Ali Hawa

Evaluation Tasks
1. What ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
The title of my magazine: The masthead of my magazine REWIND does follow the codes and
conventions of real media products as it links in with other magazines such as Respect and Hip-Hop
connection (when it was still around). Some elements of the magazine NME are also shown in aspect
of conventions of real media products. The name REWIND uses the same prominence as those
magazines as its usually understood by these types of target markets. It acts as a fitting memorable
name which its readers will understand and relate themselves with. The name fits with the Hip-Hip
culture as it relates to other conventions for example the placement of the masthead and the font
used to make it look like a more mainstream style media product which would appeal to my target
audience whom are males and females ages 18-34. I think that the name, positioning and font used
relates to that particular group. I used a white font which contrasted with a red rectangle and a grey
background. White and red are a colour combination which work well with each other and having
them both with a conventional font page makes it one of the centre attractions for the whole
magazine.

Graphology/page layouts: Throughout my whole double page spread, front cover and contents page
I used the same fonts which made it a consistent and professional magazine. Most of the them had a
similar design with only small aspects changing such as the length and width of the font. The fonts
which I used Kenyan Coffee, Eras Bold ITC and Impact looked quite similar to Kenyan Coffee as
it used the same format/style. Together they all looked professional as it provided some consistency
throughout the magazine. As with other conventional magazines the sizing of my text layers were all
different with the biggest ones being the most attractive. The masthead was the biggest piece of
text on my magazine and by overlaying the image over the text it shows a sign of recognition and
that its audience should immediately know what the magazine is even though its in a large font with
some hidden letters. The masthead would also be the most important element on the magazine
because of the amount of recognition it provides overall and how attractive it is towards the
audience. Things which should be though about are whether the masthead would attract peoples
attention on a magazine stand or if it fits with the rest of the magazine style, which in this case it
looks conventional and fitting with the specific genre. I used three different colours on my magazine
which were red, white and black on a red and grey background depending on the positioning of the
layers on the text. The next biggest element on my magazine is the name of the featured artists. Jay
Hill was the main featured artists on my magazine and was in the colour black alongside the other
featured artists in the magazine which were placed above the masthead also in black. This made a
link within the colours showing that the only pieces of text which were black are the artists, so its
easily recognisable in future editions. All the other elements on the magazine were positioned
smaller and in white, again to add consistency and professionalism. Black and white are also
contrasting colours so the reader should be able to link the white cover line with the featured artists
name as they are the same thing. I had some more featured artists under the main cover line on the
magazine which were in white this makes the text layer blend in with everything else on the page.
These were separated by small red circles which contrast with the grey background and link with the
masthead background which is also red. I think that the overall layout for the magazine was a more
traditional approach as it was made to fit a more conventional style. This also works for the colour
combination I didnt realty use any odd looking ones which differentiated each other but went with
a red, black and white colour scheme which I spoke about in my colour pallets. The date and issue
number was placed above the barcode which was the same size as existing Hip-Hop magazines () the
Ali Hawa

sizing and placement of the elements around the barcode fit well with what was trying to be
achieved. Although I didnt want to have a complex cover, it needed to look like a Hip-Hop magazine
and most of them have many elements which make the front cover and the rest of the magazine
more attracting, especially if the correct colour scheme was used. The masthead for my magazine
was attempted to follow a similar layout to other Hip-Hop Magazines such as Respect as even
though it looked minimal, many aspects of it were throughout carefully by the designers. It also does
follow the same layout as other magazines like this XXL and I liked the idea so I took inspiration from
it and adapted it to fit my final product.

Costumes, props, iconography used to reflect genre: Multiple photo-shoots were carried out
throughout the construction of the magazine which made sure that there was a variety of images
which could be used throughout the magazine. My model (Joel Roberts) character as Jay Hill and I
also used a variety of styles and colour combinations to make the image fit with what was trying to
be achieved. The images were taken behind a plain solid coloured wall to add minimalism to the
magazine and consistency at the same time. I used contrasting colours for the photos, for example in
one of the photo-shoots I used the white/grey background with the model wearing a black
sweatshirt. These colours contrasted with each other and again added that touch of minimalism. It
gave the magazine a clean and elegant look. Most Hip-Hop magazine models and photographer use
a professional set when taking pictures and a very minimal but effective costume/colour scheme.
Therefore, my model managed to fit with the similar conventions of this genre which made
everything look as if it was in place. The audience would have now managed to represent
themselves alongside the model showing signs of the same iconography of the Hip-Hop genre. The
same techniques were carried out on the contents page and double page spread which had images
from both photoshoots however looked like other conventions of this kind.

Camerawork and framing of images: My magazine didnt have any unusual images or camera work
techniques which means that it would have successfully followed the types of conventions of other
similar magazines and the genre as a whole. Most of my images were taken as mid-shots or close
ups just so I could have a variety of images to work with. The close up images wanted to focus on
where the model was looking and by looking straight toward the camera it means that he is looking
straight at the audience which then leads to a connection with them, encouraging them to buy the
product. The more zoomed out versions which were mind-shots would have focused entirely on his
facial expression and what exactly he was doing that made the magazine look good. In the end I
went with a more mid-shot image which you can see on my final front cover image. For the contents
page I chose a close up because I already had an idea of what I wanted it to look like and take it into
practise with a half of his face coloured in by a mask which with the correct framing worked very
well. The framing of these images is the same with all other Hip-Hop magazines indicating that
conventions were followed and did challenge them successfully what was trying to be achieved. The
contents page image had been split in half which is where the mask met with the hands of the
model. In some way the content page challenged some of these conventions as it worked well with
the model looking directly at the audience providing attention to the elements around the page. The
red mask provided a writing space which made all the contents more attractive with the whole text,
another great combination which was used in my magazine and looks consistent overall. The double
page spread also had a model framed as a medium shot which made the all the images in the
magazine look as one especially with what the positioning of the camera was, similar to all the rest
of photos on my magazine. Overall it makes it look professional and eye catching to the reader.

