audience research 3

audience research 2

audience research

inital ideas diagram

This is my inital ideas diagram, which shows the different ideas i have been thinking about to use on my music magazine

contents page 5

The Q contents page is a simple designed page, with one large main image of the band the feature article revolves around. The image is a long shot, with two of the four members not looking at the camera, which could suggest to the reader that they are showing attitude with their newfound fame. The use of a plain white background with black writing again is simple, it also lets the writing stand out on the page, with a larger more bolder font used for article names. The use of the red filled box with the white writing named features relates to the Q logo, letting readers know that it is a house style and that it is Q magazine. The magazine again like most offers a special promotion on monthly issues when bought, signified by the ‘every month’ heading.

contents page 4

The mixmag contents page follows the same image conventions as most other popular magazines, with the box style images. All three artists in the images all avoid eye contact with the camera, which gives the reader the impression that they are cocky, with attitude, which is what most people think when they think of DJs. The main image shows a man drinking beer, averting eye contact with the camera, this gives the impression that he thinks he’s better than the reader, and gives the impression of, look at me, I’m a DJ. This however contrasts to the smallest image of a woman wearing minimal clothes, looking elegant, rather than sloppy. The use of a white background with pink writing in a different font is used to show the subheadings, where as a black font is used to show article titles.

contents page 3

This contents page follows a heavy green house style, which continues throughout the magazine, the use of 4 images represents the popular box style image layout, generally used on a contents page. The use of a dark green box with white/red writing is used to stand our to the reader, the text is mainly written in sans font, which makes the text clear and visible to the reader.
The four images are a smaller version of the main articles in the magazine, this is used to entice the reader into reading more. Again with most magazines, the contents page advertises how to subscribe to the magazine, enticing them by offering money savings. The use of slanted text and then uneven images relate to each other, making the magazine feel unbalanced, which attracts the readers eye.

contents page 2

The contents page for nme is a different style of contents page, as it looks almost like a front cover, the use of the pink yellow and black is typical of nme, as it is its house style, the use of the black box with white blue and pink writing in sans serif stands out to the reader, to help them choose which page they would like to read, as well as giving the reader a little bit of extra information about what the article is about. The use of one main image with the number ‘1’ signifies to the reader that that is the number one article to read. Unlike most popular music magazines, this contents page does not feature an editors note, which makes the reader not feel as personal with the magazine.

contents page 1

The contents page used the box style picture set up, with various different images rather than one large on one half of the page. The use of a black box with yellow writing makes the word ‘contents’ stand out, so the reader can visibly see that it is the contents page. This them is also carried on throughout the whole content page with headings, for example ‘famous last words’. The largest image on the page signifies to the reader that that is the main article of the magazine. At the top you can find the editors note, which is typical of a mainstream, popular magazine. It also lets the reader relate to the magazine more as it makes it more personal.

diary entry week 4

This week i have been analyzing 5 contents pages and double page spreads of various music magazines, to help me find out what codes and conventions are used in different music magazines, which have different target audiences. Also, i finished my questionnaire which i have handed out to 10 people in my target group, to gain feedback, along with this i have video recorded some people from my target market talking about what they like to see in a music magazine.

diary entry week 3

This week was half term, therefore i did not do alot of media coursework, i analyzed 5 front covers of music magazines which i found relatively easy, i also started drafting out my questionnaire that i would ask my target audience so i could gain feedback on what they would like to see on my music magazine.

diary entry week 2

This week we were given our pliminary task, which was to create a school magazine cover and contents page using a medium close up of a student. we used Photoshop elements 4.0 to help us create our covers and contents page. any pictures that i used had to be completely original, so during the week i took photos of students, classes and objects that i could use in my magazine. At the end of the week we were given the task to evaluate our finished covers and contents pages, along with the task to analyze 5 front covers of music magazines.

diary entry week 1

For the first week of our media coursework, we were given the task to look at existing school magazines and to analyze the cover and contents page, explaining how they are tailored to the wants of the target audience. To help us on analyzing the cover and contents page, we were given a 'geek sheet' which gave us questions we had to answer, in order to write a detailed analysis of the magazine. When analyzing the school magazine, we were told to look at the different codes and conventions used, that we could use in our school and music magazine. After this was completed, we were given an introduction on how to take good photos, using various lighting techniques and how to position the subject. We were shown how to use synthetic lighting and natural lighting.

questionnaire

1.what kind of music do you like?

Rock/metal

Pop

R’n’b

Dance

Indie

Rap

other

2.how much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?

£1- £2

£2 - £3

£3 - £4

£4+

3. Do you own an iPod/mp3/other music player?

Yes

No

4. How often would you say you would go to a concert in one year?

Rarely

1 – 2 times

never

3 – 4 times

4 – 5times

5+

5. do you use any social networking websites such as facebook/twitter, if yes, how often?

Everyday

Often

Rarely

6. what would you prefer when it comes to layout of a magazine

More images with less text?

