is the reasoning behind women doing things to impress or attract men hence her lack of clothing and suggesting poses (arched back showing off her assets etc....)  It is also not a typical representation of a woman as Stuart Hall would suggest, years ago this would have not been an acceptable image which would have shocked many as the exposure of women in this way would not have been heard of. As Richard Dyer says 'a star is an image not a real person' Rollingstone is trying to create a more sexualised image of Britney to coincide with the Rock genre of the magazine. Stereo-typically the rock genre is edgy and risque, people associated with the rock genre tend to be seen as more outgoing and confident people which is reflected in this cover. I would suggest the target audience is older men however as Julian Mcdougall suggests as online mediums begin to take over it is much harder to identify age and gender of readers. 

The image is made to seem natural as Britney looks to be in a bedroom environment and she is wearing the clothes she may sleep in perhaps which makes the cover seem true to her real life, suggesting the interview will be insightful and involve in depth conversations with Britney. This representation of Britney is real however quite exaggerated, usually she represents a very feminine and sexualised woman however these traits are exploited for the purpose of this attention grabbing magazine. 

This headline is an example of anchorage as it implies the reason and meaning behind the image, the headline suggests she is alone and the image is her response to that loneliness, the picture is a symbol of her happiness and lack of need for a man to make her feel beautiful, attractive etc... The model is also looking into the camera which creates more of a seductive and intimate vibe as well. 

The image is an example of a medium long shot, with a sharp and clear finish. No part of the image is covered by text however as i have noticed in many of the magazines i have analysed the convention of not covering the masthead with the picture has again been broken, the reason for this i believe is so that the picture of Britney appears to be more in the foreground and the writing is set back into the background. 

The masthead is a mix of blue colours, the house style is reflected in the masthead (serif font) and some of the cover lines (blue). I  believe the text written in black are the words they wish to stand out for example 'Britney' is the main story in the magazine and a very popular artist, the creators of the magazine want to draw the eye of potential buyers to this first. 

This is an example of a pug, usually in the top corner of the magazine with an incentive to buy for example it contains the 2003 hot list which is a positive feature that they wish to draw peoples attention to.  

How this post has influenced my planning and creativity:

I like the synergy created by the constant use of blue, black and orange. I like the faded and effect of the masthead, from dark blue to light, i also like the black outline. 

Flikr account

A Flickr account is important so that as a media group we can share photos while giving and receiving contructive criticism.

Skills with Adobe

Magic rubber is used to erase items on the editor.
Text that has been added can be enlarged and moved by dragging the cursor.
Text is a lot easier to man oeuvre if you use a new layer for each word, which is also a new feature I have learnt to successfully utilize in my work.
Shapes can also be added to your work which can be used to to draw attention to the buzz words.

Research Inspiration .

I love this outfit, it is very graceful, i think this ensemble would look very effective on the front cover of my magazine with a brown acoustic guitar creating indexical signs of country music but also keeping the modern pop element as the model will be young and still wearing trendy clothes. I also like the background (in a field) which is again something i could use in my magazine. 

I Really like this outfit, its sophisticated yet still modern and stylish, portraying a modern genre but also a mature music style, 

I like the way this photo has been manipulated giving it a vintage effect using a filter, it portrays a country music vibe. 

Research Inspiration for music magazine, model pose.

I love this pose that Taylor Swift has with her guitar on the front cover of this magazine. Her stance is very powerful creating the symbol of a very influential women in the music industry, it is very eye catching and the way she is holding the guitar above her head shows that it is very instrumental to her success which i like because i believe instruments are very important. I would like to include the guitar prop in my music magazine because i think it will add to the mis-en-scene i am trying to create,hybridity (pop  genre with sub genre of country), similar to Taylor Swift. 

Research Katy Perry Billboard, front cover analysis, 3.

Representation theory

I believe this image prompts an argument of Laura Mulvey's theory: 'the male gaze' which suggests that women pose and dress the way they do, in order to attract the attention of men. The model's outfit is not provocative, the flowers draped all over her, combined with the pink and purple colours are all indexical signs of a feminine magazine and therefore i believe it will appeal to a female audience as opposed to a male one, consequently the photographer planning the photo shoot will not have been attempting to portray a highly sexualised woman who he believes will draw the attention of males, this is implied through the connotations of her pose, she has both her arms covering her chest this could suggest her innocence as she is covering herself in a protective way. The flowers i think are symbolic of innocence and fragility and therefore a young and girly representation is being created which will attract a young female audience. This supports Richard Dyer's theory: 'a star is an image, not a real person' this is very obvious as the model would not be pictured in every day life wearing this, the photographer and stylist have chosen her outfit, make up and pose to create the representation that they desire.

