Risk Assessment/REECE

In the lead up to taking my pictures for my front cover, contents page and double page spread, i had to decide the locations. it was between an outdoor area or indoor area. The outdoor area was a field/forest near my house which has interesting trees and the autumnal leaves. However i didn't think this suited my music genre which is pop because I think this could suit more indie pop/rock. The indoor area is either in my bedroom or the green screen at school. I thought would be a good idea because i wanted to change the background colour but i decided in the end to do it in my bedroom because my walls are pink so i think it will compliment my music genre more because my magazine is mostly directed towards girls.I had my photo shoot in my bedroom and didn't want any health and safety hazard whilst taking photographs, I think there are less hazards inside than in outdoor conditions.

Risk 1:
Having loose wires on the floor could lead to my model tripping over and injuring herself.

How was it resolved?
I chose to take my photographs in front of a plain wall in my bedroom to act like a green screen. I made sure there were no wires near my model or myself neither on the floor or loosely hanging down.

Risk 2:
Having extreme temperatures whilst shooting e.g. outside conditions could lead to the model getting cold quickly and inside in front of many lights could hurt the model's eyes and the lights can create heat.

How was it resolved?
I had my photo shoot inside and had my bedroom light on as normal and a more direct bright light to make the effect look like a spotlight. I pointed the light over the model so she didn't have to look directly into the light. I also let my model rest whenever she felt slightly hot and a drink on hand.

Risk 3:
Having a electric sockets near the model could lead to a electric shock.

How was it resolved?
I didn't have any sockets turned on or near the set up area.

Risk 4:
Having furniture in the way so the model finds it claustrophobic.

How was it resolved?
I did have a photo frame up on my wall where I chose to take photos, therefore i took it down and took out the screws so the model would be safe in the area and won't have to be careful of the photo frame.I also moved my bed away from wall a bit more so i had enough room to take the photos and so i didn't have to balance on the bed to take the photographs.

My Original Photographs

Location?

I choose to have my photo shoot inside because most pop magazines have it in a professional studio so i thought i would try the same effect from a plain background. I took the photographs in my bedroom on one of my plain walls which is a pale pink colour. I think this will appeal to my target audience which is mainly woman.

Who did i take the photos of?

 I captured the photos of my younger sister because she is 15 years old and my target audience is from 15 to 25 therefore i thought she fit the brief of a youthful pop magazine. I found it was hard to take pictures at school of my friends because we never time to do it. Therefore I thought my sister was the best option because i always see her and it meant i could take longer on the hair, makeup, clothing and the photo shoot itself.

Clothing?

 My model wore a plain peach/pink coloured top because i didn't want it to be the main attention of the photograph.

The way i captured my photographs?

 I chose to only take close up photographs because in a variety of pop magazines i have saw they usually have a head shot on the front page, so the main attention is of the singer/band.

My set up?

My set up was in my bedroom on a plain pink wall and I used a bright light in the photo shoot but directed down over the model because i think it made the pictures look more professional.

Hair and Makeup?

For hair she had a braid at the front of her head to keep the hair out her face and it looks nice and will set a fashion trend. For makeup i kept the face quite simple and natural because my sister has freckles and i didn't want to cover them. I think it is different to see someone with freckles on a pop magazine because usually they have quite plain flawless faces therefore it makes my model stand out and be unique. On the right side of the face i decided to try some face paint to make the photograph more interesting. I used the colours pink and white and added silver glitter, i think this looked very effective on camera. On the lips I used a bright pink and added some of the silver glitter in the middle of the lips so the light reflects off it.Here is a picture of the hair and makeup:

Photographs from the Photo Shoot:

I chose the photo below as my front cover (main image) because i think it is the most effective. i like how she is not looking directly at the camera because it goes against other pop magazines that I have taken inspiration from and makes it look more unique. My model has her arm over her head I think this is a abstract and not a predictive pop pose therefore i think it goes against some pop conventions but i want to make my magazine stand out.

I used the 4 photos below on my double page spread because they were all very different because she was posing different with a different facial expression. These photos are very clear and good quality and go together really well.

