Final double page spread for magazine

Final contents page for magazine

Final cover page for magazine

Evaluation question 7

Evaluation question 6

Evaluation question 5

Evaluation question 4

Evaluation question 3

Evaluation question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

These are two images, one of my magazine, and one of a band called The Arctic Monkeys. I have aimed to represent the same social class within the artist, the working/lower middle classed teenagers to mid twenties.

Posture
In terms of the posture of the artists, mine is sat down and leaning over, in comparison to Alex Turner who is standing up holding a record. The similarities between these is that they both are looking like they are in a fixed position, but relaxed at the same time. However the main obvious difference is that my artist is sitting down, and the Arctic Monkeys front man is standing up write.  I have changed this/ made my artist sit down so that it disrupts conventions of a rock artist and a rock magazine. I want him to look like he is making no effort to impress anyone, which in a another way follows rock conventions as it is again portraying that sign/ show of rebellion, and not being bothered. This is reflected in the audience, as teenagers and males of this age class generally are associated with carrying these traits. 

Clothing
The clothing in this NME magazine is of a similar style to the clothing of my model (Oscar Mcnesser). My artist just looks like he is not making an effort, as he looks fairly scruffy, and again is representing the white, working/lower middle class teenagers, who much like him, have this style about them.  A similarity of my artist and Alex Turner is that they are both wearing dark clothes , this again follows conventions as rock n roll, is usually associated with dark colours, as it holds and follows the theme of rebellion. He is also presented as slightly grungy, as his hair is greasy and uneven.

Shot Type/ Angle
This is where the two images start to differentiate, for example the shot of Alex Turner is shit as a medium close up, whereas my photo is shot as part of the background as well as the foreground.  The photo of Alex Turner is very much two separate layers.

The Alex Turner magazine is appealing as it lets the audience see and recognise what the artist is doing and who he is. For example in the Alex Turner magazine he is holding a record tape, which connotes he is producing/trying to sell an album to the audience.

This aspect of attracting the audience to read the magazine is evident in mine as well, as my artist is shot using a medium/mid shot and is positioned in a way that makes the artist look like he is pressuring the audience into buying the magazine

In terms of representing social groups, I believe my magazine represents the target audience of teenagers/ mid twenty year olds as well, as he is of the same age group, so he is relateable. 

Another aspect which attracts the audience towards the magazine is the colour scheme.  As the colours are dark and masculine, it suits the target audience. This challenges conventions in one way, as most magazines  of this genre still have universally appealing colours, so that both genders will be interested, however, this fully allows the readers to know if they are the suitable target audience for the magazine.

Having said all of this, the magazine also targets an older audience as the stories include Led Zeppelin, which people growing up in the 70s and back who listen to alternative rock would find appealing, so my magazine is good at attracting a range of people.

My magazine also fits conventions as it has a male on the cover which is staying with the stereotypical view of rock n roll being more masculine and therefore a male should represent it. 

Overall Portrayal 

I have portrayed my artist in a way which means he relates well to the audience. He represents a class of 20-24 aged males. He is portrayed as rebellious, and not at all 'MOR'. He appears to the audience damaged, however a very religious and passionate man, in regards to what he has done with music. However, very much successful at the same time.

Another reason as to why I have presented him in this way is due to the fact he is a more grungy rock styled artist, rather than a clean cut artist who doesn't have higher class values and appeals only to a certain audience. Therefore, by fitting stereotypes and belonging to this  particular class, he will appeal to much more people within the working class and be seen as more mainstream rather than being part of the upper class or more middle class and appeal to a more niche audience. 

evaluation question 1

Double page spread feedback

Double page spread article final

THE STRAIGHT EDGE MAN BEHIND THE NAME

If you saw him on a beach. or in a production studio, or on a train, he would stand out, by his messy quiffed hair, and his dark fashion sense.  He himself said that  "I don't associate myself with yellows and whites, I tend to be darker, more ambiguous, which in a way also supports my character, as I don't tend to put myself out there, I am normally quite shy behind the scenes. 

