Evaluation

In order to gain public feedback to my magazine, I have set up a poll asking my audience their thoughts and opinions on my magazine. The majority of people who have completed the poll have been between the ages of 16 to 24 years, which is the primary age group that my magazine is aimed at, therefore the response to my magazine is taken from what would be my potential audience.

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

I believe that my music magazine follows the conventions of other products within the same medium. I learnt these conventions when I carried out my research, where I looked at a selection of other music magazines from a variety of genres. My front cover contains conventional features such as a masthead, an edited photograph, a bar-code, price, issue number and a headline. The contents page follows the conventions of real media products by containing additional edited photographs and by giving information such as page numbers, article titles and short descriptions of the magazines content. The article on my double page spread follows the conventional layout of an interview, and again contains an edited photograph, a headline and a strap line. This spread is also conventional as the photograph is the main focus point of the article, as it takes up the whole of the right hand side page, in the same way as the articles in the magazines I looked at in my research. The limited palette of colours which I used on my contents page follows the same conventions as "Q" magazine, which uses simplicity in order to attract it's audience. The masthead on my front cover follows the same conventions as "NME" and "Q", as I used white text against a bright red background to make the page as eye catching as possible.

How does your Media product represent
particular social groups?

The social group that has been represented in my magazine is young men and women, between the ages of 16 and 21, who are members of bands or who are solo artists. They have been represented through the original photographs that I have taken. I felt that using people from this age group in my photographs would appeal to my primary target audience of 16-24 year olds. I portrayed the models as being happy and relaxed, as I wanted their positive mood to reflect on my audience. I wanted to represent the models in my photographs as being modern and fashionable, and styled them accordingly. I felt that styling them in this way would appeal to my target audience because they would be attracted by way the models are dressed. I also used props such as guitars so I positioned my models in a way that made them appear as though they were enjoying playing their instruments, because this gives a positive representation of the music industry. I also felt that using photographs where the models were actually playing their instruments would create a feeling of energy and excitement amongst my audience.

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

The kind of publisher who might wish to distribute my product could be one such as “IPC”, who publish “NME” magazine. This is a magazine that could easily be compared to the style of my own magazine "Jam", as they would contain bands from a similar genre and would appeal to a parallel target audience, so their publisher might also be interested in distributing my product. This similarity in style can be supported with evidence from my poll. From the appearence of my magazine, the majority of voters believed that my magazine covered artists from the indie/rock music genre. This is the style which I wanted to create, as "NME" covers artists from this same genre, therefore I believe that my audience will have noticed some similarity in the style and representation of artists in my magazine.

Who would be the audience for your Media
product?

The audience for my music magazine would cover both males and females, primarily aged between 16 and 24 years. This is supported by the results from my blog poll, as the majority of voters who saw my magazine also felt that my magazine was targeted at this particular age group. However I believe that my magazine could also be enjoyed by a more mature age group who are interested in the genre of music that my magazine promotes because of it's professional appearance. Additionally, it would be suitable for younger readers as it would not contain taboo language, and the level of informality in the written articles makes the stories very easy to read and understand.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I used a variety of techniques to make my magazine appeal to my initial target audience of 16-24 year olds. I wanted my magazine to appear sophisticated so I used colours and font styles which made my product look professional. I also used lots of bold, capitalized text where appropriate so that my audience would find it eye-catching. However because my target audience is primarily older teenagers to young adults I kept the language informal and chatty so that the articles didn’t seem too hard going. I also think that my magazine's name "Jam" would appeal to my target audience because it is short, punchy and therefore memorable. In my poll, the majority of voters thought that the title held the connotation of a magazine aimed at geniune music fans and one that specialises in promoting upcoming artists. This was the connotation which I hoped my audience would take away from the title.

Another technique which I used to attract my audience was to give short, vague descriptions of the articles on the contents page so that their interest would be captured but so they would have to buy the magazine to find out more. I also feel that my original images would appeal to my audience as I styled the people in my photographs in a way which a younger audience would find appealing, for example they were photographed wearing modern, fashionable clothing. The photograph on the front page is edited to make it look refined, giving the magazine a professional feel. However I used more natural photos on the contents page so that my magazine didn’t look too heavily polished, as I didn’t think this would appeal to a young audience.

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

I have learnt a number of new skills from constructing my finished product. I have learnt a lot about the conventions of magazines, particularly music magazines and the kinds of techniques that they use to appeal to their target audience. I have also developed my skills of editing photographs, and how to frame them effectively. On top of this I have also discovered lots of features on Microsoft Publisher that I was not aware of before this project, such as how to wrap text around images and how to adjust the margins on the page.

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

From producing a college magazine as part of the preliminary task to going on to produce my music magazine, my production skills and knowledge have greatly improved. I have become more confident and adventurous in taking photographs, and have experimented with a variety of different shots, angles and frames. I have also developed my understanding of magazine conventions and how these are used to appeal to a particular kind of audience.

Finished product with analysis

Front Cover

When producing the front cover of my magazine I made a number of decisions to make my product appeal to my target audience.

I placed the name of my magazine, “Jam” in the top left hand corner, as this is conventionally where it is located in other magazines. I found that on the magazines that I looked at in my research the main photograph was often placed to overlap the magazine name, so I used this technique on my front cover as well. This gives the impression that the magazine is confident that readers will recognise the magazine purely by its style of presenting. I used a bold white font against a red background and capitalized the word so that it has maximum impact and would attract the attention of my audience. The colour red was also used to attract the audience in other magazines I looked at in my research, for example, "NME". Another conventional feature I found in many magazines was the use of a strap line underneath the masthead. My strap line reads “The weekly music magazine”. This informs the audience how frequently the magazine is published. This line is written in a traditional style font to give the cover a ‘polished’ feel. I also chose to write it in a pale gray to create contrast between it and the masthead. This colour also stood out against the green of the background.