Title, article, header etc. font and style: My article follows the same layout of Q Magazine, I liked
this because of how everything is structured out in a well thought out way which makes it all look
Ali Hawa

professional. Although this magazine isnt strictly Hip-Hop only, I liked the way it looked and took
inspiration from how it was layed out/structured. I also made sure that all the same fonts were used
again to add consistency. All text columns are on one side of the page with a full page on the other.
The heading on the double page spread which consisted of their title used a completely different
font Lucida Sans Typ as it added some differentiation and made it stand out against the white
background. Although it looks quite odd as its quite small it attracts the readers attention as it
looks the most interesting in comparison with all other texts on the page. The font Baskerville Old
Face was used for the text on the double page with size 10. It made the page look as if it flows with
everything else and as it was different, it looked more unique.

Genre and how the magazine cover, contents and spread suggests it: My magazine suggests which
genre it linked to in a number of different ways. The front page has many text elements on there
which makes it look sophisticated and professional which is what Im trying to achieve. The styling of
the magazine also links in with this and how everything is positioned. It also looks more vibrant
which suggest that it must link with Hip-Hop or a genre close to it. The layout used can also be found
on many other Hip-Hop magazines as its a more original approach on how things should be.

How your artist(s) are represented: The main artist on my magazine was a male wearing dark and
contrasting colours. I went along with the original Hip-Hop conventions for this and challenged them
by creating my own style. The model used would look more like Jay-Z and Drake because of the way
he is represented on the magazine, however it did try and create my own twist to it by having a
different angle shot which you wouldnt always find on Hip-Hop magazines. This would be the typical
representation of Hip-Hop artists which works because it means that it will attract the particular
target audience. The artists are made to look more serious ad upright on their pictures which is what
the audience want as thats what they stereotypically sing/rap about. Overall I think that artists used
does follow the conventions of other similar magazines just like this one.

Colour scheme: I had a rough idea of what colour scheme I wanted to use on my magazine and how
it was going to look in contrast with the picture. Usually Hip-Hop magazines go for the same colour
schemes which are also the best ones in my opinion. Typical ones which designers go for are, yellow
& black and white & red. With my background colour being grey/white I decided to go with the red,
white and black colour scheme as the red adds attention and more seriousness towards everything
in general. The black stands out more which is why I used it for the cover title and the artists name
and the white was used for everything else for example other featured artists, the date and issue
number. My colour pallet shows that I wanted to go with the black background and yellow text
however I have adapted from that and decided to make it a more conventions magazine I took
inspiration from magazines such as Respect and use the red and white colour scheme.

Inspiration for front cover: I used a number of magazines as inspiration for my own, a few were
XXL, Respect and Hip-Hop Connection. I really liked the way all of those magazines were structured
as although you would think that they look too complicated the overall look of them is professional
and clean. Some of which also looked quite minimal but I used them all to come up with one of my
own designs.

Inspiration for contents page: Content page inspiration came from XXL and The Source. I liked this
because it looked different than the traditional contents pages which are found on magazines and I
think that it looks good in comparison with the rest of the magazine. The artists positioning also
worked with this and what I was trying to achieve. The contents title was made in the same layout,
font and format as the masthead which I think adds some consistency and makes it all look like one
magazine. I think it looks clean and simplistic, however keeping that sign that this is Hip-Hop in there
Ali Hawa

too. The ones I got inspiration from didnt use an image like mine which is why I wanted to play
around with it and see what I could come up with as some of the photos I took may work well with
the half page mask and white text.

Inspiration for Double Page Spread: Double page spread inspiration came from Q magazine as it
looked so clean and professional however taking into consideration everything else. The page is split
in half with half text and half image. I like the structure which was used to put his all together as it
didnt have many elements involved however the alignment of everything had a reason behind it. As
I was following traditional conventions that title went on the top of the columns just to indicate
what the text was actually about and left image clean with a quote which is typical for Hip-Hop
magazines to do.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My original research for my magazine which identified my audience for the Hip-Hop genre helped
me link everything together into how I was going to make it represent a particular social group. I
used UK Tribes to identify where my media product would fall in the social groups and decided that
as its Hip-Hop it would fit with mainstream and as UK Tribes views it as the Chaver Social group.
This would be because of the life they are always stereotyped as and what the readers think of the
actual artists. Me knowing what my audience was looking for and what magazines they would
actually buy made me think about what I wanted it to look like and what I could do to suit their
needs. UK Tribes described this social group as: Chavers are all about the big night out drugs,
booze, dancing and getting smashed with their mates! and I think that this represents the Hip-Hop
audience perfectly as these factors are usually what people like to think of them. The UK Tribes
website sections out specific social groups and I was able to find and link mine with a media product.
These types of social groups always look for the artists that are already well known and their next
releases going to the concerts and listing to the same people just new songs as they are already well
known in the music industry and have increased in audience throughout the past few years. They
also like to wear the latest fashion trends keeping up with the big brands which are usually
Ali Hawa

