Evaluation Two

Textual and Image Response to Evaluation Two

Evaluation 2

Evaluation Two: Text Format
How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine is representing a certain social group where people favourite the music genres dubstep and drum and bass. Within this the social group, through research these are mainly 16-25 year olds whom are in education who have a creative flair in their personality and talents such as music, photography, dance. Also the research I did shows that they are heavily influenced by the music and have a high interest of going to social events which include raves, gigs, parties, concerts and festival. They are a tight community of people and they are influenced by fashion that is unique, comfortable yet sexy and stylish. Their attitude is carefree and quite flamboyant. To appeal to them I would have to tailor my magazine to suit their likes. To represent the social group I had to cast my models appropriately ensuring they fit my social group themselves. I decided to use people that are from the social group and to exaggerate on parts of them to appeal to my audience. I also had to ensure that I did not confuse my audience with other music genres such as indie or RnB but I avoided using for example chains and printed t shirts which resemble RnB or pretty floral dresses and denim for indie.

On the front cover I had my two feature artists, for my female model had dark long hair which was stylised but rough and wild, this connotes freedom, rebellion and power with the colour black. Her makeup was quite heavy within the eyes and lips which made her facial features stand out and enhanced her unique look. Overall her facial features and hair represented the more feminine side of my audience profile as she was quite glamorous but slightly rebellious. Her body language was quite suggestive at times in her front cover and double page spread, as she was arching her back slightly, tilting her head signifying that she is confident and wants to stand out of the crowd. This is very appealing to males and females as the social group do not like to be insipid but lie to be confident and bold which my model portrays. Enhancing this idea is her clothing, they are examples of what a ‘’raver’’ would wear as it has large slits down the sides of her top with American top with motorbikes on them, this is comfortable and allows excessive movement. She is also wearing suspender tights which are bold and sexy. This look suggests her comfort with sexuality which also appeals to the audience as they are very care free and have interest in sexuality. Overall the look of my model is a good representation of the sort of artist my audience profile would look up to and aspire to be, this is because she has a dress sense which matches their exact likes and interests and also being very confident is appealing.  The only prop I used throughout my magazine was the microphone she is holding, I only wanted to use one prop as I felt it would distract my audience from the real essence of my artists. I used the prop with this model only to signify that she is a vocalist.

The other male feature artists also had dark short hair; I thought this was appropriate as I wanted someone with a more urban flare to add style to my magazine. The darkness of his hair also connoted a warmth but also seriousness.  He had a very natural and normal look for an artists but this was intentional as I wanted my audience to relate to him as someone who is normal and just like them. The costume I asked him to wear is following on from the urban style; he wore dark wash jeans, a plain white t-shirt, high tops and a watch. He is representive because he shows the audience that he is not cocky or self-assured as he is wearing clothes that the audience wears. Also it is quite simple but only has a slight sense of style with his watch and high tops. The whole look of my male model was to involve the audience more and create a direct relation between the artist and audience, which makes the article more intimate and personal.

The other models I used all have slightly different types of styles and intentions, some of the males had heavily urbanised fashionable costumes, like a red lumberjack coat, red flat cap and red high tops, he was to represent the more creative and bolder males in the social group and also to show the extremes of the fashion sense. Another one of my models had sleek and longer blonde hair sweeping down, beautiful jawline and striking eyes. He had a vintage edge to his costume and had a typical indie featuring ear piece. I used him to appeal more so to the female readers as he is very attractive, it could also attract males in the sense that he is appealing to women so they would aspire to be like him. The last of my male models represented the more established artists in the industry, he had a sleek black blazer on which connoted his professionalism, and however he also had on jeans and trainers and a watch to show he still has an urban edge and has not forgotten his roots. He is also very attractive, appealing to women, and the location he has been shot shows a city. The city signifies that he is in a busy environment and is on top of the world. He is used for the gratifications of escapism and personal identity.

The other female models also show a variation. I have one model that has bright red hair that is tied back into a pony tail, she is wearing a simple white and red top and she is wearing minimal makeup. Her red hair signifies that she is rebellious and likes to have a sense of danger. She represents the girls I the social group who are naturally pretty and those who are very simplistic with their style and taste. She shows the audience that not all artists have to be extravagant and flawless to make it into the industry.

I have two models that are blonde, they both have striking facial features and both wearing plain but comfortable clothing, again they are representing the more natural girls but this time including hair colour. One of my last models has dark brown hair but is wearing very revealing clothing, she is dancing on a podium and she is making a hand gesture. The movement of the tassels from her top and the way her body is positioned shows that she is moving fast and with lots of energy. The image is representive as it shows the social group having fun and really involving themselves into the music, which is shown by this low angle longshot.

As dubstep and drum and bass come from underground scenes I picked my locations to represent the upbringings of this music genre. For some of the shots I used a brick wall as a background for my models, this is because it represented the streets and the outdoors. This creates a connection between my audience and magazine as they recognise the location. For other images I used a dark background where you cannot see behind the model. This was effective because it resembled a rave, gig or concert where it would usually be dark and only the flash from a camera is visible. This means we recognise the audience’s high interest of social events which makes them feel that we understand and are a part of the social group.  

Finalising my representation of the social group throughout my magazine I made the tone of it suitable. In the front cover and contents page I had made reference to lots of different artists that are not particularly mainstream but are known to them. This allows the audience to realise that the magazine is tailored to their likes. Also I have also made lots of referencing to different events and awards that only people within the social group would have heard of. In the articles I had made two different tones to each one, for the male artists I had made it very serious but realistic, as I wanted the audience to relate to him, show his battle in the industry, as many of my target audience are also hopefuls in the industry so it would create a personal atmosphere with the reader. The female article however is written in a friendly and happy tone, it is a more general interview and it is for the readers who are reading for enjoyment and curiosity.