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Statement of intent

Monday 17th June 2024

Statement of intent 

L/O: To produce a concise and well structured statement outlining your chosen brief.

Draft:1(543 words)

The main concept is a magazine cover for country music that is linked to a website. This fits with the brief since it needs to be an independent publisher and country music fits with that since it got quite a niche audience. Since the audience is quite niche the representations are going to be positive, as well the views and ideologies of the brand will be like the audiences. I plan to use my dad for the main cover with a mid-shot which is quite common for country music magazines. For the inside I plan to use both genders since it will match with the core values of diversity (diversity is shown through my dad and me since we are both Romanians.) Stereotypical props and clothing but as well as casual clothing which matches the country feel.  

On the home page I was thinking of doing something like Maverick but with a different colour palette. Since there aren’t many country music websites that also linked to magazines, I got only two to get inspiration from. The colour palette is either red with white or just white and black, for country music. I was thinking a beiger colour with shades of brown for mine since I really like the more neutral colours. The social media is going to be at the footer at the bottom. Both web and social media will attract the target audience since they are young adults and teens, and they would know how to buy from online and how the website is linked to social media. Social media is mainly where the audience are most likely to interact in the comments section however on the website where the reviews are that's where the audience can also interact and give their opinions on the topics. The features the website will have been the little illustrations/drawings that are unique to the website, this will appeal to the audiences because it is visually nice to the eye, since both maverick and country music people are very simple in design I don't want mine to be simple, I want the website to have welcoming personality. The thing that will keep the audience hooked I hope will be the lexis and how I word the articles and everything, since I want to use a friendly approach while also informing them about the artists/ news/ tours etc.  

Synergy and branding are important to media industries because if everything is linked to one another then it's easier to promote and sell and show the brand. The magazine is part of advertising and if it's linked to the website then the website is linked to the social media and vice versa. Which gives a boarder marketing and audience as well. 

The typeface and logo are going to be the same all around, to show consistency of the brand. The images are going to be similar to the ones on different products. The illustrations on the website will be unique. If the brand got a social media page this links with the young people doing cover songs of their favourite artists, as well as interaction between the audience. The synergy will be shown through the logo as well images and the link to the website from the bio.  

Plan

Magazine Planning

1. sub-genres and name of magazine:

name- country cowboy, 

sub-genres is contemporary country and cowboy country. 

2. Write an overview of you magazine- what values it will stand for/ how will it be represented/ content included/ how it will apply to TA.

The values will be diversity, equality, passion and traditional country. This will be represented through the mise en scene of the cover and the website. This will apply to the TA since they have similar values and lifestyles/ attitudes, which will make them feel more connected and feel apart of the brand. 

3. Do a mood board showing the design style ideas for the house style and another for contents.

4. 20 possible articles subjects which could be included in the contents page/ cover lines- should link to the ideologies and TA.

main cover line- johnny cash (he looks similar to my dad) since the main cover line is mainly about an artist

coverlines- soundtracks, Martina McBride, features, fans doing cover songs. 

tagline-

articles- Tim McGraw, John Denver

Features- taylor swift, crystal Gayle, Barbara Mandrell, Yolanda Claire Quartey(Yola), Tim McGraw, George Strait 

5. Come up with possible section headings for contents page.

- Features- bands/ artists featured in the magazine

-Lifestyles (life style features)- products for new artists/ people that want to make country music. 

-Regulars- older artists that are mostly shown, news and updates on tours...

-Reviews-  Reviews of new songs/ albums from the audience. 

6. Develop a layout sketch for cover and contents - terminology is correct and include positioning of text, images and features.

7. Detail possible photoshoots ideas for images- setting/ MES/ style/ model ect. 

photoshoot one- In a field, walking facing away from camera, wearing a black shirt with blue jeans, and boots, with a black cowboy hat. My dad as the model, then I want a similar shot but with me in the same field, I'm wearing a red shirt to contrast his black one, and dark blue jean shorts with boots. With a black cowboy hat as well. This is for the contents double page idea.

photoshoot two- A close up photo of my dad same outfit as the first photoshoot except he got a white shirt on, button up . Then a mid shot of me but I'm changing my shirt to a black button up one. And I want a third person which would be my friend wearing a similar shirt to me, so that my dad stands out and the focus is mainly on him since he would be the main artists, we are other artists that are featured but he is the main one. We are all facing the camera for direct address. Any place would work since I'm going to add a plain light brown background. This is for one of the front covers idea.

Photoshoot three- A mid shot of my dad holding a guitar sitting down. In a black shirt, in jeans, with the black cowboy hat maybe with a bandanna around his neck. He's sitting outside near a window smoking while playing. He's looking down at the guitar. This is the second front cover image idea. 

Photoshoot four- I want to take a photo of take a photo of my cousin, wearing normal clothing so that it looks like he's doing a cover of a song in his room. This is to apply to the younger audience. 