showcased by those Hip-Hop artists. Over the past few years Hip-Hop artists have taken over the
fashion industry in a number of different ways. Hip-Hop artists created their own trends and linked
collided with the mainstream fashion which is what we see them wearing now for example: Gucci,
Prada, Versace etc. Most of the Hip-Hop artists have also created their own trends in the fashion
industry by creating their own brands and collections which fans can buy completely changing the
way they look overall as in some cases they want to be different. The model (Joel Roberts) is wearing
a black and combo Bape t-shirt which most of the time it is associated with the Hip-Hop genre and
rap as its a highly rated fashionable brand. Many Hip-Hop artists also wear this which is why I felt
like it would be worth using as Im going for a more conventional magazine. As I used a grey
background. The overall piece of clothing looked attracting because of the camo design imprinted
on. Hes style in the magazine looks to be focused and alert while at the same time keeping a relaxed
manor which is again what is associated with the genre and industry by looking at other
conventional magazines. Hes set out to be an artist who keeps up with all the fashion trends which
is why he suits my magazine so much. I took inspiration from many different artists and
photographers so that the image I use links in with a particular social group. Some of the artists
which were used on magazines and lookalike genres are Drake, Kanye West and Jay-Z. I tried to bring
all of these people into one and create an image/infographic which especially suits my target
audience. As I used these artists the audience should be able to immediately relate themselves with
the magazine because of how everything was set-up and the props/costumes which were used. I
think that the genre of my magazine would suite both males and females because of the wider
amount of interest which Hip-Hop industry receives. As you can see from the two images above I
attempted to go with a similar look to the one with the black background. Objects which are usually
stereotyped/associated with the Hip-Hop genre are rings which is why issued one with a medium
shot and a plain coloured background. I think this is really effective because of what the other
elements around the page are typing to show and connate toward the audience. The red and black
on my magazine may look like it provides a more masculine and dominance approach towards the
magazine however from the audience research and who my target audience actually is I feel that it
would suite both equally. Alongside me representing my social group in the actual design element of
my magazine I also did this in the article. I layed it out using an interview with an up and coming
artists in the Hip-Hop world. It was a series of questions which was asked about where he grew up,
how did he get into Hip-Hop and dreams for the future. This is the sort of thing which you would
expect to hear in a Hip-Hop interview meaning its more mainstream and vibrant. Overall I think that
my magazine represents a specific social group really well just because of how everything has been
thought through. It looks at how the readers of this magazine are excited, focused, vibrant and
enthusiastic about the type of music which they like to listen to. They usually stick with the same
original ideas however because of breakthrough of new artists and a changing fashion industry new
trends appear and existing artists aim to please the listeners in the same way as before. I think that
just the Hip-Hop genre relates to so many different people, ethnicities, cultures and social class that
everyone within my target audience is represented in one way or another as its quite broad.
Ali Hawa

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
There are many media institutions out there which specialise in magazine publication and
distribution, some do focus on specific genre however most do have a variety to appeal to all
audiences. For my magazine I was looking at an institution which has knowledge and experience
with the publication of Hip-Hop magazines and others at the same time. This will allow me to get the
best deal and make the most profit overall. The institution chosen by the magazine creators is the
decision factor of whether the magazine is going to be successful or not. The design and target
audience also plays a small part. A publishing company is an organisation involved in making
information involved to the general public. Publishing includes the following stages of development:
acquisition, copy editing, production, printing (alongside online versions), marketing and the
distribution of the magazine. In many cases the publishing company is responsible for assigning a
publishing editor who focuses purely on the contents of the magazine making sure that its what
people are interested in and is what they are looking for. This will help the institution gain profit and
increases revenue as quickly as possible. Most of the publishing institutions are going through large
transitions because of the new distribution methods online. They would need to consider delivering
new digital content to keep up with their competitors also striving to get more magazine sales. The
main factors of any magazines successes are:

Find an experienced magazine publisher: According to a report by the Publishing Executive

50-60% of new magazines fail, and half of them were published by unexperienced publisher.
This means that the magazine creators need to think carefully about who is going to publish
their magazine and whether they know what they are doing with the marketing and
distribution practices.
Content used in magazines: The content across all the magazine needs to be professional
and fluent. For example, the article, photography and design work should be consistent for
the whole magazine to be successful. Researchers would also be hired to help with what the
articles should be about and what people are currently interested in reading.
Advertising (Online and Physical): Alongside the profit made from magazine sales, many
institutions rely on advertising to earn some extra revenue. While there are traditional ways
of advertising which are placing sponsored adverts on the first few pages of a magazine
many institutions are moving to ads in online copies of magazines so that links can be placed
and the readers can be directed to more information straight away. Space across the whole
magazine is sold to relatable businesses/organisations and extra profit is generated because
of so. Many free magazines make their money like this which is what keeps them going most
of the time.
Placement of magazines: The distributors are responsible for selling the magazines in
suitable areas for which they will target the audience most. If magazines are out on sale
somewhere where they dont target the correct audience, they may not sell and the
distribution company for example IPC Media (Time Inc.) may lose out on that batch as that
edition would not be in date anymore and they would already be working on the next issue.

These factors which influence how successful a magazine are linked with the distribution and
publishing company as they take control of elements like this. If done incorrectly this will cause the
failure of the magazine and lead to a loss.
Ali Hawa

There are now publication companies which focus purely on digital distribution as its such a vital
part of any magazine making money now. Its to publish online versions/editions to the public.
Digital distribution is such as vital method of publishing magazines as it means that itll reach a
different audience if thats what the institutions are hoping to do. More people buying the magazine
and viewing it means more profit from advertisers and more subscription fees which benefits the
disruption company greatly. Its also a much cheaper method because it will mean that less costs are
involved in the printing/production of the magazine and transporting the magazines to different
areas for sale by individual retailers which is not always a guarantee.

