Final DPS - Music Magazine

 

 

Final Contents Page - Music Magazine

 

 

Final Front Cover - Music Magazine

 

 

 

Contact Sheet

Contact Sheet

To decide which images we needed to put on our front cover, we took a range of photos and decided which ones would be suitable for a front cover and which ones wouldn't be. One of the things I considered in this was direct mode of address, and I instantly put a red cross on all the pictures where we weren't looking at the camera, as they are not suitable. The cover star needs to be looking directly at the audience in a front cover picture, and this is why. The best images that I ticked were, mainly pictures with only one cover star, and these were good because the cover star is able to look into the eyes of the audience and entice them to buy the magazine, which is exactly what I want to achieve with this.

Summer Photos

 

 

I took various photos from over the summer (as well as using others that I had already taken from other parts of the year) and I think that they are relevant because there are a lot of music/concert based pictures, and since the magazine that I will be creating is a music magazine, they fit with the theme of bands that I am trying to create. 

Magazine Proposal

Magazine Proposal

For my music magazine, I have considered many things that I want to include for it. The sub-genre I have decided will be for an audience who like pop-punk/rock music and bands that aren’t too heavy metal, as this is a niche category therefore there is a place in the market for it. The title of my magazine will be ‘Calamity’ (inspired by the name of one of my favourite songs Oh, Calamity!)

My target audience is quite specific, as they will be fans of bands and this will attract them to the magazine itself. I mapped out my ‘ideal reader’ on my moodboard and the kinds of people that I aim to attract to my magazine are the kind of people that appreciate and enjoy the pop-punk genre of music and who also enjoy other things, such as video games and social networking sites such as Twitter and Tumblr, where they can tweet and blog about the bands they feel so passionate about.

Bauer Media Group will publish my magazine, as they are a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations. They are very well known throughout the media world and this is why I have chosen them to publish my magazine.

The features that I will most likely include in my magazine will be interviews and chats with the bands that my readers listen to, as this will draw them into buying the magazine. I will also include album and singles charts within the genre, posters of bands and also some real-life stories of the readers so they can connect with each other through the magazine.

My magazine will be distributed both on the web and in print, as this is the best way to get my magazine out there to its audience. Although recent statistics show that web magazines have started to become more of a popular option for young audiences, Print magazines are also a huge market for young people, as they include posters and free gifts and this generally entices them to buy the product. This is why I think that distributing both on the web and in print is the right thing to do because it creates synergy within the web/print versions of the product and will generally attract more readers, which is exactly what I am hoping for.

My magazine will cost around about £2.20 an issue, and this is because a lot of work and money will go into making this product the best it can be, and also the making of the posters, band interviews etc will cost money and also take time to do. The free gifts will also cost money, and this is why the price is set moderately high.

The unique selling point of my magazine is the kind of audience I am targeting. As the music genre is quite specific, this will be a huge selling point for fans of bands who aren’t into heavy metal music, as the bigger magazines such as Kerrang! And Rocksound tend to group all the bands into a huge rock/heavy metal/punk category, and this will benefit those who only want  the softer pop-punk/rock category.

 

Music Magazine - DPS Flat Plan

Typography for Masthead

Typography for Masthead

 

 

 

As I have decided that the title of my magazine will be 'Calamity', I experimented with certain fonts I had found online, trying to decide which one would suit the style of my magazine the best. I tried to search for fonts with a certain edge to them, as my magazine is for people who are not afraid to stand out amongst others and have a bold music taste, therfore I wanted this to come out in my typography. I have decided that I want the first typography as the masthead for my magazine.

Music Magazine - Contents Page Flat Plan



Contents Page Flat Plan

 

 

I have created a plan of what I would like my ideal contents page of the magazine to look like.I have tried to list conventions and include eveything that a typical contents page would include.

Music Magazine - Front Cover Flat Plan

Flat Plan - Front Cover

 

 

I have created a plan of what I would like my ideal front cover magazine to look like.I have tried to list conventions and include eveything that a typical front cover would include.

Contents Page - Version 2

 

Music Magazine - Analysis

 

 

Before I began making my music magazine I had to create a survey for my audience, trying to find out what their personal preferences were so I could incorporportate them into my magazine.

