Evaluation

VIBE is the music institution that would distribute my media product. This media institution is the company that sells R&B music magazines. The founder of the business is a man called Quincy Jones, who gave his urban audience a good and exact insight of the R&B and Hip-Hop culture. I would choose this institution because, this company sells R&B music magazines, which mine is also a music magazine that celebrates the R&B culture. The industry is suitable for my music magazine because it has a similar target audience to what my music magazine has, which is teenagers and young adults. VIBE music magazines portray female R&B artists such as Rihanna, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Keri Hilson etc, which is what my music magazine looks at and delivers to the female target audience. 

The audience for music magazine P.I.M.P are female of all races and backgrounds aged 16-25.  The population would mainly either be in school, college, university or may have just started their new job, and some of the younger ages eg, 16-19 most probably already have part time jobs. My music magazine would be most suitable for my female target audience, because the model I have in my shots is a realistic shot of R&B artists from her race, gender and image, which would most satisfy and meet the required needs of my target audience. It would not meet the target audience’s elements they would expect to see if they saw a shot of girl of the white race, with a very British look, when R&B artists are mainly originated from America. My target audience would like to buy music magazine as it is on sale for a reasonable price of £2.50.

From my preliminary task I had already developed new technological skills from the process of constructing the 3 pieces of media. I have developed good camera skills of taking photos close up, and photos which include body language and posture. I have used different types of fonts and the positioning on the page, compared to my preliminary task where I only used to use one font. My skills have improved from the preliminary task through construction of the background colour. I adapted careful cropping and erasing technique to get a more effective effect. My cropping of the shot remained good, and had taken up most of the whole width of the page.

My three pieces of media create a realistic representation of gender, race, class and youth. All of these features are shown through my earlier research in my planning of locations and costumes. The locations of black social groups are ‘on the streets’ like.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7421534.stm Here is a link showing a newspaper article, explaining how in the past 2 black girls named Charlotte Polius who was stabbed to death by another black girl called Beatriz Martins-Paeshas been sent to prison because of knife crime. This is a very typical representation of black boys and girls are seen and associated with in today’s society. So this then encourages black artists of the R&B culture to write songs about crime, prejudice, sex, love, race, drugs, wars, money, politics etc, to give a true insight of what today’s youths are either involved in or accused of, especially of the black race.

Below are links taken from R&B female artist with also male artists, singing songs with the themes in today’s youth’s society. The lyrics especially show the reality of young teenager’s lives and what they have to face on a day to day basis. Some of the music videos a of the R&B artists show their image in action with the hard and constant partying as seen in my locations part of my planning in night clubs, highway streets, party halls and alleys, celebrating the R&B culture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg  Rihanna and T.I- Live your life 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqRomFlmoKI Alicia Keys- Empire State of Mind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff8auCfg_v0 Nelly and Fergie- Party People

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibLntdLiJA Dizzie Rascal- Dance with me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEyfk97Gs7o Beyonce- Diva

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEauWw9ZGrA  Rihanna- Pon de replay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd8jh9QYfEs&feature=related Rihanna- Please don't stop the music

Here are some Facebook comments that represent my target audience said about my 3 pieces of media: 

Cherniece Duah: 'I think the layout out of all 3 pieces are well constructed and visual, which would grab my attention. However I think the model in photo should have had a more sexual, dramatic pose and a pose with attitude as R&B music represents that through their costume, which she lacked in such as heavy jewellery's ie. hoop earrings and necklaces'.

Coral Chapman: 'I think the colors are appropriate as they are feminine, and therefore appealing to the female audience. The shots have been out together well, and give a good representation of R&B singers, through the body language, where she has one hand on her hip and where she is lying down on her side. I think the double page spread could have been constructed more carefully as the shot is slightly above the text, which makes it more spacious'. 

Stephanie Addae: 'The header P.I.M.P is a realistic and effective representation of R&B because it is seductive from a woman's point of view. The masthead is really good, 'New 'Keri Hilson, New Music, New Body, No Nonsense' is a good way of luring the female reader in, to read on and be inspired that one day they can be as successful as her'.

