Artist representations through album covers

Album artwork during the late 80's through to the early 2000's was distinctly different to modern album covers being released to day. These differences are comparable to that found within Hip Hop magazines mentioned in a previous post (http://morecdc.blogspot.com/2015/03/aesthetic-conventions-of-hip-hop.html?zx=655d8241a4773710). Older album covers have a tendency to carry a more 'gritty' aesthetic quality; commonly featuring asymmetrical and jagged fonts, stronger colours and greater use of low angles/medium shots, featuring a larger proportion of the artists body.

Examples of such are found below:

NWA - 'Straight Outta Compton' cover (1988)

Raekwon - 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' (1994)

MF DOOM - 'Mm... Food' (2004)

In order to maximise the appeal of my final product to my target audience, I plan to reflect the style of these covers in my work, in order to represent my featured artists in a similar manner to the niche audiences expectations. 

Aesthetic conventions of Hip Hop magazines

Aesthetic conventions of Hip Hop magazines:

Contemporary Hip Hop magazines tend to feature 'clean' aesthetics. This is generated through a minimalistic page layout and colour scheme, paired with what can be generalised as modern and rectangular fonts when it comes to headlines.

The above example bears the aforementioned features; a simple three-tone (white, red, black) colour scheme, a bold modern headline font and a blank white background. The 'clean' aesthetic quality of the article connotes professionalism, representing the artist in a manner which will most likely gain mass appeal due to the contemporary and somewhat white-collar manner in which the artist is presented to the audience. This representation indirectly suggests wealth and success through the overall appearance of the page, qualities which modern rappers generally associate themselves with through their music. This representation carries on from the target audience’s generic expectations of the artists, thus appealing to the widest range of the focus demographic as possible. 

Title Block Analysis

Before beginning production of my title block for my magazine cover I have analysed three generic professional examples. I have included evaluative comments and reflected upon how these examples will influence my final title block.

Props and costume planning

I have begun planning my use of props and costume in my final product as a means of creating an unconventional representation of a Hip Hop artist. This will be achieved through a slightly alternative use of costume and props.
 

Audience Research: Online Survey

As part of my research and preparation for my final task I have conducted an online survey on my target audience (male 16-30 year old). I have analysed and evaluated the results and given planning on how these results will effect my final product.

Updated mind map

AJA Feedback

1. Improve analysis – 2 of each (cover, contents, DPS)

2. Ensure all posts have titles

3. Do mindmap using Text2mindmap site and add more detail

4. Move shot plans to before Preliminary Task magazine pages

5. Evaluate focus group responses

6. Add comments for moodboard explaining ideas

7. Add: questionnaire results and evaluation

8. Add research into conventions of other music magazine genres (and move this post to earlier on – see task checklist for correct order)

9. Come up with more of your own tasks to add - see example blogs on OCR Weebly (Kamini blog in particular):

http://ocrmediastudies.weebly.com/as-inset-materials.html

 

 

Evaluation of Group Feedback

The feedback I was given from my focus group has been invaluable to my understanding of how to present my final product in a way which will be pleasing to my target audience.

On the topic of the XXL cover featuring Dr. Dre one member stated that the continuation of the colour scheme through to the artists costume proved to be highly effective, representing the artist as having a link with the text and generating an aesthetically pleasing quality.
Another member stated that the use of props to represent the artists music in an indirect manner was effective in portraying the artist in a cognitive fashion.

When speaking about the SOURCE example, someone mentioned that the ninety degree rotation of 'THE' was an effective tweak to the title block, perhaps appealing to a younger and more subversive audience.

When asked to speak about the contents page featuring Ice Cube a member came to the conclusion that the low-key lighting in combination with the close-up tight framing of the artists face effectively created a dominant and aggressive representation of the artist. The semi translucent effect on the coloured box also received positive feedback, specifically about the aesthetic quality and the simple, easy to navigate layout it generated.
When designing my contents page I will also include a semi translucent coloured block in order to achieve the same aesthetic quality as the example.            

The members of the focus group seemed to agree that the use of the rule of thirds within the double page spread featuring Kat Williams was aesthetically pleasing adding cohesion to the spread and making it easy to navigate. The also said that the colour scheme donated to this. One student mentioned that the size of the font was too small and should be made larger for easier accessibility. It was also agreed that by including controversial content within the article, the audience would feel more drawn towards it and engaged.
My final article will also include a similar topic to this example in order to achieve the same effect and appeal to the audience through a topic they find interesting allowing for maximum accessibility.

Audience research: Group Feedback

In preparation for my final product I have begun audience research. In this example I have taken a group of peers who fall into the target audience for my magazine and asked for their feedback on professional examples of other magazines within the genre.
media hw from miles orec on Vimeo.

Moodboard

As part of planning for my final product I have created a mood board in order to help to create and direct a cohesive and unifying tone for my final product. I feel that these images effectively interpret the urban street culture present in many representations of Hip Hop. They work together to provide a rough visual representation of how my final product may appear.

Illustration Research + Analysis

This two page spread incorporates a series of illustrations as opposed to photographs. This is an effective way to represent the artist as it directly defies conventions of the genre. This indirectly conveys to the audience that the featured artist (Ill Bill) produces music in a fashion that similarly defies generic conventions. However, the way in which the magazine is laid out according to the rule of thirds, colour scheme and content is all conventional of Hip Hop magazines, and effectively creates an aesthetically pleasing effect. This builds on the representation of the artist to suggest to the audience that although his music may defy conventions, it is still of a high calibre.
I plan to incorporate something of this style into my final product in order to effectively create a similar representation, although I may not go as far as this example.   

Planning: Generic Conventions Mindmap

As part of preparation for my task to make a music magazine I have studied the conventions of the genre which I plan to emulate.

Research: Examples of Professional Magazines

In preparation for my coursework I have analysed several different magazine covers, two page spreads and contents pages that fall within the same genre. By understanding the conventions of the genre I will be able to make a more effective magazine by following these conventions.

AJA Feedback

1. Textual analysis is too brief. Aim for more detail when you analyse similar products for the main task.  

2. Post your shot plans

2. Evaluate your prelim task, discussing strengths and weaknesses. Also discuss what you have learnt that will make you do things differently in the main task

5. Post regular progress reports on your blog – treat it like a diary 

6. Try to come up with more of your own planning/research tasks to show your own creative journey

More effort required Miles.