OCR Media Studies – AS Level

Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in

Media

Log Book

Name: Yunus Kasim

Candidate Number: 6570

Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic

College

Center Number: 64770

Set Brief - Print

Music Magazine – Production

Preliminary Task, Log Book and

Evaluation

Preliminary Task- Evidence

Front Cover

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Front Cover Step-by-step

To begin with, I covered my

background into a plain and stark

colour. Once this was done I added

the colour blue and maroon at the

top of the page, this allowed me to

have a suitable colour scheme

throughout. Moreover, the

guidelines allowed me to keep the

front page organised and in place.

Then I added my masthead

‘SwizzStar’ on top of my blue and

maroon layers, the colours worked

really well amongst each other. Also,

I added the St Paul’s logo besides

my masthead. Once I completed this

task I decided to include a

convergent (my website), and the

blue guidelines allowed me to put the

website and masthead in order.

Furthermore, I added a cover line

to ensure the reader understands

the main purpose of the school

magazine. Plus the cover line

reflects on the genre of the

magazine and what its going to be

about throughout. I have also

included appealing language such

as “exclusive”.

Step 5Step 4 Step 6

Within this stage I added more

conventions such as a barcode,

number of the magazine as well as

social networks that are known as

convergence. I decided to keep the

same colourway within both my

cover lines and social networking

link.

At this point I added two more conventions:

cover line and a strap line. The cover line

‘steps to…St Pauls’ was in more depth

compared to other cover lines as it gave more

information of what is needed to succeed in

school. I also decided to deviate from the

colour scheme of this convention into blue and

black, rather than the colour pink.

Finally, I added my main image of my

friend with two As level books. I had to

make sure he looked directly at the

camera, so it made the front cover have

a sense of realism. I added the price of

the magazine but made it a small, so that

the audience concentrate more on the

magazine itself, rather than the price.

Preliminary Task- Evidence

Contents Page

Contents Page step-by-step

With my contents page I started of

with a brownish peach colour, of

which will link with the background

colour of my front page. I have

added guidelines to initially help me

with the layout of my contents page.

Once I completed step 2 I added a

strapline ‘Welcome To St Pauls’

underneath ‘contents’. Likewise, I

went straight into creating a puff

(competition) to attract the audience.

Next, I added the colours of blue and

maroon at the top of the page, to

keep the continuation of my colour

scheme. Furthermore, I added the

contents in front of the blue and

maroon layout in a central position.

Step 1 Step 3Step 2

Next, I made three categories (sub

headings) about my school

magazine, of which contain story

headings with numbers of what

page people can find the content.

For instance, ‘24. GCSE Results’.

At this stage I wrote out my

editors letter, informing people

about the main purpose of the

magazine. Also, I created a blue

box around the letter.

Step 5Step 4

This is my final outcome of my contents

page, I have added my editorial picture

with a blue background at the back of

the picture. I have also changed the

position of the word ‘Contents’ and

have added ‘Swizstar’ at the top.

Step 6

LOG BOOK

Music Magazine-Genre Research

The chosen sub genre I have chosen for my music magazine is R&B. This is mostly

targeted at ages 16-19.Rap magazines are stereotypically listened to the male gender

rather than females. The reason for this is because R&B mostly include words that are

vicious and inappropriate as well as themes that are disturbing for females to listen to.

Within the 21st century people now understand the contrast between male and female

music. Males usually listen to rap music, whereas females listen to pop. Hence why I

have decided to pick rap music as young men in the modern society mostly enjoy

listening to rap music and feel attached to artists such as Eminem and Kanye West.

However, rap music does withhold negative factors as well as influences towards the

younger population, for example American statistics illustrate that “ 47% of mothers with

children in public schools believe… music contribute to school violence”. This therefore

shows that artists such as Eminem have contributed to many bad things within rap such

as: drugs, sex and alcohol. This initially make young people believe that imitating the

actions of the artists is right. Therefore, my music magazine looks to change this view

for young men and give rap music a more positive vibe.

Why Vibe Magazine?I have researched Vibe magazine because they are a very successful, established and dominant magazine. These factors will allow me to structure my magazine appropriately and understand how to represent my conventions throughout, for example my double page spread. I personally believe that Vibe magazine include two of the most dominant genres of this century: Hip-Hop and R&B. “The new Vibe is the premier destination for urban music, entertainment, culture and lifestyle for the aspirational 18-34 year old.” This quote illustrates how far ‘VIBE’ have come to reach the top, and also how they are determined to do whatever it takes to become the best magazine of all time. The magazine features well known stars such as Eminem and Rihanna.