Less images with more text?

Equal amounts?

7.would free gifts/products in a music magazine interest you?

Yes

No

audience analysis

echoes dps

The main focus of the double page spread is the picture of the artist, it is presented in a professional manner, by spreading across the centre line of the double page, the image is a full body shot. The costume on the artist is plain black and white, which correlates to the piano keys in the background. The font used throughout the article is sans, a medium font is used for the introduction, on the opposite side of the page in capitals, to stand out to the reader. A bold sans font is then used for her name, so it shows the reader who the article is about, with the colour in white, to make the font visible. To the far left of the spread, there is an r’n’b chart on an orange background; with sans font this is in house style. This is to show the reader what magazine it is. There is no Photoshop involved on the image for effects or graphics. The 3 columns of writing is in white, on a black background, which is the lower half of the artists body, the writing is white so it is visible to the reader.

rock sound dps

The use of black and white only for the images and article text stands out to the reader. Then the use of blue under the name of the band creates an emphasis on the bands name, making the reader think that they are extra special. The image is a high angle full body shot of the band , which crosses the centre line, again typical of a professional music magazine, as it follows the rule of thirds. The use of a pale blue background, - the same colour used underneath the name of the band, is used to highlight a bit of information about the band/introduction to the article, this is used to attract the readers eye. Again the use of a photoshop graphic effect for ‘paint splatter’ is used to attract the readers eye, and makes them think that the band is ‘creative’ this also could relate to the fact that most of the band members have tattoos.

plan b DPS

The use of one large image on one side of the double page spread is not typical of a music magazine, as most professional music magazines have their image crossing the centre line making it look more professional. The image is of a pale looking boy, who looks like he could have ‘needs’ the quote in a black box in white sans writing ‘dyslexia’s got a lot of perks’ could link in with the picture, making the reader aware that the boy in the image has dyslexia. The article is broken up into three columns which makes the magazine look professional, the use of bold writing is used to show the reader the new topics of the article and to show the name of the band.

Kasabian DPS

The use of two images instead of the typical one image on this double page spread makes the spread more interesting to readers, as most spreads only have one main image. The quotation above the smaller square picture actually corresponds to the picture, as the quote is about being in the studio with an actress, which is what the picture shows, this helps the reader to understand what is meant by the quotation. Again, the use of the full body long shot of the band which passes the centre line of the page Is typical of a professional music magazine. The use of sans serif font is used throughout the whole double page spread, making the article stand out. The use of a house style colour scheme again, shows the reader what magazine they are reading, even down to the larger S which drips down the page. Which is done by using photoshop graphics.

DPS

The use of a medium close up as the main focus of the double page spread is useful to the reader as it signifies to the reader that she is the main artist and that the article is about her only. The use of sans font is used throughout the article; however the use of sans serif for the title of the article is used to show the reader that it is the article title, and to inform them what it is about. The use of a yellow pastel colour as the article background, with a pastel pink for the writing is used to make the writing stand out, so the readers can see it. The use of the image past the centre line again is very popular in double page spreads, as it creates a more professional look to the magazine. The white background contrasts to her skin tone, as the costume she is wearing is also white, this is to make her stand out. It could also mean for her to stand out as a successful DJ.

Kerrang FC analysis

The use of 4 separate pictures on the front cover draws immediate attention to the reader, as it is not your typical, one/two main picture front cover style. The boxed style effect on the bottom stands out to the reader, as this is something you’d typically find on a contents page. The images also signify to the reader that there are many main stories, not just one main article. The main focus of the cover however is the medium close up of the band ‘Biffy Clyro’. The use of the way the lead of the band is positioned, with his hand by his mouth in an inquisitive like pose, can relate to the title ‘Biffy Clyro unfold the puzzle of life…’ Again like the CLASH magazine, Kerrang! Offers the reader a free download, after buying the magazine, used to entice the reader into buying.

Q magazine FC analysis

The use of a dull back ground with white and pink writing as the only colour stands out to the reader, which in turn entices them to buy. The use of similar fonts on the cover again is typical of a magazine front cover. The main and only image is the focus of the cover, the lead singer of the band ‘The killers’ the use of a pink shirt as the only vibrant colour matches the colour of the writing. The use of the pose he is in – a slight tilted pose, correlates to the tilt of the writing, giving the whole magazine an off balanced view, which can attract the readers eye, making them want to buy the magazine. The costume is typical of the lead singer, as he is wearing his trademark outfit. Letting the readers know that the main article in the magazine will be about h

Rolling stones magazine FC analysis

The use of similar fonts throughout the whole pages is typical of a magazine cover, to the reader, this will not stand out. The main and only image is the cast of the hills’ a popular American reality TV programme, in which many young teens watch. The costumes they wear are all pastel colours/white, which blend into the plain white background, so it is their skin colour that is the only vibrant colour on the page, making the image stand out. The use of stars on the front cover can signify to the reader that the magazine has receive a 4 star award, making it more popular, and enticing to the reader.

