Previous Students Work.

Camera and Photoshop

In Janis’ work he has used two types of camera shots, close ups and a mid-shot. I think using these types of shots was effective for his genre being rap as the closeup adds a sense of realness and intensity. In addition, the mid-shot shows off the artists style as his clothing is more visable. In one of the images, half of the models face is cropped out thus creating a feel of arrogance as not al of his face has to be viable for his fans to recognise him. However as only two different shots were used I think he could have used more to further engage and allure his audience. Janis hasn’t used photoshop in his work however I don’t believe that it disregards it as it would not have gone with his genre. Rap is about ‘keeping it real’ and being raw, straight to the point and simple. It is purely surrounded by the artist and neglects other distraction including use of photoshop.

Mise-en-Scene

Costume is one of the key parts of mise-en-scene which is relevant in Janis’ work. He has chosen accessories and clothing all which relate back to rap. This includes: balaclavas, hats, hoodies, glasses and a gold chain. The fact many of these items cover parts of the rapper, adds to his arrogant persona and makes him appear pompous. In addition, the outfit choice is kept to a restrained colour palette including black, white and red. This ties in nicely with the rest of the magazine as these are the colours used through it, overall making it appear more professional and not over-crowding things. In each image the models face is serious and impassive, their eyes fixated towards the camera with no expression exhibited. In a way, this makes the rappers appear intimidating and as though he is standing his ground, perhaps the way they act on the streets. The agressively piercing eyes almost makes the viewer feel uncomfortable yet enables them to read into and connect to the artist at the same time. It makes the viewer sense that the rapper has something to give and tell and that he is deliberate about it. There is an impression of intensity and silence, whilst the viewer wants to break through that by listening to their music.

Wording and Engagement 

The wording in this magazine was well thought out to further engage the target audience. On the front  magazine cover three words are used in capitals, “DEDICATION, LOYALTY, HUMBLENESS.” These words are often topics which are talked about and words which are used in rap songs. They also say a lot of what his personality may be like. They are positive traits to obtain and the fact he is so defiant and straight forward about it shows that he is confident and knows himself. “Uncovering the man behind the mask” is also said on the magazine cover and it engages the viewer to buy the magazine as it adds a sense of mystery and the viewer then wants to know more about the artist, what he has to offer and what his music is about. On the inside spread, phrases were used such as “WHY BE A KING, WHEN YOU CAN BE A GOD?” Once again, this adds to the arrogant impression the magazine gives off. By saying this he is endorsing himself and shows that he aims for the best and has a lot to give.

Creative use of DTP

I think the use of indesign was done well and the overall magazine look very professional. A simple colour palette was used throughout the magazine including black, white and red. The black and white keeps the magazine simple yet contrasting. Black text is an easy colour to read against the white background and overall, it looks sleek. Red connotes to love, anger and aggression; it is a statement colour that catches the eye. This goes well with the music genre as in rap, deep feelings are often portrayed and the comprehensive view on rap is that it is quite threatening as it began in the streets. Speaking of this, the font used is often in capitals and is bold yet messy and vigorously washed out. This almost looks like graffiti and fits in with the street vibe of the magazine. The magazine talks about rap battles and red also shows anger, which can be reflected in this form of ‘battle’. The placement of the text fits nicely around the images, keeping it looking professional and enabling the wording to be easy to read. Finally, the placement of the masthead, plugs, inserts and coverlines all fit together well and focus on the main aspects of the magazine correctly.

Overall, I believe it is important to look back on a previous students work as it sets forward exactly what I must do in order to achieve what I want. It allows me to identify what parts of their work went well, allowing me to take inspiration upon that. However I also noticed some mistakes or thing which could have been improved, thus I will take precautions to not do the same.