Questionnaire

1. What name would you prefer for a music magazine?

• CXS
• Experience
• Smash
• Illuminate

2. How much would you pay for a music magazine?

• Under £1.00
• £1.00 - £1.99
• £2.00 - £2.99
• £3.00 or more

3. What colour scheme would be best for my magazine?

• Orange and white
• Blue, purple and black
• Red, black and white
• Blue, red white and grey

4. How many pages would be best for my magazine?

• Under 10
• 10 - 15
• 16 - 20
• 21 or more

5. What content would you like to see in the music magazine?

• Posters
• Interviews
• Latest releases
• New artists
• Concert dates
• Other? Please specify

6. Would you be more likely to buy a music magazine if there was more of a mix of men and women featured?

• Yes
• No

7. Should a gift or freebie be included with the magazine?

• Yes
• No

Locations

I like this area of park for one of my locations for my music magazine as it is an open area with not too much going on, so my models would stand out more in the image and the focus will be on them. I also like the area as it is predominantly black and white, but there is a hint of colour with the grass, so it isn't boring but still minimalistic, to co-ordinate with my theme. The area also looks quite indie as there are trees surrounding the area and with a darker lighting makes it look cooler.

I would like to take pictures of my model(s) with the trees and in a woody area as it would be a cool location. There is a lot of colour in this area and it is bright so the quality of the image would be high due to the natural light that will be displayed in my images.

I have taken an image of an alley which i will use for some of my images for inside my magazine as it has an indie rock feel to the location, which i want to portray through my magazine images. I like the area as it looks urban so my models would fit in to the location with their clothes and the genre of my magazine. As the area is quite dark it may be harder to get a clear and distinctive image, however i think the area is coherent with my genre so i want to keep this location.

I think this alley area would be a good place to have pictures of my models as there is corrogated iron shutters to give it an edgy look which i was aiming for and the models would be the focal point of the image. The lighting isn't the best because there are no street lights down there, so i would have to go earlier in the day so the image is to the best quality. There is also a rock/indie feel to the location because of the brick work from the houses which would be coherent wiith the look for my magazine.

Target Audience

A target audience is a specific group of people who are interested in a type of media text for example, people who read 'Kerrang!' magazine are their target audience.

The target audience for my music magazine will be teenagers and young adults as I feel these people will be the most interested in the indie rock type of music which my magazine is based upon. There isn't a specific gender which my magazine will be aimed towards as both men and women would be attracted to a female orientated front cover image as it is different from the conventional rock magazine, which is mainly male artists.

 

 

 

The target audience for my music magazine will wear dark, indie clothing which will be of a similar style to my models of my magazine, so that they can relate to them more. The clothing is coherent with my chosen genre to make the magazine flow more and for it to be more eye-catching to my target audience.

My target audience would shop in places such as Urban Outfitters, Topshop and vintage shops as these places would suit their styles.

They would be interested in guitars and art to express their creative side and themselves.

Chosen genre - Rock

I have chosen to do a rock genre for my music magazine because my model, Tiana, has mainly a black dress sense so this would go well with the rock genre in a magazine.

The main conventions of the rock genre is:

• The images are usually black and white and of an older musician
• The text should be in simple colours e.g. black, white or a single colour which goes with the theme of the magazine
• Each issue changes the main colour scheme to make them different
• Barcode is usually on the bottom right so it is the last thing that the reader sees
• There is usually a prize or free gift to be won, this is placed on the top right hand corner so it is easily spotted by the audience
• The masthead is usually placed behind the main image and centred on the front cover

The target audience for the rock genre is mainly young adults between the ages of 20-30 years old.
The main publishers of rock magazines are: Bauer Media which publish 'Kerrang!', and Sonic Publishing who publish Rock Sound.
The main publishers both use black and white as their main colours on the magazine, with one other colour to break it up and make that edition unique. The contrasting colour is usually red as it is a bold colour and portrays aggression.


The Offspring

 

'The Offspring' are an American punk-rock band who consist of:

• Dexter Holland; lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist
• Kevin Wasserman; lead guitarist
• Greg K; bassist
• Pete Parada; drums

The image has been taken in an industrial area with dark blue corrugated iron in the background. This is coherent with the bands clothing as they are mainly wearing dark blue and black casual clothing. This image doesn't show a clear contrast between the band and the background so it isn't as effective because the image doesn't make a statement. They are wearing dark glasses to look cool and looking directly at the camera to engage the audience.

The main target audience for 'The Offspring' is young adults and teenagers both male and female. They appeal to both men and women as they are mainly focused on their music and how their style is portrayed, rather than their look for a female fan base due to attraction.

Bastille

'Bastille' are an English rock band consisting of:

• Dan Smith; lead vocals, keyboard and percussion
• Chris Wood; drums, beats and backing vocals
• William Farquarson; bass, keyboard, guitar and backing vocals
• Kyle Simmons; keyboard, percussion, bass and backing vocals.

