Evaluation

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Through research of products already available on the market such as NME and Q magazine I have been able to see what the forms and conventions of a music magazine in a similar genre of mine are. I learnt a lot about the layout and images that are normally used to get across a view of the musician that the magazine is trying to portray. For the majority of my magazine I have followed the conventions and forms, this is because this is a layout which has been proven to attract audiences and also it makes it easier for the readers to navigate round, when items such as the contents of the magazine are layed out in a similar way. However following all the codes and conventions means that the magazine would be boring and not a new fresh idea. This is why I have used the 'best of both worlds' and went against some of the codes as well.
I followed the convention of using three main 'house' colours, this is because it enables you to alternate between colours to make the magazine interesting, however does not overload the magazine and distract the reader from the content.

On my front cover (visual to the left)  I have kept with the codes and conventions with having one main image in the background. The use of puffs follow the conventions because they surround the main image. However they do now have their own images next door to the puff, this goes against the conventions. I chose to do this because I did not want the reader from the main image however I feel that through the use of colours and grammar they stand out enough from the background. I followed the conventions with the placement of my barcode, however the location of the price and date of issue goes against the conventions because form the magazines I analysed they were located next to the barcode, this is because they are seen as not important and placed in the bottom right hand corner, because this is the last place the reader will look. I decided to put the date of issue and the price in a banner underneath the title of the magazine. This is because I feel that by advertising the price and placing it in a more visible place people will be encouraged to buy the magazine, due to its cheaper price than its competitors, yet that they feel that they are paying enough money for a interesting and enjoyable content.

 For the double page spread (visual to the left) I have followed the majority of the codes and conventions. By placing the title of the magazine and band in the top right hand corner I have used the rule of thirds to make the page balanced and the reader is encouraged to read the whole of the page. I have gone against a code by using more than the normal three house colours on this page, the use of the green quotes, however I decided that the green would stand out against all the other colours and attract the reader to read them and encourage them to read the rest of the article.

 With my content page (visual to left) I have used many codes and conventions, however this is the page where I have gone against conventions the most. I decided to put the advertisement for the subscription service in the bottom left hand corner. This is the last place where the reader looks, however I felt that by using a large font size, the logo and using a variety of the house colours this would still capture the readers attention and encourage them to subscribe. Also by the location of the background it draws attention towards the subscription advertisement.



Overall I used the majority of the conventions, however added a little twist to them to make them my own and to make the magazine stand out.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My music magazine represents the indie/electronic/rock social group by the colour scheme and content of bands in the magazine. The colour scheme of red, white, black with bits of green are colours that one associates with electronic items, such as the colours in a wired plug.

The font of the band (visual on right) also represents the groups because the font looks like it is associated with a computer, which is how this genre of music is created. 

However for the band on my front cover I used a non-stereotypical band of the genre, this is to show that not all members of this social group are the same. I decided to send a message across that not all of the social group are rebels and 'freaks', that anyone can enjoy to create and listen to this genre of music.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I researched into a variety of companies that distribute magazines. One of these was the BBC, however I decided against this company because the majority of their magazines are mainstream with the majority focusing on younger children aged between 0-10. I found two which would be suitable these are Bauer and IPC. IPC is a company which focuses on three major groups these are mainstream women, men and upmarket women. They currently publish a range of magazines including NME, which is a magazine that's genre is very similar to mine. Bauer is the other publishing company. It  is a German company, which focuses on female magazines and puzzles,

however also publishes music magazines such as kerrang and Q magazine, which are similar to the genre of my magazine. It is also a worldwide company and which originated in German, like the genre of music my magazine focuses on (Indietronica) therefore I feel that this would be the most suitable.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The target audience my magazine is aimed at is male and females aged between 16 and 19, who are interested in indie/ electronic/ rock music. I chose this group because through my target research I found that they would be the most in rested in a magazine of the genre of music of indietronica.

5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

I attracted my target audience by using the information I gained about them through my primary research. I used colours which are associated with the genre of music of  the magazine. I also used a language, which is personal and  to which the readers can relate to. An example of this is on the content page (visual to the right), where I used the words 'All this, just for YOU! (that can't be right?!)'. This is less formal than 'Contents page'. I also targeted both genders of my target audience by including a balance of informative and visual content on my double page spread. This is because males prefer bite size chunks of information with lots of visuals, while generally speaking females prefer longer more informative writing. An example of this is by using fact files of the band members, so a lot can be learnt with little reading.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Through the process of production I have learnt a lot about programmes such as photoshop and indesign. Before we started this project I had limited knowledge of photoshop and had never used indesign. However through lots of practise and  informative tutorials I now feel confident using both programmes. On photoshop I have learnt about how to use many more of the tools available including how to put font and writing on images and how to use 'layers'. With indesign, I learnt how to use the 'smart tools' and other general advantages of using indesign over photoshop. It took a while, however I feel it was time well spent.

