Completed Coursework

I have now finished the music magazine task and have finished all of my coursework.

Audience Feedback Summary

The front cover

The front cover colour palette used goes well with the headings and font styles used. The editing of the photograph and the design concept of the silhouettes give the cover a new dimension.

The contents page

The contents page is split into categories such as interviews & articles, most popular and competitions which makes it suitable. The white background along with the orange page numbers helps the design to be brought to life more. I had feedback to include a signature and also the spacing of my contents page was well considered, I made changes to the design to include these and my final design is more improved.

The DPS

The DPS feedback was that it should include more colour as the other pages of the magazine look better developed. The small print on the competition makes the design more professional along with the font used throughout the magazine design.

These comments help to further develop and design my work; I changed some of my design as suggested by the feedback. This was an important part of the design process, getting information relating to the designs of my magazine. The front cover was less developed to begin with but I feel that I have changed that by working more on the editing of the photographs.

Evaluation of music magazine

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The key ingredients of music magazines consist of articles, competitions and interviews which interact and appeal to the target audience that the magazine is being aimed at. Competitions are a good way to generate excitement and also interact with the audience, with large prices up for grabs more people will want to enter the competition. The key ingredients to make a successful magazine is to keep the colour palette to a bare minimum using only 3 or 4 colours and not many different font types / sizes. An editor’s message isn’t a main ingredient but it adds more communication between the reader (audience) and the editor of the magazine.

The barcode is a convention because this has to be there for scanning at the checkout, the front cover also usually has an issue number and website address details. These are pretty standard conventions for the intended use of the audience or reader, the website address also provides traffic to the magazine website for further details. The front cover should include cover lines to give a preview into what’s inside the magazine.

Usually there is an article / interview on one page and a large image on the opposite page, this is because a double page spread links and relates to the other page strongly, the double page spread is usually set out in a column format on one page for the article / interview. The double page spread sometimes hosts competitions to enter on the page with the photograph on.

I have included the conventions of magazines in my music magazine, harmonized by using an image on the front page, barcode for scanning at the checkout, cover lines to give a preview of what’s inside, a range of articles, interviews, competitions and most popular readings with the audience; these all are conventions which are used and therefore need to be followed in order to make a successful music magazine. The audience feedback suggests that I have used a good colour palette range and also an effective magazine design layout.

I haven’t changed anything within my magazine that would not be considered as a convention, I think I have considered and covered the convention quite well within my magazine. I have only used one photograph of the singer, ‘Kerry Davies’ on the front cover and also on the double page spread, I have used different pictures and have also edited the front covers photograph used.

• How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I have represented the older teenagers such as 16 – 18 year olds, I haven’t really represented them in a stereotypical way, perhaps this could have been done through using festival pictures of crowds something that you would see on TV or ‘T4 on the beach’ with panning shots. However, I think that I have portrayed the pop theme through my photographs used within the design.

I have used more text within the magazine than images because of the interview with ‘Kerry Davies’ on the double page spread of my magazine. I have used formal Standard English within the interview on page six and throughout the magazine, the magazine photographs are all teenager related photographs as they are between 16 - 18 years old.

• Who would be the audience for your media product?

Teenagers aged 16 – 18 would be my main target audience although slightly younger and older age groups would also be interested in the magazine as it would appeal to them due to the pop / rock mix genre.

The gender covers both males and females due to the mixed genre of the magazine, rock and pop. The main gender of the magazine could be seen to be females due to the female artist appearances listed within the contents page such as lady gaga. Although some appearances of rock bands such as nickleback also do interviews, this will appeal more to the male readers of the magazine.

• How did you attract/address your audience?

