Costume ideas

For the costume, I am intend on using a suit, suits aren't typically associated with RnB, but the artist in the article is meant to have a success story to tell, and suits are always associated with success and power.

for reasons of the nature of the cover, the suit wont truly be visible, so items like wrist watches and cuff links wont be needed. though the picture has very nice shoes in it, those too wont be necessary as feet wont be in the shot.

Reconnaissance

The location for the cover picture wasn't necessary as it is a white background, i chose this as I'm going for a different style of cover model design much like the Vibe magazines featured so a white background will compliment it harmoniously . The pictures for the DPS were taken in the school, near the fence, in an attempt to give an almost industrial look. the fence against the concrete, in regards to the featured artists back story.

like in this cover of vibe with Rihanna on the cover she is against a blue backdrop while she is in black and white, both of these elements go together very well. 

the colours used in this example are very appealing, the flow well together. which is what influenced the colour scheme i plan on using. Blue and White.

Analysis of media text

This is a front cover of an issue of vibe magazine; it features T.I as the cover model, the photo is a headshot.

T.I is a very successful rapper who has many fans the world over. And because of this fact, fans of his music and even those who just appreciate and the target audience will be intrigued and want to find out why he is on the cover.

T.I’s expression looks as though he is very serious, which is a reflection of the interview he is giving to the magazine. The black and white of the photo is to show that the issue is quite serious and not the typical issue that readers will be used to.

This issue has the mast head in front of the model which is breaks convention for a lot of magazines, which tend to have the mast head covered by the model’s face or any other body part that is near it. This is shown in many other vibe magazine covers but this grabbed my attention as it has a very unique look to it, vibe magazine has been noted for its clever use of colour schemes, the Red and Black colours compliment each other very well.

 The mast head is always at the top of the screen an every issue promotes a different colour which reflects the colour scheme of the rest of the magazine.

Vibe has created a sense of brand identity with its own convention of having only the cover artist. This makes the magazine more recognisable and easier to find for readers. There are additional pictures, its mast head font is a very outstanding bold which reflects the genre this magazine covers, and the audience will find it appealing as they are going to be a predominantly male readership. Those who read this magazine are also likely to be drawn in by the ambiguous quotation in the main sell line; “ain’t no such thing as a secret snitch”, following that the line “the untold story behind the deal” this is an ambiguous statement which will draw the audience in as they want to find out what the tag line means, it doesn’t rely on using an attractive and clever line to draw the readers unlike other magazines.

There are no feature article photographs, instead there are artist names “50 cent, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z & Biggie” this has become one of the ways in Vibe has created brand identity as this is common in many of its issues. 

This is an issue of Billboard magazine, like vibe it is predominantly an r&b magazine which features artists like Drake who is on the cover of this issue.

Billboard is an American magazine issued weekly. The Billboard name is highly recognised, along with the music chart, it promotes.

The choice of musician is Drake a very successful rapper who emerged on the rapping scene in 2006 from a career as an actor, he wasn’t very well known in the main stream but he made he arrival onto the worlds view in 2009, with endorsement form other artists. Since then Drake has been climbing the popularity ladder with the success of his music, “the new face of hip-hop is evidence to this fact.

Drake’s expression is that of a man who knows he has made it in the world; it is a mix of serious and calm with a hint of accomplishment, which is fitting for a man in his position.

This magazine is known for its trademark logo colours of red, yellow, blue and green, only ever changing to celebrate a special issue etc. the colour scheme of black and lime green is interesting but fall in with everything else without clashing.

The mast head is also in front of the artist which may symbolise a hidden meaning of the magazine believing itself to being better than the artist on the cover. This is a convention that is very rare in media publications but as the example above shows it does happen.

The language used is very easy to understand, it would be a stretch to call it casual, but likewise it would be a stretch to call it formal, it is straight to the point of the text.

Contents page

This is the contents page for the issue of Vibe magazine featured at the top.

The style in which ‘contents’ is written will grab anyone’s attention, it has been divided up into three segments which aren’t a clever way of making three new words as it would appear. This contents page is very minimalist essentially 3 colours and the contents themselves at the top in a very stylish simple order. This is definitely something I'm going to emulate. In this page the artist is the most important thing on the page, much like a front cover. This is quite plain which can be seen as a risk, but I think it works well and is solidifying itself as a convention of this magazine.