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

 After finishing my final task I feel that my preliminary task looks rather shocking! Before I did my preliminary task I learnt how to manipulate the image, however I did not learnt a lot about the font and how to make that look interesting. Therefor for my prelim task the image is good quality, however the lack of exciting fonts  lets it down. However as I spend more time on photoshop and learnt how to use more tools and about more options I was able in my final magazine to make the font glow and make it overlap with other fonts and layers.  I have also learnt a lot about layout. I feel that the layout of my prelim task is too one sided,  and that my final task is more balanced and look more professional. I also feel that my music magazine targets my target audience more, through colour scheme, text and layout than the school magazine.

Overall I am impressed with my music magazine and have thoroughly enjoyed making it. :)

Evaluation of Front Page

This is the front page for my music magazine front cover. I made it using photo shop then put it through in design to conclude the project. I followed the conventions of a music magazine for the majority of my magazine , however there were certain things I decided to go against the conventions with to make it original, especially as there is not much in the market for my target audience.  

The mast head is original as I used a font making website to create the font style and colours. I decided to use red, white and black as the house colours of the magazine and thought it would be appropriate to use them in the logo of the magazine. Underneath the the mast head is a block of colour, which contains the date and the price of the magazine. This is not typically where these are found, as they are often located next to the bar code. I chose to put them here as it is obvious what the price is and the date of the magazine, although these are not very important I feel that making the price of the magazine easily visible will encourage people to buy it as they can see how cheap it is to competitors, yet still enough money that they will get a good content from it. Between these two blocks of colour, I have put the selling line. This quotes 'The best selling indietronica magazine'. This is a quote which will encourage people to buy the magazine as they will see that it is popular. It also tell consumers what the genre of the magazine is, and can give them an idea if they will enjoy it.

I decided to use one image on the front cover. The image fills the whole page with the man focal point being where the drum sticks cross over. I chose to have only one of the band members on the front cover as it shows that they are both independent strong women. This encourages people to look up to them and have them as role models. As the image is taken at a low angle, it shows that the musician has power over the viewer. By having her hands large in portion of her body, shows that her hands are important, which is reflected by her holding the drums sticks. This shows that she plays this instrument and that that playing is her life. The use of a flame appearing out of the  left drum stick shows strength. Which is the image of the musician I am trying to portray.

There are two puffs on the front page, although on the magazine I have researched there is normally more puffs and images with the puffs, I decided to go against the conventions and make the main image more important by not adding more distractions away from it. They are both in the house colours of the magazine, red and whites. One on of the puffs I have used the change of colour to emphasise a word 'nothing'. The other puff stands out as it is the main thing on the left hand side of the magazine and I made the word 'NEW' in bold and capital letters to emphasise this word. To improve the emphasise on this word I could have changed the colour like I did with the other puff.

The advertisement for the competition where readers can 'WIN autographed t-shirt'. I made the word 'WIN!!' biggest font out of all the puffs, this is to draw attention towards it, this is because it is a major selling point as consumers believe that they can get more out of the magazine than just the content. The use of a double explanation mark, shows that its exciting. I decided to place it on top of a block of colour, as again this is attractive and eye catching.

The logo of the band 'Torque' is also original and made on a logo website. I put it into another photo shop folder and then moved it across. At first the logo looked very square as you will see from my development and feathered it out. I think that it looks soft and adds a bit of a feminine touch to the band's name especially as the logo is dark and mysterious. I chose this font because it looks computer generated, which is how the music is generated in a indietronica band. Above the band logo I put 'exclusive interview'. This is something which I found many magazines did as it attracts their audience as they know that they will not be able to get this anywhere else, and makes the magazine stand out form the crowd. I used red as the surrounding writing and background is black and white, so this would stand out the most. I got the idea of writing a quote on the front page fro many magazines, as this follows the conventions of the magazines of the music genre I am targeting. The quote is very significant as it explains to consumers why there is an artists who does not look like the stereotypical musician on the front page, as people may believe that they would not like the interview because its not about the genre of music they favour so may be put of buying it. By having this quote it clarifies to the reader that they will enjoy the interview as in the other issues.

The background on the front page was from an image I had changed the colour of. I decided to make the background out of two of these images, this is because there would be two focal points on the background. I chose to place the top one so it was surrounding her head, this gives the impression of a halo and draws attention towards to focal pint of the drum sticks. The other I decided to place much lower around the logo of the band. This again is an important part of the magazine. By doing this is also leaves some blank space for the puffs to go, so that they are easy to read.  