The photos I didn't use:

I didn't use the first photos because the quality wasn't as good as the others above and I didn't think the pose and facial expression portrayed pop. The second photo didn't have very good lighting and had a different background and I wanted all the photos to have the same background. The last photo was a good photo but the light hit her face weirdly and I didn't like the effect it made. The lighting on this photos was too light and wouldn't fit in with the other photos.

Equipment for my Photographs

I decided to use my iPhone 5c instead of the cameras at school because I was planning on taking the photographs in my own time and not in lesson times because I wanted to concentrate on research. I found it easier to focus the camera on my iPhone and transport to my computer than taking it on a camera.

I have edited my photographs in different ways, therefore I have a variety to choose from when it comes to making my front cover, contents page and double page spread. However I found it hard to transfer my photos from my iPhone to my computer without it going blurry.I tried editing my photos on 'Pixlr' but when i zoomed into my pictures they would go very blurry therefore i found it hard to edit a small photo and i found when editing the photos the effects were very over the top even though in the pop industry they over airbrush photos. Overall I found it difficult to edit my photos using 'Pixlr'.

 Therefore i tried a different website called 'Pic Monkey' and found it easier to transfer my photos to drop box than my computer. I found it easier to alter the effects, brightness and airbrush without it changing my models face to much. I also can add titles, sub-headings and other writing to create my front cover, contents page and double page spread.

Intertextuality

We live in a post modern era where everything has been done before and we recycle the same ideas over and over again. There are clear recycled bands and artists in the music industry, for example in the rock and roll genre the 'Beatles' and 'Oasis':

Similarities between the two bands:

• haircut/style
• facial expressions in photos
• clothing
• the amount of people in the band
• both wear black and white.
• sunglasses

 

In the pop genre there was a similarity 'Madonna' and 'Lady Gaga':

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  Similarities between the pop artists:
  • blonde hair
  • iconic hairstyles
  • unique costumes
  • makeup
  • similar body shape
  • music- catchy,repeative,high-pitched
  Oppositional Reading
  In magazines the audience can feel it is gossip, not trusted and can be rejected for culture and political. For example 'LARD' magazine was full of photos of dead bodies and isn't very interesting to read about. On the front of the 'Beatles' American Album cover they posed in a butchers with meat on them and are smiling happily, this was at the time of war so was not the best timing.
  • Visual Motifs is something you see recurring for example in the pop industry many woman are into the new craze of 'twerking' and songs about 'butts'.
  • Hyper Real photos are used in pop magazines than the reality. They over edit images to make it look different and to what they want e.g. skinny and more tanned. In rock magazines like authentic and real photos.
  • R&B genre doesn't care about the authentic look and tries to make it look unique by using cartoons and manga styles.
  
  
  
  

Analysis of Double Page Spread of Billboard

Billboard Magazine

• The main image: only takes up half the page not spread over the double page spread. This is an abstract way to focus of the spread is the image, in Billboard magazine they always focus on one artist this gives the magazine a lot of room for the text. Having Beyoncé on half the page gives the artist all the attention on her and her music. She is looking directly at the camera with a dull facial expression on her face this can relate to her being described as 'Fiercely' in the headline. A metal cage is covering half of her face this can represent her fierce personality and makes the reader interested in the artist.
• The Headline: it is 'Fiercely Creative' this is associated with her being a strong independent woman. The of the headline is large because it grabs attention and persuades the audience to read the article.
• The By-line: contrasts against the background colours to make it clear to read for the audience. The by-line tells you who wrote the article.
• The Stand: is at the beginning of the article which gives the reader information about the artist and article. The stand sets the scene fro the article because it tells you hat they have done. It also summarises the article in one sentence therefore it is a short overview. It tells us that Beyoncé was announced by Billboard 'Woman of the Year' this is an important award to the magazine and change the colour of the text so it stands out.
• The background: is not a block colour it goes from a bright purple to a grey (gradient effect). I think purple is a strong female colour and shows she is a strong female and gets across the fierceness.  

'Billboard' Magazine

Billboard magazine is my influence/inspiration and I think this is the only magazine that is targeted to an older teenager. Billboard has a more mature and simple layout on there front cover and has more music artists that appeal to a certain audience. There isn't as many colours as the other two examples but there is a pop of colour in the title so it is eye catching and helps the reader see the magazine quickly in the shop. "Top of the Pops" has different layout and colours on each magazine, whereas Billboard has similar layout making it easier to find and buy it.