The star appeal demonstrates “The idea that icons and celebrities constructed by institutions for financial gain and target one specific audience.” This connotes that by the use of these musical idols the magazine gain more consumers. Therefore by focusing on these aspects it will will allow me to find out about both genres and decide which one will suit my own magazine.

As a whole, I personally believe Vibe magazine have the right conventions to guide me to create the most: unique, amazing as well as eye catching music magazine. This therefore is the main reason why I’ve decided to pick this music magazine.

In April 2013 Vibe magazine

was bought by SpinMedia.

It is a digital publisher in

the US that owns Vibe.

Steve Hansen

became chief

executive.

“After shutting down

the print version of

the magazine,

reducing its staff to

about 200, and

focusing on

advertising, it

rebranded itself as

SpinMedia in March

2013.”

Publisher Research-VIBE

Magazine

Spinmedia is

known as being

“the worlds

largest collective

of pop culture

and music digital

brands…”

“Vibe.com becomes

Spinmedia’s 46th consumer

title.”

“SPIN has grown 131% since

joining SpinMedia in July

2012.”

The firm was founded

in 2005 by an investor

known as Leo

Hindery.

Vibe magazine was

published by

Intermedia Vibe

Holdings who bought

BlackBook in 2012 Webstie:

http://www.intermediaadvisor

s.com/

‘InterMedia Partners, LP is a private equity

investment fund focusing on the

media industry across all platforms - television,

radio, publishing, internet

and marketing. The current fund, InterMedia

Partners VII, LP is focused on content assets

which target underserved markets.’

‘InterMedia Partners, in

partnership with its portfolio

company Uptown Media

Group along with Blackrock

Digital purchased the assets

of Vibe and Vibe.com, the

preeminent brands for hip-hop &

R&B lifestyle and

culture.’

Publisher Page

www.vibe.com

Intermedia advisors

Vibe is a music as well as an entertainment magazine of which was founded by producer Quincy Jones. The publication mostly features R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers within the industry.

However, the production was shut down in 2009. Vibe was then purchased by the private equity investment fund InterMedia Partners and is now issued every-other month with double covers, with a larger online presence. The magazine's target audience is predominantly young, urban followers of hip-hop culture. In 2014, the magazine moved online-only.

Vibe‘s influence and impact on the worlds of hip-hop and R&B has been both immense and enduring.

Vibe Magazine

Analysis

Main Image-

Usually denotes

some ‘star

appeal’. Katz

theory

Cover lines

(Secondary

stories)

Convergence-

Web address

Star appeal- To attract

people who aspire to be

like Jay-Z.

Strapline- This Vibe

magazine does not

include a strapline,

because it’s a

common magazine

that appeals to many

people, and therefore

does not necessarily

need the extra feature

to increase the

audience population.

Masthead-Katz theory-

the masthead is

stretched out to cover

the front page and keep

the audiences attention

of what the magazine is

Front Cover Analysis

The masthead

has a gradient

going from the

colour black to

red, also the

distinct font keep

the audience

active whilst

looking at the

front page in

general.

ConvergenceMain

image

The main

cover line is

parallel to the

main image. It

talks about

how “Eminem

comes clean”

This quote

therefore

reflects the

main image.

Vibe magazine is

primarily focused

on Rap and R&B.

Cover line used

here, is a

rhetorical

question, that get

the audience to

understand how

Eminem is the

best rapper.

Convergence-

To give the

audience

access to more

content.

Contents Page Analysis

Main image-

Kanye West is a

well known music

artist (star

appeal). The use

of a celebrity

increases the

popularity of the

R&B magazine.

The colour grey is

parallel to the

serious facial

expression he has

within the main

image.

The layout of

‘contents’ is

unique and it

differentiates

from other

music

magazines.

Different

categories

allow the

audience to

find out more

about what’s

included within

the magazine.

Double Page Spread AnalysisThe heading ‘when

Mars Attacks’ is

located at the top left

corner. It includes two

dark colours: dark

green as well as black.