I put a copy of this image onto a social networking site called Facebook. I got people of my Target audience to discuss the image and to say what they liked and disliked. The general response was very positive with many comments saying that the thought it was 'new and exciting' and they thought that the magazine 'would sell well'. The feedback was promising and leads me to believe that it suits its target audience.   

Evaluation of Double Page Spread

For all of my products I mainly created them on indesign then finished them off on photoshop.

I used two images on this double page spread as I wanted to create a balance between informative and visual content. This is because my target audience is both males and females, as females prefer lenghty articles with lots of interesting information, while males prefer lots of images and short snappy information. I think that I have reached both genders with this double page spread due to the quotes of information and the fact file containing short bursts of information and the main article with the lenghty informative section.

I placed both the logo for the magazine and for the band in the top right hand corner. This is because this is the first place where the reader will look. I used the statement 'Birmingham's best kept secret' as this implies that they are a not very well known band and by using the word secret it makes the reader feel as if they are being let into something that not many people know about. It also included information about the band, which people may be able to relate to.

The introduction to the interview includes 'answer the questions YOU sent in'. This is to make the magazine more personal and gives the reader the impression that the magazine cares about the views of the reader and like to keep them involved. The 'YOU' stands out and because it is in capital letter and in a contrasting colour.

The interview is made up from two colours, this is so that the reader will be easy able to distinguish the difference between the answer and the reply by the band members. Some people like to only read the answer to the questions and this will make it easier for them to read as they can skip past the questions. The font is plain and simple to read, this looks professional and reliable.

To the images I decided to add a glow to the outside of them, this makes the band members look friendly and inviting. The poses in the images show the band to be fun and easy going. This encourages the reader to feel that the band is easy to approach and people prefer to listen to band with members who are genuine.

I added two quotes form the interview to the other side of the page. I got this idea from my research as it was very popular with magazine because it gives short snippets of the interview which incises people to read the rest of the interview. I chose to put them in green, as this goes against the house colours and makes them stand out the most on the page.

For the background I chose to keep it mainly plain as it would be easier to read the interview and it would draw attention towards to images. I used the same background images as on the content page and front page, this again is to keep continuity. I decided to put it next door to the name of the band, as it makes the band name stand out.

I put this image onto facebook to see what the target audience thought of my product. The feedback was interesting and very helpful. They said that they liked the 'continued colours and fact file near the image looked very realistic'. They also liked the '...use of FX on main photo and cut out well'. They also mentioned about the spelling mistake on on of the quotes, which I noticed after. This is the only negative thing I have heard.

Evaluation of Content Page

I also made my contents page in photoshop then moved it to indesign to finish it off. I followed the conventions of a music magazine contents page when designing and making it. 

I divided the page into three, using the rule of thirds. I put the writing and main content in one third of the page, an image in the top third and the subscription advert in the lower third. By using the rule of thirds it makes the page look balanced and well thought out. I went against the conventions with the placing of my subscription because this is the last place that the reader looks. I got the idea of having the content of the magazine all down the right side of the page from some of the magazine content pages that I analysed as it follows the convention and if often where people look to find the pages. By keeping it similar to other magazines it will be easy to navigate round.

The main content of the magazine is written on a block colour of red, this draws attention towards it and is often seen in similar magazines, which I gained through my research.

I included the logo on the page, I chose the top right hand corner as this is the first place the reader will look

. This emphasises what magazine it is and as the logo is seen more often they become more associated with it and become to trust it more.

Instead of the use 'content page' I decided to use 'All this for YOU! (that can't be right?!). This is because I believe this targets my audience better and makes it more personal as it is like the magazine is talking to you in a relaxed tone. The use of the word 'YOU' in capital reinforces that the magazine is personal. To emphasise this I could have changed the colour of the word to red to make it stand out even more. I used grammar in the sentence to make it still seem reliable and professional.

I used one image on the page, as this makes it stand out the most. I chose to use an image of a band member getting ready, because it shows a behind the scenes view of a popular band. I chose to put a block of colour behind the story at an angle to make it look fun and to make it look similar to the other side of the page with the contents on so they can be associated together. I put the page number at the top, so that it is clear and people will be encouraged to turn to this page. 

I stayed with he same background as the front cover, this is to keep continuity throughout the magazine. I put the focal point of the background image on the bottom left hand side of the page, this is so that people are drawn toward the subscription advertisement.  

I have put this image on a social network site to gain feedback from my target audience, the feedback was positive with many comments such as 'I like this housestyle', 'very nice use of text/font', 'all text readable, few empty spaces, nice one' and ' looks very professional'. This is all positive and tells me that it suits the target audience.