The price, issue number and website address of my magazine are conventionally placed in the top right hand corner of my front cover. The audience will expect this information to be placed here so it will be easy for them to find it. Making the navigation around my magazine simple will appeal to my audience and would encourage them to buy it.

The most eye-catching feature of my front cover is the photograph of the girl sat holding a guitar. The acoustic guitar is iconic of the genre of music magazine I have produced; therefore my target audience would instantly be able to identify what types of music my magazine focuses on, which would primarily be the indie/rock genre, which is often associated with acoustic music. I framed the photograph to leave a deliberate space between the neck of the guitar and the girls face, as this is where I planned to put my headline. I edited the image using “Microsoft Picture It” to make it look more professional. I blurred out the guitar slightly so that the main focus is on the girl, as she would be the main feature that would attract my audience. I also slightly increased the contrast of the picture so that her facial features stood out against the white background. In addition to this I added a background of a field to give the image a sense of location. I felt that a background linked with nature would suit the laid-back style of acoustic guitar music. The colours included within the backgrounds are mainly purples, blues and greens, all of which have the connotation of calmness and tranquility, which would reflect upon the mood of my audience.

My headline is another eye-catching feature of my front cover. I situated it in the space between the girls face and the neck of the guitar, which is central on the page. Here the audience will be immediately drawn to it, and if the headline interests them, they will be more likely to purchase my magazine. I also left the information about the article quite vague, so that the audience would have to buy the magazine if they wanted to find out more. I found this technique was used by a number of other magazines I looked at in my research. I used both red and black font in my headline and sub-heading, as I felt the red contrasted against everything else on the page so that the text stood out. I also chose the colour red because it is a connotation of love, which links to the word “heart” in my headline. I capitalised two key words “Music” and “Heart” because I felt that these were the head words that would most capture the interest of my audience and I wanted to make them as bold as possible.

Another conventional feature that my front page had to include was a bar-code, which I placed in the bottom left hand corner. Again I found that this was where the bar-code was universally placed on a number of other magazines that I looked at, therefore it would be easy to locate. This is another way in which my own magazine follows the convetions of other products within the same medium.


Contents Page

I repeated the name of my magazine in the top left hand corner of my contents page, using the same style of font as on my front cover. I found that the magazines I looked at in my research used this technique to re-enforce the magazines identity to the audience. I wrote the heading “Contents” underneath the masthead in a traditional black font, the same as I used for the strap line on the front cover. I thought that using the same fonts would allow my magazine establish an individual identity and would make its appearance more memorable to my audience. I also capitalised the word “Contents” to make it eye-catching, and because it is one of the most important pieces of text on the page.

One aspect that I have changed on my contents page from when I produced my initial draft is that instead of taking a picture of the already existing band "Snow Patrol" from the Internet to use in the top right hand corner, I decided to use a fifth original image.

I used three of my original images on my contents page which I felt would appeal to my target audience. The first is an image of a girl holding a radio on her shoulder. The radio is iconic of the music industry, and therefore fits the genre of my magazine. She is styled in modern dress, which shows that the magazine is contemporary and is primarily aimed at a young audience. Her happy expression reflects my magazines friendly approach and the aim to entertain it's audience. I also chose to make the photo black and white as I felt this looked really effective and modern. It also created some variety on the page which makes it appear more interesting, as all of the other photographs which I have used have been in colour.

The next is a photo of the same girl featured on the front cover, this time seen to be playing her guitar. Because she is included in the main article, I felt it would be appropriate to have another photograph of her on the contents page. I chose to have her playing the guitar in this image as I wanted the photos on my contents page to look more natural than the one I used on my front cover. The last image I took is of a boy playing a bass guitar. Again the guitar is iconic of the type of magazine I have produced. Once more I wanted this photograph to look natural so I had the boy actually playing the guitar when I took the photo. I edited these photographs using “Microsoft Picture It”, increasing the contrast so that certain aspects of the photo stood out, for example the guitars. I positioned these two photos down the centre of the page as this would immediately draw in the reader and make them want to find out about the articles.

I used two sub-headings on my contents page to categorize the articles, “Reviews” and “Features”. This would make the navigation around the page easier and would allow the audience to quickly locate the type of article that they are interested in. Again I capitalized these sub-headings and used a traditional, classic font to give the page a sophisticated appearance. I also made them bold and underlined them, as well as using an eye-catching red font to draw in the audience.

For each of the articles on the contents page, I made the page number bold so that it would be eye-catching to the audience. I capitalized the first couple of words for each article, and then gave a short description underneath. I also alternated the colours of the article headings between red and blue, which I felt made them stand out more against the plain white background. This would captivate the audience’s interest and encourage them to buy the magazine to read more. I gave slightly more detailed descriptions of the articles accompanying the photograph, as the audience would expect that these items were of a particular significance or importance. I found this a technique used on the other magazines I looked at in my research.


Double page spread















In the production of my magazine so far I have used a limited palette of colours to keep the appearance simple but effective. However on my double page spread I decided to make the page look ‘busier’ and used a range of colours to grab the reader’s attention.

The photograph on my double page spread is one of the most important features, so I decided that the image would take up the whole of the right hand side page, while the text of the article was written on the left page. This layout was used on both of the double page spreads that I analysed in my initial research, therefore the design is conventional and would be familiar to my audience. I also felt that if I used text on both pages it would dominate the spread too much and my audience may be put off wanting to read the article if they thought there was an overload of information.

The photograph is a medium close up of a girl, and she is positioned to give the impression that she is looking up at the headline. She also looks happy and in control, which is how I wanted her to appear because the article is about her having success as a solo artist after leaving a band. I styled her so that she was wearing a black jumper because I wanted this colour to flow from the background of the opposite page into the photograph. I edited the photograph using “Microsoft Picture It”, so that her features, particularly her eyes stood out and would draw in the audience.

