Music Magazine Presentation

Music Magazine Analysis

In this section I will be analysing particular music magazines which are already in the market and well known. The genre of these magazines range from rock to hip-pop

Masthead -big Blocky writing 3 main colours this is a convention of a music magazine

Main Image – Long hair stereotypical view of indie band

Main cover line- stands out three colours used red white orange/yellow

Sell Lines – Features other bands

Additional Image – Of other bands shows variety appeals to different audiences

Masthead- Large typography big and bold writing use of three colours which is a convention

Main Image- Black outfit represents rock artist and also the long hair and beard stereotypical view of an rock artist

Additional merchandise –samples of music so this promotes certain artists or an artist

Additional artist- appealing to wider audience

Main cover line- Use of two colours makes it stand out connects to the main image

Additional cover line

barcode

Masthead- Big Block writing stands out, three colours are use red, white and black this is to catch the audiences eye

Free additional merchandise the typography is large and also colourful this is done to catching the audiences attention. The positioning is on top of the masthead so readers look at phrase.

Main sell line stands out different colours are used to catch readers attention and pink background behind font to have emphasis on the message. The typography is blocky writing this is to make it stand out and the font goes with the message

Main image is big and is the background of the magazines front cover. They are typical indie artists stereotypical look e.g. hair and clothing except for one artist which is wearing shades and a hood which is not conventional for a artist of this magazine.

Sell line

Masthead- large typography one colour is used which is a dark red which against the white background make the masthead stand out

Main image- two men in suits this may suggest they are wealthy this fact is reinforced through the cigar which is normally associated with wealthier people.

Main sell line- font is blocky and eye catching, two colours are used this is in relation with the masthead red of cover line and red of masthead. The word “gangster” could be linked in with one of the models in the main image this could be said because of his tattoo on his hand and also his black ethnicity.

Sell lines- two colours used to make it stand out from the background image

Masthead- Is large and stands out, the blend of two colours are used this could be to connote the season or the whole theme of the front cover

Main image- A women in a bikini this is in relation with the background this also tells us about the seasonality. She is positioned in the middle this is to catch the readers eye and also the fact she is in a bikini would catch the eye of the audience

Sell line- This tell us about who the artist on the front page is.The typography is very unique compared to all the others on the page this is done purposely to draw attention to this specific one. Two colours are used which are pink and yellow the pink is the main colour and clashes with everything else to make it stand out.

Additional artists are motioned to give a variety and appeal to a bigger audience

Masthead- large typography and takes up the whole of the upper section of the page this is a convention which I have followed this can be clearly seen as my masthead draws attention from the reader as its large and bright.

Main image- both images are large and take up the whole section of the middle section of the page having this is a typical convention of music magazines as every front cover as one image which is the focal point and this can be clearly seen in both front covers

Additional images- both magazines have a clear variety of additional images and also are positioned in very similar positions this is another convention as magazine always have additional images apart from the main one.

Cover lines- these are found on the top and bottom of each of the magazines presented I adhered the convention of having these extra cover lines on the top and bottom of the front cover.

Title- Bold and bright front and its clear that this is the title of the page, the one on the left is a well established magazine and the one the right is the magazine I have constructed as you can see I have followed the convention of a big bold font which stands out

Main features- as you can see the magazine on the left which is an established magazine and under each main feature there is a image I have done the same in my own magazine while constructing the contents page this is another convention in which I have adhered to

Title – over here this is a contrast between the two doubles spreads the professional magazine has one title which covers both of the page where on the other hand I have two titles with the magazine I constructed this can be said to be unconventional

Images- the magazine in the top has used a wide variety of pictures and this is a typical convention of magazines as they tend not to use the same image twice however in my double page spread I have challenged this convention and have used the same image twice to create an affect of the artist looking at himself

BRM Music magazine

• The following magazine would be the one in which I have constructed including a;

• Front cover• Contents page• Double page spread

BRM front page analysis Masthead- Big bold font catches the eye of the reader attention is directly directed to red of the font,The use of two colours of the masthead is also unconventional this unconventionality is depicted throughout the whole magazine and is a reoccurring trend

Main image- This image is the biggest and attention is straight away focus upon this artist and from the size of the image and amount of space taken tells the reader the focus is being concentrated upon that particular artist