Development of Double Page Spread

This is the mock-up of my double page spread. It will give me guide lines to follow when creating my page. The page will contain both images and text, with extras such as infomation about tour tickets.The page will be in the house colours of the magazine (red, black and white).

I decided to keep the continuity and use the same background as the front page. I moved the image into the corner so that it created a gradient effect as the colour gradually becomes less. I used the logo when using the band name and also the name of the magazine, this is so then people associate the band and magazine with their logos. I used a handwritten font for the word 'presents' as it gives the impression of an interview. 'Birmingham's best kept secret...' was used an introduction to the band, as it tells you a some information about the band. The colours alternate between the house colours of black, white and red. 

I decided to start the interview with an introduction of the band, and their rise to fame. This part of the magazine will make it easy for consumers to relate to the band. 

In the right bottom hand corner there is information about them being a supporting act. This gets publicity for the tour and gives the reader more information about where to get tickets from.

I decided to move the location of the background to the top left hand corner. This is because the writing was difficult so read over the background. I thought a plainer background would distract the reader from the information in the interview and would replace it with images to still keep it looking inviting.

I added two images, one each of the band member. I placed them inside of boxes to create a block of colour, to draw attention toward them. However I thought that they didn't look like much of a band when their images where separate. Therefore I decided to take more images of them together.

I also changed the colour of the word 'NOW' and also put it into capitals. This is so that it is more eye catching and shows importance that they are available now and so the consumer feels like you are giving them information on tickets they would otherwise miss out on.

In the new photographs I took, I decided to make it so that the two members show a strong relationship. I made the image really large and on photo shop I put a 'glow' around the image to make it stand out. The image shows the band members as easy going and very friendly.

I put a fact file of both band members next door to them, this was so consumers would know which band member was which. I got the idea from one of the magazines I had analysed.

I moved the tour information up to the top right hand corner, as this is viewed before the bottom right hand corner, and is more likely to be seen in the new location.

I changed the introduction to the interview to make it more exclusive sounding and more personal to the readers of the magazine. I did this by saying 'answer the questions YOU sent in'.  You is in capitals and red, a contrasting colour.

I started the interview with the questions that were asked by the interviewee in one colour and the reply in another colour, this makes it clear to the reader what they are talking about and who is answering the question.

One of the quotes from the interview I repeated on the other side of the page. This is often done in magazines, as when flicking through a magazine, these are often seen and make the reader want to continue to read the whole article. I chose the quote 'we always get funny looks when we preform', as this continues the message of stereotypes that was discussed on the front page.

I decided to add another image to the double page spread as I am targeting my magazine at both males and females, I did not want there to be an over load of writing to put of potential male readers. It also adds colour to the pages and makes the have a more intresting layout. The image is a very relaxed image again, and shows the band members messing around. This again shows them to be fun and friendly.

I increased the number of quotes used to two. The second quote is advertising their new album, it says that you'll get 'fed up' of it, this encourages people to listen to it, to find out why they would get fed up of it!I chose green for the quotes as they match with the background and stand out against everything else on the page. This colour will not be used very much in the magazine, so when it is used, it will be one of the first things the reader will notice. 

On the logo of 'Torque' I also used photo shop to 'feather' the image. This means that the logo is not so block in shape and is easier for the eye.

Development of Content Page

This is the mock up for my contents page. I will include infomation about what is on each page, by numbering the titles and giving a short explanation about what the page contains.  

This is the first draft of my content page. I decided to use the background as it caused continuity between all the pages. I chose to use the words ' this all for you (that can't be right?!)' instead of the word 'contence page'. This is because as my target audience is young and this use of modern language is popular with this age group.  I have put a red block of colour down the left hand side of the page. This is because this is a colour which I would like to be associated with my magazine. The title of the magazine is in the top left hand corner of the page. I choose to do this so that the name is 'advertised' and people are aware what magazine it is at all time.

I then decided to add an extra story to the content page as it looked bare. I chose this image and catch line as I thought it was something different and the image works well as it is an image that is associated with 'behind the scenes'. I also added black boxes around the titles 'features' and 'weekly'. This is because it makes them stand out. I chose blocks of colour as from my research i found that they looked effective and attract attention.  

I then changed the size of the background image, this is because where the image ended the black line was very visible. The image now fills in blank areas and make the page look full and exciting. I also added a block of red colour around the Yam tour image. I put it on the slant to make it look funky and adventurous.

I then decided to add an advertisement and intensive for the subscription to the magazine. This is something I found in my pre-questionnaire that I thought some magazines currently lack, as only one of the two I analysed contained them. I believe this is important as it is a way to create repeat business.  