 

The style of Bastille is indie rock as they appear to be wearing mainly black clothing with puffer jackets. The image below isn't the conventional rock image as they are smiling slightly and the image seems to be inviting. The image has been taken against a white background to make them the focus of the image. The band are looking directly at the camera to hsow eye conact and make the audience feel closer an more on a personal level. For my front cover I will take my image against a white background so that the people/person will stand out more and be the centre of attention in the image.

The majority of Bastille's target audience is young people between the ages of 16 to 31, with very few older people being a fan of them. This may be because they have only recently in the last 5 years become popular and people starting to recognise their name and music. The band are also more popular with females than males, which could be because women are more attracted to the appearance of the band and focus on this as well as their music.

 

Pierce the veil

'Pierce the veil' are an American post-hard core band who feature:

• Vic Fuentes; lead vocals, guitar and keyboard
• Mike Fuentes; drums and percussions
• Jaime Preciado; bass guitar and backing vocals
• Tony Perry; guitar

 

This image has also been taken against a white/grey background to make the band stand out more. The band appear to be looking down at the camera which could show that they are powerful and serious about their music. They all appear to be wearing black and white to make the image seem minimalistic and sticking to the conventional colours of rock bands. The band appear to have serious faces as they are a hard-core rock band and want to upkeep their reputation.

Star Image

Star image is how a celebrity is seen through the media or in the eyes of fans and audiences. The celebrity would have a public persona which is obviously recognised, which is used as the star's image. the image would be used in advertising as it is relatable and easily recognisable to audiences.

The stars are made to appeal to the audience so that the record companies receive more revenue. The companies shape the stars into what they believe the audience want.

Miley Cyrus's star image has changed from when she was a singer/actress on Disney Channel to a pop singer now.
Her management have shaped her into being unique and out-there rather than a girly singer like all of the others. They wnated to give her something that people will associate with her and make her more recognisable to a wider audience. As before only Disney Channel fans and tennagers would know who she was.

 

 

Miley Cyrus has changed into a more edgier dress sense to escape from her 'Hannah Montana' roots which she was most famous for.

The vast transformation caught many people's attention and made her what everyone was talking about, so everyone knew who she was. This changed the type of audience she had as it wasn't just the music people were interested in anymore.

 

Nowdays she doesn'e care what she wears and has been spotted on several occasions wearing bras, latex clothing and mesh to stand out from the crowd.

She is now seem promoting/highlighting:

• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Sex
• Explcit performing
• Partying

Her music was changed from pop/rock/country songs to more of a hip hop/RnB style to guve her more fans.

Initial ideas

I have chosen to make the price around £2.35 as my music magazine will be published on glossy paper so the readers will get what they pay for. Music magazines are also around that price so i am basing my price on the typical cost of a normal magazine. Also people wouldn't begrudge paying this price if it is only once a month.

I have chosen to do a monthly magazine, so the content isn't repeated as much, as more happens in a month than individual weeks. There can also be themed months, for example, a Halloween special in October.

I am making my magazine informal as my target audience is aimed towards younger people, this way they will be able to relate to the magazine more, as the majority of it will be written in colloquisms or slang words.

I have chosen these colours as initial ideas for my music magazine as they are bright and eye-catching to the readers. The colours I have chosen to put together also compliment each other and will make the magazine stand out even more.

I think i will choose 'CXS' for the masthead of my music magazine as it is short and catching. It also looks appealing to the readers as i will make the masthead join together.

 

NME magazine annotation

 

 

The colours on the NME magazine are kept minimal with only red, black and white being the colours on the front cover page. The masthead and the most interesting facts or articles are in red, with the rest of the text in black and white.

The text is plain to make it clean and easier for the audience to read from far away or close up. This makes the magazine seem more sophisticated and formal as there is no 'out there' style on the magazine front cover.

The main image is a mid shot of Liam Gallagher who is dresses in black and white to make the front cover flow. He is looking straight at the camera to engage the audience and make the magazine more personal to the individual reader.

The barcode and price are strategically placed in the bottom right hand corner as that is the last place people look on a magazine, so the readers would be more interested in the content of the magazine rather than the price.

 





 

The colour theme of red, black and white is carried through to the contents page to make the magazine flow more as a whole. This carries forward the idea of a more formal music magazine because of the minimalistic design.

The masthead is placed in the top left hand corner so it can easily be spotted by the readers of the magazine. The masthead incorporates the logo of the magazine to familiarise the readers and make sure the magazine pages flow well together.

There is a band list which tells the audience who is featured in the magazine so it is clearly displayed, and easier for the audience to read.

There is only one image on the contents page, whereas normally there is at least three. As there is only one image on the contents page there appears to be more text which can seem overpowering and people are less likely to engage with the magazine if the majority of the page is text.

The subheading are bigger than the information text, to make sure the audience know where to look, say if they wanted to look at the posters, there is a clear subheading displaying all the pages featuring posters on it. This makes it easier for the reader.

 

The double page spread is even more simpler than the front cover and contents page, with the page focussing on black and white colouring. The page is set up with the image on the left page and the text on the right hand page.