I imported a photograph of a brick wall to use as the background behind the photograph so that it looked like the girl was standing outside. I imported this image because when I took the photograph the weather was very wet and windy and I felt that if I took the photo outdoors this may have ruined the way I wanted my model to look. I felt that the brick wall was a simple background and therefore allowed my model to stand out against it, but also gave the image a sense of location rather than just having a plain coloured background. The brick wall is a connotation of a modern urban environment, therefore the photograph would interest a contemporary audience who are exposed to this kind of setting.

On the left hand side page I used a black background with white text for a contrast compared to the white background used on my front cover and contents page. I used the theme of black and white as this links to the headline “Checkmate, you win!” I split the main body of text up into three columns, is this is conventionally how magazine articles were laid out in other examples I looked at. I wrote the article in a clear, legible font which would make the reading as easy as possible for my audience. I also enlarged a key quote from the article and positioned it near the centre of the page. The double page spread which I looked at in "NME" also used this technique to captivate the audiences interest to the article. This is an example of a convetional feature of magazine articles which I included in my own product.

The language that I used in my article was informal and friendly, using colloquial terms such as "thanks for joining us" and "it pays off in the end." Keeping the language informal would appeal to a young audience, and also fulfils my magazines aim to entertain it's readers. If the language was too complicated then it is likely that the audience would not take pleasure from reading the article.

The headline “Checkmate, you win!” ran over both pages of the spread. I wanted the text to stand out so I kept the text on the left page in white and then changed the colour of the font on the right page to black. I felt that this also looked quite effective and professional, which would appeal to my target audience. I chose a font which was bold and easy to read so that the words were prominent against the background.

I also used a strap line to give a short summery of the article, but kept it vague to make the audience want to read on. Using a strap line gives the reader an idea of what the article is about but still leaves them wanting to find out more. Again I wrote this text in white so that is stood out against the black background. I also contained it within a white border to separate it from the main body of text.

Original images for my music magazine

Part of the criteria for our music magazine is that we have to produce at least four original images to use in our product. I wanted the people in my images to be represented in a way that would appeal to my target audience and would reflect the genre of music the magazine is based on. To do this, I styled my models in a particular way. Because I am producing a music magazine, I also used props such as guitars and radios.

Below are some of the photographs I have taken. I will then take the best photos and edit them using "Microsoft Picture It".

Draft layouts for the front page, contents page and double page spread of my music magazine

Before I go on to produce my final product, I have created an initial draft of what I would like my magazine to look like. I have included all the conventional features magazines must have, such as headlines, sub-headings, images, the price and a barcode.


Front Page






















Contents Page






















Double page spread

Possible names for my new music magazine

The next stage of the project was to create a unique name for our contemporary music magazine. The name had to be suitable for the genre of music the magazine would be focused on, and also had to appeal to our target audience. I decided that my magazine would feature music from the indie/alternative genre, and would be aimed at people from both sexes, primarily aged between 16 and 24 years. I used a glossary of words associated with music to collect some ideas and thought of several possible titles, but these three were the ones I found most effective.

Amp - I like this title because it is short and hard-hitting so it would grab the attention of the audience, and it would be memorable. However because an amp is a piece of equipment used when playing music, my product could be mistaken for a technical music magazine rather than an entertainment based magazine. There may also be members of my potential target audience who do not know that the word 'amp' is associated with music so they would not be drawn in by this title.

Jam - This title is short and punchy, therefore I think it would create a good impact and an audience would be likely to remember it. It also relates to the style of magazine I want to create, as the word 'jam' is jargon often used by bands and fans of the indie/alternative music genre. This title would also appeal to my target audience as it is quite a modern word that young adults would recognise as being linked with music. This is my personal favourite title out of the three, as I think it creates the right effect.

Pitch - Once again this title is short, having a snappy effect. The word is music related, so people with an interest in music would recognise this and be drawn to the magazine. However because it is a technical term I feel it sounds too specialist for a contemporary entertainment based music magazine aimed at quite a young audience.


Taking all of my choices into consideration, I have decided that my contemporary music magazine will be called "Jam".

Next, I experimented writing the name of my magazine in different fonts to see which one I felt would be the most effective to use on my magazine front cover. I tried writing the name in many different styles, but these five were the ones I found the most eye-catching and which I thought would most suit my magazines style.

The font that I have decided to use is the second font in the list, because I think that it is the clearest to read and I want the name of my magazine to stand out on the front cover. I thought that some of the other fonts, particularly the fourth and fifth ones listed could be difficult to read from a distance and therefore may not be quite as eye-catching. I also feel that my chosen font looks the most professional, as it is bold and noticeable without being too garish. I believe that the simplicity of the second font would appeal the most to my target audience.

Analysis of "Q" contents page

I have also analysed the contents page from a recent edition of "Q" magazine to gather some more ideas.

Page One
























Page Two























The contents page of "Q" magazine spreads over two A4 pages. Distributing the information in this way makes the magazine look less hectic and more leisurely to read. On both pages 'white space' has been used to break up the information and to give the page a clean, glossy appearance, therefore it is likely to appeal to an 'up-market' audience as it looks very professional.

The header "Q Contents" has been placed at the centre top of both pages where it draws the most attention, making navigation of the magazine simple and stress-free. The colours that have been selected for the title are grey and black, again giving the page a minimalistic, professional, polished appearance.

A number of attractive photographs have been used on both pages to break down the large amounts of text and to make the page look eye-catching. Particularly on the first page, the images help to draw in the readers eye because bright colours are included in the shot, for example the photograph of the orange fire has been positioned in the centre of the first page where it will captivate the readers attention, hopefully influencing them to read on.