Devolpment of Front Page

This is the mock up for my Front Page. I did this so that I would have an idea of where I should place items. The title will be in the style of a logo, this is so that people will establish the magazine name with the logo. I will put one puff on eiother side of the main image, this is so that the page is balanced out. The barcode will follow the conventions of a magazine and will go in the bottom right hand corner of the magazine. This is because this is the last place for the comsumer to look and aas the barcode is not important and a selling point this often goes in this space.

These are juts a few of the many photogrpahs I took for my magazine. I tried lots of diffrent angles and models to try and get the right effect for my magazine. I decided a couple of photogrpahs form the many I have taken to work with and use as my main image on the front cover and also on my content page and double page spread.

This is the original image. I took this photograph in a room with a backdrop. I chose the grey backdrop so it would be easy to cut around and put my model on a unique background. I chose this pose as it shows power and how important her instrument is to her. I wanted my magazine to be an electronic/ indie mix of music, however I didn't want the artists to be stereotypical, therefore I asked my model to wear her normal clothing on the day of the photo shoot. She is wearing casual clothing and looks smart. Her hair on the other hand is very choppy and is in the style of indie.

After using an image manipulation software (photo shop CS5) I  darkened the image and decided to get rid of the jewelry that my model was wearing. This is because I felt that it wasn't portraying the image I was trying to create. I then started to make my magazine, I made a head mast using a font website. I chose the name Jukeboxx because it relates to retro music, which I feel Indietroncia is slightly similar too. I put a 'freebie' on the front cover of the magazine to entice people to buy it. I kept with the conventions when placing my bar code, as they are normally put in the bottom right hand corner. This is because this is where the consumer looks last. However I did not follow conventions when placing the date and price of my magazine, as these are often found next to the bar code, however after analysis some magazine front cover. I liked the idea of a a block of colour underneath the title and decided to fill it with the information. I liked the idea of using a quote on the front page of my magazine, this was on some of the magazines I looked into for my

I changed the background image of my magazine to an image I had taken of a dirty puddle with the sun reflecting in it. I then photoshopped the image giving it an green tint, as this adds to the 'electronic' look of the magazine.   

I changed the colour of the model's dress from blue and white to black and white. Although this is a small change i thought that it worked better for the magazine as these are two of the house colours. I changed too 'Just 'cause we're NOT STEREOTYPICAL doesn't mean we're not AMAZING'. I used capital letters to emphasise the importance of the words 'not sterotypical' and 'amazing'. This is because the target audience would not associate this band member as a musician who plays in the style of music that it aimed at my target audience, therefore I had to show that although the band was not stereotypical they still play the genre of music and that they are good at it. 

I added two puffs to the front page, one on each side to balance the layout. One is telling the consumer about the new tour dates out. This would entice people to buy the magazine because they will be able to find out when their favorite bands are touring, so they will know in advance when to buy the tickets and other important information. The other side is about another interview that is included in the magazine. I used a quote on this interview too, as it will give the consumer an idea about what the interview is about and want to read more about them!

Above the logo of 'Torque', I added 'Exclusive interview'. This makes the magazine stand out from the other magazines available as they would be the only magazine that the interview was in. This is a major selling point.

I decided to change the freebie from a badge to an autographed t-shirt. I did this because this has higher worth and is something that is not widely available on the market and therefore in order to get this rare item they would have to buy the magazine.      

This is my final design. I decided to change the position of the catch line of the magazine, as now it is easier to read and includes the words 'best-selling', which will encourage people to read and buy the magazine.  

My Target Audience

The genre of magazine I have chosen to design is 'Indielectronica' . This genre is a relatively new genre, which began to develop in the late 1990's in Germany. It is a mix between  indie, electronica, rock and pop music. This is a niche market which is rarely targeted thi is because as the genre originates from Germany this is where many of their fans and top bands are from. However as internet websites such as youtube and myspace allow people worldwide to interact and share musical ideas, as this continues this genre of music is becoming well-known world wide including the UK. and the USA.   
I chose to target a niche markets because the customers are very loyal compared to mass market magazines.
I have decided to target both males and females this is because this genre of music is popular with both genders and as this is a new genre of magazine, both males and females will be wanting to read this. I have accommodated both males and females in the magazine, by including lots of images with short wording for the males and also interesting long stories for the females.
The age group I have decided to target my magazine at is 16-19. This is because this is the age where people often show personality in the genre of  music they listen to. Also the consumers can afford to buy magazines from part-time jobs.