Main cover line- This font is bold and has an electric red stoke around it ,to make it stand out as its related to the main image and is the main focus of my magazine

Cover line – These are additional aspects of the magazine offer certain ‘perks’ such as “free poster” these types of lines draws interest from the reader , and can also be a reason to purchase the magazine.Mostly each image is linked with a cover line to explain the image this is a typical convention of music magazines and I adhered to this while creating the magazine

Additional image- these images are to a give a variety to the front cover and to make the front cover more appealing to look at as one main image is not enough to fill up the whole page. It is also a convention of music magazine to have additional images these are normally related to articles within the magazine

Barcode- This is a typical convention of a music magazine alongside is the price tag which is conventionally found beside the barcode

Issue number- Convention

BRM contents page analysis

Title – Big bold font and stands out with the red stroke this is done as its the title of the page and this is a convention of music magazines as the title mostly is the most appealing feature of the page

Main Article- as a reader we are able to tell this is the main article this is suggested by the larger typography of the heading and the page number. By these techniques being used emphasise is focused upon that certain sector which draws the readers attention.

Images- This particular image is linked to the main article to suggest its importance this is a convention as the main article on the contents is always associated with an image

Additional images – these are here to make the page more eye appealing and according to the target audience this has been done as images are more eye catchy to teenagersThis is also a typical convention of music magazines to have additional images this is to grab interest as images are more appealing to the reader

Editorial- this is also another convention and explains what this particular issue is going to be out

Page numbers with articles with a short description to inform the reader what that particular article is about in summary , this is also another convention found in music magazine

BRM double page spread analysis

Title- Large font with a strong stroke to make the title stand out , The word “king” refers to the artist and also in reinforced by an image of a crown which is above the word “king”.

Focus is put upon this question and is the focal point of the article this is something unconventional and not seen magazinesTo bring attention and to make this aspect of the magazine the focal point the word “killer question” is in a bright electric red font.

Along side with that the question and answer is also in a different colour from all the other questions this is to draw attention and reinforce the focal point of the main article

Main image – This is an image of the artist which the article is based upon his image is unconventional due to the acoustic guitar and subverts stereotypes and instead may suggest alternative rock artist than a stereotypical "rock “one

Short punchy quotes which are said by the artist this is also a convention seen in many magazine when an interview is conducted

Audience Feedback after First DraftThe general consensus when I interviewed certain individuals and asked about my front cover was that it was very dull and not very appealing to look at it predominately due to the fact there was use of one of rust two dominant colours which were not used as effectively as they could of been and made the whole cover look boring and dull.

• Masthead- no contrast in the colour between the masthead and the cover lines and does that stand out and hit you as a title of a music magazine should .

• Main Image- quality of the image is not clear enough and due to this this affect hinders the authenticity of the magazine.

• Image is also not big enough and should take up most of the front cover as stereotypically the main image on music magazines is big and clear and it is visible who is the main feature.

• Additional images- my research also told me that there was not enough additional images included as music magazines normally have a wide range of additional images which are clear and are coherent to the specific magazine.

Audience Feedback after First Draft

The overall feeling about my contents page was that it was very bland and did not have enough colours like music magazine do.

• Main image- Not clear enough and cropping of the photo has not be done properly and is clearly visible to the reader and again hinders the authenticity of the magazine.

• Additional images- there is not enough images used on the contents page, normally there is a wide range of photos which relate to each heading or at least to particular headings on the content pages of music magazines.

• Title- does not draw attention and is not eye catchy instead in blends in with the rest of the page and background when in fact it the background would compliment the font and make it stand out.

Audience Feedback after First Draft

Most of my research suggested that my double page spread was overall very good and ticked many of the boxes of conventions of double page spreads of music magazines however there were a few minor problems with the page.

• Main images- not clear enough and also the context of them is not appropriate according to the magazine

• Title- does not stand out and jump out to you as a title should

BRM’s Reader Profile• The reader of my magazine would be between the ages of 16-24• They would be either a student or being working• Have a reason amount of disposable income , most likely to have more of a

disposable income than the average person • Be up to date with fashion trends however as well as they follow fashion

trends they also tend to be individualists and not to following certain mainstream aspects.