Another aspect of the photographs which will interest the target audience are the people who the magazine has chosen to feature in them. On the first page, all of the photographs are of the popular rock group "Kings Of Leon", the same band that features on the front page of this issue. People who buy this magazine are likely to be fans of the band, so by continuing their coverage throughout the contents page, the audience will be able to see the kinds of articles "Q" has covered them in. If fans of the band believe the magazine has a substantial amount of coverage on them, they will be more likely to purchase the magazine. The second page of contents holds a large photograph of indie/alternative band "The Killers". This image dominates the page, and stands out against the plain white background. Fans of the music genre the magazine covers are almost certain to instantly recognise the lead singer, and because the band is so popular and well-liked, this photo is likely to appeal to a large audience.

The font used on the contents page is simple and easy to read, so the navigation of the magazine is kept easy and stress-free. Most of the text is black, giving it maximum impact against the white background. Some text has been highlighted in a paler grey/blue colour, to make the page appear a bit more colourful and interesting. Text printed in this colour however has also been made larger in size so that it remains easy to read, due to it being slightly paler.

The two sub-headings "On the cover" and "Q review" have been capitalized and written in a bold, black font so that they are noticeable to the reader. The titles of the different articles have also been capitalized and made larger for the same reason. Again this allows the reader to identify the articles and sections that interest them most with ease.

In the bottom right corner of both pages there are two examples of double-page spreads featured inside the magazine. This provides the audience with a visual idea of what the magazine will contain, and if they are fond of it's interior appearance, they will want to buy it. I personally find this aspect of the contents page particularly appealing as it helps to break up large amounts of text whilst giving it a sophisticated, specialized feel.

Analysis of "Q" double-page spread

I have also analysed a double-page spread from "Q" magazine to gather more ideas for the content of my own magazine.























Much like the double page spread that I analysed from the "NME", this double page spread has been set out with text on the left hand page and a large digital photograph taking up all of the right hand side page. This suggests that the photograph is a main feature of this article.

Dark colours have been used on both pages, leaving no 'white space' unlike on the contents page. The dark colours are appropriate to how the band are being presented in the photograph. The headline reads "Step into Rock'n'rolls own fight club", and the band have been made to look battered and bruised with the use of make up. The dark colour scheme suits how the image will impact the audience. Bright, cheerful colours would be unsuitable.

The font used on the left hand side page is coloured in white and yellow so that it stands out against the dark background. The headline and sub-heading are yellow so that they are distinguishable against the main body of text. The font is clear and easy to read, which will appeal to the audience.

The name of the band featured in the article has been placed in the top left hand corner of the left hand side page in grey writing. This colour of font does not stand out against the black background, and although it is clear enough to read, it is not particularly eye-catching. This suggests that the magazine would expect it's readers to recognise the band from the photograph alone, conveying the message that "Q" believe they are targeting an audience who have a genuine and passionate interest in the genre of music it covers.

The way that "Kings Of Leon" have been represented in the photograph reflects the style of music that they produce. The band covers the genre of rock, and therefore have been made to look tough and strong. This is shown through their dominating, masculine stances, their worn clothing and by the fake cuts and bruises on their faces and bodies. This also connotes power, as the band are currently relishing great success in the official music charts.

I personally think that the way the page has been laid out looks very professional, a lot of information is being given without the page looking too over-crowded. The photograph is very effective, the fact that it takes up a whole page compliments the written article as it is apparent that a lot has time has been spent producing it. In some magazines it can look cheap if photographs are made too large and dominate the text, however the picture on this double-spread maintains the magazines classy, sophisticated image.

Analysis of "NME" contents page

The accompanying task to the one mentioned in the previous post is to construct a contents page for my own music magazine. I have analysed a contents page from an issue of "NME" to see what features my own magazine of a similar genre could include.


The main colours used on this contents page are black, white and red. The background has been left white so that the page does not look too busy, as there is a lot of information displayed on it. Most of the text is black, or in the case of headings and sub-headings, white against a black text box. The latter technique makes the headings stand out against the plain white background, as the black text box separates it from the other text. The magazines title "NME" has been coloured red in the top left hand corner of the page, making it very eye-catching. The page numbers have also been coloured red so that they are easy to see, making navigation through the magazine simple.

The fonts that have been used are all very clear, bold and easy to read to draw in the audience. The main heading "NME This Week" has been capitalised, as have the sub-headings along the right hand side of the page. This makes them very noticeable which is important as they are some of the most important features on the page. The headline underneath the photograph is written in plain, bold black writing, and has been enlarged to make it conspicuous. The small section below this heading has been taken from an article inside the magazine. Captivating the readers interest to the story featured in the contents page will encourage them to buy the magazine to find out more. The first letter of this text has been drop-capped, making the presentation appear stylish and refined.

The photograph has been placed in the centre of the page and has been made large enough to dominate the surrounding text, so the readers attention is immediately drawn to the accompanying article. This is an important technique as many fans of this music genre would be interested in the featured article. The man in the photo is represented as being calm and peaceful, which reflects the content of the article it accompanies. The black and white colour scheme makes it look polished and classy, which would appeal to genuine fans of the music genre he was associated with.

In the bottom left hand side of the page is a box containing information of how to subscribe to "NME" magazine. This advert is very eye-catching as it's colour scheme does not match that of the rest of the page. The background of the advert is black so that it can be easily seen against the white page, and sections of the writing have been highlighted in bright yellow, which is very apparent against the other black text. Two front covers of previous issues have been used within the article, and because they have been printed in colour, they stand out against the pages main colour scheme of black and white. Making this advert as eye-catching as possible is important as this is where most readers will get the information of how to subscribe to the magazine. The more people that subscribe, the more money the magazine will make.

Analysis of "NME" double-page spread

As part of this main task I am required to produce a double-page spread that could be part of my own contemporary music magazine. To gain inspiration for the content of these pages, I have analysed a spread from the "NME" magazine, as my own magazine will be presented in a comparable stlye and will be aimed at a similar target audience.























This spread has been set out with the main body of text on the left hand side page and a large photograph on the right hand page. The photograph dominates the article, and is the first thing the reader is drawn to.

