This document discusses the creative choices made in designing a magazine to appeal to an alternative and indie target audience. The magazine represents these groups through the positioning of artists in photos, their costumes and expressions, and the topics covered in articles. Photographs on the cover and in features break conventions by showing females in dominant roles and males smiling. Costumes and makeup are non-gender stereotypical. Articles include positive messages about breaking rules and promoting self-worth that would appeal to those interested in alternative music and messages of change.

1. DRAFT EVALUATON QUESTION 2
My magazine representssocial groupsthroughmypositioninganddirectingof costumes,mise en
scene,bodylanguage andartistrepresentation.Irepresentedthe alternative indiegenre,asaway
to reach a wide targetaudience.Throughthese specificstereotypical placementsandwordingof
articles,Ihave attemptedtocommunicate thisgenre subtlytothe alternative targetaudience.
I have chosento representandappeal tothose inthe ABC1 category,mostlikelyof the 15-21 age,
howeverthose over21 witha passionforalternative musicwill findmymagazine appealingdue to
the certainlookand vibe Ihave recreatedinmy magazine.Mytargetaudience will mostlikelyenjoy
goingto festivalsandgigs,hence whyIincluded“gigguide”onthe frontcoverof mymagazine.At
the age of my target audience,manywill have little disposableincome,therefore Imade my
magazine a reasonablylowprice of £2.49. Psychologically,£2.49 isa low price,as it isunder£2.50.
My targetedaudience will alsobe able toidentifywithsome of the subjectscoveredinthe articles,
and therefore will feel representedthroughthe chosen“artists”Ifeatured.
The firstway I whichI wasable to creativelydirectmymagazine toappeal tothose of the alternative
and indie classificationwasthroughmyuse of photographypositioning,breakinggenderbarriers,in
additiontothe costumesthe artistswere putin.In my frontcoverimage,the male isseentobe
sittingdown,whilstitisthe female whoisinfactbehindtakingamore dominantrole.Typicallyin
magazinesthe male ismore hegemonic.Ichoose toplace my artistslike thisasmuch of alternative
and indie musictriestoridof the misogynistviewsandismore opentoequality.Ialsobroke the
ideaof a male beingpresentedasseriousandnotsmiling,throughmyfeature article,where the
male istakingon a more fun andhappylookand the female islookingstraightdownthe camera
adoptinga more serious tone. Typicallyindieandalternative bandsare picturedinmore strikingand
edgyvibes,whichiswhatItriedto recreate withthe bodylanguage andpositioningof the front
coverand feature article.Ithinkthe feature article andfrontcoverphotographypositioningwill
appeal tomy target audience asitbreaksconventionsof gender,whichiswhatmuchof alternative
musicattemptsto spreadthe message about.
Furthermore,inmyfeature article about“Ingrid”,Iaddeda propof bubblestoidentifywiththe
indie stereotype,andomitthe vibesof freedomandhappiness.Bubblesare typicallysomethinga
youngchildwouldhave,sobyplacingthemwithan olderteenageritcreatedajuxtaposition,
howeveralsoisa strikingandpowerful message thatsocietyshouldnottake awayyouth.Againthis
sort of hiddensubliminal message will appeal tothose alternative andindiepersonalitiesasthey
enjoybreakingthe rigidrulesandexpectationsof amore conservative society. The costumesof my
artistsshouldalsorepresentmytargetaudience.IngridwasplacedinanAztecbaggy jumper,
breakingthe normalityof havingafemale inatightfittinggirlyoutfittoappeal tothe male gaze.
Insteadthismore edgyandcomfortable outfitwaschosentorepresentthe indieside of alternative
music. Elusive Dreamscostumesstuckcloselytothe alternativecostumes,withdarkmutedcoloured
clothing,againfairlygenderneutralcostumeswerewornandneitherartistwasputina gender
stereotypical outfittoappeal tothe opposite gender. Zoe whowasfeaturedinthe “Elusive Dreams”
article keephermakeupsimple,toavoidanairbrushedpoplook,insteadwingeddarkeyeliner
createda laidback approach toher lookand wasnot puton to lookseductive orattractive tomales,
as thismay discourage those intoalternative andindiemusicastheysee itas a misogynisticattempt
at attraction.
The facial expressionsof myartists were usedtocreate differentmoodstomatchthe articles,firstly
on the frontcover the straightdownthe camera more seriouslookwasusedtoconveya classic
alternative look,asopposedtothe surprisedfake happinessof popmusic,alternativealbumcovers

2. oftenfeaturedaclose upof an artistlookingthoughtful.Onmyfeature article of ElusiveDreams,I
had Harrisonlookingmore relaxedandhappy,withZoe adoptingthe dominant role creatingthe
opposite genderstereotypedlooksforanalternative feel. HoweverIattemptedtomake bothartists
lookapproachable andfriendlyasopposedtoseductive orexcited.Inthe feature article with
“Ingrid”I made her lookcuriosandexcitable,tomatchthe sort of tone her article took,andthe child
like feel of the bubbles.Thisdowntoearthlookwasmostfittingwithanalternative teenage girl
vibe.
My feature article basedaroundElusive Dreamsalsoincludedablackandwhite image asto further
identifywithwhatisconventionalinalternative music,it alsoallowedthe focustobe drawn to the
artist’sposesandfacial expressionsinsteadof loudbrightscreamingcoloursthatapop magazine
woulduse.
My articlesmatchedthe tone of the image,withIngrid’sarticle beingfunandexciting,andElusive
dreamsarticle beingmore indepthandbasedaroundthe music.I representedmytargetaudience
throughthe Elusive Dreamsarticle byusingbox outtextto promote positivemessagesandwords
highlightedsuchas“breakingsocietiesunspokenrules”whichappealsdirectlytothose wantingto
make a change inthe world,whichalternativemusicoftenspreadsthe message of;includingself-
worthand equality. InIngrid’sarticle Ialsoincludedanecdotestomake the artistmore relatable,
directlyappealingtothe audience toshow whata downto earthand positive charactershe is.