Magazine Development

Here is the development process for my magazine. I will put all of my ideas here and reflect on the decisions that I make. 

Genre: Womens' Fashion 

Sub-genre: Makeup and new fashion trend

Name of magazine:

- Highlight
- Manner
- Couture
- Aesthetic
- Trend

I decide in the title "Highlight" for my magazine because it suggests that my magazine is the most notable and best fashion magazine. The audience can expect to find all of the newest fashion trends, the most noteworthy "highlight"(s) of the world of fashion. Secondly, "Highlight" means illumination or spotlight, indicating that the magazine aims to shed light on the emerging talents, fashion stories, and industry insights. Lastly, a highlighter is a beauty tool that helps accentuate facial features, such as cheekbones and eyebrows. It adds a luminous and radiant glow to the face, which I want people to think of when they read my magazine. 

Possible cover liners:

- All About That Glow: 'Highlight' Magazine's Guide to Radiant Beauty

- Glow Up Your Life: 20 Recipes for Clear Skin

- Paris Fashion Week 2023: a Scam or a Must-see?

- It's All About the Highlight: Asia's #1 Fashion Magazine

- Selena Gomez' Guide to Glow

- Indonesia's Rising Stars: Top 20 Best Skincare Products

Images

- Products of brands such as Swarovski, Rare Beauty, and Dior. 

- Photos of my own "celebrity". 

- Magazine fashion and makeup catalogue featuring products. 

- Close-ups, long-shots for images. Both high and low angle. 

- Elegant pictures in a beige color scheme. Feature things such as pearls, mirrors, ribbons, etc. 

- Pictures of baked goods and drinks. 

- Pictures of clothing stores. 

Cover

I want to make my main image to be an image of my model doing an action, such as eating or applying makeup. 

Double page spread

Stuart Hall: Representation Theory

This is some research I did of Stuart Hall's representation theory. 

Stuart Hall's theory states that media does not reflect meaning, but rather creates meaning. According to Stuart Hall, meaning is created by a hegemonic group of rich, straight white men in order to maintain power. Stereotypes are then created as a result of the lack of diversity. 

a. What a representation is: 

In Hall's theory, representation refers to the process through which meaning is created and communicated through signs, symbols, languages, and other forms. It involves the portrayal or depiction of ideas, individuals, groups or concepts, often mediated through various forms of media. 

b. Meaning:

Meaning in representation is not inherent but rather constructed through shared cultural and social frameworks. Hall emphasizes that meaning is produced through a negotiated process where individuals and communities interpret representations based on their cultural backgrounds, experiences, and ideologies. 

c. What a stereotype is:

A stereotype is a simplified and standardized representation of a social group, often based on broad generalizations and assumptions. Stereotypes can be both a product and a perpetuator of cultural norms, biases, and power dynamics, shaping perceptions and interactions with social groups. 

d. Why are stereotypes used:

Stereotypes are used in media and society for various reasons, including simplifying complex information, reinforcing existing beliefs or power structures, and evoking emotional responses. However, the use of stereotypes can perpetuate justice, discrimination, and inequality by oversimplifying and misrepresenting diverse social groups. 

e. What social groups are represented in media:

Hall's theory highlights that media representations often reflect and reinforce dominant social hierarchies. Historically, media has tended to predominantly represent and prioritize certain social groups, such as those in power or the majority, while marginalizing and misrepresenting the minority and underrepresented groups. Media often represents the social groups of religion, location, gender, age, race/ethnicity, social class, disabilities, and sexualities/LGBTQ+. 

Think of two social groups that are stereotyped in Indonesian media, write about them in your blog (one positive, and one negative). 

1) Balinese people

a. What the groups are:

The group I've chosen to research for the positive side is Balinese people. 

b. How are they represented (mise-en-scene, sound, etc.):

In Indonesian media, Balinese people are shown to be living in a paradise-like environment. They are always shown in lush landscapes, harmonious lives, and having a rich culture and unique traditions. The music used in these adverts are always either peaceful and tranquil, while showcasing the different tourist spots of Bali. It is shown as a desirable place to visit, for other Indonesians and international tourists. 

c. What the reason for this is:

The representation of the Balinese people in the media is to serve the tourism industry, which is a significant contributor to Indonesia's growing economy. Portraying Bali as a paradise is likely to lure both domestic and international tourists, driving economic growth for both island and the whole country. 

d. How does the audience receive this message:

Audiences typically receive this message positively as it reinforces the idea that Bali is a must-go travel destination. However, it also creates unrealistic expectations and contribute to over-tourism and ecological challenges such as pollution and overpopulation for the island. 

e. Examples from media texts (include images/screenshots, videos, etc.): 

2) 

Magazine Research

 Here is the research for my magazine.