The colour scheme is very attractive, with the background reflecting the look of a sunset. This gives the article a calming appearance, which will influence the mood of the audience when they read it.

The font main font colour that has been used is black because it is easy to read against the brightly coloured background. However the band's name "The Killers" written in the strap line is coloured yellow. Because it is against a pink section of the sunset background, this makes it stand out against the other text, reflecting it's importance as it informs the audience who the featured band are, although "NME" would most likely assume their fans could tell this from the photograph and headline.

The headline accompanying the article has been situated in the top left hand corner of the spread where it can be easily seen. It has been written in large, bold, black letters in a very clear font. These features make it very striking, which will draw the reader into the article. The title "Only Human" can instantly be linked to the band as their new single is called "Human". A quote from the lead singer of the band has also been enlarged and made bold on the left page. The audience will read this quote and if the content interests them, they will continue to read it.

The magazine have chosen to feature "The Killers" lead singer in the main photograph as he is the member of the band the audience are most likely to recognise, and is therefore most likely to capture their attention. He has been represented as calm, looking as though he is philosophising. A philosophical feel is also created by the model of the child's head that he is holding, which can also be linked to the name of their new single "Human". This fits in with the image of the band, as their music is known for containing unusual but very meaningful lyrics. The image has clearly been edited, giving it a clean, professional feel. Many of the photographs contained in "NME" show artists it natural environments, and do not usually look too polished. This makes the image used in this double spread particularly eye-catching against others in the issue. This suggests that this is one of the key articles inside the magazine, as it would appear that more time has been spent over its appearance.

I personally find this double page spread very effective. One of my favourite aspects is the brightly coloured background as this really caught my attention when I was looking through the magazine myself. I also think the photograph has been very well put together which is something I find of great importance, as I like to know that time has been spent by the institution to make the magazine look appealing to the audience.

Foundation Portfolio - Main Task

Produce the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine, using a minimum of four original images.


For the main task of my foundation portfolio, I must create a front page, contents page and a double page spread of a new, contemporary music magazine. To develop my ideas, I have applied the 'LIIAR' model to the genre of magazine I am going to produce. I decided to use the music magazines "NME" and "Q" as models to gain inspiration for my own magazine. Therefore, I have also researched how the following five features apply to these magazines.


"NME"

Language - The way that my magazine is presented will greatly influence how it will appeal to my target audience. Part of the criteria for this task is that I must produce at least four original images, which will feature modern "bands" that I will construct and design using models. "NME" use photographs of bands which will appeal to the target audience. If people like the way that the bands have been represented on the cover, they will be likely to buy the magazine. The writing this particular edition of "NME" magazine has used is bold and eye-catching, for example the above cover features the band name "The Killers" in large lettering so that it has the maximum visual impact. This front cover looks quite busy as it features three photographs and quite a lot of text, however this gives the audience an insight into what is going to be inside the magazine and will persuade new fans to buy it.

Institution - The publisher of the "NME" magazine is "IPC", the UK's leading magazine publisher. According to their website, 'Almost two in every three UK women and over 45% of UK men read an IPC magazine.'

Ideology - "NME is a British weekly music magazine. Featuring agenda-setting news, the UK's most comprehensive gig guide, definitive reviews of the week's hottest gigs, tracks and albums, and fiery comment from the nation's most opinionated writers, it's the essential guide to the week in music." The ideology behind the "NME" music magazine is to inform the target audience of current issues and events in the world of contemporary indie/rock music, to promote this genre of music, and to entertain readers whilst doing so. The magazine also focuses on promoting new bands as well as ones that are more established. My own music magazine will have a very similar ideology. Because my magazine will feature the same genre of music, the ways of promoting and informing the audience will comparable to that of "NME".

Audience - Much like "NME", my magazine will be designed for people aged from older teenagers to young adults, although it could be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys the specified genre of music, although this is the age group that are most likely to purchase it on a regular basis. According to the IPC media pack for "NME", 70% of the people who buy the magazine are male, and the average reader age is 24 years old. The magazine also succeeds in attracting people of higher economic stature, as 65% of buyers and within the ABC1 model. Furthermore, 65% of people who view the magazines website, "nme.com" are male, and 50% are aged between 16 and 24. These statistics reflect the people who would be most likely to buy my magazine of the same genre.

Representation - The way that social groups are represented in a media product has a huge influence on the types of people who will buy the product. The main way to represent different groups of people in magazines is through digital photographs. In "NME" magazines the photographs are of well known bands and artists of the indie/rock music genre. Most of the photographs are made to look very natural, and often feature the artists playing in concert. However the main photograph on the front cover usually looks much more polished, for example the photograph on the above issue has clearly been carefully planned and edited.




"Q"

Language - The dominant feature of "Q" magazines front cover are the impressive photographs, for which the magazine is known. The limited palette of colours used on the front page opposite makes the magazine look professional, therefore the magazine is more likely to attract people of a higher economic model. We can also tell that the magazine is confident that it's audience will recognize it from it's style alone, as the logo is being partially covered by the band in the photograph. The writing is kept minimalistic, as the main impact is made through the photograph. However the text that has been used is very simple and bold, the main headline "Kings Of Leon" breakthrough has been placed in the centre of the cover where it will attract the most attention. All of these features make the magazine look like specialist product, which will have a great impact on the type of people who will buy it.

Institution - The company responsible for publishing this magazine is "Bauer." It is Europe's largest privately owned publishing group, and is responsible for publishing over 230 magazines covering a wide spectrum of genres.

"Since launch in 1986, Q has been the UK’s best selling music monthly magazine. With its unrivaled access it has delivered the world’s biggest music stars every month. 2008 sees Q herald a bold new creative vision widening its parameters to include the world outside music. Seeing life through the lens of music, it draws references from the world of sport, comedy, film and even politics."
www.bauermedia.co.uk/Brands/Q/

Ideology - The ideology behind this magazine, much like the "NME", is to inform the target audience of current happenings in the genres of music it covers, to promote the bands and artists within these genres and entertain its readers. The magazine has an extensive review section covering new releases, live concerts, film, radio and television. This suggests that one of the main aims of the magazine is to persuade it's audience to consume these different products. This magazine also features more well-known bands that are already well established, rather than promoting new ones.

