Planning

 

 

Name of magazine: Verse 

Genre: Hip-Hop

I originally intended to base my final product on the Pop genre, but after taking a further look at my research I decide otherwise. Whilst the Pop genre appeared to be more popular in my questionnaire results, it came to my attention that the industry is somewhat overpopulated by this genre, and magazines are now struggling to compete and therefore gain audiences attention. Mostly, this is down to the magazines inability to find a unique selling point, and differ itself from other magazines covering the same genre. I therefore noticed that whilst the Hip-Hop genre wasn't as popular with audiences, there was however a significant gap in the market for it to become a success. Whilst there are several magazines in the industry covering the Hip-Hop genre, it is easier for my magazine to stand out and ultimately gain audiences attention. The idea for the magazine's title 'Verse' came when I was analysing fundamental aspects of music; a 'Verse' is commonly associated with Rap music, so the audience arer therefore likely to recognise this.

Examples of magazines found within the Hip-Hop genre-

 

Most of the Hip-Hop magazine examples shown above have certain conventions that are likely to be found only in that genre. The iconography of the artists themeselves immediatley signfiesto the audience what genre the magazine is basd around. On the 3rd example, Jay-Z is shown to be wearing attire typical of those surrounded by the Hip-Hop culture; so a connection with the audience can therefore easily be achieved. Kendrick Lamar is also portrayed similarly in the 1st example, as the crown and ring he is wearing connote the Hip-Hop genre. Therefore, I am able to take into consideration the fact that the artists I place on my magazine cover effectively connote Hip-Hop culture through the usage of iconography; such as jewelry and attire.  

Logo font ideas-

Initially, I was confident that this logo would be good to use in my final artifact as it's incredibly bold and therefore has an immediate impact on the audience as it's highly prominent against all of the other aspects on magazine cover. However, whilst a lot of people said it was a good choice, I decided that it was too simplistic for a Hip-Hop magazine and didn't suggest anything related to Hip-Hop to the audience.

    

Whilst this font would be good to use as the logo on the front cover as it has a handwritten, urban feel to it, typically associated with the Hip-Hop genre. However, this might be deemed 'boring' and too conventional by the audiences who are attracted to this genre, as it doesn't contain any elements which make it different from other magazines. Instead, I decided that using a font that wasn't too conventional would be appropriate to use.

Although I predicted most people I asked would be attracted to this font as it's bold and is likely to stand out on the cover, most people decided against it. Many people commented on how the eroded appearance gave it more of a grungy, punk feel; rather than reflecting Hip-Hop culture. As a result, the audience may be left confused as to what genre the magazine actually covers, reducing the appeal to the magazine.  

^

Magazine's logo

I decided that this logo would be appropriate to use in my final artifact as it's not conventional, yet still gives the audience the idea that the genre it's going to be used within is Hip-Hop. In addition to this, a similar font is used on the clothing brand 'Hype Clothing'. This is quite a prominent brand within Hip-Hop culture, which therefore suggests to me that this specific font is highly likely to be appealing to my target audience, especially if they can relate back to the clothing brand. Whilst this logo is far from simplistic, it's not over the top, giving a professional and somewhat sophisticated feel to it.

Although surprisingly a signifcant amount of people expressed their preference to this type of font, I feel that it does however contain connotations associated with another genre. Whilst it gives the impression of an Urban environment, but the fact it has the appearance of stencils being printed onto a poster, suggests a rather stereotypical punk culture. As a result, I decided against using this as my Final Magazine's logo, and instead felt it was appropriate to take into consideration the other examples that appealed to people.

I initially felt that this example would be good to use on my magazine's front cover as it conveys the idea of Hip-Hop culture, and has a care-free vibe as a result of it's handwritten appearance. I came to the conclusion however, that this handwritten appearance would be too conventional to have in the magazine, and wouldn't appeal to anyone because it doesn't offer anything 'different' In comparison, it's likely that the audience will be attracted to a font that's significantly different and unique, whilst still giving off a Hip-Hop Vibe and making the audience aware of the specific genre. 