Magazines are often displayed prominently near the store entrance or in crowded, high-traffic areas to grab the customers' attention. To attract and catch their attentions, magazines use bright colors, bold and capitalized fonts, and appealing images on the front page cover. Magazines are most likely to be placed at eye-level and where customers are likely to browse, increasing the chance of them buying one. In Western culture, people read from left to right. The top left is the most important, especially the left third, because it is the spot where most people draw most of their attention to. When magazines overlap, only the left side is shown. Hence, it is important to highlight the left side with important articles and images. 

A magazine display in Japan

A magazine display in Japan

 During our school trip to Japan, I photographed several magazine displays. They are commonly found everywhere as reading plays a big part in the Japanese culture, and magazines can be easily found everywhere, such as places that are easily accessible by everyday commuters such as convenience stores.

This is an analysis of a magazine our teacher made for us to help us understand the different parts of a magazine better. I think it has helped me significantly in identifying features of a magazine. 

1. Vogue Magazine - October 2023 issue

- Vogue is an American magazine dedicate to lifestyle and fashion, including beauty products, haute couture, and runway. Vogue began in 1982 as a newspaper and has since then developed into a monthly magazine. British Vogue was launched in 1916, and as of today there are 28 different versions of Vogue. 

Genre: Fashion and lifestyle

Demographics:

Age: 18 - 40

Gender: Female

Location: North America 

Income: Middle to upper class

Star Appeal: Kate Winslet

Psychographics:

Personality: Confident, optimistic, social butterflies

Lifestyle: Dynamic, accomplished, invests in luxury products

Hobbies and Interests: High fashion, gossip, wellness, celebrity culture, romance

Media Language and Representations: The celebrity Kate Winslet is dressed in a bright, colorful dress and is surrounded by a bright background. It makes her seem bold, akin to how Vogue usually styles their magazine with bold colors and high-end fashion. But while fashion magazines often have many coverlines, this magazine has only 2 sparse coverlines. The main image is Kate Winslet, and leveraging her star appeal is a strategic choice to boost the magazine's popularity and sales. 

Audience: The typical Vogue reader is a woman between the ages of 18 and 40, mainly from North America. They are well-educated, exudes confidence, and is often the life of the party. Her lifestyle is vibrant and successful, and they can afford purchasing luxury goods. They are deeply interested in the world of high fashion, celebrity news, wellness, and romantic pursuits. Vogue's audience appreciates the magazine’s mix of cutting-edge style, cultural insights, and the allure of high-profile personalities like Kate Winslet. These women are eager to stay ahead of fashion trends and enjoy indulging in sophisticated and exclusive content.

Industry: Vogue has established itself as a global brand with editions in multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and many others. Its international reach allows it to capture diverse audiences and perspectives while maintaining a consistent standard of quality and style.

2. The Story of Taylor Swift - second issue 

- "The Story of Taylor Swift" is a fan magazine created by Future Magazines. It has varied articles based on the pop-star's relationships to fashion choices. 

Genre: Biography, celebrity, lifestyle, and music

Demographics:

Age: 13 - 35

Gender: Female

Location: North America with a global reach

Income: Varied but predominantly middle to upper class

Star Appeal: Taylor Swift

Psychographics:

Personality: Fans of Taylor Swift, non-fans who consume celebrity news and music-related content. 

Lifestyle: Fans who actively engage with Taylor Swift's career, attending concerts, and participating in fan communities.

Hobbies and Interests: Listening to music, attending concerts, collecting merchandise, following Taylor Swift's social media, discussing her work with other fans.

Media Language and Representations: The cover consists of a singular eye-level shot of Taylor Swift herself during a photoshoot event. It features a bubbly font, as opposed to other celebrity magazines making their titles bold. It subverts the media conventions, as it also helps promote the magazines to a predominantly female and young audience. It also has illustrations instead of the usual photos. 

Audience: The audience of "The Story of Taylor Swift" fan magazine consists of devoted fans, casual admirers, and curious consumers. Fans of Taylor Swift, predominantly aged between 13 and 35, form the core readership demographic. They are deeply invested in Taylor Swift's music, persona, and personal life, seeking in-depth articles and behind-the-scenes access to their favorite artist. Casual admirers may include individuals with a passing interest in celebrity culture or those drawn to Taylor Swift's influence in the music industry. Overall, the audience is united by a shared admiration for Taylor Swift and a desire to look into her story and impact.