I have used similar styles of make-up compared to Keri Hilson, as the model on my shot was an interpretation of the R&B artist. I used a very similar lip-gloss, and eye make-up mascara and eyeliner. The make-up used on the face, gives an R&B gimmick to the model. It shows a true representation of a woman with a fantastic image which should be displayed, to her fans. It gives a message of sophistication and dignity. The model is a role model like real R&B artists, to other women and girls of the particular age groups of 16-25, who want to be like her, have the same image, lifestyle and recognition. I have also carefully chosen the hair length of my model to have the same hair length and style of hair to the R&B artist she is portraying. The model in my shot with the blue coat, shows how her costumes or outfits are of famous designer labels and shows the music of R&B to be of high money value and status, with the high expectancy from fans to look as the phrase is ‘A million dollars’. The hoop earrings, is an absolute image of R&B female artists. Earlier shown in my planning, in the costumes section, ‘heavy bling’ is a traditional feature used throughout both men and women. In Keri Hilson photo, she is wearing dangly earrings which again show a good representation. The jewellery R&B artists use make a point about money and all other aspects that happen especially to teenagers in today’s society. The money issue is to state that black people are normally under suspicion of crime such as theft, knife crime etc, and R&B artists represent teenagers today not only of the black race but of all kinds of ethnic and racial backgrounds, and help promote the message across through their image of the heavy jewellery, music (lyrics of the songs) and the locations in which they set their music. 

 

These photo shots show good body language of what a female R&B artist would be portraying to her target audience. The shot  gives a very dominant and boastful appearance. The fact that I have placed her left arm on her hip, gives a very ‘stand my ground’ look. She looks like she is control of the audience and telling them what’s what. The shot, gives a very typical image of a female R&B artist of her being seductive but yet innocent at the same time. The seductive feature comes from her body position as she is lying down. The innocent feature comes from her facial expression, as if she has done nothing wrong.

KERI HILSON

New Body

New Music

NO NONSENSE

Again the font is red to shown the feminine approach to the female audience. The name Keri Hilson and NO NONSENSE have been put in upper case to show dominance and power over the reader, and to show that this is the new me and I am not ashamed exploit it and if there is a problem get over it. I also used this catchy masthead to appeal, attract and address my target audience straightaway.

The shot on my music magazine cover, follows the conventions of an R&B music magazine cover, because the girl is brown and R&B artists are brown, black or mixed race. 

My music magazine is my own invention created to follow the conventions and develop or challenge forms of the R&B music magazine VIBE.  My music magazine does follow the conventions of VIBE, through the Banner P.I.M.P, which gives a more feminist representation of the R&B culture, where VIBE gives a more masculine approach. The Banner VIBE is shown normally in white or black fonts with male artists, and red fonts with female artists. My front cover has obeyed with the same tradition by changing the font colour to pink in upper case and bold to obviously state that my music magazine is for a female target audience I had taken inspiration from the VIBE music magazine fonts and catchy mastheads. 

My masthead had represented black female artists as they are in today’s society as very seductive, persuasive and almost business type. For example, the edition of VIBE with the picture of the R&B artist Ciara, gives a true and perfect vision of how R&B women are used as sex objects, and have a way of making themselves look innocent to the audience but yet demanding. The first half of the masthead encouraged me to design a music magazine on an R&B female artist’s body and the new transformation of it. I have also used this masthead to create a similar message to my target audience.  

P.I.M.P

Mock up's of Front cover: 1st mock up and final mock up.
Mock up of Contents page
Mock up of Double page spread

Most R&B music videos and the paparazzi taking photo shots are mainly done in night clubs, alley ways and late night parties. These are all common places to portray R&B, relating back to the lyrics of their songs being about in today’s society, the younger generation tend to now live life with late night partying and wanting to have the freedom to enjoy themselves. This already has given me ideas that my images should be set in these late night, urban settings, giving it a more ‘gangster’ look.