This is a billboard magazine contents page. it is drastically different to the Vibe one, reasons for this is that it has a lot of text and more pictures, it actually appears to list all the articles within it, rather than the major ones. it features a main image which is linked to a page as are the smaller images above, this contents is also one that has a specific colour scheme, but also features more colour than Vibe.

Double page spread

The Double page spread feature the main article of the magazine, which is often an exclusive with an individual or group. in this case it is Usher, way in which Usher is posed shows him starring off outwards while smoking and wearing a big wristwatch this is  a style exhibited by a number of black males. this appeals to the audience as they are likely to be black or those who are appreciative of the culture and style. 

Cigar that he is smoking is associated with success and wealth, as they are very expensive in comparison to cigarettes, and are either smoked on special occasions or just by the wealthy, which is what it is implying about him. in his quotation the word "Greatest" is highlighted in bold capitals as to draw more attention to it. which is obviously something this interview is aiming to relay to the audience, Usher feels he is doing extremely well in the music industry. the way in which he is looking off screen makes him look like he has something very important on his mind or that his is of a higher status when in combination with the cigar and the quotation, which can symbolize superiority.

There is an abundance of informal language in the text, this is so that the reader can associate with it more fluidly, if it was all formal it would not sound realistic, the informality gives it a touch of personality that readers will appreciate.

Mise en scene

this is a vibe magazine cover with Keyshia Cole on the cover, this is a very interesting way she is being represented as her photo has been edited to look in a very beautiful set of colours, this is a style I'm planning on emulating in my magazine there is nothing in this cover but her face in those colours and the white backdrop. her facial expression is that of a serious but calm person, she is wearing a necklace but because of the effect of this picture it is difficult to determine what it is exactly.

This is another issue of vibe, with a distinctive cover, Ludacris the artist on the front has been made into a cartoon which is part of the them of the issue, his expression looks like he is looking at us in a condescending way, which is in contrast to the light themes associated with cartoons. the colours; red is always associated passion and anger and the yellow both of these very powerful colours.

Artist profile

Name: Avery Emerson

AKA: Avery  

Date of Birth: 16^th November 1987

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: DJ, Producer

Instruments: Synth keyboard, Piano

Active Since: August 2008

Record Label: Sony Music Entertainment


Avery started learning the piano at a very young age, his mother used what little money she had spare to pay for lessons. That investment paid off, as of 2005 he has been producing dance tracks eventually moving into the rap business, writing his own lyrics and producing his own music he rose to the top of the RnB world through his unique style, ingenuity and passion for his craft, with his mother becoming ill in 05 he made sure he would be able to pay her back for everything and to give her a comfortable life. 


Avery spends a lot of his time on his work, but when he isn't working he is clubbing with his entourage  or spending time with his friends and family, and guiding his young nephew, not an athletic man, he still goes to the gym and plays flag football with his old college friends.

Questionnaire for Target audience

Codes and conventions

Men are often used in music videos by female artists; they will often be muscular back-up dancers. But videos which have more meaning use men to represent a woman’s feelings towards a man or men in general.

Women I music videos are there typically as sex appeal a lot of the songs are about the things in the artist life; like clubbing and women, so it would be essential for those two to be in the video, a lot if not all RnB videos feature a woman or multiple women usually scantily clad or in a very promiscuous outfit.

The video its self tends to depend on the song, if it’s a fast passed rap song it will usually have a fast sequence of events to compliment this, if it’s a slow song it could have a meaningful video which is slow and well directed. A lot of the upbeat tunes will feature dance routines.

Emotion is essential in the video if it is a deep and meaningful song, the song itself can usually accomplish this, but a video is added depth. This is most commonly employed by female artist as men usually sing and rap about other things.

Money is linked in with social status and the swagger of an artist, typically male, some females do also use money in their raps but it is not very common. For a lot of male artist cars are a symbol of status too, so it is essential for a fast car in the video, almost representing their fast lifestyle. The flashier the car the better the artist looks, showing their swagger through their car.

Target audience profile

My target audience will be between the ages of 17 to 25, they will be the typical male, independent and up to date. They keep up with the latest trends and pride themselves on dressing to impress, (women in particular). They are very ambitious and will stop at nothing to get what they want, much like the artist that feature in the magazines they read, R&B artists are known for their harsh back story and the target readership will have that go getter attitude and will always want to make it to the top.