 

 

 

'We love Pop' Magazine

Another example is "We (love heart) Pop" has a target audience of young teens especially girls. The main colours are pink, red and yellow and this is eye catching and entices the target audience. They have many different famous singers and bands e.g. Ariana Grande, 5SOS, 1D, The Vamps and little Mix to appeal to all the audience. In large font it says "Summer Rocks!"  this tells the reader that this is the summer edition and tells you what is popular in summer.

However I don't want to concentrate my audience on younger children and teenagers. I want it to be related to issues and ideas for older teens e.g. 16 to 20 years. Because I feel there is a gap in the market between kids and adults therefore I want my magazine to fill the market. 

'Top of the Pops' Magazine

I have decided to base my music magazine on the music genre pop. I chose the pop genre because I listen to most popular the charts. There is many different pop magazines targeted at different audiences.

For example 'Top of the Pops' has a target audience of young people especially girls you can this from the colour scheme. The magazine has chosen pink as its main colour this entices young girls and makes the magazine look 'pretty'. They have put issues which happen to the younger audience and want to make people more aware e.g. bullying. In big font it says "Bullies made me stronger" this is to show young girls that even celebrities go through bullying therefore it makes the audience feel no longer alone. The pop magazine also says about fashion to give another reason why should buy the magazine for fashion tips and advice.

 

Media Institutions

IPC media was founded in 1968 and owned by 'Times Inc.' and has a head quarters in London.IPC stands for  'International Publishing Corporation'.

• IPC Media Music magazines are dedicated to music and music cultures featuring many different famous musicians, but also new musicians that specialize in certain types of music.
• IPC Media- one of the UK's leading consumer magazine and digital publishers, selling over 350 million copies per year.
• IPC company owns the music magazines NME and Guitar and Bass.
•  Five magazine divisions:

- Connect (Woman's weekly magazine)
- Inspire (leisure and specialist)
- Ignite! (men's lifestyle and entertainment)
-Southbank (woman's lifestyle and entertainment)
-TX (television titles)

Large Publishing Houses
Hearst Corporation is one of the nation’s largest diversified media and information companies. It has a majority of interests e.g. 'San Antonio Express-News', 'Good Housekeeping', 'Cosmopolitan' and 'ELLE'. They also own leading TV networks for example 'Lifetime','A&E' and 'HISTORY'.

As I am making a Pop magazine for teenagers I wanted to research where different young pop magazines are published, to see which is best suited.

• 'Top of the Pop's' magazine is published by Immediate Media Company and aired a TV show for the magazine but it was cancelled in 2006. They don't just publish music magazines they cooperate with BBC and sell there magazines such as BBC history and BBC wildlife. They publish preschool magazines, educational magazines and preteen magazines. It is a UK based Company and started in 2011.
• 'We love Pop' magazine is published by Egmont Company in which they publish magazines and books for babies to teens. They also publish 'Go girl' another teen pop magazine. I wouldn't choose this publishing company for my magazine as my magazine is for a slightly older audience.
• 'Billboard' magazine is owned by 'Prometheus Global Media' and is an American company. They sell entertainment blogs, TV shows and magazines. I wouldn't use this company as it is not UK based and publishes a big variety of media. 

Target Audience

I think my pop magazine called 'Emerge' is targeted to teenagers within the ages of 13-20. I think more females would be more interesting in reading my magazine. I think the typical audience will have interests in fashion, pop music and celebrities. I don't want to make my magazine expensive therefore not everyone can afford to read it. I have chosen this audience group because I feel like there is a gap in the market for pop music magazines especially for teenagers (that are not too childish). There are pop magazines for kids e.g. 'Top of the Pop's' and 'We (love heart) Pop'. I want to make my magazine easily readable therefore I am going to think about what fonts I am going to use. I am also going to make my photographs appealing to teenagers so I am going to choose a model who fits in the target audience. 

Focus group

In class we got put into groups of 3 or 4  to make a focus group to help us improve our ideas with other peoples opinions on your music magazine. I showed my focus group the mood board I made on Pinterest which included inspirations and some pop artists.

