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Showing posts from October, 2020

Questionnaire Results

Today, I finalized my questionnaire questions and uploaded them on Google Forms. I shared it with my classmates and have recorded their responses. Below, I have attached screenshots of the results.

Questionnaire Planning

In order to create a magazine that appeals to my audience, I have to gather their thoughts and opinions. I will be creating a questionnaire and sharing it with my classmates. My goal is to learn more about my audience's magazine preferences. Such insight will assist me in my brainstorming process.  Demographics I want my questionnaire to include questions about my audience's demographics to learn more about the people that will be reading my magazine. I plan on including a few questions about their age, gender, and/or race and ethnicity. Hip-hop magazine insight I want to learn more about my audience's aesthetic preferences for hip-hop magazines. I plan on using the results to determine my magazine's final look. The results will also be my inspiration for my magazine's layout, color schemes, and content. Source: https://www.canva.com/photos/MADGyIX4g7I-charts-on-black-wooden-table/

Women in Hip-Hop Magazines

Ever since hip-hop has been popular, it has been an industry dominated by men. Many male artists are credited for their legacies left on the genre, while women are overlooked. However, female artists like Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, Remy Ma, and many others have made large impacts on the sound of hip-hop and the way it is perceived. Not only have they paved the way for many of the currently popular hip-hop artists, they have impacted different cultures and popularized different fashion styles. It is because of those artists that there are currently many women bringing forth their unique styles to the genre today. An abundant amount of hip-hop magazines feature male artists on the cover photo. As more female artists have grown in the platform, it is becoming more normalized for women to be featured on the magazine covers.                      Though there has been progress, we have lots of room left for improvement. There is still a double-standard regarding women in hip-hop co

Double-Page Spread Brainstorming

After analyzing the features of a double-page spread to see what I liked and what I disliked, I have decided to look at several more examples to help me brainstorm.   The double-page spread above features the model, Nicki Minaj throughout both pages of the double-page spread though most of her body is on one of them. The image used is a mid-shot which brings more emphasis towards Nicki's accessories being displayed, and we can see her face in clearer detail. For the color scheme, various shades of pink are used along with black and white. Nicki Minaj, wears black and white, which matches with the font, and her pink lipstick stands out to coordinate with other parts of the font. I like the color coordination that was used because it makes everything more visually appealing, including the pink ombré background. I think there is too much small text which is not something I would want to reflect in my own double-page spread, but I like how they try to reduce it by dividing the texts. 

Double-Page Spread Analysis

Now that I have learned more about the double-page spread conventions, I analyzed one to determine which features I want to reflect in my own magazine. In the double-page spread above, the artist, Beyoncé, is featured across both pages. Being carried by several people brings the main spotlight to her because she is the center. The men carrying her are wearing black and white, and she is wearing a black dress. The lack of color in the models' clothings help them contrast with the spread's light ombré background. Also, all of the writing on both pages is in white font to avoid taking attention away from the main image. Since the image takes up more than half of the space in each page, there is only a small paragraph to talk about Beyoncé. The use of a short paragraph in a small font helps the emphasis remain on the image featured. Similarly, the anchorage text being on the top right in small font creates the same effect. I like the idea of using color for the background and estab

Double-Page Spread Conventions

A double-page spread is an article that features their story on two consecutive pages. Since they are usually visually appealing, they receive more attention from general audiences. Below I will list some of the main conventions I have learned about. Headline / Title The title is usually in a large font because it gives a generalization of what is featured on the spread. Most of the time, headlines are not too long because they are sneak peeks to attract audiences to read through the article.  Stand first The stand first is an introduction/summary of the rest of the article. Like the headline, it serves to get people intrigued to read the full article.  Pull quote When double-page spreads include interviews, they oftentimes take quotes from the person and place them around the spread in a larger font. This is done to make people want to read the article to get context behind the quote. Image The image is often the biggest emphasis on the double-page spread. It can be shown across both

Camera Composition

  Framing Camera framing deals with the way in which a shot is composed. It incorporates the number of subjects in the shot, their positions, and the shot's angles. Camera framing helps photographers note the different aspects of a shot to determine how they will best portray their subject(s) to the audience. Rule of thirds The rule of thirds requires that one creates a grid of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines in their head when taking a picture. Placing the main subject along one of the intersecting points or on one of the lines helps the shot look more natural and appeal to the audience. Depth of field deep focus In a deep depth of field shot, most (if not all) of the background is in focus along with the frame's subject. These types of images are sharp and clear. Deep depths of field allow audiences to notice both the subject and background, with equal focus. Depth of field shallow focus In a shallow depth of field shot, only the subject is in focus and the backgr

Camera Shots

When producing a film, different scenes require different types of shots to establish the setting and characters more effectively. I have focused on six different camera shots included in the syllabus, and I took pictures to demonstrate them.   Establishing shot Establishing shots help audiences see the geography of the setting where the film will be based. It can be an introduction to develop a sense of environment. Close-up Close-up shots appeal to audiences in an emotional way. Getting a zoomed in view of a character or object can help the audience notice more details in the subject, which makes the film more intimate to the audience. Mid-shot Mid-shots focus on both the subject as well as their background. Such an effect can help audiences learn about the subject's setting and what is occurring around them. Also, the audience can get a better idea of what the subject is feeling/doing. Two-shot  Two-shots feature two subjects. They usually convey the different emotions that the

Camera Angles

In today's post, I will be researching three different camera angles and the effects they have. A photograph's angle determines what the audience will see and how much they will see. Angles contribute to the mood/scene the photograph or video conveys. High angle High angles tend to make the subject look weak and powerless. Shots taken from high angles make the subject seem smaller and inferior. Low angle Low angles can make the subject look more powerful and superior. This occurs because it is as if the viewer "looks up" to the subject and is submissive.  Canted angle Canted angles tend to portray confusion and disorientation. The tilt tends to make the subject look unusual to the viewers which creates such a unique effect. All photographs were taken by me

Brainstorming House Styles

Taking note of different well-known music magazines has led me into my brainstorming process. For my magazine, I want my masthead to be in all lowercase letters. During my research, I noticed Billboard magazine does this and I like the aesthetic that it creates. I am considering using a calligraphy font with a bright color to be memorable. There have also been some pastel colors which have drawn my attention, so this is something I will have to further consider. I want my magazine cover to be simple and direct most of the attention towards the cover photo. Also, I want my conventions to be color coordinated with my cover photo and the title. I think that using complementary colors will make my cover visually appealing and make it memorable. Of course, above are just ideas that I have this far. I plan on doing further research and different drafts to determine what my magazine's house style will look like.