Audience - "Q" magazine features bands of a similar genre to "NME", however they also feature more 'classic' bands and artists such as "Oasis" and "Coldplay", therefore this magazine is also likely to attract an older audience.

"Open minded experience seekers, the Q audience don’t define themselves by the music they listen to. Music is an important passion, but their love of music will never be to the detriment of their other passions, such as film, sport and comedy."
www.bauermedia.co.uk/Brands/Q/

Representation - Physically, "Q" has a more 'polished' appearance that "NME". Although it does contain natural photographs of artists performing at gigs, a higher proportion of the photographs have been taken withing studios and professionally edited. A large part of "Q" magazine's identity is it's unique cover photographs. For example on the above front cover, the featured band are seen jumping through a field of broken glass. The picture creates excitement whilst giving the magazine a specialized feel.

Evaluation of "In The Know" magazine

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

My magazine follows the conventions of a real, professional product of the same medium. The front cover includes conventional aspects such as an edited photograph, a headline, a masthead, a sub-heading, a bar code and the price.

How does your Media product represent
particular social groups?

The social group that has been represented in my media product is young students. They have been represented through still photographs, all of which I took and edited myself. I wanted to portray the people in my photograph as relaxed, happy and enjoying their time at Wyke, as the primary aim of my magazine is to promote the college. I feel that I achieved this as the students are smiling and appear cheerful and comfortable.

My photographs show students both socializing and studying within the college. I decided to use a mixture of locations and situations because I wanted to show the audience that Wyke is an environment for both work and one in which you can meet up with and make new friends.

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

The institution that would distribute my product would be Wyke College, as the magazine is designed to inform students, parents and staff about things going on around the college.

Who would be the audience for your Media
product?

The audience for my magazine would be quite wide, including current students, their parents, prospective students and staff.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I used a variety of techniques to make my magazine appealing to my wide target audience. I wanted my magazine to look professional so I used a limited pallet of colours that complimented each other to keep the design simple, not over-complicated. I found that this made the magazine seem more mature and would therefore also be suitable for parents and staff. I used bold lettering to make the masthead and headline stand out, so that my audience would find it eye-catching. Another technique that I used to draw in the audience was to give short snippets of the articles inside the magazine on the front cover so that they would want to buy the magazine to find out more. I found that this technique was used on a lot of the other magazines I looked at as part of my research.

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

Producing the magazine has taught me a lot about the processes institutions must go through when producing this kind of media product. I used quite a wide variety of software to produce my magazine, and one of the most time consuming processes was editing the photographs, which a lot of thought and consideration went into. I feel this preliminary task has made me more aware of how important a high quality photograph is to the appearance of the front cover.

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

I have found this preliminary exercise very useful as I am now aware of the codes and conventions magazines must follow, therefore I have a foundation of ideas to inspire me when I go on to produce the larger section of this coursework. I have also learnt some new techniques to edit photographs using photoshop which I did not know about before. In addition to this I have broadened my understanding of technical terminology and have learnt some useful pointers to bear in mind when taking photographs, such as framing.

Finished product - front cover and contents page of new Wyke College magazine

Draft of new Wyke College magazine "In The Know"

Front Cover



This is the draft of the front cover I am going to produce for a new magazine designed for Wyke College. The magazine is aimed at 16-19 year old male and female students, but will also be suitable for visitors, staff and parents.

I decided to call my magazine "In The Know", as I felt this was a catchy and memorable title as well as representing the magazines aim to inform students of what is happening in and around the college. The idea behind the magazine is to keep the students and their parents regularly updated on events to do with the college, and keep them "in the know". I want the magazines title to be one of the first features the audience notices, so I am going to place it at the top of the page on a slight slant to prevent the cover from looking too polished, I want to keep it looking like it has been designed by the students rather than appearing over-formal and serious.

The image that I have decided to use on the front cover will be of a group of two to three students socialising around a table, and portrayed as being happy and enjoying their time at the college. This will appeal to my audience as they will be able to relate to the students in the photograph. I will edit the photograph in such a way that the camera focuses on the student sat in the centre of the group, with the others slightly out of focus. I feel that this will look more professional and eye-catching than if I were to focus on all the students equally at one time. Also as specified, the photo will be taken in the form of a medium close up.

The headline to accompany this photograph will be located just above the image where it will be easy to see. The headline will read "The Place To Be", as my main article in the magazine will be based upon how the new entrants of 2008 are finding life at Wyke college, including interviews with the students featured in the main photograph. A smaller sub-heading will be placed underneath the image reading "An increasing number of students are making Wyke their first choice". This will give the reader more information about what the article includes. This will persuade them to buy the magazine as they will want to read on and find out what the students had to say.

Along the right hand side of the front page I am going to place a bar of smaller photographs with short descriptions to show the audience some of the other articles that will be featured in the magazine. The photographs again represent students both working and socialising in the college. Informing the audience of other articles inside the magazine will encourage them to buy it.

The release date and price of the magazine will be positioned at the very top of the magazine in smaller black text. In my research I discovered that conventionally this is where this information is printed, so the readers should be able to locate it quickly and easily.



Contents Page



This is the draft of the contents page for my magazine. I felt that it needed to be clear and simply designed to make navigation around the magazine as easy as possible. The aim of a contents page is to inform the reader what articles will be inside the magazine, whilst keeping their interest to make them want to read on.

I have decided to repeat the name of my magazine "In The Know" in large lettering and in the same font used on the front cover in the top left corner of the contents page. I found that this technique was used in a lot of other magazines I looked at to re-enforce the magazines name and make it 'stick' with the audience.