The reader will be the type of guy who doesn’t see commitment as something they are very interested at this stage in their life, this is influenced by the music of the genre. Rappers with the likes of 50 cent and snoop dog who often reference their love of women but never claim that they want anything more than pleasure from them in their songs. This is what influences the way the target readership views life. Family will always come first for them though, they will have a strong moral standpoint with matters of value to them but that is restricted to their values and code of conduct, they don’t believe in changing for others.

The target readership will be in college or working but are very money minded and always want to make the latter. They aim to be successful in their later life regardless of the profession they chosen. He is the type of guy who will always have money to be out with friends, which can come from means that are not so fondly looked upon.

TV is something they only ever watch for music, sports shows like those often on MTV; reality shows like Cribs, often those expressing the lifestyle of those in the LA which is a popular location amongst the readership, a place that they all hope to visit, or even live in.

It’s the lifestyle of the artists and such featured in r&b magazines which influence the readers

Music is something that the reader cannot live without, it is always part of their everyday live; when they commute to work or college or when they work, they are always interested in the newest music on the scene and are able to recite verses fro many songs. They also tend to work on their own material as either a hobby or a potential career. Their ipod or mp3 is always up to date with the latest songs in the r&b genre.

The reader will have a keen sense for what to wear, they will always want to look as “fly” as possible, and to have good swagger and they carry themselves in a manor that makes people think highly of them.

This magazine is not going to be a an advert and endorsement fest much like other r&b magazines, it will be a straight to the point magazine which will feature adverts that will interest the reader and also make up the space of the advert sections in the magazine while leaving room for the reading material the readership buys the magazine for. 

Mission statement

What is the name of your magazine and how often will it be issued?

The magazine will be called BEAT magazine and it will be issued as a monthly.

How will the reader obtain the magazine?

The magazine will be on sale to the reader only in supermarkets and music stores or subscription. It will not be available at news agents or small chain stores, in order to show that it is a magazine of high quality. And it will be priced at £2.50. but will be cheaper through subscription.

What kind of magazine is It? Sum up the style and values of the magazine

This is a music magazine and it will feature a very distinctive colour scheme that continues throughout the magazine, the colour schemes will always reflect the artist on the front cover. The magazine values R&B music and aims to promote it and up and coming artists to its readers and those who may casually pick up the magazine. it will aim to have a very modern style that appeals to a wide variety not just the target audience each month will have a specific theme. the article featured is the sfx issue, featuring heavily on the aspects of special effects in the music industry.

What kind of role will it play in the reader’s life? What service will it provide?

This magazine will in a way be the a hub for the reader to the music industry, giving them all the info on the big movers and shakers of the RnB scene. it will excite and inspire readers through articles on artists or on general matters of RnB. it will also dole out advice when the readers write in, their questions will be featured with a very well thought out and helpful answer.

What kind of topics and subjects matter will be covered?

The topics covered will be artist and the projects they are working on their new albums, EPs, singles music videos, it will be a full insider access view on the music industry. the magazine will aim to give the reader a deeper understanding of artists and their craft, what compels musicians to do what they do, what ever there choice of music. it also aims to help those budding young artists find out what it takes to get noticed and how it isn't impossible to make it big like their idols have.

What kinds of articles and features will you have in the magazine?

The double page spread will be on the artist DJ Avery a fictional R&B DJ whose story will be explained in the article. There will be prizes and reviews on concerts and tours. various other information on the music industry, artists, music, columnists etc.  

Who is the reader and why do they read your magazine? What do they hope to get out of reading the magazine?

The reader will be males aged between the ages of 17 to 25. It is intended for anyone with an interest in R&B music but specifically people in that age description and gender. usually working or still in education but always looking out for number 1 They will also be the social type who is outgoing and likes to have fun. This wont be suited for those with very discerning tastes as they won’t find what they want in a magazine like this. the reader will be a typical male with an interest in keeping up appearances and having a high level of social activity, but still got their eyes on the prize and are aiming for it and working hard to get it. The reader will get information on album reviews which will sway their decision to buy albums, and it will feature reviews on tours and concerts which will also influence the reader on whether they want to attend another one by the artist being reviewed.