When deciding whether to take a magazine to market several reasons need to be considers such as
most newly released magazines dont turn a profit until around 6 months to a year after release. This
means that an institution needs to make sure that there another form of cash flow going in and out
of the business which is why some organisation focus on publishing a wide range of magazine
genres, for example music, sport and lifestyle. IPC Media is a great example of this. This is one of the
reasons magazines fail as they dont have enough capital to keep them running.

The first step into raising money so that advertisers and investors think about collaborating with you
to make the magazine available to the public creators would need to create a prototype. This will be
a mock-up of the actual magazine and should have finalised versions of the structure, design and
structure of the magazine. Many ad agencies always ask for a prototype for them to decide whether
its worth advertising in and if its likely to be successful or not. Other factors would be the
circulation and profile of your magazine. Two-thirds of magazines arent published worldwide and
have a monthly publishing number of just over 10,000-70,000 a month. If a magazine is to be
published worldwide the minimum recommend number of copies circulating a month is 100,000
some major magazines go up to 500,000 copies a month or more, however these are well
established and known magazines with a near enough guarantee of immediate sale.

Time Inc. (IPC Media)

Time Inc. (formally known as IPC International Publishing Corporation) is a UK based magazine
distributor selling more than 350 million copies a year. IPC is known for publishing many of the big
magazine names in the UK such as NME which is a well-known and highly successful music magazine.
The types of magazines in which they publish are consumer based magazines and comics. By doing
this they are targeting the majority of magazine readers in the UK. IPC Media was then sold and
renamed to become Time Inc. operating in both the UK and US under Time Warner. IPC Media has
won many awards such as the best production team of the year at the Professional Publishers
Association in 2012. Other magazines in which IPC publish are Uncut, Country Life and Mountain
Bike Rider, all well-known consumer based magazines in the UK. IPC publish their magazines under
three different divisions, these are Lifestyle (targeting the mass market for women), Luxury
(Targeting upmarket women) and Specialist (targeting the market for men). My magazine will fall
under the specialist & Lifestyle division as I think that fits well with the genre and style of music. Tis
is also where NME Falls under.

I will use IPC Media because of the previous work they have done with similar magazines and
because I feel that it would be the most suitable publishing business for this type of magazine
because of the variety of magazines they have published over the years. They also publish NME
which means they have experience publishing within the same music industry to my Hip-Hop
magazine this will most likely boost sales and popularity for my magazine as they have done this
work before. The targeting division for the magazines also fit with the target audience for my
magazine having published NME in the lifestyle and specialist magazine. This is also the same
Ali Hawa

category of where I would like my magazine to publish under as it targets both men and women who
are my target audience.

Where the money might have come from for a magazine such as yours
I spoke several times above on how you can raise money to publish magazines to a wide audience
and to a regional area. Other methods could be to take an idea of a magazine the publishing and
distribution companies such as IPC Media and show them what your idea is. The reason I would go
for such an organisation is because they are very experienced with publishing magazines and have a
very high success rate. They are also a local publishing company doing work mainly within the UK
which is where the magazine would likely to be published first. They already have an idea of who
target audience are for different types of magazine genres and would benefit me in number of
different ways as we would target the correct type of people. They are also very experienced with
making profit for a magazine as they almost doubled profits for the whole institution with NME
being one of their biggest successes. They also already have links with retailers and other
printing/adverting companies so all they would have to do is send designs/adverts whereas if I was
to go with a newly established media publication company it may be hard as they havent got secure
links with other business just yet, whereas IPC are already fully established. IPC Media may well offer
different deals for the publication of the magazine as they are moving more toward digital
publication and an offer to publish my magazine online. There are both advantages and
disadvantages of this: The media product would reach more people which means that advertising
space could be more expensive as more views. A disadvantage would be that the magazine is not
likely to reach a specific target audience so there is a risk involved which is why there would need to
be a full analysis of what would be the suitable/appropriate option for IPC and the magazine. If the
magazine was to get published at events such as gigs and concerts there would likely be a high
volume of sales as IPC Media would be targeting the audience directly and not going through
retailers and hoping that they place them in visible position which will encourage people to buy
them. However, concreters and gigs will only be a seasonal option which is why online distribution
and retailers are out in place to get extra cash flow through the business. These factors will increase
revenue for the distribution company and magazine creators (IPC Media).

What your magazine is similar to 'institutionally' (name some magazines which would be
released in a similar way)?
Magazines which are relatable institutionally are: Respect, XXL, NME and Vibe. These magazines are
relatable in one way or another because of their pricing and design (Even though NME is now a free
edition it is still published by IPC Media).

- Vibe: 4.85 per issue (Monthly)

- XXL: 2.90 per issue (Monthly)
- Respect: 1 year, 4 issues - 38.79 per year.
- NME: Free (Weekly).

