CLOSED BLOG NOTIFICATION

Center Name: Norbury Manor BEC
Center Number : 14343
Candidate Name: Romara Blake
Candidate Number: 9199
Unit: G321

Final- Front cover

Final- Contents page

Final- Double Page Spread

Evaluation- Question 7

Evaluation question recorded on the Apple Mac computer and uploaded via YouTube answering the question: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Evaluation- Question 6

Evaluation- Question 5

 This is addressing the evaluative question: How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation- Question 4

 Evaluate question : who would be the audience for your media product?

This is being presented via prezi, which i created my self using a blank canvas and adding each feature

Evaluation- Question 3

Here Is the link for the mind map, this has been created using mindomo
https://www.mindomo.com/mindmap/evaluation-3-1cde161cecdd42b7b99e82737f8612b9

Above are print screens of each section if the, link above does not work

Evaluation- Question 2

I have uploaded this video explaining ways in which my media product of a hip hop magazine represents a particular social group. within this evaluation I tend to focus on trend and the use as a way in which it relates to my target audience. The relevance of your magazine to your social group, is an important aspect of understanding what exactly your target audience are expecting.

As the video may not present the evaluate work in clear vision I will also attach each slide/image below.

 

 

 

Evaluation - Question 1

Here is a prezi explaining my use and challenge of real media products within my magazine. This has been done throughout my whole production process so this is an explanation focusing on how I have achieved this

Double Page Spread- link to front cover/contents

If there any difficulties reading the information the page, there is a Camera symbol in the corner of the slidey allowing you to have the information shown to you as a snapshot

DPS Layout

My dps flat plan allowed me to stay on track in regards to creativity and with the use of this flat plan it allowed my time management of the creation process of my double page spread to be faster and easier.

The pose of my model is exactly the same as planned/drawn on my flat plan. This demonstrate the extent to which the planning process of my flat plan has become relevant and useful.

I decided to use this double page spread as inspiration in regards to some of my creative decision layout. For example the use of a Staple letter within  the middle of the page on the interview side. This was to not only promote  the artists level of status within the genre but it also suggests that I have focused on assuring my magazine carries some convention which allow it to appeal to my target audience and appears professional

 My text is placed on the right hand side of my page ,enabling  it to be easy for the audience  to flick to the middle of the (if wanted) magazine allowing them to access the information directly. I decided to lay my text in a simple straight down column formation, this will also allow the audience to be able to follow the information easily. The decision to place the text of the grey background and the low gradient ‘E’  was a form of advertisement for the text. It allows the audience to become more attracted to the big letter therefore leading them into wanting to read the text. This was a vital decision for me to make which was not originally included on my flat plan, this decision was based on the developed understanding that the text of a usual hip hop double page spread dose not usually include a mass amount of text as the information is quite direct . However defying from this convention to assure my artists interview has enough information the use of this form of marketing plays into the convention of originality and creativity, usually found within Hip Hop

Artists Interview

Talented, legend in the making, unique. These are some remarks which have regularly been associated with up and coming Hip Hop artists Erykah Jane’e. She has received recognition from Hip Hop legends such as Jay Z and Mos Def, giving her the title the ‘beast of the new school’. In the process of her mount to success we were able to have a conversation with the Grammy nominated artist on her feelings of the hip hop industry and her resent New York take over with her music and fashion.

First of all I would like to say congrats on your recent Grammy nomination, for best hip hop song of the year and best new hip hop artist, how does it feel?

Thank you so much, firstly I would just like to say a big congrats to my competition they are amazing artists! You know it means so much to me that I’ve been nominated; I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am right now. It hasn’t been easy at all but I will say it has been worth it. All those late nights and early mornings have made me the woman I am today.

As a new artist how do you fight for a place in the Hip hop industry, to be recognized and considered as a valuable contribution to the genre?

The industry is hard, and it’s even harder for a female, the fight we have to go through to even get recognition is even harder, because we are expected to conform to the males distinct taste as to what type of female they’d like to see perform. I think my music speaks for itself, I haven’t forced anybody to like my material which makes it even more special to me, to see that the people really genuinely enjoy my work. I think I’m considered as valuable contribution not only for the fact that I am fighting for the survival of what I know to be ‘real hip hop’ but I’m also being feminine with it. I use my male and female icons within the industry to help shape my image and assure I am continuing the valuable messages sent through their music into my own. I mean it’s a lot of responsibility when you think about it, but who else is willing to do it? Not to disrespect any female MC ,but Nicki for example (NICKI MINAJ) she focuses on the entertainment aspect of hip hop -purely, I feel like her message to the public doesn’t have value in terms of inspiration or depth it’s more of a fairy tale image, I’m trying to go against that and show the world what’s really good

We know you were born and raised in London; did the iconic city add and contribute to your style of rapping and the content of your lyrics?

