Original Brief 

The task I have been set this year, is to create a plan and a computerized version using Adobe Photoshop CS4, a music magazine of my choice. I was told to pick a specific genre, which I had decided to choose R&B for a female target audience. I am going to carry out, analytical research to help me get a more in depth insight into the genre that I am going to be presenting. I will be doing this by analysing a two Vibe music magazine front covers, contents pages and double page spreads, because it is an R&B music magazine. Furthermore, I will be looking at the main images, Masthead, Banner, use of text and colour etc and outline all the key aspects that give a basic set view to the audience of its aims, purposes and beliefs.

Secondly, I am going to be creating a TAP (Target Audience Profile) and Mission Statement, which will cover all the areas of what my music magazine will be like. The information that will be contained will be points on the name of my magazine. How much my magazine will be on sale for? Where it will be on sale. What kind of music genre does my magazine celebrate? What type of articles will be included? What I will promise to deliver to my target audience. What are the values and beliefs of my music magazine? The style of my magazine. Who exactly is going to read my magazine? In addition, there will be questions answered on my target audience, such as the gender of my target audience. Their age range and professional status. Their marital status in life. What is their personality going to be like? What are their hobbies and how do they spend their leisure time? What is the kind of music they like listening to? How much does music play a big a big part in their lives? And finally what other media interactions and texts do they use and enjoy?

Thirdly, I will be carrying out a questionnaire on 10 people in the age range of 16-25. This will be done to see what my target audience like listening to and what their views and opinions are. The questionnaire will be handed out to people who are more likely to still be in school, college or university. There will be questions asking them who their favourite artist or band is? What is their favourite genre of music, why do you like listening to music? After I have carried out the questionnaire, I will be analysing the results on Microsoft excel to conduct graphs and charts, so it shows what my target audience had responded, and what they would like to see in my music magazine. I will be then using this information to help me conduct my music magazine, ensuring me I meet the demands and aims to my target audience.

After I have carried out the questionnaire and produced my analysis, I will be brainstorming the codes and conventions of the genre of R&B. I am going to be looking at poses, gestures, body language and attitudes R&B artists create. To continue, I will also be carrying out costume research and looking at ideas of what female R&B artists wear, to give me a broader and fresher view, of their clothing and jewellery. Here, I am going to be looking at what colours, designs and patterns etc female R&B artists wear and why they chose to wear it, also how this would make an impact on their target audience. To add to this, I will also be creating a locations list, which will be looking at mise-en-scene for example settings, props, body language and facial expression of R&B artists. Then, I will be carrying out reconnaissance, which will look at locations that I will actually be using in my music magazine. Next I will be deciding on which ‘artists’ I will be using, by choosing appropriate actors. I will also be carrying out taking practise shots, and when I do this I will take about 2 or 3 in case I do not like them and just for experimental purposes as well, so at least I will have more than one shot. Afterwards I will be producing mock-ups of my front cover, contents page and double page spread. Finally I will be carrying out a post-production questionnaire.

Once all the planning is completed, I will be taking all of my real shots and producing my front cover, contents page, and double page spread on Adobe Photoshop CS4. This will be carried out over a few weeks. Finally, I will be doing an evaluation, linking back to the aim of this project, which was to create an R&B music magazine for a 16-25 aged target audience, and seeing whether I have met their requirements.