This is a draft of my magazine front cover,contents page and double page spread.

These are the pictures that i had taken from my photoshoot to feature in my music magazine

                                        I had taken these pictures before the ones that our above it
                                        however i decided that they didnt demonstrate the message
                                        that i wanted to but across.So i didnt implement them in my final
                                        magazine piece .

 Basic Layout Plan

Research into media institutions

In order for me to construct my layout I have analysed many magazines and emulated their front covers and articles. This influenced me to make and take a more effective and confident approach to making my magazine layout. I realised how important the house style was and took time to choose how to create it. The colour was also another important aspect to my magazine. in some parts of my magazine I used black boxes saying ”EXCULSIVE” to allow it to stand out more and show importance to it and to show the conventionality of magazines. To conclude I have learnt how to use layout and realized the important of layout conventions.

As I sit back and look at my prelimary task I feel that I have learnt a good amount on the journey and build up to my final tasks. For my images, I arranged a photo shoot with one of my close friends using different shots e.g. close-up, low angle mid-shot high angle etc. I also had different locations where I was taking these pictures after the pictures were taken to look more attractive I edited them and changed the colour levels and made the image stand out much more. I cropped and resized my image and changed it to a black and white image.
I would like to have IPC to distribute my magazine; this is because their magazines mostly fall into the niche market rather than the mainstream – just like my magazine. I decided that IPC would be better than a company such as Development Hell as my magazine is not niche enough for such a small company and is fortnightly rather than monthly. I chose IPC due to the magazines that they make, such as NME, as I want my magazine to be marketed in a similar way. It is also relevant to note that over 44% in the UK read an IPC Media magazine IPC also produce many other niche magazines such as ‘Uncut’ and ‘Rugby World’, so I feel that they would be the best company to distribute my magazine. NME has evolved over the years from just being a magazine, now there is a radio station, music channel, website, award ceremony and also NME stages at various large festivals, this is something that I aspire my magazine to achieve.
Since beginning my music magazine I have learnt a lot about the technologies within the industry. I found taking the images easier than others as I own a 12 megapixel camera which produces quite a high quality picture, however composing the images and getting things like lighting and costume correct was more of a challenge. I also learned how to use Photoshop successfully, it became easier to use once I had learnt the basics. It also showed to me how I could drastically improve alright images to make them suitable for my magazine. I learned how to change my images completely by using cropping, highlights, shadows, glow, contrasting, changing the curves amongst others. To improve my images I also used the magic eraser, magic lasso and refined the edges to take the image and put it on a better background. I learned that the cover was the most important part of the magazine according to the editor of ‘Kerrang!’ In an interview we watched, this made me realise that I had to get a better grasp of the technologies in constructing the magazine. I also learned about how blogging can add an interactive element to learning and production. From using Blogger, I easily received feedback from classmates and my teacher; it also allowed me to see the quality of work produced by my classmates.

Throughout this project I have learnt to attract the audience through the colours I use,central image,font and size of my title. The price of my magazine will also attracted people to buy my magazine,I have noticed that other magazines have helped me massively in the process of making a successful magazine.

Target Audience: Males, 15-24, although with this magazine it is more likely that the readership could be older than 24 than it is for Kerrang! NME stands for 'New Musical Express' this reflects the young readership who are discovering who they are and what type of music they like, the magazine offers self discovery. Font: Bold Lettering - Attracting the youth, being bold and reflecting teenagers want of being 'different'. The pointed bottom of the 'M' connotes the magazine being cutting edge and offering new music to its young readers Colours - The red, white and black connote boldness; something the readership searches for seeing as the magazine showcases indie music The readership probably spends their time seeing various bands in differentvenues. Heat magazine of the music world- heavily features gossip from the music world Prounounced 'Enemy' - again 'sticking it to the man' its enemy is popular culture, the same enemy as its readership.