The pricing for these magazines above fall close to the pricing of my magazine, 4.00. This is because
its the average price charged for Hip-Hop magazines after research. NME is a successful magazine
by IPC Media which is why I chose it as they could use previous experience to expand on my
magazine.
Ali Hawa

You need to refer to actual company names and processes so you will need to maybe do a
bit more research into magazine publishers like Emap (Ascential)

Ascential formerly known as Emap is a business to business media company which specialises in
festivals and events which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is in the FTSE 250 Index
meaning its a highly successful business. They focus on more lifestyle magazines rather than music
magazines so I think that adding a bit of variety in there would help as it would mean that they
would be expanding their range into different target groups. Examples of magazines currently ran by
Ascential are: Architects' Journal, Drapers and Construction News. These magazines are highly
successful which is why the business is doing so well. All those magazines are also distributed online
which is the same for every new magazine Ascential is going to publish. This is because they can
reach a wider audience overall. Moving toward music magazines, for them would be a great idea as
itll be the first and maybe one of the most successful as music magazines are one of the bestselling
magazines out there. There services would be useful because they only focus on digital distribution
meaning that they are going to have experience with online advertising and have links with people
who specifically publish online. This is useful as a digital version of a music magazine is about to get
more attention because people could read it on their smartphones, tablets and laptops. This means
that its much more likely to be successful than if it were to be printed as there are already so many
Hip-Hop magazines out there itll be a big risk doing so alongside with all the costs involved such as
production and distribution.
Ali Hawa

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The specific target audience for my magazine are males and females aged 18-35. These types of
people would have great knowledge of different Hip-Hop artists and overall would be familiar with
the genre. All the people who would be interested in my magazine would most likely listen to the
same Hip-Hop artists as each other, for example some of these artists may be Drake, Eminem, Kanye
West and Future. These people will all join together to go and see these artists at concerts as they
like their music and having the age range 18-35 seems suitable as they are the type of people who
would have interest in this genre. These types of people would have also already established their
taste and know what to look for, meaning they have already built up their own fan base for each of
their artists. I think considering the amount of people who listen to Hip-Hop the volume of sales
would stay the same at an equal level whether there was a male artist on the magazine or a female
sort it would attract both genres in a similar way as they near enough produce the same type of
music. Female artists also seem to feature in male artists music so having that variety attracts both
genders to one artists or song. I also think that the majority of people who go to watch these artists
wear the same type of clothing indicating that they are all Hip-Hop fans. The typical thing which you
would see them wear are mainstream fashionable items such as, regular jeans, hoodies, sweatshirts
and puffer jackets. All of these items represent Hip-Hop in some way and the audience behind the
genre. After some research into the pricing of my magazine I concluded that the final price was going
to be 4.00 as 44% of people agreed on this which was the highest rated price. This showed me that
my targeted audience was willing to pay that much for a Hip-Hop magazine and after looking at
other conventional magazines this seems to be the average price charged per issue. The reason
behind ending the target audience at age 35 is because of the amount of time people have by that
age i didnt think many people would be interested in keeping up with all the latest track and going
away to concerts and would rather listen to whats there instead of always browsing and improving
their playlist. For my two audience profiles I asked them 3 questions about my Hip-Hop magazine
and magazines in general.

Male Audience Profile

Would you be willing to buy a new monthly edition of a Hip-Hop magazine?

I think that over the past few years there hasnt really been any new editions/magazines being
released especially for the Hip-Hop genre so having something new and fresh would really set aside
something else other than what we already have available to buy. So yes I would buy this magazine
because I need something new and fresh to read.

What do you think reasonable pricing for a music magazine would be?

I usually pay around 3-4 for a magazine so anything in between there would work fine in my
opinion as its quite a common price especially for a new magazine as it needs to make some profit,
one thing to mention though it would need to feature some of the well-known Hip-Hop artists in
order for it to attract me to buy it in the first place.

Are there any specific artists you would like to see on the first few editions of the magazine?

Id be hoping to see whoever just released a new Hip-Hop album really but I would like artists such
as Future and Beyonc to be on there. I think this would attract me and other people into buying this
newly released magazine.
Ali Hawa

Female Audience Profile

Would you be willing to buy a new monthly edition of a Hip-Hop magazine?

I would only be interested in this newly released magazine if it included artists which I had interests
with so although I may not buy it every month I sure will when theres some who I regularly listen to
gets featured in there.

What do you think reasonable pricing for a music magazine would be?

I think that anything from 3-5 would be reasonable for a magazine however I dont think that a new
magazine should be anything over 4.00 as it may distract some people from buying it as theyve
never actually heard of it before and is new to them and the market.

Are there any specific artists you would like to see on the first few editions of the magazine?

I would buy editions of the magazine if they feature artists such as Beyonc, Chris Brown and Drake.
I think that all of these artists are influential in the Hip-Hop genre.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Magazine Cover: I attracted my audience in several different ways, I used codes and conventions
while making my magazine, inspired by similar magazines which are created to attract the same
target audience as mine. I like to think that all the elements on my front page including the text,
image and masthead attract my audience in one way or another because of the thought that went
into them to make sure that suite the genre and age group. The title of my magazine is called
REWIND and I think that suites the Hip-Hop genre and music magazines in general as its such a
short but effective word. Its also a catchy name which I think the audience will remember for next
time they see the magazine and recognise the consistency throughout the magazine. The masthead
was also inspired by a very well-known Hip-Hop magazine so I think that following conventions
would help with this as theyve already been created and the audience have an idea of what they
like and dislike about them so for me to go and create something similar attracts them in the same
way publicly released ones do. The target audience like to have a complex but elegant layout the
magazine. Most Hip-Hop magazines also look the same this is because most of the time the audience
do prefer an original layout to how everything is rather than a changing layout every time. The
artists on the magazine also suite the way the text had been placed with all the layers aligned with
the masthead which makes it look professionally done. Bold fonts are also used, this attracts the
reader eye straight away especially with the colour combination which was white, black and red as
these colours go well together behind a grey backdrop. The biggest piece of text was the name of
the artists because they are fans of Hip-Hop they would most likely recognise the artists name from
a distance which will hopefully attract them to the magazine and encourage them buy it. The
interests of the audience link in perfectly with everything else, they most likely read the masthead
first so it thinks that overall it attracts them and address them in a good way. More than one cover
line is also a typical thing to see on Hip-Hop magazines because of the amount of information and
variety the magazine gives so having more than one artist or event on the front page attracts more
people even if they dont like one of the artists. The magazine provides a wide variety to all Hip-Hop
fans. Examples of many cover lines on a magazine would be Respect as they also use a complex
layout which doesnt look over complicated and professional and as they are aimed at the same
people I think this works just the same. The masthead also follows similar conventions with a large
bold front placed at the top then centre of the magazine this means that the magazine is more likely
to be noticed and recognised on magazine shelfs and stands, again encouraging people to buy it.
Ali Hawa