Website Planning:

1. Write an overview of web- what values it stands for/ how will it be represented/ what content it will include/ how it will target TA?

The values will be diversity, equality, passion and traditional country. It will be represented through the artists/ articles mentioned as well as the colour palette/layout. The content it will include will about lifestyle and passion of the music as well as the reviews from other fans, covers sang by fans. The reviews and interviews of atists/songs as well as the passion for the music will most likely appeal to the target audience, and the lifestyle will most likely appeal to the younger people mostly after seeing covers done by younger fans. 

2. Do a Pinterest board/mood board that shows design ideas for web.

3. Detail at least 10 possible article subjects which could be included on homepage/linked page from Magazine.

Artists from the magazine, and features, news and updates.

4. Come up with possible section headings for you web homepage.

Events, Reviews and News, video, lifestyle, Tours, music, exclusives

5. Explain ideas for audio-visual content- what will it show/ how will it match the ideology of the band/ what style will it be in etc.

I'm thinking either a animation in the wild west theme that tells the audience about the website (values and ideologies, goals, music etc.) or I'll do interviews of the artists for my video of their goals and views which match with our brand. 

6. Detail possible photoshoot ideas for web images- setting/MES/ style etc. 

Photoshoot One- I want to take a photo of take a photo of my cousin, wearing normal clothing so that it looks like he's doing a cover of a song in his room. This is to apply to the younger audience. 

Photoshoot two- A mid shot of my dad holding a guitar sitting down. In a black shirt, in jeans, with the black cowboy hat maybe with a bandanna around his neck. He's sitting outside near a window smoking while playing. He's looking down at the guitar. This is the second front cover image idea. 

photoshoot three- wither close up shots of mid shots of the artists which will be for the articles/ interviews about. 

illustration idea- illustrate some drawings that will go together for the lifestyle photos. 

7. Look on wix.com and squarespace.com for possible website templates that match you style and design needs. Screenshot. 

Research conclusion

Product One: Magazine conclusion

- For my main concept I want to make a country music magazine and website. Since there isn't many independent publishers within the country music but one which is Maverick so it can still apply to this brief. The target audience for this brief is 16-25 year olds and for this to apply to my magazine I want to use different ages in my products. Since its mainly straight females that listen to country music I'm thinking of using both genders but also different ethnicities to show diversity for the artists. On the contents pages I was thinking of adding some album covers of other artists that are mentioned but not shown within photos on the contents page. 
- The way I'm planning to link the magazine to the cover is with obviously a link in the contents pages but also with the events that you can find out more on the website as well as some artist that are going to be there as well.
- For the core values of the institution I took inspiration form Maverick with their diversity of artists and music which I want to recreate. 
- The technical codes that emphasised my ideas were mainly the a stereotypical male country artists in their darker clothes or random country, and the different hats used. And the female artists are either in black or white clothing. Thats the vibe I'm going for with my artists however I also liked the funnier pictures of the artists when they are enjoying themselves laughing. So for my website I will use the artists from the main cover but with some photos of themselves having fun.   And for intertextuality I'm thinking of using a Romanian film ( Trandafirul Galben 1984) as well as maybe other films. The Romanian film I'm thinking of the costumes used for it and for some of the albums I'm thinking of using some real song names. 
- Camerawork used are normally a mid shot which I'm planning on using on the main cover but with the contexts page I want one whole page to be an image which is going to be a long shot, and the other page is going to be all the contents with the writing and smaller photos. For the long shot I want to do a low angle and for the front cover I want the mid shot to be shoulder level so it shows the equality values of the magazine. 
- For the representations shown I want to make them positive, the funny photos is to show their fans/ audience that their life isn't just seriousness but they also enjoy their life outside music (basically normal people). And thats the type of representations I want to show within the photos to attract the target audience. (Funny photos of a long shot might be used on the cover still deciding). This will attract the younger audience due to the cover whereas the older audience would recognise the artists that are either on the cover or mentioned through the cover lines. Since there many silly covers for the country music covers it doesn't fit the stereotypical genre covers so it challenges that aspect of the genre, but the rest fits the genre. This also fits with the audience since they like to be entertained, either with the cover or with the topics mentioned.

Product Two: Website conclusion

Design Choices - Well i was thinking of doing a brown colour palette with a bit of dark beige for the actual pages. The font I was thinking of would be a black sans serif since it would be easier to read. I was thinking of doing a something similar to the Mavericks website layout since i like that the newest article is big and the past ones are still there. I'm not planning on doing a playlist however I do want to do a page of 'top picks music' which would be small reviews of the different music that are 'top'. This will attract the audience since the website would look a bit more different than the other country music websites ( colour palette wise). For the second page I want to do a about page which would include the video and the core values as well. The social media will be at the bottom of the pages along with the publisher name. The fans can interact and comment on the social media posts that will feature articles/ events and new magazines which would be how that promotes both the website and the magazine. On the home page I want to add the magazine, which would be linked to where you can buy it. I want to make the video about the website and how it came together, which would be on the about page. The visual elements will keep the readers on the pages with the short but informed articles and also the photos. Though I'm also thinking of doing a features page instead of a top music pick page ( I'll think about which one i want to do).