Also its written in big

bold writing so it

attracts the target

audience.

The main image illustrated

on the double page spread is

unique as it gives the

audience another aspect to

look at, rather than just

looking at texts.

The double

page

spread has

an

interview, to

keep the

audience

entertained

as well as

aware of

what Bruno

Mars has

been up to.

The background of

the image on the

left has a well

edited gradient of

the colour green,

white, blue and

black. This lighting

effect integrates

really well with

Bruno’s dark

brown suit.

Front Cover Analysis(Vibe

magazine)

To begin with, I personally believe that the front page of this magazine is

very powerful when it comes to representing rap as a music industry.

Within the magazine it contains a range of conventions such as

convergence, and also it has a very consistent colour scheme

throughout the magazine that denotes how it attracts the male gender

(Hartley). On the other hand there are conventions within the front page

that are missing, but I will make sure that I include all these missing

aspects within my own music magazine. For instance, the issue does

not include the bar code and price. This can be a major issue as the

price allows the audience to buy the magazine straight away.

Genre ResearchVibe Magazine

Vibe is a music as well as an entertainment

magazine that was originally founded and

produced by Quincy Jones. The publication

features R&B and hip-hop music. Although,

Vibe was later purchased by InterMedia

Partners and had a large online presence. The

main audience within ‘Vibe’ are mostly young

adults, as they are fans of R&B and hip-hop.

The magazine itself include many aspects such

as: gossip column, new artists plus designer

clothes (Versace), these aspects keep the

audience satisfied and wanting to read more.

Moreover, ‘Vibe’ magazine tend to distribute

their magazine every two months. Whilst music

magazines such as ‘Q’ distribute an issue

every month. Furthermore, ‘Vibe’ have a wide

range of audience (international readership)

because the magazine is available in many

countries around the world. Vibes circulation

recent statistics illustrate that in 2007 it was

approximately 800,000, however decreased by

2011 to about 301,408.

Target Audience and USP pageThe target audience of Vibe magazine can be denoted as males aged 15-19, of which was established through the publish research that I have completed. This is mainly because young adults are interested in the music this magazine covers as well as the famous hip hop stars such as Jay-Z. This type of music is generally listened to by young adults. Hence, why they are the target audience. Katz use of gratification would strongly suggest that this magazine educates the reader about their preferred star through the front cover of the magazine. Furthermore they would be able to build up their relationship with the star, because they can relate to the interviews and background stories of the idol they enjoy to read about and thus aspire to be just like them.

Moreover the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs would state that young people are ‘social climbers’, who read magazines to improve their status by copying the image of an artist. For instance, if someone is a fan of Jay-z, they would buy the magazine just to be like him.

From the research completed into this media product and established music magazine publication, I personally believe the USP is the use of imagery and the obvious and attached ‘Star Appeal’(T.I.) on the front cover. This is because some of the most famous artists are featured in this magazine. The magazine also have competitions to get the reader excited about possibly winning a ticket to see their favorite star.

Other music magazines

I decided to include different

music magazines, before I

decided on a final genre for my

own magazine.

Genre: Popular Music and Rock

Celebrity

endorsement-

Eddie Murphy

is a well

known actor.

Main Image- Usually

denotes some ‘star

appeal’. Katz theory

Masthead

Cover lines

Founded in San

Francisco in

1967

Total

circulation

(2012):

1,464,943

One major

criticism of Rolling

Stone involves its

generational bias

towards the 1960s

and 1970s.

Colour scheme:

Red, Black and

White

‘In the 1990s, the

magazine changed

its format to appeal

to a younger

readership

interested in youth-

oriented television

shows, film actors,

and popular music’.

Main Image-

Usually denotes

some ‘star appeal’.

Katz theory

Masthead is in

big as well as

bold font to

attract the

audience, and

make them

aware of what

magazine

they’re reading.

First issue:

1997

American hip hop

magazine

Barcode

Star appeal-

the inclusion

of different

stars increase

the audience

of the

magazine.

‘XXL also

maintains a

popular website,

which provides

daily hip hop

news, original

content and

content from the

magazine.’Web address:

XXLMAG.COM

Colour scheme:

Red, white and

black.