Target Audience: Males, 24-44, (woman are aimed too), readership is older due to the fact the features are more in-depth, also the artists are 'serious' ones, acts such as McFly and Busted wouldnt feature .The single lettered title is prominent on the news stands, seeing as other magazines have whole word titles Colours: Red and white - background of red connotes power and danger, with it standing out in the music stand and the white demonstrates how pretigious the magazine is. This is heightened by the fact that the rating Q gives a magazine features on the artists advertising campaign. Also the read and white would appeal to the English readership as these are the colours of the national flag. The 'Q' leans slightly to the left; this shows that the magazine not only covers mainstream acts but also 'left-field' acts that don't usually get coverage in the main news press. The shadowing effect connotes how Q's readership follows them; we trust in the magazine.

The source magazine would have a target audience of 20 -40 .The source’ title is also a title that is used to draw the attention of readers with its bright yellow colour and it dark black background allows the magazine to become impossible to miss. The font size is huge which adds to the effect of it being unfishable and very clear to see. The dark yellow and the black back ground beings a sense of gloom but makes it sound very loud at the same time the lines below the font bring that sense of importance to the title.

Planning Of Music Magazine 

·    From the data I collected from my survey I learnt that my target audience would be around the ages of 15 to 24 due to the genre of the music magazine.

·    R n B is the genre that I’m promoting in my music magazine the styles of the magazine will be upbeat intriguing and up to date with the latest gossip, interviews and news about everything that is happening in the R n B world. However it may contain news from other genres of music just so the magazine can have a little bit of everything which will appeal to everyone.

·    The results from my survey show that my audience would prefer my magazine to come monthly. The majority of my audience perhaps would like duration of time to read through a magazine properly without being interrupted by a new magazine being released.

·    The results from my survey suggest that my target audience would like my magazine to be priced up to £2 considering the age group of my audience. People aged around 15-24 wouldn’t have access to much disposable income and £2 would be a fair price for everybody.

·    I am planning to have my magazine glossy with great energy like a ‘Q’ magazine this would be more attractive for my audience giving them the incentive of having great pleasure when reading my magazine.

Survey Results

This graph shows the results that were collected and it also indicates that most people would be more tempted to buy this magazine if it has a CD in front of it. However other people would also want other gifts so I would have to do different gift packs every month to keep consumers happy.

 2 This graph shows that would people would prefer to have this magazine released monthly so to keep them happy this is what the magazine would have to do

This graph shows the results collected and it indicates that most people would like biographies included rather then the other s shown in the graph however results that were collected in had shown that most people ticked more then one box. This means I would have to include all types of articles.

The group of results show that the majority of people are willing to pay up to £2 so for me to satisfy the consumers the magazine shouldn’t be any higher then £2 pound.

This graph shows that that most people would prefer to hear British news and international music news instead of having one or the other. So here i would have to include both types of news to enable my magazine to make all consumers happy.

This graph of results show that most people would like articles and promotions to be included in the magazine however there are consumers that wouldn’t what promotions included so I would have to included promotions and articles most times but not always.

Contents Page Analysis

T
he contents page for NME is dominated by a large central image.
This is because they recently reformed for summer shows and this was the first time since then that the band has been pictured together. This expresses to me that the magazine is aimed at teenagers. The second image which is shown on the contents page is small image in corner, of a snapshot of January’s edition of NME. The members do not have a direct mode of address, the magazine seems more laid back; this suits the target audience who are mainly teenagers who share this ethos.

The colours and fonts used follow the conventions of the front colour. The contents page follows the house style of the magazine, with the text being the same as the title block. This creates a more stylish consistent magazine, if there were different fonts and various different colours the magazine would look amateurish.
The information in the magazine is organised in the left hand section of the magazine in alphabetical order of artists. Which is more useful compared to other magazines that have the name of their articles on the contents page, NME tells you the page where you can find the artist. This helps the reader to access the artists that they are interested in; it gives the target audience freedom to decide what they want to read. This tells the audience that the magazine has gone back to basics to make the reader feel like they can easily access the articles in the magazine.