Title:

At the time of the focus group I had only just surveyed names therefore I thought I'd ask for there favourite and 3 out of 4 of the people in my focus group preferred the name 'Emerge'  therefore I have came to conclusion to use that name.

Front cover:

I have only got a brief  idea of what I want my front cover page to look like. I explained to my focus group that I want my front cover to have only want one singer/artist because I have researched other pop magazines and mostly all of them have one artist on the cover therefore they talk more in detail about that one singer. I want to take photos quite close up of the face than a head to toe photo.

Double page spread:

I haven't got a lot of ideas for the double page spread so I asked my focus group for opinions and ideas for what to put in a pop magazine which is targeted to teenagers not children. The ideas they gave me were:

• interview with a singer.
• issues in a singers life.
• talk about a singer's achievements.
• write about a award show e.g. Billboard Music Awards.

From the focus group I have more of an idea what will be on the double page spread I want a larger photograph of the singer, a large title with their name and a article. I don't want the article to be to long, I want it to be a bit more straight to the point and this will engage the reader to read the whole article than get bored half way through.

Magazine name ideas

A magazine name is very important when it comes to engaging with the music audience and making people want to buy your magazine. It is not just about the name of your music magazine but what it looks like on your magazine including the font, size and colour.

I have brainstormed names for my pop magazine which will be eye-catching to the reader/audience. I have surveyed for names from my peers at school and got a few interesting ones. Here is some of the names:

 

In conclusion I have chosen to use the name 'Emerge' because I think it is unique and different and it is appearing and rising, this relates very well to music because new singers and music can appear suddenly and rise in popularity.

Synergy and Convergence in my own magazine

I think print magazines are becoming less popular and this could mean magazine companies are not getting as much money. I like to be able to buy a magazine in a shop and hold a magazine to read it instead of looking online. Therefore I am going to make my magazine look very interesting so people buy the print copy.

When I start to look more in-depth into my music magazine I will start to look at brands that can link to my music magazine. If my magazine is popular enough I would like to include fashion trends into my magazine so I could make a brand out of it selling different pieces of clothing which represent my magazine. I'd like to develop a website to show the popular music, trends and issues at the moment. In particular I will make my website be always be up to date by making the workers be always looking for more interesting news and new music. If the magazine had enough support it could lead on to a radio station and even a TV show.

Synergy,Technological convergence and music magazines

Magazines have to increase profits and market  penetration and music magazines are now 'Brands' and doe not conflict themselves to print.

Digital Technology

Digital technology has changed everything by seeing media texts on a digital device. This has made a concept of a magazine different and can access magazines online on mobiles and tablet/IPad devices.

Synergy

Synergy helps magazines make more money for their brand. You can sell your brand in different ways to reach or relate to more people this is by using a variety of advertising  revenues.

Billboard Music Magazine

I have investigated Billboard magazine and how it is a brand. It is an American music magazine and is very influential in music. The magazine's brand offers the physical magazine but beyond that it offers music charts to   tell people the most popular music day to day. The latest news about the music and entertainment industry and offers new trends and issues happening at the moment.

 Billboard has been developed products, live events, print magazine, TV awards, radio and it offered on mobile platforms this is how the magazine use convergence.

The magazine has a head quarters in New York and now has businesses in Brazil, Greece, Japan,Korea and Russia.

Billboard magazine is owned by 'Prometheus Global Media' which is a diverse company in media, entertainment and advertising and marketing. This company helped the Magazine to get a award show called 'Billboard Music Awards' which started in the 1980's in December but stopped in 2007 and then started again in 2011. They offer different awards e.g. 'Artist of the year', 'Album of the year' and 'Song of the year' and have different hosts and location every year. It was first televised on FOX network and then  after 2011 they stayed with FOX network but on their new channel 'ABC'.Billboard offers different genres of music because they host a Latin music awards.

Key Problems of the music industry

The patterns of music consumption have changed because people are not paying for music they are using Spotify, iTunes and other ways of getting music which have effected the music industry. The internet is used by young people for information. Why would people pay for music that they could get for free? Also why buy magazines when they are offering online for free?

People do not buy music CD's and magazines as much because they know they can get it online for either free or less money. The younger generation subscribe to magazines online and read them there than going out and buying them. Many magazines are going online and music magazines will not survive if the internet is replacing paper magazines and is going onto a digital version.