Instead of using the traditional heading "Contents" I have come up with a unique headline of "What's Inside". I felt that this made the magazine appear more informal and friendly, whereas "Contents" sounded quite hard-going. I will use a bright colour on this text to draw in the reader to the different articles in the magazine.

Rather than displaying all of the contents of the magazine through text, I am going to use a mixture of photographs and writing to show the reader what they can expect to find inside. I thought that too much text would look busy and off-putting to my young audience, whereas a mixture of text and images creates a good balance of a classic and a modern layout. The images will be taken from the other articles in the magazine, and again will be edited to appear more professional and eye-catching.

To prevent the contents page from looking bland and colourless, I plan to create a background of coloured shapes placed behind the text in an array of pale pastel colours. I believe that this will look professional but will make the page look more appealing to the reader.

Textual analysis of "New!" magazine

"New!" is a celebrity based magazine released weekly in the UK. The title "New" is appealing as it suggests that the magazine is up-to-date with stories and gossip, and this will encourage the target audience to buy it. The magazines slogan is written above the title, reading "If it's hot, it's here." This again re-enforces the idea that the magazine is very current, and the use of alliteration makes it sound catchy and memorable.

The ideology behind this magazine is to entertain the audience through gossip and stories about the lives of celebrities. Generally females are more interested in celebrity life as women compare themselves to their favourite stars more than men do. Women are also seen as being more likely to empathise with the celebrities featured. Because of this, the target audience for this genre of magazine is mainly female.

The producers have used a mixture of bright, attractive colours on this front page to grab the readers attention. The main colours that have been selected are yellow, pink and blue, which contrast against eachother to make the magazine stand out.

The part of the cover which grabbed my attention first was the headline "Kerry Piles Weight Back On After Lipo" as it is written in bold black writing against a yellow background so that it stands out. Because the readers of this magazine are interested in the lives of celebrities, this will catch their eye and persuade them to buy the magazine.

A range of photographs of well known celebrities have been used to draw the reader into the different stories. Giving them short snippets or photos from a story will make them want to buy the magazine to find out more. The celebrities are portrayed as being very "natural" and "normal". They are dressed in everyday clothes and the photographs are not posed or appear edited. Representing them in this way rather than when they are at their most glamorous will make it easier for the audience to relate themselves to them. Also people are interested in seeing celebrity figures when they don't look at their best, as they are usually put across as being "picture perfect" by the media. This again will make people want to buy the magazine.

The magazines price is stated in the top left hand corner where it can easily be seen. The text is written in yellow and white against a blue background, so these contrasting colours makes it stand out. The magazine is priced very cheaply at 80p, which will appeal to the working class who this magazine is mainly aimed at. If the audience believe that the magazine is good value for money, they will be more likely to buy it. Underneath the price there is a small piece of text reading "40p less than Now". This again will encourage the audience to buy it, as it is cheaper than some of the other leading celebrity life magazines.

Textual analysis of "Metal Hammer" magazine

The title of this magazine is "Metal Hammer." It is a monthly music magazine, specialising in the genre heavy metal, which we can tell from the its name. It's purpose is to inform and entertain the fans of a wide range of metal bands. It is published by the company "Future Publishing."

When we first look at the magazine, the first aspect which catches the eye is the man posing on the cover, who fans will recognise as a member of the popular metal band "Children Of Bodom". He is represented as being very dominant and confident, and his facial expression signifies anger. This reflects the genre of music that he represents, as heavy metal is seen as being very powerful and strong.

The man is dressed in all black, which represents evil, death and mystery. These are themes that are often reflected in metal music. His hand is covered in blood, which again makes him appear very sinister and frightening. An image of the grim reaper has been imported behind him. It's hand is resting on his shoulder, this relates back to the themes of death and evil which often play a huge part in the genre of heavy metal.

The name of the magazine "Metal Hammer" is written at the top of the page, however most of the text is covered by the man on the front. This shows that the magazine must be successful, as they are confident that their readers will recognise it through the few letters that are on show, and by the way it has been set out. The word "Hammer" is written in red, and has been made to look like it is on fire. This is connected to the fiery background used for behind the model. Fire is destructive and over-powering, which links back to the way the man on the front is represented. The colour red also connotates anger, power, warning and Hell (links to fire). The word "Metal" however has been placed more discretely along one side of the letter "H" of "Hammer". This shows that the main phrase that the producers are interested in their audience seeing is the word "Hammer", as it is fairly obvious from the cover what genre of music the magazine is about, so the word "Metal" becomes less important.

Above the title, a banner displaying the names of some of the bands featured within the magazine has been used to persuade fans of these to buy the product. This also helps to widen the target audience, as some people will have heard of some of these bands but not of others. If these fans buy the magazine, they may discover new artists they like, and will be encouraged to buy later issues.

The name of the main featured band in the magazine "Children of Bodom" has been written directly underneath the man in a contracting pale yellow colour so that it stands out against his dark clothing. It has been written in the same official font that the band uses for their name on posters etc, so fans will automatically and easily recognise it and are likely to want to buy the magazine. Underneath this text, a sub-heading "Welcome to their nightmare!" has been written in red, Gothic style writing. This sub-heading gives the reader an idea of what the article will be about, but reveals enough to keep their audience interested and intrigued. The word "nightmare" again denotates the influences behind their music.

I believe that this magazine is aimed at genuine fans of heavy metal music, and is a collectable piece as it isn't released as often as some other music magazines, and it is quite expensive to buy. The magazines price of £3.99 is written along the right hand side of the page, next to the barcode. The price hasn't been made obvious as some people who have never bought the magazine before will feel that it is too expensive and will not want to purchase it. However fans who buy the magazine regularly will be aware of the price, but will perhaps be more willing to pay it because they are aware it is a specialist and collectable monthly magazine.