This example appealed to me a lot because I think it makes a bold statement to the audience, and possibly brings more of their attention to it. The fact that the text is considerably bold and prominent gives it a lot of coverage against all the other features that are likely to appear on the front cover. As very little people chose this example as their preferred final logo, I decided against it, and I felt that it was likely to not connote Hip-Hop culture enough to appeal to the desired audience.

Hip-Hop representation-

 

This image of T.I clearly shows the iconography associated with the Hip-Hop genre. The extensive jewellery the artist is wearing is typical of a Hip-Hop artist. The baseball cap T.I is wearing can also be seen on many other artists. This icongoraphy on the artist is essential to include on my own final product, as the audience who are attracted to the genre can instantly connect with the cover star and understand the genre that's been presented.

 

 

 

Similarly in this image of 50 Cent, jewellery and baseball cap along with the sports jersey is typically associated with Hip-Hop, resulting in a connection between the audience. Hip-Hop is also commonly conencted with aggression and violence, and the mise en scene that includes a baseball bat and a deadly, aggressive stare from the artist. Once again, this clever usage of aspects allow the audience the ability to gain an understanding of what the genre being shown is, allowing them to decide on whether it appeals to them or not.

 

Examples of Hip-Hop photography-

These examples of Hip-Hop photography all contain somewhat similar iconography. In terms of the female artists, they are shown wearing a significant amount of makeup and unique clothing. This way of them being represented adds appeal to the audience; as they can usually tell they are possibly interesting, as well as unique individuals. The clothing they are shown in is also all similar, and therefore allows the audience to easily identify what genre it is. I have therefore concluded that my own photos of artists will have to be to an extent, similar to these examples. That therefore means that i'll have to include the Snapbacks and fitted hats shown in the second picture, as well as a reasonable amount of jewellery; shown in the first and last picture. I will however, have to make sure I'm not keeping the photos too conventional, as it can reduce the appeal of the magazine to the audience.

Front cover layout-

Contents page layout-

Double page spread layout-

My front cover example-

Although I didn't use my own images to create this front cover, I inserted my own logo and added a main headline to try and gain an idea of how my own front cover would look once my pictures were taken.

All images-

Front cover image-

I decided to use this image as the front cover image mainly because it gives a lot of space on the left-third area, which I could use to my advantage to place cover lines and puffs, as shown in my layout plan.

Double page spread image-

I decided to use this image as the main double page image as the artist is shown to be giving a direct mode of address to the audience. This direct mode of address is likely to appeal much more to the audience as they will far more comfortable, especially as a connection has been established between the audience and artist. The graffiti in the background is also considerably clear, and this therefore clearly connotes the Hip-Hop genre to the audience.

Contents page images-

^

Main artist image

 This image will be the largest on the contents page. I felt that this image would be appropriate to use on the contents page as it intrigues the audience due to the lack of a direct mode of address. I didn't feel it was necessary to use a direct mode of address in this picture, as there's one present on the front cover image. I therefore concluded that it was highly likely a connection had already been established from this cover image, so it would be far more effective if I show another side to the artist on the contents page.  

I felt this image was good to use on the contents page because it shows the audience variety within the magazine. The audience gain the impression that there is more than just the main cover star in the magazine, and so it therefore adds to the appeal. Also, the image itself represents the artist as having a fun side, which can again, add to the appeal. The clothing the artist is wearing (hoody, dark glasses, jeans)  gives a stereotypical representation of artists in the Hip-Hop genre, and therefore the audience are immediately aware of the genre that the magazine covers. 

Whilst this artist isn't giving a direct mode of address and their eyes aren't open, I feel as though it is an effective representation. The fact that the artist is laughing immediately gives the audience the impression that the artist has a warm and positive personality, which therefore makes them far more comfortable with viewing the page, and overall gives them a positive outlook on the magazine.