Test Shot Images

As with the previous project, we took test shots in order to gain a better understanding of the correct framing to use when taking portrait photographs for a magazine cover. Here, I have included 7 images of different framing types including examples of poor framing for a front cover. The medium close-up is most commonly used for magazine main images, and thus is the type of framing I will use for my main image.

Photography Analysis - Double Page Spread

Photography Analysis - Contents Page

Photography Analysis - Front Covers

In order to further gain information which would aid in the photographing for my final front cover, I found 3 front covers of music magazines from any genre and looked into the framing, costume, lighting, poses and props (if used) and how they were effective in attracting the target audience.

Overall, I liked this image due to the unusual outfit which Kraviz is wearing. Her pose along with the fact she is looking directly at the camera drew more attention to the cover, along with the framing of the image meant she was taking up just the right amount of space to allow the placement of other features; whilst still ensuring she was the largest feature on the page and thus drew more attention.

 

I chose this image as it was from a magazine which aims towards a slightly different genre of music, therefore it allowed me to compare and contrast the difference between the magazines. Unlike the other two magazines which I have analysed here, props have been included to further draw attention to the magazine, therefore making the image different from, and more eye-catching than the other two.

Lastly, I chose this image in particular for its inclusion of a background. Unlike the other two magazine covers which I have analysed, this image has a background which is heavily blurred due to the very shallow depth of field. As mentioned, this was the effect I attempted to achieve in my preliminary task. It adds extra colour to the image and thus draws more attention.

Focus Group

For this task, I found two students who matched the general profile of the magazine's target audiences and asked them questions relating to the magazine in a 'focus group' video.

After recording the video, I uploaded and edited it in iMovie from scratch. Below, I have attached a screenshot to show how I put together the video in order to achieve the desired effect.

I started by importing the clips and then adding them along with the text into the timeline. I did this as chronologically as I could to make it easier. I had to cut, chop and split clips as well as adjust the audio in some as you could hear me asking the questions in the background. After I got everything in place, I added transitions and tweaked the brightness to complete the visuals.

Lastly, I added audio. This was probably the most difficult part as I had to adjust the volume levels in places so the voices could be heard over it. Not only this, but the audio clip I used (a standard iMovie clip so as not to potentially breach copyright by using a downloaded one) was too short for the video; therefore I had to piece it together with an earlier chunk of the audio as best as possible in order to complete it.

The video took around 2-3 hours to complete.

Overall, I would have preferred it if I could have had more people answering questions in the video. However, this was almost impossible due to time limits and difficulties I was having with my camera on the day of recording. It took around an hour to record the video of Molly as my camera/SD card suffered writing issues and would cut off at various places in the recordings. To improve, I would have allowed more time to record, checked any potential issues with equipment before starting and asked more people to participate.

Response to Focus Group

Why was it useful?

The focus group were useful as they answered my questions in depth, often expanding upon their answers and explaining why. They gave me answers to questions which would help in the development of my magazine and articles which will appeal to the target audience such as 'What are your favourite artists?'. They answered questions that may help increase circulation of the magazine such as price and how often the magazine should be released.

How has it helped you in the decisions you will make when creating your magazine?

The focus group helped me in the decisions I will make for the magazine as they have given me ideas for feature stories and contents pages, advised how often the magazine should be released and in what format. Their answers have been helpful as it gave an insight into the views of my target audience and therefore suggested how it could be targeted better to suit them.

Did you find out something that you did not expect to?

I was fairly surprised at their answers for 'Would you prefer a paper or electronic copy?’ as a number of existing electronic music magazines publish them online. This is due to the fact that EDM music, being widely distributed electronically, is reflected well in the fact that the majority of dedicated magazines also release issues electronically. However, physical paper copies can sometimes be easier to read, look better and, as Victoria stated, are more authentic.

What were your general findings?

One of my general findings were that the target audience felt as though their genre was somewhat neglected in terms of magazines, “The genre that I listen to, they don’t really have a specific music magazine.” This further backs up the fact that I found the magazine research difficult due to a lack of existing products. I also found that generally, as a fairly young audience, they would prefer a cheaper price (£2 or £3-4 for a good quality magazine) and would only want to purchase it monthly in order to allow the best quality production and to avoid spending often.

Has it made you change any of your initial ideas?

The focus group hasn’t made me change any of my initial ideas as generally, their responses were relatively predictable. However, it has helped me to refine ideas and gain a better idea on the opinions of the target audience, thus backing up the decisions I had already made.

Audience Research - Social Class & Demographics

We began further research into our audience so that we could gain a good knowledge of the kind of people who would be reading our magazine and how to be target it so that it appeals to them. We looked into the different social classes within the UK, shown below in a table.

After conducting research into this, I decided upon the audience I would aim my magazine at and presented it in a Prezi presentation (below).

3 Looks for the Front Cover Artist

Mise-en-scène plays an extremely important part in magazine design, the artist in the main image needs to reflect the genre well in order to attract the target audience. I have created moodboards of general clothing worn by male and female EDM/house artists and then drawn up 3 looks each from the information I gathered in the moodboards.

Male Artists

Drawing up 3 outfits for male artists was fairly simple. There was a recurring theme of t-shirts, often tight-fitting v-necks, sometimes with prints but usually just plain black or white. Generally, black jackets or cardigans are worn over the top and trousers are nearly always jeans with trainer-type shoes. Main colours tended to be black, white and grey with the occasional bright colour such as a near-fluorescent green or blue.

For the first look, I chose a white v-neck t-shirt that was tight-fitting, along with a simple black jacket, jeans and nike trainers. For the second, I swapped out the white t-shirt for a black v-neck instead. I picked a pair of baggy grey jeans and black trainers, as well as a black snapback. Lastly for 'look 3', I found two t-shirts that were bright in colour and paired it with a black leather jacket, dark blue jeans and Converse trainers. 

Female Artists

Drawing up outfits for female artists proved to be extremely difficult as there doesn't seem to be a general theme with their costumes. Upon researching outfits which female fans of EDM music wear, there was definitely a recurring theme of tutu skirts, bras, leg-warmers and shorts all in neon fluorescent colours. However, this isn't necessarily reflected in the outfits seen worn by female fans in music and festival videos, and so is more likely a generalisation of club culture. For that reason, I instead focused my outfit research on female DJs and produced the above moodboard. Although there isn't a recurring theme with their outfits, they are all more suitable for a magazine cover and in my opinion, reflect the genre better.

Out of all the outfits in the moodboard, I personally liked those worn by Audrey Napoleon best (the artist with black hair and a block fringe, first image has a blue tint and the second image she is wearing a pink-purple skirt). These outfits in particular are very contemporary and modern-looking, which reflects the genre well as EDM and house are very new genres of music. I am hoping to achieve this similar contemporary look in the final images for my magazine.

Along with costumes for females, I looked for make-up ideas which were fairly versatile and could be manipulated to work with any outfit. The following video I found to be the best one as the eye make-up is fairly natural and the lip colour could be changed to suit any colour of costume