This type of font is used on Respect and XXL. For my front page, I sued one picture of my model
standing in front of grey background and wearing a white t-shirt. This contrast with everything else
meaning the magazine more attractive inters of colour combinations as white and red goes well
together. I used a medium shot which had the ring in the image being a main point of focus right
next to the extra cover lines then moving up to the masthead. This is a typical thing to have in Hip-
Hop magazines as they all almost use medium shots of objects involved to attract the readers
attention. The artists are also stood in front of the camera directly and looking directly into the
readers eyes addressing them specifically it once they read the covet lines and name of the artists,
this has a strong link with iconography of the magazine and how everything has been placed to
follow up with conventions and attract the target audience which could also be done once they read
the cover lines as they should be rateable. All those things count as a unique selling point because
they have been adapted to suite the magazine and target audience in a different way combining one
aspect of the magazine with another.

Contents Page: The same design elements which were on my cover page are carried through to the
contents page to add consistency. As you can see the same logo for the masthead REWIND is used
on the contents page with the word CONTENTS. I used this as it reminds the readers what
magazine they are currently reading and that its still part the Rewind magazine. For this page the
audience would have been attracted by the information on the content page and how they could
relate to the information or remember things they read before and now its in magazine, for
example a tour or new album release. It contains details of whats included in the magazine/which
artists are featured for the readers entertainment. Inspiration for the contents page came from a
variety of different magazines which were, The Source, Respect and XXL. I used the inspiration of
these magazines to adapt the content page to suite my audience and add a touch of professionalism
and consistency which If done correct it should be success. Only one image was used on the
contents page across the whole page with a half way line mask which used the same colour scheme
red in a faded context. The text is clearly laid out in a bold white font which make it attractive
toward the reader especially with them being the only piece of text on the page aligned perfectly
with everything else to make it look professional. It looked as if it all flows rather than splitting each
content section into groups around the page which I think wouldnt suite a Hip-Hop magazine. I
wanted the contents page to a simple but have information in compact manor across the page and
think that I have done this, the same fonts used on the front page were also used on the contents to
again make it all look like one magazine. I didnt want to completely change the look of my contents
page as I dont think it would have suited my target audience, to have a completely new layout to
what they are already used to by reading other magazines.

Double Page Spread: For my double page spread I used a full-page image which took half of the
double page spread this works as it links in with the iconography of the magazine how the way it
attracts the reader to the article which then leads on to them reading the article behind the image.
The image was also of the same artists on my front and cover page which helps make the magazine
look more practical in terms of the overall look. I followed the conventions of Q magazine and even
though it wasnt a Hip-Hop magazine I thought that with a few adaptations I would be able to make
it target my audience. I think that a full-page image makes the magazine immediately look more
professional as it evens out everything look evened out which includes the title and article. To
directly link with the audience, I used a quote by a Hip-Hop enthusiast which said Hip-Hop is the
most vibrant and cultural art you will ever come across, respect that. This would have been a very
curtail quote which addresses the audience because by Hip-Hop it would have also been referring to
the fans and listens of the genre. This quote was also placed on the image which means that it would
have been the second piece of text which the reader looks at engaging them even further into the
Ali Hawa

story behind the picture. The colour scheme red was also used to keep it consistent throughout the
magazine however it was faded by using a mask which means that the image was still partly visible.
The font Perpetua Titling MT was used for the quote which is the only font used on the magazine,
this means that it stands out from everything lese as its the only one there, however it does look
similar just fits the image in the background more than a front such as Grota Sans would of (This was
the font used on the cover and contents page). The title for the double page spread was The most
exciting people in music although it wasnt the most original title for a double page having the word
Hip-Hop in there meant that the audience are still addressed and can be relatable to who the article
is going to be speaking about/having an interview with. I think that the quote and title would have
been one of the most influential elements of the magazine which attracted the audience as they
address the world of Hip-Hop with them involved and aware. As well as having a font which I havent
used before for the quote I also did the same for the title of the magazine, even though sometimes
you might that it breaks the consistency of the magazine having a wider variety means that not
everything looks the same so differentiating the title font he text may be harder this way. After
doing research into other magazines I think that its mostly suitable if this would be carried out in
terms of adding a variety of elements on the page. Something which I managed to identify through
my research is that Hip-Hop fans are always looking to listen to the latest albums, single and new
artists. This also includes latest news about Hip-Hop artists and concerts. Therefore, on my double
page spread an interview had been used, it brings all their required factors into one article. I think
that the double page spread makes it all look serous and elegant with its selling point being the
overall look of a Hip-Hop magazine and how it suits the genre. The name of the featured artists is
also on the cover page has been included on my double page spread in red text, the same font as the
title was used which was Lucida Sans Typewriter this meant that the title would immediate relate to
the stats with Jay Hill the artists used being one of the most exiting people in music. I think that this
works very well together as it links back to other elements of the magazine as this was as on the
front cover and contents page and now finally on the double page spread which readers can go
more in depth for and read about the artists which is why they would have picked up the magazine
in the first place as they were attracted by the artist and the information on the front cover then the
contents.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this
product?
I used a variety of resources to complete my coursework with, both software and hardware which
enabled me to complete the final media product.