The masthead is big and bold to stand out on the page and make it clear who the article is about, with the masthead taking up half of the page.

The images from the front cover page and the double page spread flow together as in the front cover image, Liam Gallagher is holding sunglasses and in the double page spread image he is wearing them. This reinforces a familiar theme and person to the magazine to engage the audience.

Kerrang magazine annotation

 

 

The magazine front cover displays different colours on the page, with green, yellow, orange, white and black, to highlight the halloween theme of the magazine with its associated colours. The magazine appears bright and eye catching to the audience, which will catch their eye, so that more people are likely to buy it.

There are many different types of font to keep the audience engaged and the magazine appears more eye-catching as there is so many interesting things on the page.

Even though the main image is partly covering the masthead, the magazine front cover is still recognisable to the regular readers and any other people that might want to read the magazine. This is because the magazine is so popular and well known to music fans that people automatically know what the magazine is about due to the distinctive and bold masthead.

There are many smaller images of the posters which feature in the magazine to encourage the potential readers to buy it if they see something that interests them.

 

 

 

The colours on the contents page are kept to red, yellow, black and white colours, with the colours which are in the images on the page (pink and orange).

The masthead of the contents page isn't as big as normal mastheads which brings more attention to the content in the magazine.

There is a message to the readers of the magazine from the editor to make it more personal for the audience and let the readers know that the magazine production are greatful and happy that the audience is buying their magazine.

 

 

There is a clear red, blue, black and white theme to the double page spread with associations with blood. This connects with the overall theme of the magazine being a halloween edition, with the text type and blood colouring to make the magazine flow more.
The contrast in the interview text (the red and white writing on black background) makes the double page spread stand out more to the readers as there is a clear distinction between the colours on the page.
The masthead has a horror theme to it which makes the pages flow and easily relate to each other.
There is a pull quote from the interview done with the band, to interest the readers and draw people into reading about them because the pull quote is something interesting and sometimes unexpected from the band they are interviewing.
The page is split up into two parts, with the main image on the left hand page and the interview on the right hand page. As the main image is on the left page, it makes sure when people are flicking through the magazine that the article and image are seen and draw attention to the page.
There is a subtitle clearly placed at the top left hand corner of the magazine double page spread, saying 'News', as it is clearly visable to the readers and follows the halloween theme with cobwebs on the text. This ensures that the audience are aware of what they are reading.

Q Magazine annotation

The magazine front cover has a clear colour scheme of red, black and white. However, because it is a special edition as it is its 20th anniversary the outline is gold to make it seem superior and unique.

The colours on the page work well together as white is placed on a black/dark background to make it eye-catching to the reader.There is only one red piece on the front cover, which is the masthead or name of the magazine. This makes it more effective as people will know straight away which magazine they are looking at.

The main image is of a man who is looking directly at the camera with a sturn face. This image relates to the main article in the magazine as underneath the image is the name of the man. By having the man look straight at the camera it makes the reader feel the magazine is more personal and aimed towards them as it is making a point as to looking at the audience to draw their attention into buying the magazine.

Most of the cover lines appear to be on the left side of the magazine front cover as the main image is on the right hand side. As all of the text is the same size and type this could come across as boring to the reader or just more professional than all of the other music magazines that can be found around. By having the taxt and the writing on separate sides of the magazine page this makes sure the reader is looking at all of the page not just one side which appears to be more eye-catching. 

I think the use of the number '20' is unique and interesting as it clearly says it is its 20th anniversary so has tried to come up with ways to make this a special edition. The '20s' used on the page are considerably bigger than the rest of the text to make them stand out more, whilst still having the same text type which makes sure the front cover flows more. 

The colour scheme of black, red and white is carried through to the contents page which is good as it makes the magazine flow more, and people can relate to it as the same magazine as it is in a certain style. As the main colours on the contents page are black and red, the only blue and yellow sub-headings are catching and unique to the page. This makes sure the reader looks at those articles on the contents page as it draws attention to the audience.

There are three images on the contents page to show the different types of people who feature in the magazine, and how the magazine appeals to everyone. The images are mainly black and white also, to make them go with the contents page colour scheme.

The cover lines are on the left hand side of the contents page and the images on the right hand side. The most important information is on the outside of the page, so when people flick through the magazine they can quickly see where they want to go to read an article that interests them.

The masthead of 'Q' is carried through to the contents page in a smaller version to make sure the audience knows the magazine they are reading and it makes it flow more.



This double page spread shows the main image of the band on the left page and the interview on the right page. The colour of black, red and white is also carried through to the double page spread, however there is a tint of blue in the image which could show a calmer side to the band.

The name of the band is in bold letters to clearly highlight who the article is about and give the audience better knowledge. The lettering is centred on the right hand side of the double page spread whihc makes it even more eye catching as it is positioned on its own.

There is a small image of a front cover from previously on the double page spread to show how they was on the front cover before and refresh people's memories.

There is a pull quote from the 'U2' interview to draw people into reading the article, as they have put the most interesting or unexpected quote in larger writing.