The contents page also expresses a promotional offer of getting the magazine for ‘85p’ per issue if you subscribe. This allows the target audience feel like they are getting a good deal, as it is aimed at young males who don’t have a much disposable income.

The magazine logo appears up in the corner of the contents page. As it is a small image, this shows that the magazine wants to portray that the artists are more important than their brand. The promotional offer also contains ‘NME’ in bold, this is the only time that the magazine title has dominance on the page.



Front Cover Analysis

Double Page Spread Analysis

The artist that features in the NME article is Gerard Way, lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance. The famous bands recent album (released four years ago) The Black Parade which was aimed at those who felt misunderstood or separated from everything around them mainly teenagers. The text used is a simple black font, which follows the house style of the magazine. It seems that you would have to read the whole article to understand what is going on because it has a few entry points.
The main image for the article is a close up of Gerard Way with the anchored text of ‘This record is going to be a grand failure if people don’t get it’, this is juxtaposed with the image as from the facial expression Gerard Way seems not so bothered the text however suggests otherwise.

The tone/theme of the article gives the sense that NME wants the reader to feel like the member of the in-crowd, they are parting information about something that has not yet been released yet. They also want the reader to feel as if they were a close friend; this is demonstrated through colloquial phrases and social words such as ‘Right’. However they treat the reader as if they were an informed fan as they talk about tracks from other artists albums like ‘Jenny was a friend of mine’ by the Killers. But the chances of an NME reader actually reading this article is slim as the artist may not appeal to all of them and they may not have the attention span to read such a lengthy article.

The language used in the article is mainly simple, it’s wrote in a formal fashion but is laced with colloquial phrases such as ‘chucked out their tunics’ and ‘honk the pop fact sirens’. This is because the article is informing the reader about the years that My Chemical Romance have been missing from the music scene but they aim to do it in a way that will keep the reader interested, teenagers don’t want the intelligence level of the writing to be too high because they will get bored or confused and opt to read another magazine.

The majority of the article is text rather than images; this is odd for NME as their readership is mostly interested in looking at montages of images rather than reading lengthy articles. The images show Gerard Way now and back on The Black Parade tour, this is to highlight to the readers that the band has changed from what it used to be. This could be a ploy to entice teenagers who didn’t like My Chemical Romance before to give them another chance because they are different now.

Front Cover Analysis

The central image is of Gerrard Way from My Chemical Romance, NME wants us to feel like we have a relationship with him due having a direct mode of address. However, his body is twisted away from the camera and only half of his face is on view, this suggests that NME wants to create an element of mystery around Gerrard Way, they want us to know him but not the whole of him.

Gerrard is on the front cover due to the upcoming release of My Chemical Romance's new album. NME can take advantage of the huge fanbase of the band who will buy this new issue simply because Gerrard Way is on the cover. NME can also draw in a bigger readership as Gerrard is talking about their new album; My Chemical Romance have'nt released an album since 'The Black Parade' went platinum in 2006.

It sees its self as more as a newspaper than a magazine, as the title suggests, and reports on the latest gossip in the music world.

The title block tells us that the magazine is attempting to attract the youth with its bold lettering, the pointed 'M' also suggests that the magazine is 'cutting edge' and can offer new music to its young readers. The colours are also very bold which is something that the readership seeks as they search for who they really are. The title is also pronounced 'Enemy' which connotes the readership attempting to 'stick it to the man', it also suggests that the magazines enemy is popular culture, with this being the same enemy as the readership.

His edgy haircut and dark make-up could reflect his character; it makes him appear like a Vampire. This is strengthened by his facial expression and studio lighting. The colour theme of this cover is black, red and white. These are very dominant and powerful colours that would appeal to the male target audience; they also fit in with the consistent colours of the title block to compose the magazine cover and glue all the factions together using the same colour theme.