Camera and Lighting: The camera I used for all the images on my magazine was the Nikon D2300, I
reason behind this is that I think Nikon is a reliable camera for what I needed it for. It can take
professional images which would suite my target audience and look well on my magazine. To add a
steady feel to the pictures I also used a standard tripod which is could balance the camera on to get
a central frame when taking the images. This camera was useful as it was located at the college site
meaning I could go back and take more pictures in the studio if needed without having to set a
specific date for when I could use my own. This allowed me to no waste time while in the design
process of my magazine. I did use a smartphone camera for the draft images however I didnt think
that they would work in comparison with a traditional camera as the quality did differ in one way or
another. I used the camera in a well-lit area which was the studio alongside high quality, artificial
soft boxes. These lights meant that no shadows were showing on my photos allowing them to look
even more professional. I moved the lights around to achieve a different point of focus throughput
the images so I could then pick the appropriate one to fit with all the other elements on my
Ali Hawa

magazine. As I was following conventions most Hip-Hop artists where photographed in a studio with
where it was well lit and I though it would take inspiration and do the same to comply with these
conventions in relation to my own magazine. Overall I feel like I learnt a lot during the using this
camera which allowed me to enhance my photography skills and work with the lightning around me
to achieve a well-lit sophisticated image.

Adobe Photoshop CS6: This is the image editing software which I used to create my preliminary
magazine, draft and final cover, contents and double page spread. Although I had to learn some new
photoshop/editing skills during this coursework I had independently used this programme before as
well as using it throughout GCSE Media Studies. In this piece of coursework, I had to be more careful
and go more in-depth of the use of layers and positioning of everything as I had so many liking with
each other than moving around. The also become more advanced with the cropping tool as it I had
to crop around my model and make sure it fits with the magazine conventions which I was following.
Some elements which were new to me was the use of marks and changing colour accuracy alongside
contrast and brightness editing of images to make sure they look professionally made. I also had to
edit background images so the colour behind the images look like it flows across each magazine and
cropping each image test how it would look was challenging however I managed to achieve it and
select a few images for my final magazine. I also learnt how advanced the software can be with the
amount the of layers that were involved in the creation and how the title may well be more than one
layer to align everything correctly for on the font used. I think that Photoshop was one of the most
curtail technologies involved in the creation of my magazine because its what allowed me to bring
everything together into 3 different images.

Apple iMac: This was the schools computer which allowed to create my final magazine and being
able to install custom fonts easily made it easier to try out different designs and combinations. This
was a learning curve for me as I was used to Photoshop on windows computers but using OSX on an
iMac enhanced and expanded my skills into using technology I hadnt used before. After time, I got
used to photoshop and the way eventing was setup which then allowed me to become more
consistent using it to create my final magazine. I feel now that I am even more experienced having
created everything on that machine provide by the school.

Blogger: This was the blogging service provided by Google which I used to post all my coursework
on. This allowed for everything to be in one place and the ability of everything to be easily located
using a search bar. For my magazine, I saved slides as JPEGS then uploaded to my blog as an image
this saved time as everything was already setup and I had to do was drag the image to my blog for
future reference.

Google: I used Google mainly for my research and planning by looking at existing magazines and
how I could take inspiration from them to design my own version. I also used Google to complete
more target audience research about my research and Google Forms to carry out my questionnaire
for people relevant to my magazine. This allowed me to make charts and analyse what pricing my
magazine should be, name and design including colours scheme. I also used Google to I stall
potential fonts for my magazine and analyse how they would fit the gene didnt learn much from this
however it did enhance my research skills overall.

Microsoft Office 2016: This piece of software was used to format all my work in the first place which
then allowed me to upload them on sites such as sideshare and scrbd for me to embed them onto
my blog. Most time I spent using word for srcbd then PowerPoint to export as JPEG or if it was more
than one slide upload to SlideShare for example this would have been for my audience research.
Ali Hawa

Slideshare, Scribd and other presentation platforms: These sites/platforms helped me lay out my
research and planning as well as my evaluation. These different types of formats show a variety of
different skills which I leant to use throughout my media coursework. It also makes my blog a little
more interesting o look at rather than just looking at the same type of format for each post.

Overall I think that I have learnt a to more about technologies than I expected this could be during
my use of photoshop or in terms of initial research for my magazine for me to construct the final
product.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you
feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Mise en scene: After looking back at my preliminary magazine I could see where I improved and
what changes I made to my design skills or in this case mise en scene to suite a target audience.
Throughout the making of my preliminary magazine I took some photos in the studio, however as
you can see the area wasnt well lit and as vibrant as it was in my final media product and this is
because didnt have much experience/knowledge on what I should be doing to remove shows/
create a well-lit area for which can be used to take professional photos. I knew that for my final
magazine I wanted to use the studio because all the research and examples I saw it was just the
matter pf fact of getting used to the camera, soft boxes and positioning of everything. Most Hip-Hop
artists have some sort of jewellery on them for a photoshoot and this is something which is though
about carefully as it wanted to get it correct. This would count as a point of focus for the cover of the
magazine. For my final magazine, even though it took the picture in the studio I didnt use the same
background and used my photoshop skills to remove the background and add a faded grey to white
which I think follows Hip-Hop magazine conventions very much so. For my school magazine is didnt
feel the need to over complicate it/make it as complex as my final media product this is because thy
Ali Hawa

were both targeted towards different target groups. I think that the preliminary images also just
looked like normal picture added on some text whereas for my final magazine I thought about the
positioning of everything in comparison of the rest of the magazine. This also included the way the
artists were standing and where he was looking, wearing and whether it suited the target audience
/genre or not. The clothing on the artists I think played a bit apart on both magazines as I think the t-
shirt on my final magazine works better as its a well-known brand within Hip-Hop artists and the
genre overall. I learnt from this that even if you had professional pictures they need to suite the rest
of the magazine and the genre that youre going for and I think I have done this with my chosen
artist.

