Foundation Portfolio
CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES
From our target audience research, I have looked at a variety of magazines which revolve around leather accessories to help me to decide what costumes and clothing I should include on the rock magazine that I will be creating. I have researched popular rock magazines such as ‘Kerrang!’ and gathered information and ideas. I haven’t just looked at rock magazines, but famous rock bands and artists such as ‘Queen’, ‘The Rolling Stones’ and ‘Nirvana’ and have become inspired to how I should design my magazine.
Typically, the artists have full sleeves of tattoos and random piercings to add to the carefree vibe that most rock artist have, implying that they do not care what other people think - it’s their body and they can decided what they want to do with it. For the majority, they always look rebellious by comical elements such as wearing graphic t-shirts with bold statements to enhance their free-spiritedness and how they believe that they can say what they want. As well as this, rock bands wear black leather jackets and jean jackets which are covered in badges and are distressed to add to their grungy vibe.
To add to their harsh and carefree look, some photo shoots involve the artists smoking cigarettes with the smoke fogging up the image. This potentially adds to the mysteriousness of the music genre and that artists can be unpredictable.
#From my research, I would like to try and add all these factors into my rock magazine. This will help me to draw in my audience as it will fit the typical codes and conventions of a rock magazine.
LOCATION OF SHOOT
As a result of our target audience research, we know that our audience would like our artists to be positioned in a natural environment in regards to the rock genre, therefore I have researched rock magazines and rock artists that have had a photo shoot in what I have perceived as a natural location for them.
When looking at these images found on the internet and in magazines, I have discovered that most are taken at a concert, on a grungy street, or in the room in which they practice their songs in. I now know that the location is typically low-key with little amounts of lighting, therefore this has inspired me to take my main image for my magazine in a location similar to these.
Linking to a natural environment, the artists also position themselves in what is considered a natural way to connote the rock genre. When looking at photo shoots of rock artists and bands, they always seem to have either a straight face in which they are staring directly at the audience, or they are conveying their emotion for the music by making bold facial expressions. As mentioned before, the photos are taken in the artists natural environment, so they are usually relaxed giving off the carefree vibe that most rock artists have.
student magazine:models on front cover
Due to our target audience research, I focused on looking at student magazine front covers that revolved around having models which were either cheerleaders or sports captains to target my audience specifically. I have researched student magazines such as ‘College’, looking at what type of characters they have placed on the front of their magazines, helping me to decide for when I plan my magazine front cover, how I should dress the model(s) and how they should position themselves.
When looking at pictures of student magazines online, those which are cheerleaders or sports captains mainly focus around schools which are located in the United States. Cheerleaders have a uniform which is typically red and white, depending on the house style of the school, and have a logo positioned on their chest to represent their school. The girls are young and have natural makeup with stereotypical slim figures.
For those which are featured on the front cover of American magazines, there are males which are either playing American football, or holding the ball in their hand. If an American footballer, they’re always wearing their uniform with huge shoulder pads and a number printed on their front. As expected, those who play basketball or netball will also be wearing their sports uniform and they will usually be holding the ball in their hand.
This research has given me ideas to how I should dress my models if they are going to be cheerleaders or sports captains in order to fit the codes and conventions of a student magazines main image.
