Transcript of the voice over that runs through the above prezi:
I focused on
creating images conventional to the genre. I had observed from magazines such
as NME and Q that the indie genre was most commonly represented through bands
(e.g. Kings of Leon, Coldplay). Furthermore, these bands contain predominantly
males. Therefore, my cover stars were an indie band that was almost all male,
with one girl. Females in indie bands are regarded as somewhat of a novelty
(e.g. Of Monsters & Men); therefore I referenced the fact that she was the
only female in the band several times in my article.
In the
mise-en-scene, I tried to encapsulate the relaxed, laid back style of the Indie
genre. To do so, I styled the men in denim jeans, casual shirts and t-shirts.
Male indie artists are always
represented in the same way, allowing the audience to relate to them by coming
across as the ‘everyman’. An example of this is Ed Sheeran, who is almost
always dressed in a t-shirt, hoodie and jeans. These are items of clothing his
fans are likely to wear, allowing them to identify with him. This impression is
particularly important to portray in a magazine, as using the Uses and
Gratifications theory, this is one of the reasons why someone would want to buy
and read the magazine. I used a beanie on the band’s lead singer ‘Damon’, as
these hats are stereotypical of the genre. This instantly communicated the
culture associated with indie music, attracting that type of fan base to not
only the magazine, but to the band being featured also.
The poses
used by my models were quite subtle. Again, to contribute to this idea of
‘normality’, my four models stood in fairly neutral positions. I asked them to
do so particularly in the band shots, as this neutral stance is seen in many
magazines when it comes to indie bands. Furthermore, my models didn’t smile in
the pictures, as this is seldom seen of indie artists. Also, the song content
is often a lot deeper and more meaningful than pop music. Therefore, smiles
would seem unnatural, as it would conflict with the genre’s representation.
I used an
acoustic guitar as a prop for my guitarist ‘Caleb’ and my guitarist/singer
‘Dawn’. Choosing an acoustic guitar promotes the idea that their music is raw
and naturally formed rather than produced in a studio for the sole purpose to
make money. Fans of the genre often strive to keep music ‘pure’, therefore the article focused on the struggle each
individual had before success and how they all made music just for the pure
enjoyment of it, rather than for the fame or the money.
I chose
models that I felt represented elements of the genre. Two of my models ‘Max’
and ‘Dawn’ are Caucasian redheads. As redheads are considered unique and
individual because it is a rarity, I felt that this portrayed what the genre
represents. Furthermore, successful indie artists such as Ed Sheeran are known
for their red hair and it is somewhat of a trademark. Both ‘Damon’ and ‘Caleb’
have curly hair which is slightly longer than Max’s. This has a slightly
scruffier, casual look which conforms to the stereotype that indie artists
don’t care about their appearance and tells the audience that they are ‘all
about the music’. Also, this will appeal to a male audience, as they stereotypically
are less bothered about looking good than females.
The magazine
is targeted at the social class ABC1, who are stereotypically better educated
than those of the C2DE social bracket. I have reflected this in the detail of
my article, in which all four of the band members explain elements of the music
making process and the band’s dynamics when working together so closely. The
ABC1 class will be more interested in reading an informative article rather
than a gossip article about their personal lives or discussing rumours about
them. Also, the overall tone of the article suggests that the band is also made
up of a similar social class, following the stereotype that indie artists are
‘just like their fans’.
I have also
represented the genre in other ways. The other content described on the
contents page suggests a lot about what fans of the genre would be interested
in. Firstly, two of the contents page images are at concerts. As live music is
an exceptionally important to the indie genre and its audience, I decided to
portray this consistently through the magazine. Not only did I display this on
the contents page, but the importance of live music was demonstrated through
the article also. I mentioned the band doing a soundtrack at Camden Roundhouse.
This is stereotypical of the genre, as indie artists usually perform smaller
more intimate gigs than pop artists. Therefore, I would not suggest that
‘Tigerilla’ were performing at Wembley Arena or the O2 Arena, as they would be
more likely to perform at smaller venues such as the IndigO2 or Camden
Roundhouse.
As live
music is particularly important to the genre, one of the features I have
included is a list of 5 iconic festival moments. Festival culture is very
closely linked with indie music; therefore fans of the indie genre will most
likely attend festivals.
On the
contents page, it is clear that the reviews section of the magazine would be
quite substantial. This links back to the genre’s primary concept, that fans of
the genre are interested in music itself.
As a young
audience, my magazine also suggests they would be interested in social media
platforms. However, I have placed much more emphasis on the ‘alternative’
networks Twitter and Instagram as opposed to Facebook. It is intrinsic of the
genre that fans of the genre are interested in things that are new, different
and ‘alternative’. Therefore, though they may have a Facebook account, they are
more likely to be more frequent users of ‘creative’ and ‘expressive’ networks
such as Twitter and Instagram. Both of these allow its users more creative
freedom with their words or with their pictures, and this is something that
indie fans would prefer. Furthermore, I have referenced Spotify several times
and YouTube is one of the social media sites mentioned. As both are ways to
share music (through playlists on Spotify or videos on YouTube), this conforms
to the stereotype of the genre being ‘all about the music’, which is why I felt
these were both important forms of social media to include in the magazine
(particularly as it is targeted at a young audience).