I have attracted the audience to my magazine by using a main photograph and then creating silhouettes by filling the image and then changing the colour twice (blue and red). This will draw people to it due to the bright colours used such as the blue, red and yellow that will attract attention therefore making the magazine more noticeable to the reader. This is important as people usually use the visuals on the front cover to determine the overall quality and content of the magazine; it has to interest and impress them. The yellow text background catches the eye, and therefore highlights the cover story of ‘Kerry Davies’

• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have used blogger, polls, publisher, coral, gimp, digital camera and PowerPoint while designing and constructing the magazine. However I have only learnt more about using gimp during the process of editing my photographs for the front cover. I have used all the other software and devices before doing the product design as I have used Coral Paint Shop Pro X in graphics and photography for image manipulation.

• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt more about my target audiences’ needs and also the content and structure of magazines. Furthermore, I have learnt that the designing structure that goes into magazines is well considered to make them as professional and appealing as possible. This incorporates graphics; photography and ICT into the design process which has also helped me use my skills in those areas to produce a more considered and well planned magazine design.

Front Cover - Final Outcome

Contents Page - Final Outcome

DPS Final Outcome

Contents Page nearly completed

Photos

Photographs

Photoshoot for my double page spread and also the front cover

More design work in progress...

The front cover, contents page and double page spread which I'm still working on. Just photographs to be put into the magazine and also some changes need making to some of the text.

Further design work

I changed the background colour from black to white because the masthead along with the headings show up more. Images have got to be added to the magazine next; also finishing off the contents and interview pages.

The page designs (working process)

Editing font colour

I changed the font colour so that it meets the colour theme of my magazine...

Colour

I am going to use quite modern and trendy colours of which I have found have been used in many popular magazines.

I am keeping a simple use of colour through the magazine pages, the trends show that black, red and white are popular amoung the well circulated magazines, so I'm therefore using them along with orange. These colours aren't aimed at a particular audience for the magazine, these colours should generally appeal to both males and females alike.

The blue will add life to images by applying frames to the edges of the images.

Layouts

FRONT COVER

DPS (DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD)

CONTENTS PAGE

Readership Figures

I collected information about readership figures and circulation of magazines that are popular, the results show that Classic Rock, Kerrang, Q, Empire and Mojo are the highest circulated music magazines...

January - June 2008 Circulation (prior 6 months)

• Classic Rock 66,632 (67,399)
• Kerrang! 60,294 (76,937)
• Metal Hammer 48,540 (45,809)
• Mixmag 34,073 (35,817)
• Mojo 106,367 (106,218 )
• NME 56,284 (64,033)
• Q 113,174 (131,330)
• Rock Sound 22,527 (23,021)
• Terrorizer no figures (14,952)
• The Fly 105,212 (103,051)
• Uncut 86,925 (91,028 )
• Word 33,775 (33,217)

Data from...http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2008/09/readership-at-u.html

Empire is biggest selling magazine ever with 194,016. 
Q has monthly with a circulation of 100,172
Mojo has the highest selling stable monthly circulation 97, 722
Kerrang! Remains the UK’s best-selling music weekly at 43,253. 

Data from...http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Press-Office/News/ABC-Circulation-Figures-January-June-2009/

Font types for my magazine

Coment and vote on which of the following names and also types of text you prefer...

Treatment Sheet

The magazine: Harmonized

Target Readership: The magazine aims to target the teenagers music taste by means of adapting the magazine so that it interests both male and females by having a pop/rock genre therefore targeting audiences of between 16 to 18 years old. The name and cover will fit into the intended target audience’s expectations.

Form and style: The magazine will be an A4 colour magazine which will contain: latest music releases, most popular, competitions, special offers, interviews & gossip / news. Covers use models of a similar age because some people like to relate to those particular celebrities, so therefore I will include a model that is within the target audience’s age. The magazine will sell at the average of music magazines, which is around £3.00 therefore making it affordable and popular with teenagers as other magazines are much more expensive.

Themes and typical features: The magazine will have a complicated front cover as many teenager magazines do so, it attracts the audience. The fonts used within the magazine will be trendy and modern. The magazine will include both genres of music however no technical language will be used within the magazine relating to either genre; it will be plain English so that the audience understands the magazine as much as possible. The interviews will be like a TV interview would be, written in a chatty way to interact with the reader, it will reveal all about that particular celebrity artist.