Headline-

Star

appeal

Genre: Popular

Music

Published Weekly

Owned by

prometheus Global

Circulation: 16,327

First issue:

November 1,

1894

Main Image-

Usually denotes

some ‘star

appeal’. Katz

theory

The masthead

is big and

bold, and it

attracts the

attention of

the reader.

‘Originally

titled Billboard

Advertising it

was a trade

paper for the

bill posting

industry,

hence the

magazine's

name.’

Cover line- this is

used to give the

audience an

understanding of

what the magazine

includes

(secondary story.

Questionnaire for my music

magazine

What is your gender?

Male

Female

1.)

16/20-Males4/20-Females

For my questionnaire, I

used stratified sampling

to pick the amount of

females (4/20) and

males (16/20) I wanted

to include. I did this as I

wanted my music

magazine to appeal to

more males rather than

females, hence why I

made sure the amount

was uneven. Also, as

my target audience

were young men, it was

essential that there are

more males (Hartley’s

theory).

How old are you?

15-18

19-22

23-24

25 or over

2.)

6/20-15 to 18

3/20-23 to 24

11/20-19 to 22

To begin with, from my pie

chart it illustrates that the

majority of people were

between the ages of 19-22

as well as 15-18. This was

beneficial as my age

(Hartley) target audience are

from the two groups and

therefore it will allow me to

attract my audience in a

more influential way.

Do you purchase music magazines on a regular basis?

Yes

No

3.)

14/20- Yes 6/20- No

By asking this question it

allowed me to recognise

the amount of people

who buy music

magazines, and

therefore collect

quantitative data that will

enable me to bring in

attributes within my

magazine, of which will

increase the amount of

magazines bought on a

regular basis.

What music genre suits you?

Rap

Hip-Hop

Folk

Jaz

4.)

11/20- Rap5/20- Hip Hop

2/20- Folk 2/20- Jazz

As you can see, 11 out

of 20 picked Rap as a

music genre and this

was closely followed

by Hip-Hop. This was

expected as young

people at this modern

time tend to listen to

rap music and like

following music artists

such as Eminem or

Kanye West. However,

Folk music as well as

Jazz received the

lowest response due

to the fact that older

people tend to listen to

these genres.

What masthead name do you prefer?

Swizstar

Cool-Ice

Blaze-Out

5.)

11/20- Swizstar4/20- Cool-Ice

5/20- Blaze-Out

As you can see

‘Swizstar’ received a

response of 11/20. This

was good as it helps me

to decide on what

masthead is suitable for

my music magazine, and

also the name will attract

more audiences to read

my magazine as they

feel it’s a name that is

unique and different

(Steve Neale) from other

magazines.

What do you think are the main attributes within a music

magazine?

Editorial

Colour scheme

Bold Masthead

Images

6.)

4/20-Editorial

6/20- Colour Scheme2/20- Bold masthead

8/20-Images

The results denote that,

the images within a music

magazine is a major

factor when creating a

music magazine. As 8/20

people believe that it is

essential for making the

best possible music

magazine. Furthermore,

this enabled me to realise

what I need to include

frequently as well as what

is less frequently needed

across the four pages.

What do you personally believe is the USP of a magazine?

Masthead

Cover lines

Main image

Puff promotion

7.)

2/20- Web address

6/20- Puff promotion

8/20-Main image

2/20- Masthead2/20- Cover lines

Once again the most

important part of a music

magazine is believed to

be the main image, this is

because it is what

automatically attracts the

audience. For instance,

artists such as Nicki

Minaj and Selena Gomez

are a male gaze (Laura

Mulvey) towards the

audience. This therefore

increases the importance

of the main image as it is

essential for the rise of

audience, therefore I will

make sure that I include

this within my magazine.

Music Magazine Names

SwizStar

My own creation

Unique

R&B genre

WarmIce

Contrast of

temperature

Unique twist

WaveStorm

Creative

Different name for

a masthead

Rock and Roll

genre

SSL-Similar idea with ‘XXL’

three letters.

Short and simplistic

Conclusion

As a whole, by planning and research I

have gained knowledge as well as

understanding of different magazines, this

will enable me to create my own magazine

and choose an appropriate genre. My

magazine of inspiration is ‘Vibe’ as the

magazine allowed me to decide which

conventions I want to include. Furthermore,

by creating my preliminary tasks: front

page and contents page, I was able to gain

vital knowledge of Photoshop for my final

magazine.