Component 1

For the rough cut, we went with a rapid-cut, fast-paced edit approach, in order to add “action” and energy to the clip.

While our editing was fine, I feel as though some variation could be used; e.g. effects in the background, some more filters used, and other editing techniques.

The clip itself is alright- but feels mostly standard and plain.

I believe we should focus on:

• More variation in editing
• Use more clips of the actual lip-sync
• Try and stick to the fast style, and try not to focus too much on a particular “scene” (as seen half way through the video, with a pan around to the drummer- which tends to drag)

To introduce, my magazine- Archives- covers all the latest news about the hip-hop scene, new artists, as well as entertainment and lists detailing the best, latest tracks and albums.

When asked to describe my magazine’s brand values, I would say that they are to inform and guide those already involved, or curious, about the hip-hop music scene.  This statement fits in with this “Everyone has a story we want to archive,  a song to store and spread to the world. We wish to help low-time rappers and hip-hop artists hit the ground running as they enter the scene and come out with their debut song.”

In regards to my target audience, I would say that would include young adults with an interest in music. More specifically, lower-middle class males (as where is a disproportionate number of males listening to hip-hop compared to females) wanting to find out (learn) about the latest news, and to be entertained. In terms of likes, sports and drinks are important, due to advertisements and the close connection often found between these things and music. For dislikes however, none.

For my magazine, I want to combine information with entertainment, in order to both inform the reader, and also keep their attention on the magazine- to maximise gain and to specifically target this target audience through interest. If someone is entertained while being taught, they will look at that learning process fondly, and so, will want to buy another issue. Also, when reading, the music scene and hip-hop artists can help distract the audience from real world on goings i.e. war, famine, pandemics etc. and will give them something to read and later listen to music mentioned within the issues. The readers will also be able to communicate with others about the music covered, giving them social interaction and things to discuss (for example, best albums and artists). Some in the audience may also sympathise or relate to the artists talked about or interviewed within the magazine, giving them the personal identity aspect to hook them into reading. AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is linked to this. Having an attractive looking cover (e.g. great colour scheme and good framing) with some interesting information displayed (like an exclusive interview or important news) will give the reader the desire to read and purchase the magazine. And so, I need to have good looking visuals and graphics, interesting interviews (e.g a popular artist giving personal anecdotes about a key topic i.e. background, music, something random such as ghost tales etc.) and stories, and ultimately produce a good enough product for the reader to want to purchase, and spread amongst others. For an extra example of things required for engagement, with the design of the front cover itself, having good cover lines that intrigue the reader, and having a unique image which incorporates props well will also increase engagement.

When asked about, out of any, distributor, if I could choose now, I would want to work with Time Inc UK. This is because of the wide variety of magazines distributed and produced under and through Time Inc. Several different music magazines are run through Time Inc, which I think could benefit my magazine, and spread faster compared to being distributed by other companies. For example, magazines such as “Bass Guitar” and “Classic Rock” are featured on their website under “brands”.

Speaking of brands, I would hope to attract sports and entertainment advertisers. For example, these two adverts (Lucozade and Nike) would pair well with my magazine- due to the close relation between hip-hop and fitness, as well as fashion. They also pair well with my target audience, and as stated previously, targeting fans of music can be aided with sports and fashion advertisements.

Finally, in regards to distribution and online/print content, I believe that print should be used more as an advertisement; snippets of the magazine released both online and in print, for cheap or for free, to give an almost ‘demo’ for the rest of the magazine. Print sales are becoming less and less, as things like the e-book market continues to grow- as seen by the £370 million increase. Compare this to the loss of roughly £150 million in physical book sales since 2009, it is clear to see which is the more fruitful market. However, in this case, I think the usage of online content should be reserved for advertisement, with the opposite occurring. Through online, the small amount of the article(s) itself should be ad-free, to be clear and concise, as to get the attention of any potential readers, and get them to look up the magazine online or in book stores to purchase the print. Through the usage of social media, parts of the magazine (such as interviews, brand deals, etc.) should be displayed and used to advertise the issues themselves. I also think that the cover price should be reduced, and with advertisements reserved for both social media and the print article. Also, fans and readers can ask questions that could be answered in any Q&A (either between the magazine itself, or a celebrity/artist). If people wanted access to some exclusive content (i.e. personal interviews with artists or ad-free content) they could pay a sum per month to gain access, and with a reduced pricing on the magazine after several months of subscription.

Front Cover:

Contents Page:

Double Page Spread (DPS):

Final DPS draft

What has changed?;

• Much like my other new drafts, this one’s style has been overall changed; black and white, with the crown having a red ‘halo’ inside.
• Arrangement of text and boxes have been slightly tweaked

Cover Draft 4

What’s changed?;

• Again, the overall structure of the cover has changed
• New, different language has been used
• The masthead’s font, colour, placement and angle have been changed
• Overall the front cover has more content in it

Final Contents Page Draft: 

What is new?:

• Changing the image, I have chosen a more “dramatic” image with a pose facing away from the camera.
• The colour palette has been changed to white and red text, with a black and white photo, adding more effect to the page’s text.
• I have changed the overall structure of the page, switching placements of texts i.e changing “Archives” to top left.

Improvements: 

• I believe I have overall improved the page itself, with the black and white image reflecting the red and white text fairly well.
• The image is better, with sharpened chains emphasizing them, with a oil filter adding uniqueness and style.

Targets/potential changes: 

• I could add in some more content i.e an effect/object at the top.
• “Archives” at the top is a bit small, which I could change to fill the space.

I chose this advertisement because of how cringe-inducing it is. It hooks in the viewer, grabbing their attention and interest, then giving them a sense of second-hand embarrassment due to the nature of the pun used. Also, Lucozade is linked to sports and fitness, which in turn is linked to hip-hop and energy drinks. My target audience are people who listen to hip-hop, with the demographic being young-adult people, from lower-middle class, to middle class who focus on fitness and music, who are liable for advertisement and influencing to buy the product.

I chose this advertisement because of how simplistic it is, and how the colours (black, white and red) mesh well. It enters with a bold statement- targeting anyone from Chicago specifically- then informs them that the new shoes are being released soon. The design attracts the viewer, gaining their interest in what is coming or being advertised, and informs them about a new shoe brand. My target audience are people who listen to hip-hop, which, again, is often linked with sports and has several different ‘styles’ of fashion, with brands being focused on, with the key demographic being (again) young-adult people who range from lower-middle to middle class backgrounds, and have an interest in sports and fitness, as well as the latest trends in both subjects.

What’s different?;

• The image has been changed again
• The structure is slightly different
• I’ve added a different headline
• The standfirst has been differentiated from the other text through a larger font and italics