I intend to produce a cover for an independent arts and entertainment magazine, while also taking inspiration from mainstream magazines like GQ and Entertainment Weekly, titled ‘Unwrapped’ aimed at a mixed gender audience ranging from the ages of 16-30.  

I plan to do this by featuring a male cover star, but featuring cover lines that may interest a female audience too. My intention is to have one singular cover image of a teenage boy, who will be an up-and-coming actor and holding a prop in each hand, looking at one of them in the process. The lack of direct address in the image creates a distancing effect between the reader and the cover star. The props will suggest the different roles the actor may have played in the past, suggesting he may have a pre-established fanbase. In terms of clothes, he will wear everyday, casual clothing in order to link to the personal identity aspect of the Uses and Gratifications theory, as readers may see themselves in the cover star. For the background, he will be stood in front of an empty blue surrounding, as many magazine cover images have no imagery behind their cover star.  

The main cover line will refer to him as “leading the next generation of stars” reinforcing both his youth and profession. In terms of audience diversion, a cover line will feature a pull quote like “Exclusive first look” in relation to a new fictional film titled ‘Hidden’. This quote will be inside of a circle shape, to emphasise the point that the material can only be seen in that specific magazine. Another cover line will be about a celebrity answering questions asked by readers, connoting both personal relationships and surveillance (also suggested to audience by the title of the magazine implying there’s something more they haven’t seen). The themes of the cover lines will consist of films, music, and sports for the purpose of making the magazine as diverse as possible in relation to its subjects. Additionally, one of the cover topics will be a ‘disaster’ at an Awards Show. This cover line remains quite ambiguous and therefore could be interpreted as comedic or serious by readers.  

The fonts for the masthead and cover lines will be simplistic and bold, making them easy to read. The magazine will also include a dateline (detailing the month of publication), price (£3.99) and selling line (‘All You Need To Know’), as well as a standard bar code which appears on most print magazines. The title, dateline, price and selling line will be in grey as opposed to the cover lines being in black, to differentiate the two clearly without completely altering the appearance of the text. A wave effect will be added to the masthead so that it is distinct and identifiable. The simplistic overall look of the cover can maximise audiences, as it doesn’t come across as limited to one group of people.  

I intend to produce a cover for an independent arts and entertainment magazine, while also taking inspiration from mainstream magazines like GQ and Entertainment Weekly, titled ‘Unwrapped’ aimed at a mixed gender audience ranging from the ages of 16-30.  

I plan to do this by featuring a male cover star, but featuring cover lines that may interest a female audience too. My intention is to have one singular cover image of a teenage boy, who will be an up-and-coming actor and holding a prop in each hand, looking at one of them in the process. The lack of direct address in the image creates a distancing effect between the reader and the cover star. The props will suggest the different roles the actor may have played in the past, suggesting he may have a pre-established fanbase. In terms of clothes, he will wear everyday, casual clothing in order to link to the personal identity aspect of the Uses and Gratifications theory, as readers may see themselves in the cover star. For the background, he will be stood in front of an empty blue surrounding, as many magazine cover images have no imagery behind their cover star.  

The main cover line will refer to him as “leading the next generation of stars” reinforcing both his youth and profession. In terms of audience diversion, a cover line will feature a pull quote like “Exclusive first look” in relation to a new fictional film titled ‘Hidden’. This quote will be inside of a circle shape, to emphasise the point that the material can only be seen in that specific magazine. Another cover line will be about a celebrity answering questions asked by readers, connoting both personal relationships and surveillance (also suggested to audience by the title of the magazine implying there’s something more they haven’t seen). The themes of the cover lines will consist of films, music, and sports for the purpose of making the magazine as diverse as possible in relation to its subjects. Additionally, one of the cover topics will be a ‘disaster’ at an Awards Show. This cover line remains quite ambiguous and therefore could be interpreted as comedic or serious by readers.  

The fonts for the masthead and cover lines will be simplistic and bold, making them easy to read. The magazine will also include a dateline (detailing the month of publication), price (£3.99) and selling line (‘All You Need To Know’), as well as a standard bar code which appears on most print magazines. The title, dateline, price and selling line will be in grey as opposed to the cover lines being in black, to differentiate the two clearly without completely altering the appearance of the text. A wave effect will be added to the masthead so that it is distinct and identifiable. The simplistic overall look of the cover can maximise audiences, as it doesn’t come across as limited to one group of people.  

Instagram posts

I am going to create two promotional film posters and three Instagram posts for a coming-of-age dramedy film about an aspiring teenage drummer from an urban city/town. The posters are intended to be posted on the GQ website; therefore, the primary audience will be teenage males aged between 16 and 40 that are interested in music, including those who are familiar with using instruments.

The posters will depict the film’s protagonist surrounded by colourful, eye-catching backgrounds, one with him putting headphones on and the other presenting a low angle of him holding and looking at drumsticks. For media language, the title and release date of the film will take up large amounts of poster space, making it clear to audiences what is being advertised. Additionally, a variety of positive reviews from well-known publications, film credits and a reference to the director of the film (establishing star power) will be featured. The Instagram posts would take a more basic approach of applying text (such as the title, release date and positive reviews) to images that appear to be stills from the film itself. In these images, the subject would be seen standing and sitting around exterior areas, reinforcing the setting. The images used will feature both smiles but also a more neutral, ambiguous facial expression, connoting that the film will have dramatic elements combined with the pre-constructed upbeat tone.

In terms of VALs, the potential audience for my film poster would be ‘achievers’ and ‘seekers.’ The posters and Instagram posts suggest that the film has just one main protagonist, who is seen throughout all 5 pieces. This links to the idea that seekers are interested in individuality and self-discovery. Musical items, such as drumsticks and headphones, are present in the images, which would gain the attention of achievers, as the character is perhaps working hard in order to achieve something related to music.

According to the ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory, audiences for the posters and posts may be provided with diversion through the aspirational themes of success and working towards a goal, as the narrative may allow them to escape from their real lives and become immersed in the story of the young musician. They may also relate their personal identity to the film’s advertising campaign, perhaps if they are of a similar age or have similar interests to the main character. Having the character live in an urban area may also allow for audiences to see themselves in the promotional material. Lastly, including the name of the director may establish a sense of personal relationship between him and the audience, especially if they are already familiar with his work.

The posters will counter stereotypes in relation to representation of males. A common expectation in media products is for men to not show emotion, which will be challenged in my products by emphasising facial expressions to connote how the musician is feeling in the images. Additionally, the protagonist isn’t presented as being unrealistically powerful as men often are in media products.