Music Magazine - Moodboard

 

I created my moodboard, trying to consider the kinds of things that my audience are into and the kinds of things that they like. As my magazine is based on pop-punk/rock music, I have included various bands that fit into that category. I have also included various social networking sites that many of the music fans will use, such as twitter and tumblr and some other things such as converse, iphones and video games etc.

Music Magazine - Ideas

Ideas for my magazine

 

Contents Page - Final Version

 



 The final version of my contents page turned out better than I had originally thought.

 

 

Contents page - Version 1

 

This is the first version of my Contents Page.

Double Page Spread Analysis

This double page spread of My Chemical Romance, featured in Kerrang! magazine consists mainly of images, and all the main text is featured in the top-right section of the double page spread. The main image on the double page spread works as the background; and this brings a lot of detail to the left side of the spread, making it much more appealing to the audience as their eye is drawn to it.

All the images used are in black and white, thus creating depth within the double page spread. The use of instruments and live performances shown throughout the double page spread support the genre of the magazine and it gives us an idea of the lifestyle that a band from the Rock/Metal genre may have. This is done to provide a source of escape for their audience, to get them to connect with their idols by providing images of their lifestyle. The facial expressions and body language of the band in these images shows hard work, dedication and pure love for what they do. This may also connect with the heading used at the top of the spread that reads “We're being the best MCR we can be!” All of the band members look like they are working hard and passionate about making the music that is so important to their fans.

The colours on the page are very dark, and then it contrasts with the sudden burst of red and white on the heading, perhaps giving off connotations that the band is not afraid to be bold and stand up for what they do. Also, the use of the colour red goes along with the house style of the magazine, but on the other hand can connote blood and danger. The typography used in the heading is the same as the title on the front cover of Kerrang!. This creates synergy throughout the magazine. 

The use of buzz words such as World Exclusive! are very important as they make the audience feel like they are the first to read such a huge story about this band, and that it cannot be read anywhere else but this magazine. The dropped cap is used to show the audience where to begin reading, and it also encourages them to read the article.

The subheading underneath the main heading is useful because it gives the audience a little bit of insight as to what they are going to read about in the main article. A box of extra information is used to add more information about MCR to the article, and having this allows the reader to have extra things to read about before or after they have read the main story. They are also used to interest readers even further than just looking at a couple of images and a lot of small font writing. 

Magazine Front Cover - Final Version

Magazine Front Cover - Final Version

 

I chose the font Harlow Solid Italic for my Masthead as it is a big, bold font and is very easy to the eye. For the Anchorage text, I have used the front Rage Italic for the subheading, and then simple Calibri for the text underneath, and also for the text around the main image. I chose Rage Italic for the subheading because it looks handwritten and feminine, and is a nice touch to the magazine. I have used a very simple colour scheme of red, white and black as these are three striking colours that work very well when used together. I considered my Cover Star image very carefully, being sure to choose an image that is giving a direct mode of address to the reader, as it is the first thing the reader will look at when they see the page. I have chosen the articles very carefully, trying to connect the stories with the college, and with the 'Top 10 Bands' article, I have taken my questionnaire into consideration by using many of the bands chosen in the 'What is your favourite band?' question. I successfully used have my research, and found out that students favour Twitter and Facebook so I have included a 'Get in touch' section on the front cover, so the readers can get involved via social media.

 

Improvements:

 

- I can improve the quality of the image, as it was taken with an average digital camera rather than a professional camera. This will improve the overall quality of the front cover as the image is central to the rest of the cover.

 

- I could have added more featured stories on the front cover, as it would interest the audience more and also more secondary images, as that is another thing that attracts the eye of the audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Magazine Front Cover - Version 2

Magazine Front Cover - Version 2

 

 

With my second version, I worked on improving my colour scheme and I began to develop more, however I had a lot more to improve on.

Magazine Front Cover - Version 1

Magazine Front Cover - Version 1

 

 

My first front cover design was very experimental as I tried an array of different backgrounds before settling on the colour grey. I have used an effective typography at the top of the magazine and also for my anchorage text. However, I knew that I would be able to improve so I began making a second version of the cover.

Contents Page Plan

Before I could begin making the contents page I had to create a flat plan so I could decide where to put each of the conventions. I have decided to put the main image in the top right hand corner, as that is the place where you tend to look first, as it will attract your attention. I have also decided to add an Editor's Letter as it is an introduction to the magazine and the reader will feel that the editor is talking directly to them.