Of course; London is my baby. Every sound that I’ve heard, every joke that was told helped build my distinct sound. I was raised in south London, it wasn’t the best environment but it had a lot of soul. My family are originally from Jamaica, so I was raised in a strict house hold and any time I felt like my mama’s wisdom was too much for my ears I would always go to my room open up my window, sit down and just close my eyes and listen to the sound of the buses and birds just flapping away. Now when I think about it, a lot of my sound represents some form of noise which I either grew up around or listened to in my own time. Like my hit song “southern reminisce”, I got the inspiration to use the sample T.R.O.Y from my mama, because every morning she would blast and rock in her chair to music and on a Saturday morning, she would specifically play at 9 am on the dot (laughs) Pete rock and CL’ smooth T.R.O.Y

Your fashion sense is something we have not seen in hip hop for a long time, I mean you have literally brought back an era of youth and comfort commonly associated with the 80s/90s. How do you feel being a current iconic figure within fashion alongside your music?

I love it; to know that I am a role model to young ladies makes me feel like I’m doing something purposeful with my life, besides my music. But I can’t claim this style as my own; I have to pay homage to my female idols like Diana Ross, queen Latifa, Aaliyah, MC Lyte and LIL Kim. Kim was a major inspiration actually, because she was she first female MC to be sexy and still have mad bars. She was a major game changer for the rest of us females and for that I am forever grateful. But you know I can’t forget my males (giggles), a tribe called quest’s style and unity was a massive aspect of my decisions in regards to dressing, they could make a plain comical shirt look like a part of a Versace collection and that always fascinated me.  

 You’ve released 2 Ep’s which took off in 2013, prior to your current developing album, which had a massive impact within the communities of New York, how does it feel to be a part of new York’s hip hop history?

It feels amazing! To know that I’m not even born here yet I’m being placed as a part an historic element of the state is crazy! I thank god every day for the opportunity that he’s given me. New York has shown me nothing but love since the day I arrived here, it feels like my home.

Who would you say are your top 5 hip hop inspirations of all time?

Ahh, Okay... I would say Biggie, Pac (tupac), lil Kim, wu tang, Nas. Their music is meaningful and special in my eyes, like Pac’s (tupac) song ‘do for love’ , beat wise it is so diverse and unlike any hip hop song you’ve ever heard because it focuses on the  vulnerable side off Pac which was rarely ever shown, it demonstrates the beautiful/ soft side to Hip hop. I mean as a female is much easier for me to do so but for males to be able to do that it’s quite sexy (laughs)

Well it has been a pleasure talking to you Erykah, thank you so much for your time, and I hope to here big things from you, when is the release of your album ?

Thank you so much! And of course you will (laughs), my album drops next year March 10^th 2016, just wait on it!

Research interview writing

As a part of my research for my artist interview I decided to look at live radio station interviews, by looking at this formation of interviewing it allows me to get an brief understanding of the style of questions Hip Hop artists are used to receiving and what questions they find most suitable and appropriate. with the observation of Hip Hop being a personal genre I decided to use the breakfast club interviews as a muse to how I should approach my artist with questions. the breakfast club are well known for their intimate,humorous yet professional questions.

The videos above include Hip Hop legends/artists Jay Z, Nas and Snoop Dogg. I decided to use there interviews as inspiration for questioning as the questions directed towards these artists demonstrate depth of knowledge and research (on the behalf of the interviewers)

Double page spread image choices

 

Here are my image choices that I have decided to select for my double page spread, they all consist of a simple low angle shot, this creative decision was put in place to display my use of mise-en-scene. my mise-en-scene choices surround either the denim jacket or the gold chain placed on her head.
I chose to use both of these as staple items of mise-en-scene as they both link in well with the genre of hip hop.

denim jacket,
denim jackets are commonly associated with hip hop and where usually items that where seen tied around the waist of many of the young women (on occasion men) , this has now been a trend that has reoccurred and emerged once again, displayed on many hip hop celebrity features such as kanye west and A$AP Rocky

 Gold chain,
gold chains have been a focus point within the Hip Hop community since the early 80s, featuring on artists such as Slick Rick and RUN DMC, It was an important decision for me to include this form of mise-en-scene, so its easily identifiable for the audience to associate it  with hip hop. the placement of the gold chain on my artists head suggest she is an angelic figure almost a saint for females within the industry, contradicting with the norms of female interpretation within Hip Hop.

Double page spread market research

These are some double page spread that I have analysed and identified the link between text and imagery. I hope to use these double page spreads as inspiration in the creation process for my Double page spread alongside the guidance of my double page spread flat-plan