Also the use of colloquial language is used to entice the readers, by using 'OMG! do they totally hate each other?' it entices the reader to find out more about the truth of the show.

Kerrang! FC analysis 2

The main image on the kerrang! Front cover is of greenday. The title of the magazine is written in silver, making it stand out to the reader, as well as letting them know it is a special edition of the magazine. The costumes worn by green day are black, which contrast to their pale skin and the white back ground, again, making a statement that not everything is black and white. The use of the band’s song titles on the white background signifies to the reader that this edition of the magazine is all about them. The use of green used on the cover also helps the reader understand that the magazine will be about them, as this coincides with the band name. The use of different fonts also helps the magazine stand out to the reader, as it is unusual for a magazine to use many different fonts.

Analysis 1 Front cover

The front cover of CLASH magazine is busy, which draws attention to the reader, the colour scheme of black white and yellow is so that the main articles stand out (in yellow), The main focus of the cover is the large picture of Pete Doherty, also in black and white to continue the colour scheme, the picture is a close up of his face, with his head slightly tilted, with him looking straight into the camera, to show the readers that the main feature article is only about him. The use of the ‘voted best magazine of the year’ is used to entice the reader into reading more, as it is ‘the best music magazine’. Similar font is used throughout the whole front cover, apart from the ‘Pete Doherty goes solo’, which again is used to represent the main article which is also in a larger font, with the other article headlines in a smaller font. The use of the only colour image to promote a free album download is used to catch the eye of the reader, to make them want to buy the magazine for the free download. This however, contrasts to the main colour scheme of the page, making it stand out.

Preliminary Task School magazine Evaluation

When creating my school magazine I made sure I used different codes and conventions, after looking at the real school magazines in previous lessons and analysing them I found that most use some form of rhetorical question and different sized yet similar fonts. As this was discovered, I made sure I included different yet similar fonts on both my front cover and contents page, and ensuring I had different size fonts, relating to importance, for example the headline is larger than the subtitle which follows on the front cover. I also found that after looking at ‘Chapel High in Long Lane’ magazine, the use of catchy, alliterating sentences would help draw in my target media audience.

My school magazine in my opinion represents teenagers, most teenagers today are represented as bad people who are criminals that wear hoodies etc, instead, my magazine represents teenagers in a positive light, on how well they do at school, and what kind of things they can do to help the community, not destroy it. By representing teenagers in this light, it is portraying the school as a positive thing, where teenagers are taught how to behave.

A mainstream high school would be the main distributor of my school magazine, as it is aimed at students at high school, also, It will let the students see what is going on at the school. However, it is also aimed at parents, who can then see what is going on in school and what their children are doing.

When creating my magazine, I used slight colloquial language, which will relate to my target audience, of teenagers, as most teenagers this day and age are very much into instant messaging and texting, where they use colloquial dialect all the time. By using stories such as ‘school closure’ it entices the target audience to read on, as most children enjoy time off school. However, by using this story, it also entices the audience of parents, by making them read on to find out why the school is closed.

Whilst making my magazine, I have learnt how to use Photoshop, and all the special techniques, such as layering and text. In my magazine, I used many layers, to help order and make my magazine look professional. Also, I learnt how to use a special camera in order to take high quality pictures for my magazine, when taking my pictures I only used natural light, as they had the best picture outcomes.

School magazine Preliminary sketches - contents and front page

school magazine preliminary - contents and front cover

School Magazine Analysis

After studying the Chapel Hill in Long Lane school magazine, it is clear that the use of colour is used to draw the viewers’ attention, the colours are Red, White and Black, which when looked closely at one of the pictures on the front cover, shows that these are the same as the schools ‘new uniform’ the use of a few different smaller pictures on the front cover could confuse the viewers, as it makes the front cover look like a normal page in the magazine, all of the photos however are linked to the different subtitles used on the page, which can help make sense to the reader. The use of the school logo in the corner helps the reader identify that the magazine, is a school production, however, it is set on a white background, which makes the magazine look unfinished, as it could be cut out, to make a tidier appearance.

The use of subtitles on the front cover is clever as it helps the reader make sense of the different pictures, the language is simple, and can appeal to all levels of reading, the title CHiLL is an acrostic of ‘Chapel Hill in Long Lane’ which makes the reader make a subconscious connection to the schools name and the magazine title. The language used is informative, and helps the reader in making choices.

The colours used on the contents page layout is the same as the front cover, again to show off the new school uniform colours, only one image is used on the contents page, drawing the readers eyes to the picture, hence drawing them in to read more. The use of a large font is used to help the reader clearly make a selection on what they would like to read. The use of white font is also used to catch the readers’ attention, making them want to read more.

The language again on the contents page Is very simple and informative, the use of page numbers and bullet points are useful to the reader, in making a quick selection. The use of rhetorical questions involve the reader, and makes them want to read more of the magazine, however, every subtitle is a rhetorical question, which could become quite boring to the reader.