For years Oscar Mcnesser, (once known as Oscar Stapley), a young boy from London, who is now widely considered to be the new upcoming face of the modern rock and roll, the Elvis of the late ten's, has been topping charts in America and the Uk without anyone really knowing what he is really like behind his name. After interviewing him earlier this week, it seems that after coming from nothing at first, he was very unlikely to make it in life. I found out during the interview that when Mcnesser was only fifteen, his single mum (Irene Stapley), a chronic alcoholic,  was arrested after hitting him on the head with a spirit bottle.  He was concussed, and kept in hospital for two days after several scans to his brain were carried out making sure no long term damage was done.

Oscar was then taken into a foster home and therefore became part of the care system, where he was unhappy, had to change schools, and abandon his passion for playing the guitar at school.  The story about the incident was published in the papers and on the News, and a wealthy American couple called the Mcnessers, who were currently working on a case in  Yorkshire , saw the story and decided to send an application to the foster care home to try and adopt young Stapley , so he was taken out of the system, and placed in the care of the Mcnessers.  They returned to Arizona after the case in Yorkshire was settled, and found Oscar a place at Payson High School, where he took up his passion for playing the guitar again, this time in a band along with his new mates Cody Greene, Dexter Satrap, and Stu Edwards. They called themselves the Head bangers, where Oscar acted as the front man, singing and playing the electric guitar. All throughout high school Oscar made sure he didn't touch alcohol or any recreational drugs, so he didn't end up like his parents

At seventeen he went solo and with the help of his newly adopted parents  established himself as Oscar Mcnesser, rather than Stapley. After interviewing him on the show, he said his reason for making this his name, is "To wipe out my past, continue living a straight edge life, and show respect to the two people who changed my life".  His first ever No.1 hit which was dropped in 2012, (Don't look back), which topped Billboard charts for 4 weeks between September and November, and was about his experience of change from being in care to the world he would find in America.

The way he dresses is of typical to his rock heroes of his childhood. He mentioned his favourite artists and bands in the interview, some of which were Slash (and Guns and Roses), Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, but his main favourite band back when he lived in back when he lived in London, were Oasis. Oscar himself said that in his eyes "Oasis were the better version of the Beatles", and he could relate his abusive mum to Noel and Liam's  abusive dad back when they were kids, and their upbringing gave him hope that he would one day still make it.  He also said that where he gets his inspiration from is "very miss matched, and alternative". This is evident by his interest in Elvis (Blues), The rolling stones (Rock and Roll), and Oasis, being (Indie rock).

The new unlicensed  merchandise released in Camden Town known as the OM rings. Oscar said himself "Although I was charmed by the fact fans were buying rings with my initials on it, the rights and legal stuff didn't bother me, it was the fact that they were so brightly coloured!!, being red and white  despite me never wearing anything lighter than dark blue!!".  He also said that if they were darker, he might have even wanted one for himself to wear !

Chris later asked how clean cut his lifestyle is despite the fact he is a rock and roll star. He said that "Many people would have thought with inspiration from Oasis and the rolling Stones, he would have been a drugs consumer, and a drinker, but too much of his surprise, Mcnesser stopped him saying he was straight edge. A term meaning he didn't believe in taking or taking any harmful recreational substances. "I am fans of these bands, but do you honestly believe that after my childhood experience with what I went through, I would honestly consider taking anything which would make me anything like my parents ? Yes I am a rock and roll star, but you don't have to take drugs and get drunk to live up to your potential, you might get a more hardcore name out of doing so, but what makes you more rock and roll is not what you take, it's what you produce".

Article by Alex Steinbeck

Draft magazine feature article

Double page spread analysis part two

Double page spread analysis

Contents page evaluation

Contents page final draft

Contents page wallpaper ideas

Contents page Rolling Stone analysis

Mock/rough contents page layout