Results from Questionaire

In the questionnaire I asked 12 people, 7 of these were males and 5 of these were females. This is because the target audience of my magazine is both females and males and in order to reach the whole of my target audience i will need to include things that both genders like.
The age range of the people I questioned was between 16 and 19 year olds. This again was because I felt it was necessary to ask my target audience, and not other age groups as they are would prefer different things to my target audience.

In my questionnaire I asked how often they would purchase a magazine, this is to find out whether to make the magazine monthly, weekly or daily. From this graph it is easy to see that the majority of people asked would like a weekly magazine. This means that there will always be new and exciting news, as if it was daily it may get boring and repetitive. A monthly magazine was also not very popular, this is because by the time the magazine has been brought, the news is old and has been covered by other form of information, such as websites and music news channels.

1/6 of the people asked in my questionnaire was subscribed to a magazine, these include NME and Kerrang. This shows that subscription is not very popular amongst this age group. I will offer it on my magazine, as I believe that due to lack of  advertisement and intensive. This is something I am going to do in my magazine. 

I asked in my questionnaire if people would be interested in an Indietronica magazine. I got a very positive respond to this question with 5/6 of the people saying that they would. The replies included :-

•  It's a new genre of music, which I would like to find out more about.
• I’ve got friends who like that kinda thing, they got into it through youtube, so yer for their benefit.
• Sounds like my genre of music!
• It's target audience would overlap with Kerrang's and may bring their prices down, which would be good.
• There is nothing like it on the market that I'm aware of at the moment
• It sounds really interesting and a genre of music I would enjoy

I asked in my questionnaire if people would like to find out about new and upcoming bands in a magazine or established bands. 7 of the 12 people asked wold prefer to find out about upcoming bands, while 5 would like to hear about established bands. In my magazine I will include both types of bands, as with established bands people know what they're getting and upcoming bands are also important as this is where everyone starts and people may find to like these new bands.  

The price of the magazine is very important as it can seem to be 'too cheap' and therefore not seen as a reliable brand or if its over-priced then people would be put off buying it as well. I asked people in my questionnaire to give an estimation of a price they would feel comfortable paying for an indietronica magazine. The majority of people would pay between £2.00 and £3.99. This is an average price of magazines for music magazines and if I charge mid-price for my magazine then it will be successful.

I have learnt a lot about my target audience from this questionnaire and it has given me good ideas for my magazine.

Pre- Questionaire

1. What age category do you fit into?        16        17        18        19
2. What gender are you?   Male    Female
3. What genre of music do you listen to? Rock, Pop, Classical, Electronic, Indie Other (Please state)
4. How often do you buy music magazines? Never Monthly Weekly Daily 
5. Which is your preferred method of finding out about new bands? Music magazines, Music websites, TV music stations, Radio stations, Supporting acts at concerts.
6. Are you subscribed to any music magazine? No Yes (please state)
7. Does the sound of an electronica music magazine interest you and why? Yes     No
8. In a magazine would you prefer to hear about new and upcoming band or well-known bands? Upcoming bands             Established bands
9. How much would you pay for a music magazine? >£1.99, £2.00-£3.99, <£4.00
10. How often would you like to buy a music magazine? Daily, Weekly, Monthly

Front Cover Analysis (NME)

This is the front cover of an ‘NME’ magazine. NME is a rock/indie magazine. Their target audience is 16-19 year old meals interested in this genre of music. They attract their target audience by use of colour, style of writing, eye capturing photographs, the headlining stories and freebies.

Most magazines have 3 main colours, this is to avoid being too plain and boring with one colour and also so that the colours stand out and the magazine cover is not too busy with more than 3 colours. The three colours that ‘NME’ have chosen are red, white and black. These colours are bold, strong and share a masculine element.

The ‘NME’ logo is in all of the colours, however the red is the most dominant colour, which is the strongest and most attention grabbing out of all the colours. Red is a colour that is associated with anger and danger. The logo has got both colours surrounding it, this means that it still stands out on the same colour background. Below the title in a small font it says what the letters stand for ‘New musical Express’.