The masthead relates to the image because both the music magazine and the artist Katy Perry have substantial and iconic roles within the music industry. The model is looking directly into camera, making eye contact allows the reader to feel connected to their favourite artist. A medium long shot has been used which is slightly right of frame, i like the page layout and organisation of this magazine as the name of the artist fits in perfectly to the space created by her arched back, it is an interesting pose which i could use in my own work.
This magazine has no dateline or bar code which breaks a convention. There are also only 4 cover stories on the front of this magazine suggesting it is slightly smaller than magazines like 'Q'.

The background very clear with light and dark shadowing of the bubble gum pink colour, complimenting the colour of the pink, white cream and red colours of the flowers and contrasting with the deep purple of her dress. The photo has been taken in a studio setting. Her makeup and hair are quite understated apart from her pink lips, the outfit and make up are all indexical signs of Katy Perry and her girly, cute and fun image. However her pink lipstick can still be quite alluring and her short dress keeps her target audience slightly older (older teenage girls). However she does look very attractive in this image so it could also appeal to some men who enjoy her music. I believe the house style of this magazine is pink. There is no free CD included. There is a PUFF in the bottom right hand corner.

The masthead has been placed at the top of the screen. It included primary colours (red,yellow, blue) and black to avoid clashes with the bright pink background. The font is san serif this makes it easy to read and easily recognizable as a 'Billboard' magazine. Again breaking the convention of not obstructing the masthead has again been broken by placing Katy Perry's head in front of the 'bo' however in this case it is effective because it enables Katy Perry to appear more 3D as it puts the masthead in the background and the subject in the foreground.  

How this post has influenced my creativity and planning: 

I like the use of pink and purple as complimentary colours, it creates a more feminine appearance and will therefore attract my female target audience.
How

Research Ed Sheeran Q Magazine analysis, 2.

The headline relates to the image because 'Q' magazine has become a recognized iconic sign of music magazines and Ed Sheeran has become a widely known and acclaimed artist, the 'Q' is also the feature that i notice first in the top left hand corner, it stands out very clearly and also fills a large amount of the page. The house style is very clearly red and colours complimenting this for example black, white and greys. There are 7 cover stories on the front cover, allowing the magazine to grab the attention of the readers with interesting stories.

The font size is varying on the cover stories, the larger font catches the eye of potential readers first, a convention of music magazines is to use larger font on the more important text, for example the name of an artist, if the reader sees a well known artist they are more likely to pick up the article. 

The model is not looking directly into camera and instead, is focusing on the distance, which is breaking a code and convention of music magazine. The reason for this could be because he is looking towards his future in music, however Ed Sheeran is quite an edgy artist and is therefore allowed to break the conventions of magazines, he is also well known for not contributing to the media scene, avoiding photos in magazines and appearing in his own music videos for example therefore this photo reflects his personality. The shot type is a medium close up and is extremely sharp and clear. I think the target audience is mostly men because of the black and dull clothes. 

The body of the model is covered by his name and the strap line, however in contrast to this the top of Ed Sheeran's head covers the headline. The background is grey with a highlighted area around the head and body created in a photo studio.The image is in colour however the chosen clothes are very dark representing his raw and grungy sound with a splash of colour in his hair and eyes to represent the pop genre that the artist also represents which consequently appeals to the target audience. Little effort appears to have been made on hair and makeup, his whole outfit and look creates the indexical sign of a chilled out pop star, this vibe is created by the scruffy  hair (also a symbol of the music genre) and dressed down style. 

Anchorage has been used here by using the strap line to explain the meaning of the prop, suggesting to the reader that the guitar is highly instrumental in Ed Sheeran's success and is therefore a symbol of Ed Sheeran and his brand. This helps create the mis-en-scene of a stripped back simple and relaxed vibe. There is no free CD available suggesting that the artist is well known and needs very little promotion.

The headline is in san serif making it much easier to read. 

The word essential is displayed on a banner, this is because it is a buzzword and it is therefore important that the word stands out and draws the attention of the audience with this positive and exciting word. The circle is also a PUFF it is a brightly coloured circle drawing attention to the '50' 

How this magazine has influenced me. 

Breaking a convention of overlapping the models head over the masthead creates the effect of the model being more in the foreground and consequently a lot more 3D. 

Research Cheryl Cole Q Magazine Analysis, 1.

