My Billboard Magazine Cover

1. Summarise the music celebrity you have created.  Include name, music genre, personality and how they are being used to comment on contemporary celebrity.

I created a rock-pop music celebrity called 'Jess Jones.' She is an artist that isn't scared of her feminine side despite her outer toughness and has power in the industry. I am using the character of 'Jess Jones' to comment that the young female contemporary celebrity can be powerful and tough without being afraid to show her feminine side.

2. Evaluate how you have constructed the representation of your celebrity through your cover image and cover headline/text (denotation/connotation of text and image).

I constructed the representation through my cover image through my choice of costume and make-up. I wore a pink frilly dress and large shiny silver necklace under my black leather jacket, I also had lots of make-up on with pink lipstick, mascara, eyeliner and powder. This choice of dress and make-up could connote Jess' feminine side as pink is associated with femininity whereas the black leather jacket worn over could connote Jess being tough on the outside to get through the tough music industry. She is also posing in a very relaxed way with a small smile and holding her leather jacket. This pose could suggest that she is very powerful and isn't scared of what is ahead for her music and celebrity status.
I chose the cover headline "Power Prodigy" as Jess looks very powerful in her pose and costume. The word "prodigy" also means 'a young person with exceptional qualities or abilities' and Jess' ability is not only in her music but staying true to herself and not wavering from that as her status changed from 'musician' to 'celebrity.' This is something that some other young musicians may struggle with so Jess acts as an outstanding example of how to do it.

3. Analyse how far you have used and/or challenged stereotypes of gender/race/age/sexuality in your cover.

I challenged stereotypes about gender and specifically women in my cover. Stereotypically, women are portrayed as being weak and without any control of their celebrity image (as their managers would control this.) I am challenging this by portraying Jess as a powerful woman, who controls her own image and acts tough to get through this. Despite this, she is not afraid of being feminine, something that stereotypically could be portrayed as a sense of weakness, and wears her pink dress with pride. I am also commenting on age as "prodigy" suggests that she is quite young. In the past, young female musicians have been seen as weak individuals who don't know what's best for them. However I am challenging this stereotype with Jess, who is very aware of her surroundings and the sometimes cut-throat strategies of those around her in the music industry.

4. Reflect on the production/editing process.  Are you pleased with the end result? Identify what is successful about your shot?  What would you have done differently in hindsight?

I took this picture, along with several others with different facial expressions, at our photoshoot before choosing this one and editing it on Photoshop. My editing was mainly to smooth out my hair and the spot healer tool before using it to put all the other elements of my cover in. I am pleased with the end result especially my initial choice of costume which has allowed me to stick with the pink colour for the masthead and her name in the editorial summary. I also think that the placement of the different elements is successful as it almost resembles a real billboard cover.
In hindsight, I would've picked a different font for the cover headline; I just don't think it fits with the rest of it. Although I wasn't sure about the blue shiny background initially, I am growing to like it as it represents the music industry and everything that Jess is being forced to come up against.