Gregory McLaney proposes a hip-hop magazine called "Bass" targeted towards males aged 16-24. The magazine will feature rappers and focus on themes of graffiti, urban culture, and the hip-hop lifestyle. Initial ideas include featuring a main artist rapping on the cover, listing contents on the inside cover, and a double-page spread with a large image of the artist on one page and biography on the other. Photographs will include shots of the artist, graffiti, and urban items to set the theme and establish a consistent house style through imagery and design.

1. Gregory McLaney
Task 10 – Formal Proposal
Title of the Magazine I wish To Produce
I’m going to call my magazine ‘Bass’ this is short for Bassline. The reason I’ve done this is in
the hip-hop genre there’s Bassline and it’s a musical element. Therefore, audiences will
relate to this name and associated it the hip hop genre. Also bass is a noise which comes
from a subwoofer therefore this could insinuate ideas for imagery which I could use to
create a theme within my magazine.
Explanation of My Genre Choice
My chosen genre is hip-hop. The main reasons behind this are that it’s a genre where I can
convey male as strong characters and portray their ghetto association. This is vital because
it develops and introduces themes and these are: graffiti, slums, beats and rapping. The
graffiti association is a key feature in creating a magazine which audiences can distinguish
from other magazines.
Target Audience
My target audience is males aged 16-24 who are working class. The target audience varies in
ethnicity. However, the stereotypical target audience would be Afro-Caribbean males. The
target audience have a strong interest in hip-hop music, fashion and women. This target
audience is typical of the audience that have a strong interest in to the genre of hip-hop
because they associate and relate to issues behind the genre.
Initial Ideas for the Front Page
My initial ideas consist of having a main artist on the front page that’s going to be rapping in
to a microphone this will be a MCU shot. I’m also planning on having 3-4 selling lines and
one of these will be a flasher. I’m going to have the barcode, price, and issue in the bottom
corner of the front cover. Also, I’m going to use graffiti in the background to convey the
theme and association with hip-hop. I’m going to have the masthead with bass waves
coming off it to create a consistent linking style.
Initial Ideas for the Contents Page
On this page I’m going to have a column down the right hand side of the screen listing all
the contents. In the middle I’m going to have a large image with text columns underneath
expressing the editor’s views. Then in the bottom right I’m going to have a subscription
section which allows the audience to buy future issues of my magazine. Finally I will have a
mast head in a thematically position which will have a house style which links with the rest
of the magazine.
Initial Ideas about the Double Page Spread
For my double page spread I’m going to have on the left page a dominant image of the
artists which links with the front cover he’ll be in a different shot position than the front
cover and there will be a different background. The colour scheme of this will link with the

2. Gregory McLaney
rest of my magazine. Also, I’ll use the graffiti theme to further convey the urban feel to my
magazine. On the right page I’ll have the artists name in bold block capitals and underneath
that I’ll have a quote from the artists. There will then be text and this will be a description
on how he’s became famous after living in the slums for the whole of his youth. I will use
small photographs of spray cans and other urban items to position around the double page
spread to create a more attracting visual look for the audience.
Initial Ideas about My Photographs
I’m going to take photographs of an artist these shots will vary however I’m going to ensure
I have a brilliant MCU for the front cover. I will take various shots so I have choice when
creating the double page spreads. I’m going to take photographs of pops such as graffiti
cans and urban materials these are going to be used to create themes across my magazine.
I’m also going to photograph graffiti so I can layer in image in Photoshop to create
backgrounds. The shots of my artist will be positioned at low angles to capture the
dominance of the artist. Finally, I’m going to photograph coloured lines. The reason for this
is so I can take these images and layer them against my masthead to create a sound effect
this will work well in creating the consistent house style of my magazine.