The main story is about ‘Mossissey’, an English singer and songwriter. The name is in the largest font to make it stand out, and to show his significance. A quote from the interview is underneath the name; this is to entice the reader to read the rest of the interview. The quote is political minded and to do with immigration and the national identity, this is why he is wearing a suit jacket, to symbolise a businessman. However he is not wearing a shirt and tie, this shows it to be informal, which is to attract their target audience of rock music fans. The black t-shirt under the suit jacket is an outfit that is often wore in film by the ‘bad man’. This is the image that the magazine is trying to convey of Mossissey.  The background is of high-rise buildings, which is associated with London and other main cities where many important decisions to do with politics take place. The buildings are white, whilst the man is in black, while also he is very close to the camera, with a mid-shot photograph, whilst the buildings are in the background. These factors make the man stand out and seem very important and influential. He is looking directly into the camera, denoting power over the reader; it portrays him as strong, powerful and masculine, very much like the colours of the magazine. This also goes with how in the public eye he is seen, this is because he has been quoted as "one of the most influential artists ever”. The camera is at a low angle which means the reader is looking up at the man, this re-enforces his significance. ‘Bigmouth strikes again’ is underlines and in bold, this is to draw attention towards it. It is not in a straight line, but on the slant to show that it is informal. ‘Oh dear. Not again.’ Is also underline and in bold. These statements are very short and snappy. There is a full stop at the end of each line; this shows a break in the sentences, this could show frustration. Morrissey is well known for being politically outspoken and often getting slated for it in the media. All the writing for the main story is in white, this is so you can tell they are all from the same story and also so they stand out against the man’s dark clothing.

There are three ‘puffs’ on the left hand side of the magazine, these show the potential buyer what else is in the magazine. In order to make the magazine attractive these will be the most interesting stories. The images of the ‘puffs’ are in a Polaroid style, this shows that it is a ‘snapshot’ to what is inside.  ‘NME’ have got a story on

Gerard Way

and his new comic book as well as his life outside of My Chemical Romance, the band he has recently left. There is a close up of Gerard and a separate photograph of his comic book. His name is written in the same font as the main story about Morrissey. This shows continuity. The story underneath the one about

Gerard Way

is about the Artic Monkey’s meeting QOTSA. Beneath this quote of informative information is a quote from one of the band members. This attracts the reader to reading the rest of the interview inside, especially as the quote of ‘I like the angle of your jangle’ seems to be very un-usual, the audience would want to see why he would say this and in what context. The third ‘puff’ is about Pete and his new album. NME are showing off how a year before its launch they have managed to listen to his new solo album. Fans of Pete’s will be very excited about this as they can find out about the album before anyone else and this will encourage them to buy it even more. From these ‘puffs’ you can get a very clear idea of the type of target the magazine expects to get. They will be interested in these certain artists which the magazine is advertising. These three performers have a range of audiences, which together make up NME’s. This is because they will attract a wider target audience if show a variety of artists, who are different yet similar at the same time. The fact that all of the artists on the front cover are male shows that males are dominative in this genre of music. This also gives their target audience role models to look up to.  

Front Page Analysis (Q Magazine)

Q is a music magazine whose target audience is the older generation who still buy C.D.s. It targets people who want to know about music and not about 'who is wearing what colour pants'.

The masthead of Q magazine is a large white Q in a red box. This is the largest font size on the page; it is a different font, which shows it as a logo rather than a cover line. This is the largest section

Of block colour and is the first thing in the line of sight. 

The selling line says ‘ A different take on music’, this clarifies that it is a music magazine, but also that it is different from all the others. This is a selling point because people will be interested in how they are different and buy the magazine to see.

The main image is large and takes up the majority of the page. It is of Lily Allen, a popular music artist. The image is a long shot, which shows the whole figure of Lily Allen. She has got her back towards the camera, this is seen as the most sexiest part of a woman, this and is wearing very skimpy clothing. Either side of Lily Allen there is a black jaguar. These are fierce beasts, which relate to what they are portraying Lily Allen as. One of the cats are yawning, showing off their teeth, as Lily has her back to the cat is shows that she is not afraid of them.  Her long hair shows her feminine side, while being surrounded by cats shows that she is a strong independent woman.

It is very noticeable as who the artists is as her name is in the largest font on the page par the logo of the magazine. The font is plain and is different from all the puffs; it is easy to read and looks relaxed yet formative. The words are using the house colours of the magazine, however as her first name is on one side and her surname is on the other side of her, they are in contrasting colours, the black side represents her evil and wicked and then the white shows her angelic side. Underneath the main cover line is says ‘& her wicked wicked ways…’. The use of the repetitive word makes it more powerful especially as they are in a larger font size, in italics, capital letters and red in colour. All of these things make it stand out against the plain background and is one of the main focal points. The use of the ‘…’ shows that its not finished and entices the consumer to read the magazine to find out what else the magazine has to say about her. 

In the top right hand corner there is three bullet points, which are blue, a colour which is not used very much on this page so it stands out against the greys, whites and blacks. The puffs tell the consumer what else is contained in the magazine; they put interesting interviews and exclusives to attract readers. They have used three popular bands, which people will be interested in reading about. The word exclusive is in red, this draws attention, while the band names are in bold.

At the bottom of the page there is a cover line in the form of a banner. This is space saving, yet enables the consumer to see what else is in the magazine. The use of block colour stands out against the background and draws attention towards it.