Magazine survey

Brief Analysis Of Music Magazine

 Magazine One
1. The reasons for this could be that J Lo is seen as more superior then the magazine title itself and that she is the most important. It also expresses that J Lo is depicted as the more dominate figure on the front of Magazine.
2. The reason that the magazine might have chosen a mid-shot was to help the audience engage and interact more with the image.
3. There are numerous reasons for why this could have been done. Firstly when J Lo turns on her side it then allows the audience to be able to she the type of high fashion that she is wearing. Also is allows viewers to she her perfect figure and make her look a bit more sexy. Lastly turning on her side allows Jennifer to be seen perhaps in a more softer gentle view it also makes her look more glamorous. She is also showing off her figure and the detail of the dress, highlighting that this is a high end fashion magazine. Her hairstyle even conveys dominance and power, it is pulled off her face and seems tight and uncomfortable, a hairstyle usually associated with business women. Although Jennifer looks friendly here, she is also showing that she is a force to be reckoned with and should'nt be written off.
4. The reason for this could be that the magazine wants to allow viewers to see J Lo in a more disciplined but sexy view allowing her face to be full.

Magazine Two
Jennifer's image covers part of the title again, but this time it is only a very small section, now she is only slightly more important than the magazine.
In the image she is wearing a small bikini in a pale blue, it's almost as if it isn't there which is very appealing to the male audience, she is a sex symbol now, the photo is taken on sand against a clear blue background, she is in most peoples idyllic place with her being the ideal woman. The anchorage text also reads 'Goddess', Jennifer is the 'tanned beach goddess' that men wish they could take or meet on holiday.
Jennifer is on her knees in this image, putting her in a less powerful position than if she was standing face on. Having her hand on her hip emphasises her curves, sort of highlighting them and by her leaning to the side she looks more curvy and shows off her flat stomach. Her face in the image is pouty and seductive, it is as if she knows that she is a sex icon and is confident with this image.
Right next to Jennifers head is the headline 'Sex Mad' for another article, instantly it seems as if Jennifer herself is thinking that she is 'sex mad'. The image seems degrading as she no longer seems 'sexy' but she is now a sex icon or symbol making her seem like an object rather than human. But I can see how this image would be appealing to men as they are not aspiring to be like the women on the cover but to have them

Magazine Three
1. The reason this has been done is to show viewers her sexiness and also makes customers believe she’s wants them ‘like take a look in me’.
2. The reasons for this could be that J Lo is seen as more superior then the magazine title itself and that she is the most important. It also expresses that J Lo is depicted as the more dominate figure on the front of Magazine.
3. The reason for this was to show the viewers the whole of Jennifer’s amazing body and make her look quiet naughty allowing more customers to want to buy the mag.
4. This allows Jennifer to look more attractive a young the fact that she is half naked also allows men to think ridiculous thoughts and want to purchase the magazine more.
5. This is done to promote the way Jennifer is looking it is more effective then you think. It could also be seen as a hidden message that there is more to see in the magazine which would leave customers with no choice then to buy it.
6. This is done to show that she is confident and that she is also posing which would also draw attention to people.

Magazine Four
1. The reasons for this could be that J Lo is seen as more superior then the magazine title itself and that she is the most important. It also expresses that J Lo is depicted as the more dominate figure on the front of Magazine
2. This has been done to show that she is a more mature women and that she has lived her life the way she wanted to.
3. This might have been done to show people that she is now a mature women and nothing like she was in the previous magazines.
4. The might have been done the obvious was to promote that she had twins the other was to show that she is a caring loving women. It expresses her gentleness and her character the babies are also used to attract more family people to buy the magazine.

               
 These are pictures that i had taken during my task

 

For my preliminary task i produced a contents page for my college magazine.
For my contents page i used illustrator to customize the outlook of my text.

For my preliminary task i produced a front cover for my college magazine.
I used phototshop to then cut out the background of my image and then replace it with the one of my choice,which as displayed has worked successfully.