Camerawork: Looking back at my preliminary task (school magazine) I feel that my camera work
skills have improved drastically. Examples of this would be the amount of shadow shown on my
preliminary task compared to the final version. I had also enhanced my skills with making the
magazine look more professional by taking images which would suite it perfectly. I was also able to
use the camera more effectively, earing to configure settings/point of focus to allow for a much
better image to be taken. I also managed to make it look like the artists is looking directly at the
audience whereas for my preliminary magazine I didnt think about it much but after releasing how
much attention it brings towards the magazine and the fact that it engages the audience I focused
on trying to accomplish this in my final photo shoot. I think the way the image has been taken and
the positioning of the artists make sit stand out overall if placed next to actual Hip-Hop magazines
which again links back to me following conventions which already work to suite the same target
audience. For my preliminary magazine, I didnt think about taking more than just a few pictures,
around 3 or 4. This means if something goes wrong I wouldnt be able to just change the image and
would have to go back. I also wouldnt have a variety to pick from. For my final magazine, I took
around 190 pictures overall and going back to get more to try different designs and style of clothing.
This meant that I could create more than one version of my magazine then select a few which liked
to use on my final product. Some images worked well, however some didnt which is why having a
variety is important especially for a Hip-Hop, magazine here everything needs to be quality though
out otherwise it doesnt work as well as hoped so. After some research into my images I could select
my final 4 images which are shown on my final magazine product. I also know about the positioning
of the soft box lights so having generated some experience within that camera work area I could
illuminate things such as shadows making it easier to edit in Photoshop with only having to crop the
image and changed the solid coloured background. For my preliminary magazine is I didnt tell the
model my ideas on what I needed them to look like/do in the images however in the final product I
knew exactly what images I wanted to it was easier to take the pictures and take pictures that I
would as I knew it would look good behind everything else on the magazine, e.g. cover lines and how
much space is needed between the text and the model. When taking pictures for my final media
product id dint just focus on a medium shot I also took a few close which are shown on my draft
however I decided that it didnt look as if it was ne magazine is changed it to a mid-shot.

Text Arrangement: Looking back at my preliminary magazine I think that there is a significant
improve within text arrangement. I can see this because the cover lies for example werent exactly
lines up correctly with each other like they are in my final media product. This makes all the
elements just look unprofessional in my opinion. I also didnt look at any other magazines when
making my preliminary magazine as I placed the issue number and date under the masthead which is
usually placed next to the barcode on magazines however r didnt think that was a major problem.
The text 100 Revision Tips also wasnt lined up correctly over the red line, whereas in my final
Ali Hawa

product the red rearrange is the same length as the text side which made me arrange the text in a
way where they would all be lined up on the same number of width. During the transition from my
preliminary task to my final product I also learnt which fonts would suite a magazine and which
wouldnt, therefore I tried a wide variety in order ton reach my final design. I dont think the text on
my preliminary magazine attracts the audience as the same colour scheme is used and the fonts
arent engaging/eye catching if the magazine was on shelf for example. I think the improved final
magazine dose this better because of the colours used on the text and stayed consistent across all of
them. The final product looks like it follows conventions of Hip-Hop magazines whereas I think that
the school magazine doesnt as it looks different on actual school magazines and does need
improvements to be made. I also added a text quote on my double page spread I leant about this
after looking at other examples of magazines and where its been placed contrast with all the other
elements on their including the positioning of the picture. I think that my final front page so easier to
read with larger text but small cover lines in comparison with my preliminary magazine I dont think
its easy to read and may even before the reader as everything just looks the same/no variety and
nothing interesting about it other than the changing colours.

Editing: My editing skills on photoshop have improved since the making of my preliminary magazine,
even though vie used the software before I still learnt new features which I haven come across
before such as how to create mask which I used across my magazine and cropping part of the model
out to make him overly the text to add some creativity to the cover page. For my preliminary
magazine, I also didnt edit the images even though here were some faults such as the shadows and
brightness/contrast as well as the cropping the images. This was different for my final product
because I was more skilled with those features and could edit each image which I was testing out
what they would look like behind all the elements on the magazine. When producing the school
magazine, I didnt take into consideration the boarders around the page and made the magazine
more condensed and more complicated than I wanted. However, in my final magazine placed the
full image across the Photoshop layer and then adding the elements on top which is the opposite of
what Id did for the school magazine. I think this way it looks much more professional and
sophisticated. I think the use of more elements also helped with this as I didnt split it up the texts
and image in separate layers before however having two different layers even for the cover line
makes it look much better especially when aligning them using the grid and the lines tool on
Photoshop. It makes it all look more like an actual magazine which is what the aim is and for it to
follow similar conventions. Research also helped with this as I could see and explain why things are
like they are foe example why the cover line is placed in cemeterial with everything else on the page.
It makes the everything just look more appealing to the audience.