Linked together:

- Its important that there is a synergy and branding in the media industry, since they promote each other but also its easier for the readers to know that this is the same brand and that its linked. I'm thinking of using the same colour palette for the contents page as the on the website. The logo will be the same and the photos will also be linked to one another and the website will have more images of said artists, the type face will also be the same a black sans serif font. 

- I want to add a QR code to the website on the contents page at the bottom but also the events will be mainly mentioned on the website but referenced in the magazine and thats how I plan to link the website to the magazine. Whereas the magazine will be on the home page which will link it to the website. The thing that will be unique to my website is that there is going to be an article for young people that want to learn how to make their own country music. 

- For the social media produce synergy between the products would be posting the different events (gigs, new albums of artists, magazine...), and also posts of fans doing their covers of songs and in the caption there will be tags and the website link. This will attract the audience because they are most likely following the account for updates for the different events since they like to be entertained but this might also attracts new people by simply scrolling through and being curious.

Target Audience:

Demographics- Age, gender, profession, location and marital status

Psychographics- Personality, values, activities, interest, opinions.

My primarily target audience:

A mixture of males and females, the age range of 16-25 year olds. They are working class and like to be entertained. They live in suburban areas. Their values, attitudes and lifestyles are a mix of makers and believers:

- Practical people with constructive skills

- Traditional views of family and work

- Prefer value over luxury

- Deep rooted moral codes

- Predictable loyal customers

- Choose familiar products and established bands.

They are passionate about love, heartbreaks and happiness. They resonate with the listeners, evoking a sense of empathy and connections. 

Initial research

Friday 26th April 2024

Initial Research

 Research: Maverick

One of the biggest International country music magazines, are produced. It was launched in 2002 and Maverick continued to grow since aquiring country music magazine in 2019.

 What Maverick seeks to with the editiorial features is to provide something that while may be time sensitive in terms of albums release or a tour, its something that can fully capture your attention years after. In addition in- depth interviews with the biggest and exciting names in the country music world, Maverick also has an extensive section in the magazine for reviews, and keeping you up to date. 

They are on all big platforms ( instagram, facebook, twitter and youtube) including their website. Which means that the audience can access events and other new covers from anywhere. They are not very popular on youtube, with only 18 subs. their publisher is hand media international.

Industry research: Hand media international.

Type of music magazines produced- They produce a lot of different music magazines, but I'm focusing on Maverick. There are seven impactful publications, inspiring change and pushing media with their holistic content production approach.

Mission statements and aims of the company- Their statement is ' Building Positive Connections: Empowering Your Company's Reach' they want the gap between the company and the outside world to be closer since they believe that a good connection is key and also makes them happy. They wan to be the unrivalled leader in the media industry, delivering professional and efficient services to their esteemed customers worldwide. Their values are also that success isn't just about achieving goals, it's about creating that positive and transformative impact on the world around. They want to embrace integrity, passion, diversity and more. 

Their use of social media- their on facebook, twitter ( now X) and IN, they are very limited with social media. 

their presence, if any, on magazine's website- Their logo is at the very bottom of the magazine websites that they own. 

Thursday 16th May 2024

Website analysis

Plan:

I am planning on doing a country music magazine well the artists i want them to vary between ages so that the audience can also be aimed at younger but also older ones, also i want to link the magazine to the website. Which fits with the brief because it has to be an independent music magazine publisher. Well since the briefs target audience 16-25 year olds country music can fit with the briefs target audience if it was a younger band or even older ones can still fit. This will fit with the core values of the institution I am working for because Maverick is known for their diversity of artists and music. I will use technical codes to help me with my idea, with mise en scene of a similar  cowboy outfit, Im planing in making my dad dress like a country man with a black cowboy hat which is quite common within the country music artists. Then my friend dressing in a stereotypical female cowboy just more fancy which i tool inspiration from one of the covers i analysed. For camerawork I'm thinking of a mid shot with a low angle for the photos to make the artists look more powerful and important but i what them to look funny and fun rather than serious. Since I am planning on dressing people up like obvious country clothing that would count as intertextuality since its very recognisable, same with the camerawork.  

Thought he mise en scene i want the representations to be positive and funny, thats what I'm planning to do with the representations, like i want the artists to be represented like normal people and not just an artist, but still show my respect to them. These representations will probably attract the younger audience since the cover looks fun and not like a stereotypical country music magazine. 

It will be appropriate for the genre as well as the publishing house because it has a lot of the genre conventions and also fits the values of the publishing house. The audience will also enjoy the magazine since its a fun cover and keeps them updated on events, news and albums. The representations are positive.  

mark scheme

 Friday 26th April 2024

Mark Scheme

L/O: To explore the requirements of the coursework