Front cover texual analysis

Front cover textual analysis

 

 

 

On the front cover of Q magazine, the masthead is placed on the top left hand corner of the page. It is effective because colour scheme of red against white really makes the letter stand out, and it is also what you would call an enigma as the audience may not know what it means. The main image of Lana Del Rey takes up the middle third of the cover and she uses a direct mode of address, looking directly at her audience to entice them in. The magazine uses the tagline "Discover Great Music" and it is set underneath the masthead so it will be one of the first thing that the reader will see when they look at this magazine. The skyline at the top of the magazine is also an important feature of the article. It has the words "140 Songs You Must Download Now" going along the top and this is effective because it ties in with the Pop/Indie/Rock genre of this particular magazine as each word is in a box and they're all laid out in a jagged line, emphasising the quirkiness of the magazine and the genres as a whole. The magazine also uses buzz words to express their excitement to the reader. "With Exclusive Pro Green Track" is an example of this because the word 'Exclusive' makes the magazine stand out, as it implies that this particular magazine has information that nobody else has yet, making it seem more important, thus enticing the audience further. Sell lines are placed around the main image, and these are useful because they give the reader a small insight as to what is inside this particular magazine, and they use small secondary images or brightly coloured graphics to attract their readers into buying their product and reading further. The anchorage text is placed to the left of the main image and is there for the purpose of giving a meaning to the main image and also giving a slight hint as to what the main article is about. They do this to attract the attention of their target audience and hoping it appeals to them. On Q Magazine, the anchorage text underneath 'Lana Del Rey' says 'So what's so bloody good?'. This is a rhetorical question for the reader, asking what is so good about Lana Del Rey and why she is popular with people of all ages. The reader may also want to know the answer to this question, so they may buy the magazine to find out the answer. This is exactly what the magazine is trying to convey to their audience. The magazine also uses a colour scheme of bold colours such as red, purple and yellow to contrast with a white background. This gives us as readers a feeling that the boldness and brightness may be reciprocated in the kind of music genre that Q magazine is based upon.

Front Cover - Main image ideas

 

Front Cover - Main image ideas

 

For my magazine, I gathered up several images of potential front cover photos and decided which ones would be best to use. I have put a green tick next to the ideal shots for a front cover. These shots are correct because they are centred in the middle and are looking out at the reader, therefore they would be ideal for a front cover.

Front Cover Plan

Questionnaire Results

Questionnaire Results

 

Before I could begin my magazine I had to create a questionnaire to gain better understanding of people's personal preferences, so I would be able to include them in my magazine. I asked ten people these ten questions:

 

1.       What genre of music do you listen to?

2.       Who is your favourite band?

 

3.       What social networks do you use?

 

4.       What do you do in your spare time?

 

5.       What is your favourite genre of films?

6.       What is your favourite film?

7.       What is your favourite clothing place?

8.       What phone do you have?

9.       What do you spend your money on?

10.  What subjects did you take?

 

After receiving these ten questionnaires back, I was able to create various charts based on the results collected.

 

From these graphs I created, I can see that there are various things that are more popular than others:

 

The most popular music genre is Rock

The most popular bands are Bastille and Arctic Monkeys

 

The most popular social networking site is Twitter

The most popular hobby is Shopping

The most popular film genre is Comedy

The most popular film was Iron Man

 

The most popular clothing place is Topman

 

The most popular phone is the iPhone

 

Most of the people spend their money on Clothes

The most popular subject was Media

Magazine analysis 3 - DPS

Magazine analysis 2 - Contents

 

Magazine Analysis 1 - FC

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is when you place your image in a 3x3 grid. This is used to effectively make the image the main focal point of the page. There are various examples such as:

Centre image

After placing the grid on this picture you will notice that the eyes become the main focus of this image as they can be seen clearly in the top-middle box. Magazines generally use this idea for their front covers, because the eyes will attract the attention of the reader to the magazine.

 

Image slightly to the left

 

Placing the image to the left of the grid is also effective because you can tell that the real focus is on the coffee machine next to her. This takes up two thirds of the image itself, and will be the first thing the reader looks at when they see this image.

 

Image slightly to the right

Placing the image to the right of the grid is also an effective way of doing this because she takes up two thirds of the image while we can clearly see the book she is reading on the table, and the object stands out.

 

Annotated Magazine Conventions

           Features of a magazine front cover