Double Page Anaylsis (NME)

This is a double page spread form the music magazine NME. This is from the same magazine as the front page which I chose to analyse. You know that this page is from an NME magazine is because next to the title of the band thee is a bold block of black with ‘NME loves’ in it. This is a subtle way to get the magazine name into the article.

The colours on this page are electric blue, white and black. These colours are eye-catching and work well together. The blocks of colour are the most eye catching parts of the magazine; these include the name of the band, a need to know section and a quite from the interview. These work similarly to ‘puffs’ on the front page of a magazine and show the ‘best’ parts of the page, which after reading the consumer is incised to read the rest. This is something which I would like to do on my magazine, as I think that it looks very effective.

The band which is being interviewed is ‘The Teenagers’. This is the largest font on the page and is attention grabbing. The font is very plain and is not like a logo; however it is different from the rest of the font on the page so stands out.  

On the far right hand side of the page there is a section called ‘What everyone is talking about’. This section is a contrasting colour to the other half of the page, which contains the interview of the band. The writing on both sides are contrasting to the backgrounds, this centralises the interview and makes the writing look shorter. This has been done because as the magazine targets both males and females and as male readers prefer short stories with little writing and many photographs, this suits the target audience well. There are many multi-coloured images on this section, all of which are associated with the stories above them and balances the page of colour from the left page which has a large colourful image.

The main image covers the whole of the left hand side of the double page spread. The image is colourful, with 3 males lying on a bed (the band members). They look relaxed and are wearing the same colour clothing as the writing and background of the magazine. Behind the bed are photographs of young adults, mainly females with very little clothing. This shows that the men feel that women like men who are famous and that women are a big part of their lives. The photograph is taken at a high angle and means that you are looking down on the band members; this shows that they are still small in the world of women however the other image of the band on the page is taken at a low angle looking up at the band, while they are playing at a gig. This shows that in the world of music the band is popular and making it large.

The interview section of the double page spread gives the questions from the interviewer and the answers from the band. The writing is small and compact, yet still large enough to read. The font is simple and easy to read. The font is in block with some jagged edges, which keeps it informal, like the audience they are trying to target.

Content Page Analysis (Q Magazine)

There is a black banner across the top of the page, which contains the masthead and the words ‘contents’ this shows the reader what the page contains and what magazine it is from. It also contains the date the issue was released this is all informative.

The main image is band on a hillside. The band look relaxed. On the image there is a block of white, which has the information on it, which tells you who the band is and what page you can find them on. 

Below this there is a ‘Q review’. This is set out in the same way as the banner on the top of the page. This shows a uniformed layout, which readers will associate with Q magazine. The review is something that I have not seen on any other contents page, this is something that readers will also associate with this magazine.

There is two sections to the contents of the magazine, features and every month. These are very explanatory in themselves. They enable the reader to find what they are looking for every easily. They especially make it easy for people who read the magazine monthly with the ‘every month’ section. On the featured section there is a ‘Oasis special’, this is in a fancy font, which draws your attention towards it. The black writing on the white background makes it look very formal and is easy to read. The majority of the font is very similar to the front page, which keeps continuity throughout the magazine, likewise with the use of the house colours (red, black and white).

Content Page Analysis (NME)

This is a contence page from NME, this is clearly visible by the large title. It uses to words ‘this week’ instead of contence page as this is more informal method.

There is a section called ‘Band Index’. This is a section which has all the names of the bands and the pages where they can be found. This is for easy navigation of the magazine and makes it user friendly.

On the right hand-side of the page there is the list of the contence in the magazine. These are split into sections, which again are easy to find specific pages.

The colours of the page are the same as the front page of the magazine which I analysed. This keeps continuality throughout the magazine. The blocks of colour attract attention and these are they key points that are the most important on the page. This includes the subscription section. This is a key point on the page, and attracts repeat business. It is a different colour from the rest of the magazine, and is the second focal point on the page.

There is a main story in the middle of the page; this image is the only one on the page other than the one advertising the subscription. It is large and eye catching, yet is still in similar colours to the rest of the page using red, white and black. The image shows a band playing live, with a story beneath about the band. It is very short and can be ready quickly. This is a taster of what the rest of the magazine contains, and fills out the space nicely.

The layout of the page works with the two thirds rule. This means that all the different section of the magazine can fit into a two by three grid with the main focal lines on the lines of the boxes. This is a good way of using the line of sight to get consumers to see what you want them to in a certain order.    

The font used is very simplistic and not over fancy. It is therefore easy to read and matches their target audience of teenage males and females. The font looks professional and informative and is in a similar style to the logo. This means that when you see this type of text, you immediately associate it with the magazine.