Potential advertisers: Due to having a genre which provides a mix for both males and females I think that it’s important to advertise for both gender every month. Fashion appeals more to women and adverts such as a price range of cars that appeal more to men (perhaps dream cars and affordable ones). Companies could include: Porsche, Bentley, Ford, River Island, New Look, and Top Shop etc...

Editorial team: An editorial team will be made up of both men and women within the age of the target audience so that they know what sort of things are wanted and expected in the magazine. A senior editor would be managing the whole editorial team, as the senior editor has experience and vision of which ideas from the young team can be put into reality. The team would also get views and perspectives from other audiences so that ideas can be put to the senior editor.

Names for magazine?

Due to the unsuitable names in the questionnaire before, I have now changed the names to what is on the right handside.

Please vote for the magazine name you prefer in the vote on the right handside...

Thanks :)

Double Page Spread (DPS) Analysis

Kerrang!

The colour theme carries on from the front page with the red, black and white theme of which follows on from the front cover. The headings spread over both pages, the body text however remains on one page. Kerrang uses more photographs than text within their magazine which is displayed by this double page spread. The images have been manipulated into greyscale (black and white) so that it co-ordinates the colour theme with the page...Kerrang uses more black and white than colour images within their magazine because of the rock style theme, these images have been placed into a invisble 'grid' at the bottom of the pages because 4 photographs have been placed at the bottom perhaps to interest the reader. The heading is the first thing you see along with the photographs...readers always look at both the left top corner and right bottom corner this is perhaps a reason why there is photographs and headings in these places. The body text is layed out in columns along with a heading (both red and white) and sub-heading. The page layout is kept simple with minimal text and alot more photographs, the photographs seem to be placed at the bottom of the text. A limited range of text font and size is kept throughout the page so that not too many are used to confuse and overcrowd the layout of the double page spread.

Contents Analysis of 2 pages

Mixmag

The contents page has a simple layout with more information / text to photograph ratio. Font styles remain the same size and style throughout the page because this makes it look more professional. Larger photographs include a caption to show the importance of particular pages. Font colour is strictly limited to white and yellow, this works well on the black background because the text 'glows' due to the dark background. The layout is quite simple because of where the text is placed (right hand side & at the bottom of the page) this allows a larger image to be placed and aligned to the left. The headline text containing 'Contents' is aligned to the top right, and is in upper case perhaps for attention and importance. The contents page also tells you what months issue it is, this isn't really needed however it perhaps reminds the reader that they need to get next months issue.

Source

The background comprises of one large full colour image on the background of the contents page, while white text is used because of the contrast and brightness that has been adjusted. The fonts are kept consistent throughout the page; however the font size is quite small. A small image is placed (layered) on top of the main image along with a page number to show the content within the magazine...like a sneak preview. The headline of the magazine page isn't bold and clear, it simply just includes 'Features' in upper case, I think that the page looks more professional with small headings because the page is self explanatory. The theme for the magazine's contents page is kept simple, but is quite effective due to the simple design.

Textual Analysis (3 front covers)

XXL
Oct 2010

Awaiting Scan!
The cover is crisp; use of colour is a big part of XXL's smart look. The photograph of Kanye West has been manipulated into grey scale. Kayne West has been manipulated and mirrored within the image on the front cover; this lifts it off the page almost like a 3D image. The cover lines are all in red, white or black. Keeping a white background is highly effective due to making Kanye West the central focal point of the front cover. It’s a simple design but it’s been designed to its maximum performance. The name of the magazine is partly hidden by the photograph; this perhaps is done because the music magazine is a well known name. I think the celebrity status cover catches the attention of people because they wonder if more celebrity orientated stories or appearances are inside the magazine.

Kerrang!
2007

The masthead is large but is arranged to the back since the image overlays the masthead. The font is bold and black but has a “scratched” effect into the text. The cover lines are arranged around the photographs, which makes the design layout cramped. The barcode is situated down the right hand-side at the bottom. The main photograph runs the whole page and acts like a background for other layered photographs and cover lines, mast heads and strap lines. The clear colour co-ordination for the magazine is black, white and yellow, which makes the front cover more suited within its environment. The use of highlighted text adds to the colour scheme, with it being a light blue.

