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