EVALUATION: How does your media product represent soical groups?

My first photos involved my model dressed in dark tight pants, high heels, a loose top and a grey jacket, against a plain white background; this made the photos easy to cut out. I took a range of photos including the model standing alone, the model positioned on the floor and the model using props such as a guitar and microphone. I also took photos using a range of shots, such as close ups and medium shots.

However, the genre of my magazine is rock in musical theatre; therefore I thought that location shots would be more appropriate for my genre. I decided that my next batch of photos would be taken in a castle keep. I believe this would give more of a rock feel. I also changed a few pieces of clothing that the model was wearing such as using a navy military style jacket as I believe this gives a sense of power, and also biker boots instead of high heels, because I believe high heels are too much like the pop genre, whereas the biker boots give a dangerous feel.

I thought the location shots could be used in my contents and article, but I didn’t want to use them for my front cover therefore I went back to the studio and took more images with a different model wearing a completely different outfit. I keep to the dark coloured clothing to give a rock feel, but I brightened the image by using a cream coloured top. I also had the model wear a hooded jumper with a leather jacket over the top, to give it the dangerous feeling I needed I had the model wear the hood up.

In my front cover the image represents a dangerous female, the fact that her hood on her jacket is up, is stereotypically seen as a bad thing. I have made her look sexy and seductive due to the red lip stick.

The colour scheme of red, white and black isn't typical of a musical theatre magazine, however it does represent my idea of a magazine around rock musicals, and as these colours are typical of a rock genre magazine, I believe this is affective in order to attract a wide audience.

I used four fonts which I also used in my contents and double page spread. I used a font called Broadway, this is because of my musical theatre genre and the fact this font is traditionally used to advertise West End and Broadway shows. I also used a different font for the word Ghost as this is typically used in other music magazines if a subject has a font logo.

The image of the editor represents she is hard working, as she is dressed smartly in a shirt and a cardigan. However I left her hair down as I didn’t want her to seem too stuck-up, and by doing this she seems laid back and down to earth.

The image at the bottom of the page I left open to the imagination, as the story to go with it is upcoming musicals. However I have still made it seem of the rock genre, so the image ties in to the rest of my magazine.

I have also kept the same fonts and colours as the font cover to keep consistency.

For the images in the double page spread I have used the same model as my front cover to keep consistency but also to tie in with the story as the image is representing the same thing.

I have also used the same fonts and colours again, therefore audiences can relate the pages together.

I have kept the text in columns to make the text east to read, therefore the audience’s attention won’t stray.

I believe my representation has been made “true”, “common-sense” and “natural” as images are supposed to portray actors playing the working class, the outfits they are wearing are there costumes, however they have been bought on the high street to show they are working class.

Although my models are stereotypical, according to Gauntlett’s “So what is a role model?” (2008). He says role models can be divided into six different types, and my main model is what he calls a “challenging stereotype.” She seems tough yet still sexy and feminine. But I have broken the convention on sexy. Women in magazines, who are trying to portray this, are usually wearing small clothing, not covering much of their body. In my images the main model I fully clothed, there is no skin showing, however the rock look with red lipstick makes her look sexy.

My magazine represents a young girl, who enjoys rock music and musical theatre. This is explained by Price (1993) that representation is “the way in which ideas, objects, people, groups and life forms are depicted by the mass media…(and)is the method used by the mass media to create meaning.” Therefore the way my model is dressed, poses, her facial expression all represent the meaning of a rock musical magazine.

My representation is being aimed at my target audience of people who enjoy musical theatre, as the model is looking straight on at the audience, pulling them in to look at the magazine. My models appear to be young, which would attract younger audiences but the text on the front cover would attract older audiences. I think my magazine would attract both males and females, the males will like the front cover as the woman looks sexy, but women will like the image as its someone to look up to and inspire to.