Weekly Progress & Plan

Here is my weekly progress for the magazine project, and also a rough plan. 

Week	Term 2	Week	Term 3
1 (2 Oct)	Brief, Research	8 ( 8 Jan)	Development
2	Research	9	Shoot
3	Research	10	Shoot, Self Reflection
4	Proposal	11	Post Production
5	Development	12	Post Production
6	Development	13 (12 Feb)	Deadline (Monday 12th February)
7	Development	14

Week 1 

- Today, our teacher introduced us to our magazine project and brief. We explored new terminologies and read our magazines. The terminologies are slightly confusing but I'm confident I can do well in this project. We've started doing research of our magazines, labelling them with terminologies and applying our knowledge.

Week 2

- This week, we learned the media's theory more in-depth, such as Stuart Hall's theories. I think that it'd be useful in boosting my grade if I somehow incorporate it to my final project. Today we started completing the rest of our magazine research. We finished labelling our magazines on-time. I started researching independently, looking at the different covers and contents of magazines from all around the world. I find it to be beneficial to my personal research as it gives me a broader sense of style that may appeal to the audience of my magazine. I think that I could be more punctual in doing my work so that I don't have to rush when it is nearing my deadline. 

Week 3

- This week, we continued our magazine project. We analyzed two front covers of magazines of our choices, and I decided to pick magazines targeted towards women, like celebrity magazines and fashion magazines. After we've finished our front cover analyses, we took pictures of other magazines to analyze. I took pictures of my friends magazines who also have similar magazine genres. I've collected pictures of cover pages, double-page spreads, and table of contents. I personally think that it is very interesting to see all of the different magazines my classmates brought to class. Some of them were even in a different language, such as Japanese and Indonesian. So far, I think I'm doing a lot of progress on my research, but I also am struggling with my statement of intent. I think that it's difficult because my goals change a lot, and I might even decide to change the genre because I am indecisive, and photos for a fashion magazine are time-consuming and tough to shoot. Next week, I must finish both my statement of intent and my research on magazines. 

Week 4

- This week, our class finished up our magazine researches and our statement of intents. I think that doing all of that is very time-consuming, so I think that I could've done better if my schedule after school is more free. I researched a lot in my own free time, looking at the covers and contents of magazines on Google and Pinterest. I think that fashion magazines has its own style to it, but I would like to make my magazine in my own style that is separate from typical fashion magazines. I found this week a bit strenuous and stressful, but I'm hoping that next week would be better when we start making our magazines. In normal classes, we also learned about Steve Neale's genre theory and how psychographics and demographics can target specific audiences and also change over time. 

Week 5

- This week, we learnt and recapped a lot of the theories, such as Steve Neale's Genre Theory and Stuart Hall's Representation Theory. This is because tomorrow is our unit test. We discussed one theory in groups, and shared our findings with other groups. I found it really fun and interactive and I'd like to do it again in the future. I don't feel really confident in getting good scores because I have difficulty in memorizing, but I think that I've got a pretty good grasp on the understanding of the theories. We also continued with our double page spread analyses. I think that it is quite dull compared to the other lessons we've done so far. I still have to finish up all of my research and finalize them completely. I will attempt to finish them by tonight, so I could try applying all of my studies into my research in preparation for the unit test. 

Week 6

- This week, we learnt about traditional and new media. We learned about how technology has changed media overtime, and I personally thought it was interesting because we had lots of invigorating group discussions about it. I was absent for 2 days after, so I have to catch up on a media lesson I have missed. I plan on asking my friends and my teacher for the materials and notes. I have also gotten back my unit test score and if I'm being honest I am unhappy with it. I had gotten a way better score in my section B writing practice than in my unit test. I think that it was because I focused too much on analyzing one magazine and forgot about the other. In the last 5 minutes, I was rushing to get it done, and had not filled in as much details as I would have liked for the 2nd magazine. However, my first analysis of my first magazine was amazing and I am extremely proud of writing it. In the future, I'd like to work more on my time management skills, because I could've gotten a better score had I written faster. 

Week 7

- This meeting is our last meeting before the 2 month long term break. It is also our only meeting this week. We made a checklist to make sure everything is properly placed and easy to navigate in our blogs. I still have much to do and I will attempt to finish them all during the holiday. I plan on taking different pictures on numerous locations to get a final idea of what my magazine cover could look like. Personally, I think that even though we have so much time, the workload is still very stressing. This is the reason I want to try finish everything so I could start on a semi-clean slate next term. I hope to do better with my time management. 

Component 1 - Brief

 Here is the brief for component 1. I have decided to choose the magazine option.