Research: My Target Audience and Mis-En-Scene

Who is My Target Audience for this Magazine?

My target audience for this project is going to be teens between the ages of 14-18, and who mostly listen to music within the rock genre. In order to create a magazine that will attract my specified audience, I have come up with a number of things that will help me do so so: Going out into the public and doing surveys: this will help me find out what the vast majority of my audience are interested in. Also, doing interviews with them will go further into depth and give me an even more detailed answer as to what they're looking for in the ideal rock music magazine.

Mis-En-Scene

Using mis-en-scene will help me thoroughly figure out what my target audience attract to in terms of images on the front cover, the contents page and the double page spread. The main image (or sometimes known as star image) is one of the first things that people will notice when looking at a magazine for the first time. Because of this, I want my main image to immediately attract the audience.

This picture is of the well known band 'Bring Me The Horizon.' It is very stereotypical, when thinking of the conventions of music genre rock. I would also say that in terms of being used as a main image for a magazine- it's the perfect picture. 

Costume in this picture greatly follows the conventions of what is expected of a rock band today. They're all wearing simple, casual clothing and the targeted audience will connote that they don't really care about their appearance all that much - a typical convention that is very much associated with the rock music. Also the colours they're wearing are very bland and plain which again emphasises they don't too much thought into what they're wearing.  They also have very unemotional facial expressions on their faces, and this suggests to the audience that they as a band should be considered intimidating. A majority of the band members also seems to have many tattoos - especially the lead singer who is covered in them. This connotes to the audience that they're tough, rebellious and that can are not to be messed with. Rock bands usually represent themselves in this way, and this would definitely attract their audience.

Facial expressions is something that magazine editors rely on a lot within images for their magazines, and in the rock music magazine case, it's a popular choice to make sure the rock artist/band has a look on their face that suggest a rebellious nature. The camera shot used for this image a medium long shot, and it' also important to think about the camera shot used when using an image for a magazine. This allows the audience to see their body language, which is subtly sturdy as they're all standing without their shoulders slouched or anything. Again, this connotes to the audience that they have a tough exterior and follows the stereotypes and conventions that are expected. Lastly, the whole band is giving the audience a direct mode of address, which could be their way of trying to connect with their fanbase. This once again suggests to the targeted audience that they're a fearless band and this will be symbolized in their music.

This is an image of another well known rock band; Asking Alexandria. It's another great example of what would be expected to be seen inside a rock magazine. Maybe not as the main image, but on the contents page or the double page spread. 

They have once again looked to have relied a lot on costume in order to attract their target audience. The majority of the band are wearing leather jackets and this a very typical convention of a rock band. As well as wearing leather jackets they're wearing black - and black usually connotes dark themes, which is very much associated within rock music. They all also seem to have messily gelled hair, which like the previously mentioned band bring me horizon, suggests to their target audience that they don't really care too much about their appearance as much as they would about their music. One of the band members (which so happens to be the lead singer/front man) looks as if to be smoking, (could be considered a prop) and this creates an impression on not just him, but the whole band to be disregarding of what is considered an unhealthy habit. The audience they're trying to target will see them as rebellious and possibly outgoing too.

These images have acted as an inspiration tool for what images I will take and use for my own magazine. I'll make sure to remember to take into a account the expected conventions associated with rock so that they're incorporated with all the aspects of my magazine.  This will indeed help me attract the audience I am aiming for.