The document provides an evaluation of a media production portfolio for a hip hop magazine. It summarizes the key aspects of how the magazine uses conventions of the genre, such as fonts, colors, layout, and imagery typical of hip hop magazines. It also challenges some conventions by manipulating images in unconventional ways. The target audience is identified as 16 year old males and females interested in hip hop music. The learning process involved gaining skills using technologies like Photoshop and digital cameras to construct the magazine.

1. AS MEDIA PRODUCTION PORTFOLIO
EVALUATION
By Timothy Ogden

2. My Portfolio Magazine

3. Focus Group Feedback
A broadband connection is required

4. Target User Group
Feedback.
1. Do you think the colours
2. Do you think the layout
are conventional of the
is conventional of the 3. Do you think the
genre?
genre? imagery is correct for
the genre?
Yes Yes
No No Yes
No
4. Do you think the 5.Do you think the fonts
6. Do you think the
syntax is correct for the are correct for the
magazine conveys the
genre? genre?
correct emotions and
attitudes of the genre?
Yes Yes
No No Yes
No
8. Do you think the house
7. Do you think the it has style is correct of the
the correct amount of genre?
information for the genre?
Yes
Yes
No
No

5. 1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?
My product uses several conventions of a real media
product of the same genre. For example, the fonts used are
san-serif which is typical of the hip hop genre. It also
employs the three most popular colours for hip hop
magazines: Red, White and Black. The layout could be
considered similar to the conventional layout for hip hop
magazines, where there is the names of the artists featured
in the magazine, rather than their name and a cover line to
go with it, which isn't as space efficient. I also developed a
logo for my product, utilizing a san-serif and bold text with
a square box, which is conventional of the hip hop genre
which favours bold and straight edged designs. The
imagery I developed and used was digitally modified to
show the person in a more dominating stance. This is
typical of the hip hop genre, where artists are always shown
as dominating and powerful either by their stance or the
camera angle. Lighting can also be used to influence the
shot to make the artist look more dominant. In the
instance of my imagery, I used manipulation to lighten the
shot to surreal ranges which gave the impression that the
person was dominant and powerful.

6. I engineered the layout of my contents page to be
similar to that of conventional hip hop contents
page, where there is a lot of free space, or the
impression of it. Typically an image of an artist is used
and the background in that image is where the text
goes. The use of san-serif thin font also helps give the
impression of space. This is usually contrasted by the
bold edging and title.
On my contents page I also included the editors letter
on the left side of the page, but to keep the feeling of
space I used a glass effect backing which ensured it
didn’t look cramped, but it also separated the editor’s
letter from the rest of the content. I also manipulated
the image of the artist to change the perspective of the
image and make it appear more serene and almost
elegant, which is typical of the hip hop genre and this
theme can be seen on the real world magazines to the
left. I also manipulated the imagery so that there was
blank white space where the text was, which made it
easier to see than if it was overlapping the image.

7. With my double page spread I used up one page with a large image of an artist, which is conventional of the hip hop genre as
it allows for an image of an artist to be in proportion and allows for a full body shot. On the right hand page I put a large
title, which was more of a sentence than a title but it introduced the article. My article was an interview asking questions, and
the questions were highlighted in red to easier discern them. On the full page image I put a quote from the article which the
artist had said, which is a much used convention. I manipulated the image to suit the tone of the article and interview, which
was a bit darker and less happy. I stuck to the conventions by using bold hard edged styling. I would argue I challenged some
of the conventions by using an image that didn’t necessarily show the artist in a dominant stance, yet it didn’t make the person
appear vulnerable.

8. 2. HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR
SOCIAL GROUPS?
My magazine represents the hip hop social group. This is done by using imagery of an
artist of the stereotypical style, such as wearing a branded hooded sweatshirt and
sweatpants. I would argue that my product represents the British hip hop social group
rather than the typical American hip hop group as the persons in my magazine aren’t
black, which is an associated factor with the hip hop social group. The magazine is
intended for the hip hop social group who want an interesting, informative and partially
informal magazine.

9. 3. WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT
DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?
I think the only institutions that would distribute my product would
either be a institution that specifically distributed music magazines
or an institution that distributed a broad range of magazines. A
example of such a publisher would be Harris Publications.
Harris Publications already publishes similar hip hop magazines
such as Source and XXL and over 75 other non music
publications. This would allow my magazine to get the correct
media attention it would require to sell properly as a large company
such as Harris Publications will be able to provide sufficient
advertising and distribution.

10. 4. WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR
MEDIA PRODUCT?
The audience for my media product would be 16 year old teenage boys and girls who
have an interest in the hip hop genre and want an interesting, different, informative and
informal magazine to read that gives them information about the latest events in the hip
hop genre of music. My audience would be predominantly male, which is typical of the
chosen genre but not exclusive to males.

11. 5. HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?
• I used a variety of bright, clean white and bold red to make my
magazine front cover attractive and very noticeable. I also used large
key words for example “Dizmul” who is a hip hop artist, and people
familiar with the genre are likely to notice the name, especially as it is
in bold large red. The large amount of bright white would also make it
stand out compared to a lot of other magazines, which tend to have
darker colours.

12. 6. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT
TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF
CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?
• During the process of constructing my media product I learnt how to use several image
manipulation programs such as Photoshop CS5.5. I also learnt how to use a digital
camera in a more advanced manner to further enhance the image. I also learnt how to
use an Apple Mac, which I had no previous experiences with.

13. 7. LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY
TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT
IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL
PRODUCT?
During the time in which I constructed my preliminary task and finished constructing my full
product, I feel I have learnt how to use computer manipulation technologies such as
Photoshop, and I feel I have also learnt how to effectively use a digital camera. I also
think I have learnt how to effectively lay out a music magazine and how to set the
atmosphere with clever manipulation.