Wednesday, May 6, 2009

vibe feature article reaserch

This is a feature article of another hip hop magazine vibe magazine who have focused more on the image of the artist rather than the the text. This works because you immediatly know who the artist is because you recognise his image which will intrege the  reader to read the article because of the image. 

contents analysis reaserch

This is a contents page for the vibe magazine which highlights the artist more than the text like the cover page did. The logo is behind the artist to represent the magazine but because it is behind it keeps the focus on the artist.The artist  is a darker shade of grey and black mix to make the artist stand out more on the lighter grey background. The contents are smaller but are still clear because because it is black text on the grey background and it is a fancy font so makes it stand out more and is more attractive to read. The contents title is very large and in black colour so it stands out more so people know what there about to read.

scan cover of magazine reaserch

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

This is my feature article whith two images so i have the minimum requirement of four images throughout my magazine. The colours and theme have been continued here to go along with the colours on my front cover and contents page. The artist is the same as the artists on the other pages because the feature article is about him.


This is my contents page but at the last minute i decided to chande the latout of the contents page to make it look more clear and profestional. The imag
e and graphite are there to represent
a dark and gangster image which hip hop artists have.
This is my magazine front cover and like in the other magazine covers i have reaserched it is very simple and the emphasise is on the artist rather than anything else. i kept to a simple colour scheme red, yellow,black and white which is continued throughout the magazine

Friday, April 24, 2009

main produce continued

I am a few weeks into the project and i have taken my pictures and have edited them. My pictures are on all three of my pages and i am just sorting out the final details of my produce e.g were everything will be and color before i print it out to be evaluated. My double page spread is now almost complete it has the picture and interview on it so the placement of everything is now just what needs sorting. I have changed the name of my artist to Truth and have edited the layout of the magazine compared to my preliminary tasks because it did not look as good as i thought it would

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

start of final product

This past week i have started my final project for my magazine firstly i started my front cover which i kept very close to the preliminary design with only one major alteration the image covers the right side of the page so there is only text on the left of the cover and in the title at the top. I have not finished my front cover because i have not taken my pictures for it so i moved onto my contents page which is very different from my preliminary design of the contents page because i decided to only use one image and not surrounded the text with images but like my front cover i have not taken the pictures so i could not complete it. I then made a start on my double page feature article, i wrote out my article first on word then made adjustments to it i have almost finished it but i don't have the pictures so i can't complete it. However i plan to take the photo today so i will be able to upload the images onto the magazine by the 3rd of April.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

mood board info

i went on the internet and got images and text off of the front cover of various vibe magazines. This shows me the colours of the backgrounds and the text colours. It also showed me the way that the text is written not in a dumbed down or obvious way. it showed me how the people are dressed and that they are the main focus of the cover of this type of magazine.

mood board 2nd half

mood board

Monday, March 23, 2009

Feedback 23.3.09

James,

Please upload these sketches and your mood board when completed. Your planning should be complete now and i'd like to see you getting on with the page design/layout of your project now please. Ensure you take all your photos this week and write a rough version of your article for friday. Only 4 weeks left!
(Mrs Abell)

Friday, March 20, 2009

Magazine sketches

I have done drawings of my front cover,contents page and double page spread so i now know what my magazine will look like. These sketches tell me how i will set out my magazines and what pictures i take and were i will put them. However i will probabaly change the final product from these drawings depending on how the picetures look and if the layout looks profetional enough.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

magazine covers research

This shows Beyonce as the main focus again as with the other covers she is even overlapping the magazine name showing that these magazines covers are more focused on the people on the cover then the text.
This is an example of a hip hop magazine cover and it is nit very complicated and is focused more on the people on the cover rather than the text. Eminem and 50 cent are dressed in dark clothing on a white background so they stand out more putting the emphasize on them.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Feedback 16.3.09

James,
You need to evaluate the prelim a little more thoroughly. Reflect on what you've learnt and how you intend to use this to improve your project. You are ready to start planning your project now in detail - take pics, sketch pages, write article etc.
Mrs A

Friday, March 13, 2009

preliminary tasks

First i drew out a cover and contents page for a college/school magazine and i created the cover page on indesign using the camera to take a picture of the person i chose to do the front cover. I learnt from this because next time i take a picture it will not be of a person with a complocated hairstyle .I also learnt that the cover should not be filled with as much color as on my school magazine because hip hop magazines should be more dark colors and should not be busy on the front cover it should be simpler. I went on the internet to find other school magazines so i could find out what i needed to write on the magazine and what it needed to be set out as. I found that the text that i used was very effective and eye catching and something i might want to use on my final project. Finally i uploaded the cover on my blog and have scanned my contents page and have posted it. 

Monday, March 9, 2009

Psychographic profile

The followers of hip hop music are fans of mainstream and commercial music. This is because hip hop music is so very popular that it is distributed by the big media conglomorates. Using the project pheonix information i have come to the conclusion that most hip hop fans are enthusiasts so this shows me that hip hop has a very loyal fanbase.

Pubications similar to mine and usp

There are a wide range of hip hop magazines in the world which include vibe and true which have both had success in the states. However in the UK these magazines have not been very successful because they are not easy to get. The reason for this is that these magazines have not been distributed well in the UK so in order to get one of these magazines it will take a lot of hard work for a fan to find a place that sells them. My magazine will be quite different because it will be very easy to find and easy to buy. I will do this by selling the magazine in most shops and stands as well as being able to order it online. The unique selling point of my magazine will be that it will not just focus on the major international hip hop artists but the local and undiscoverd artists.

Friday, March 6, 2009

questionnaire

I have done my questionnaire and have got my results that will help me with my magazine. The results showed that there is a strong fan-base for hip hop music because 80% of people asked like hip hop music. It also showed that the punters would like a weekly magazine. They will be willing to pay £3.00 so the magazine should be produced on cheaper paper. The showed a split decision on wanting to see international and local artists so the magazine should showcase both. The favorite magazine available according to the survey NME magazine is the favorite followed by VIBE so i will use both to find out what i can do better than those magazines.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Training 
At the moment i have been training on the equipment i will need to complete my project. The equipment i have been training with is the InDesign and photoshop programs which will help me in my images with the magazine. We have talked about the rules (dos and donts) of using the equipment and have talked about the tasks that i need to do by the end of the week like my research. My research will include a look at other magazines that are in the rap music genre so i can further understand what it takes to make a rap magazine and what i can improve on in my magazine.  

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Initial ideas

I will be doing a hip hop magazine because i am interested in this genre of music and there is a gap in the British market for a hip hop magazine.My target audience will be male teens and young adults, this is the current hip hop generation and who buy hip hop merchandise, i will confirm my prediction of this by using a questionnaire. The first issue will be sold at the time of the hip hop honors the most important date in the hip hop calendar. 

Blog Entry 1

HI i am james laraway and I am going to produce a music magazine for my media AS coursework. This is because i think that it would be more enjoyable than a film and i would not have to rely on anyone else. I will record all my work on here.