Textual analysis of "Glamour" magazine

The Institution behind "Glamour" magazine is the publisher Condé Nast, which was one of the first British publishers on the Internet and has made itself a reputation for being among the very best. It prides itself for its high-quality, beautifully designed and well targeted magazines and websites, earning it lots of press attention, a fantastic relationship with advertisers and many awards. It is also responsible for the publication of magazines such as "Vogue" and "GQ".

The magazines name "Glamour" attracts people who are aspiring to become fashionable and glamorous, like the model on the front of the magazine. This name tells the audience straight away what the magazine is about, so people who are interested in beauty (which is nearly all of the female population) will immediately be drawn to it. The title of the magazine has been placed at the top of the page in large, bold capital letters. This grabs the attention of the audience and makes the magazine stand out. The title is written in a bright, eye-catching shade of pink, which suggests to the audience that this magazine is aimed at females.

As a matter of fact, the two main colours that have been used on the front page of this magazine are pink and purple. These two colours are most commonly associated with women, so the target audience is presumably female.

The sub-heading "The Celebrity style issue" is also written in bold pink. The fact that it is the same colour as the title tells the reader that this is an important feature in this particular issue. The number "768" is also in pink, this appeals to the female audience as they will be interested in the hundreds of "hot looks" the magazine are describing, and they will want to achieve this for themselves.

The price of the magazine has been placed inside a yellow circle in the top right hand corner of the page. The yellow creates a huge contrast against the white and pink background, so it really stands out. The price "£2" is written in large black text inside the circle, which again catches the readers eye. The word "only" has also been used so that the audience feel that they are buying a magazine worth much more than £2. This will encourage them to purchase it.

The model used on the front of the magazine is Victoria Beckham. Using a celebrity on the front cover will appeal to a large audience, as Victoria Beckham is a woman who the target audience will recognise and even aspire to be like. She is represented as being very beautiful and glamorous, and if the reader thinks that by buying the magazine they will become closer to looking like her, then they will be more inclined to purchase it.

At the very top of the page a banner reading "Britain's No1 Women's Magazine" has been used to persuade women to buy it. This is much more subtlety placed compared to the title and headlines, however when the reader sees the bold title "Glamour" it is likely that they will also read this banner as it has been placed directly above it. This again is a tactic used to draw women in to the magazine, if they think that every other woman buys it, they won't want to be left out and will be persuaded to buy it as well.

Textual Analysis Of "Secondary Teachers" magazine

The Institution behind this media text is "Teachers Magazine". This front cover was taken from the magazine "Secondary Teachers", which is aimed at professional teachers. The ideology behind the magazine is to provide them with an informative and balanced view of what is currently happening in schools and education.

The first aspect of this page that captures my attention is the photograph of the two boys. The image is obviously an important feature as it has been placed in the centre, because of its location the reader is immediately drawn to it. The boys' dark uniform allows them to stand out against the pale background. This contrast tells the reader that the two boys are the central focus of the image. The children featured in the image are represented as being eager and enthusiastic students. They are smiling and are enjoying their work, which is how all teachers want their students to feel. Students are stereotypically seen as being lazy and not wanting to make the most of their education. However the children on the front of this magazine seem keen and motivated. This will greatly appeal to the target audience. Teachers will feel that if they read this magazine, their pupils will enjoy learning as well.

The photograph of the boys then draws us down to the bold yellow headline reading "Playing to learn." The colour yellow signifies happiness, so we make the connection that the boys are happy to be learning. The choice of the colour yellow also works well as it stands out against the dark clothing. The next aspect of the front cover that we notice is the smaller sub-heading underneath the main heading. This reads "How football can improve their Maths and English skills." This informs us what the article is about after our interest has been captured by the photograph and bold heading.

The two red football shirts behind the pupils allow us to make an assumption of what the article is about before we read the sub-heading. The colour red is very bold and bright, and signifies power (for example a red carpet), awareness and action. Red suggests that the pupils are about to take serious action on their education.

The name of the magazine is written at the top of the page where it can easily be seen. The word "Secondary" is written in a very large font, whereas the word "teachers" is in a much smaller size. This is because the company produces two different type of magazine, one aimed at "Primary Teachers" and one designed for "Secondary teachers". Having the word "Secondary" in very large font makes it clear who this magazine is aimed at. The title is coloured in a mixture of green and blue. These colours are very calming and relaxing. This makes the magazine seem more of a gentle read rather than being too hard-going. If it came across as being too 'heavy', people might not want to read it.



This is the contents page from the same edition of the "Secondary Teachers" magazine. The heading "what's inside?" is printed in the same colour as the title of the magazine on the front cover. The same colour scheme is also used on the navigation bar running down the left hand side of the page. This follows through the idea that the magazine will be relaxing and calming to read, as the blues and greens are very soothing colours.

Three images have been used on the contents page to break up the text and give some visual interest on this first page. If there was too much text, the audience may not want to carry on reading it. The first photograph represents another student, again portrayed as being happy and enthusiastic. Once again this will make the teachers think that if they read this magazine, their pupils will feel like the student in the photograph.

On the left hand side of the page there is an advertisement written within a bold, bright yellow circle, asking readers to subscribe to the magazine. The colour yellow is very eye-catching and really grabs the readers attention to the advert. The institution behind the magazine will want teachers to subscribe so they have made the text very bold and easy to read so that it catches people's attention. The heading "Subscribe to teachers" is also written in blue to make it more noticeable compared to the other black text.

The different topics covered in the magazine are written clearly under the "what's inside?" heading. The titles of the separate articles are written in a range of different colours so that they are easy to tell apart. This makes the navigation process much less stressful, readers are able to identify the articles that interest them quickly and with ease. A brief description of what the article is about is also written under these sub-headings, to give the audience an idea of what they will be reading about. This again allows them to find the topics that they want to learn more about without difficulty. If the audience can find their way around the magazine easily, they are much more likely to want to read on.