The document discusses how a media product represents the social group of rock stars. Photos in the magazine portray the people as dressed casually in band t-shirts and jeans, posing with guitars to look passionate about music. Locations are casual places like brick walls that communicate the laid back nature of rock stars. While mostly supporting stereotypes of rock stars, the representation is somewhat challenging by using a less outrageous front cover without slang, appealing to a wider audience.

1. Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups? By Christine Wright

2. How have you posed/dressed the people you have included images of in your work? On the front cover have dressed them in a very rock style with a guitar and a checker shirt this creates a casual/smart look. Also I have posed him leaning towards the guitar to show his passion for the music and looking away from the camera as it gives a more mysterious look that rockers tend to have. On the contents page I have posed the three guys very relaxed they are leaning up against the brick wall. They are smiling and all look very laid back which is what the typical rock star should look like. The clothes they are wearing are band t-shirts and jeans this is very casual as rock stars never tend to wear overly smart clothing. The pictures down the bottom of the same guy repeated I have posed him the similar in each picture, with a serious face and band t-shirt on which looks very rock like. Also the sunglasses add to the exclusive rock star look I was going for. I chose to use each of the pictures but change the colour of each to sepia, black and white and colour, I think this creates a really good effect. On the double page spread I have posed him with a guitar stood to the side and dressed him in a band t-shirt . I used black and white because its creates a stronger image. Also his facial expressions are quite serious because when rock stars play music they are usually concentrating a lot and don’t smile much.

3. What does your Mise-en-scene communicate about the people represented? My Mise-en-scene in my contents page is a on location shot the guys are stood against a brick wall it looks a very casual place, not very posh but somewhere they can have a laugh and play music. This communicates that the social group represented are very laid back and don’t tend to plan on the location they are going to. Throughout most of the pictures the background and overall Mise-en-scene is very casual and the main focus on the person who’s being featured in the magazine not so much the background behind them. This is used in many other magazines like NME its more about the person and the image with them rather than the background or location.

4. How does your product represent its target audience? My product represents it target audience because it includes a stereotypical colour scheme which would appeal to my target audience and isn’t bright or over the top. The layout of my pages are simple but I have used certain aspects from other magazines to inspire me which helps to represent my target audience . My product includes interviews with famous rock stars which would appeal to my target audience and includes a chart of the latest songs which helps to represent the genre of music they like to listen too and the events they would go to. Also the interview with Robert Fisher helps to represent my target audience because it is explaining the typical lifestyle a rock star would have and there opinions on certain issues. Also it gives you a insight into how there life was before they were famous and what they would do differently. This helps represent my target audience because they would share the same views and shows the kind of person they aspire to be.

5. Have you done anything different to other representations from within your magazine’s genre? I don't think i have done big changes to other representations within my magazines genre. I have incorporated many of the conventions of the genre of music i was going for. However some of the pictures i have taken the background is just plain back drop where is some magazines in my genre like NME they have used on location shots and the background of there pictures would be fairly interesting. But I feel using a plain background works well if you have a strong image to support it and doesn’t draw attention away from your picture.

6. Does the representation you offer challenge or support dominant ideas about your social group? I think mostly my representation supports the stereotypes about my social group rock stars. Because I have dressed the people in band t-shirts and posed them looking very relaxed which depicts the stereotypical view of rock stars. Also i have posed him holding a guitar which supports the ideas about rock stars that they take pride in their instruments as it adds to their overall look. My representation does somewhat challenge the ideas about my social group because my magazine front cover is not as outrageous and doesn’t include some of the language used on other rock magazines. Some magazines use slang words in there cover lines and the front cover would have a lot of writing my magazine is slightly toned down to appeal to a wider target audience.