I have chosen to analyse the Cheryl Cole cover of the Q magazine. The Red background for the 'Q' is symbolic of an alert, which has connotations of making someone stop perhaps urgently and therefore buy the magazine. There are also many indexical signs within the cover, for example the colour red, Cheryl's wet and rained on appearance, and the licking of her red lips are all indexical representations of a sexualised person or an attempt at making the cover more alluring. This appearance is also iconic of Cheryl Cole as she is often presented as an empowering and feminine woman. The cover also includes an effective strap line, in order to successfully sell the magazine. The background is a plain black colour consequently the choice of grey and white writing is able to be read and the splashes of red text fits in with the colour scheme. This particular photograph is a close up head shot and makes certain that Cheryl is the main focus of the front cover, she is also looking into the camera which is one of the conventions of magazine front covers. The phrase 'Cheryl Cole Rocks' is also pasted across the cover, this is reflected in the colour scheme (black and red) these colours  are connotations and symbols of rock as is the leather jacket she is wearing. 

Preliminary final front cover

Preliminary final contents page

Planning, preliminary college magazine with annotations

My college magazine with annotations

Planning, preliminary magazine front cover (plan)

Planning, preliminary college magazine contents page (plan)

Above is my contents page plan for the preliminary task, my college magazine.

Planning, selected photos for preliminary college magazine front cover.

I have chosen this photo for one of my final three because it is clearly focused and the lighting is very good, allowing my model to stand out and be the main focus of the photo. The background of the photo is also very plain, therefore enabling me to add text, such as cover lines and mastheads while also keeping with the college theme as the image is shot in a college enviroment. The model is wearing the beige coloured coat which i specified in my plan and minimal make-up. The shot style is also a 'medium, close up' which stays true to the specification. I have also made sure that the symbols of a typical student are present in my cover photo, for example the reading of a book, the models eyes are focused on the book which is a symbol for the learning taking place and the interest the student has in their chosen subjects. Within this photo i have broken a convention of front cover photos of magazines (eye contact with camera) the reason i have done this is because i wanted to take a natural photo of a student in a natural enviroment. 

I have chosen this photo as one of my final three because, unlike the first option, eye contact with the camera and therefore the audience has been made, this is a convention of front cover photos on magazines. 

I like this photo because it is a unique angle and it shows the subject of English and maths in the background, the model is also holding some books this helps to create the mis-en-scene of a college. 

Planning, rejected photos for preliminary magazine front cover.

This photo has been rejected because it is extremely blurry and also the model is not making eye contact and there is no creative reason for this. 

In this photo the book is obstructing the face of the model which is why i have chosen to reject it. 

This photo quality is very poor as the lighting is very bright and much too intense. 

Research genre

My favourite genre is the pop genre. Steve neale said that genre was about repetition and difference, I agree with this because although to create a genre you must stay true to the same basic codes and conventions every artist has a different and individual sound. This is show in hybridity when two or more genres combine to create a sound that the artist themselves has personally created.

Hodge and Kress also suggest genre is restrictive, meaning they create an expectation mostly from the listeners, I agree with this statement because if the listeners identify an artist as a pop artist, they will be expecting a pop sound, if not they have been mislead.

Planning for magazine front cover

My magazine will focus on a typical student that magazine readers from Brigg sixth form will be able to relate to......  

Students clothing and accessories 

The image must be able to be related to by the everyday student, consequently they must be well dressed, smart casual dress would be the most appropriate. I see most college students wearing skinny jeans, perhaps a black pair contrasting with a white silky top to keep the outfit trendy, cool but appropriate for creating a learning atmosphere. In order to keep the outfit sophisticated a camel coloured coat would look great, i love this colour and have seen it in many shops such as New Look and Top shop so i know it is what most of the students are currently wearing. One thing i associate with students are backpacks, so my subject for the photo will have to be carrying one of these as it is a symbol of the modern student. The models hairstyle should be simple, just down and wavy.

Makeup 

minimal make up should be used so as not to distract from the symbols of a student.

Camera angles 

The student should be standing right of frame, standing side on, looking over the shoulder, to create a medium shot over the shoulder so that the backpack they will be wearing will be in view. They must also keep eye contact with the camera at all times. If it is possible i shall take the picture of the model laughing, this looks a lot more natural and allows me to create the sense of enjoyment that people can experience from attending college. The image of the student should not obstruct the masthead.

Setting

The setting could be simple such as on the school field or in front of a whiteboard, i would like the overall cover to suggest an indexical sign of a college student. However the setting can't distract from masthead, cover lines or subtitles.

Magazine features. 

Black text should be used with a simple font such as 'Ariel'. The title of my magazine will be 'Vale 6th Sense'

Research powerpoint on codes and conventions concerning music magazine front covers