Q

Q has a main photograph on the front cover of which is brought to the front making it the centre focal point. The masthead is near the top of the page but to the left hand-side and is quite large. The barcode is situated at the bottom of the left hand-size. The design is kept simple with only one main image of importance, this changes the dimensions and target audience of the magazine because of its cleaner layout. The strap line “the UK’s biggest music magazine has a black background along with white text and is situated at the top of the magazine. The colour scheme is kept simple with only 3 font colours: red, black and white.

Questionnaire

How old are you?
0-10
11-14
15-17
18-20
21+

Do you read music magazines?
Yes, every month
Yes, sometimes but not always
No, never

What are the leading music magazine that you currently read?
(Please state)

What would you expect in the magazine?
Stories from artists / groups / bands
Lastest music
Lastest news
Advertising appealing to your generations interests
Competitions to win prizes

What would you pay for a magazine?
£2.00
£2.50
£3.00
£3.95

Would you buy a music magazine?
Yes
No

Why would you choose a certain magazine instead of another?
The front cover is interesting
The content within the magazine is good
The quality of design layout
Celebrity status on front cover
Other (Please state)

Do you expect more than one image on the front cover?
Yes
No

Which name should I choose for my music magazine?
NY / New York
21st Century
TM
21

Comparing Music Magazines

Q, Artists of the Century

The price for the music mag. was at £3.90 including a 162 pages of  which was used for artists such as Rihanna, U2, Lilly Allen; coverage of which was on average around 4 pages per artist / section; other pages were used for advertising purposes and other music related articles. The adverts that were in the magazine were a wide range, they included well known brands and expensive looking adverts, one of which was Stella. Examples of articles would include: Pink "Prince William was like a redneck", Cold Play "Chris totally gets my cheese" and the final example...Amy Winehouse "I'm great, yeah".

Kerrang!

A reasonsible price tag of £2.10 although with only 70 pages its not a bad bargin for any teenager. The sections included "News", "Feedback", "Rated: Albums", "Gigs" & "Where to start up" were just a few to note. The magazines advertising seemed to relate to music but also the age range which I would rate from 14 - 18/19 years old teenagers; this was shown through a sony mobile phone advert aswell as the amount of teenagers stories / choices of music displayed in the magazine. A few sections / articles included: "Nightmare of you", "Klub Kerrang", "Get booking" & an editors message / choice shown on the contents page.

The Source

Price of £3.95 for 96 pages worth with pages such as "buying guide". A wide range of fashion adverts are displayed throughout the magazine including shoes, jackets and so on. There isn't much content for the moneys worth except advertising. The magazine has quite alot of photographs aswell as adverts, not much text in comparison to the other magazines.
XXL

With 122 pages of high quality print (both cover and inside pages) all for a price of £3.95 i think it is a good bargin for a top quality magazine however the amount of advertising that goes on in this magazine is very unreal. The magazine is filled in adverts ranging from music tours to advertising Nissan cars. It features Kanye West as a main focal point.

Action Plan

3rd Jan 2011
Action plan & brief
Magazine comparison

10th Jan 2011
Audience questionnaire & poll

Textual analysis - 3 front covers, 2 contents and 1 double page spread

17th Jan 2011
Textual analysis...continued from 10th Jan
Treatment sheet

24th Jan 2011
Internet reseach and readership figures
Page layout

31st Jan 2011
Drafting final pages

7th Feb 2011
Constructing final pages and writing content

14th Feb 2011
Constructing final pages and writing content ...continued from 7th Feb
Photo shoot

21 Feb 2011
Finish all work thats been planned above in the action plan over Half Term

28th Feb 2011
Analysis of magazine
Evaluation

7th March 2011

Evaluation ...continued from 28th Feb

Main Task

I'm now starting the main task.