BRM READER PROFILE

This is an email sent by ‘Kane’ telling me he would be able to be in my magazine

Checklist for photo shoot

• Acoustic guitar• Hair cream/gel• White shirt• Blue hooded Jacket • Sony camera • Lights

Photos which did not get used

This picture which I had taken could not be used because it was too formal and did not fit in with the rock artist look so therefore I did not use it.

I did not use this collection of photos as I thought the hat with the combination of the acoustic guitar suggest more of an indie artist than a rock for this very reason I decided not to use these photographs

Construction Of Music magazine

This is the construction of my front cover at several stages of the construction procedure

Construction Of Music magazine

Construction of contents page

Construction of double page spread

Construction Of Music magazine- Cropping main image

Possible titles

• BRM- British rock monthly• Rock heads• Urban Rock• Click! bang!! smack!!!• SMASH!#!#

Questioner analyse

• For my audience research I had made questioners to find out what type of interests my target audience had regarding music and whether they read music magazines.

• I filled my questioner in 100 by having one on one interviews with people from school and on the streets.

• I found out from the 100, only 42 of them read music magazines and within the 42 only 27 of them actually brought music magazines.

• The most read magazine was Vibe which is an RnB/ hip-pop magazine. • 27 of 100 listened to rock • 3 listened to classical music • 38 listened to RnB and hip-pop • 32 listened to rap/grime

• So overall in conclusion the majority of the people who had done the questioner did not read a music magazine. However the majority put down RnB and hip-pop there most listened to music.

• In relation with my magazine just over a quarter listened to rock.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions

of real media products? • Adhering to convention• The front cover of my music magazine has many conventions you would normally find on a front

cover of a real music magazine which you would buy in a shop. • One main convention of my front cover has is that the masthead is the main focuses of the cover

and it takes up the whole of the top of the cover and stands out hugely. As you would find in music magazines their masthead also takes up the whole of the top section of the front cover and I have adhered to this convention.

• Main images are also an important part of the front cover of any music magazine and mostly the convention is to have a clear cut image which takes up a large proportion of the front cover from my magazine you would you would be able to see my image takes up most of the front cover and is clearly visible than any other image.

• The main image on a music magazine is normally linked to the main feature or main article of the magazine therefore that is the reason why it is called the main image however this is also a convention which predominately music magazines have and in the construction of my magazine I have done the same

• Barcodes, issue numbers and price tags are also another convention you would find on most music magazines I again have adhered to this convention as you would easily be able to find my issue number barcode and price tag in the bottom right hand corner .

• From my contents page it is also clear that I have adhered to certain convention such as;

• Editors note- this is a convention which is found on the contents page this convention has also been used with the contents page of my music magazine.

Challenging conventions

• A way in which I have challenged a convention would be the appearance of the artist, my artist is pictured with an acoustic guitar this subverts stereotypes as rock artists are normally associated with electric guitars therefore there in not ordinary instead I am trying to get the message across of an rock artist with is also sophisticated and who appeals to a middle class group and also to a teenage group.

• This sophistication can be clearly seen through the appearance of the artist one way in which I have depicted this would be through the clothing of him, he is seen wearing a white shirt this suggests middle class sophisticated background and this is the very message I am trying to get through. Another way in which I have shown this is through his hairstyle as it clearly very neat and associated with a more affluent background

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

• My music magazine appeals to an middle class and upwards audience and also a rebellious group who want to be different from the crowd.

• The one main reason why this is because of price, the magazine is priced three pounds and only a middle class and upwards would have an disposable income to afford to buy this particular magazine.

• These groups are represented through how the magazine is made and the content of the magazine. Certain type of phrases are used to appeal to this particular group e.g. ‘off the hook’, these particular words would appeal to the more younger audience of the magazine and words like these are used to attract and be user friendly with that certain group.

• The colour scheme can also be said to be appeal to a teenage group as I have used dark colours which would fit in perfectly with those rebellious teenagers and at the same time bright electric colours to appeal to the rest of the teenager and also the younger side of the middle aged audience

• Through the images of the artist you can see he subverts stereotypes and in some pictures he is dressed in a sophisticated manner which suggests he is appealing to a more formal audience hence appealing to the middle class. However at the same time he also appeals to a younger audience as other images are also involved with him wearing a hooded jacket which is stereotypically associated with teenagers.

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

• A publishing company such as Bauer would make my music magazine the reason why this is because Bauer is one of the biggest publishing companies in the world and publish many other magazines. They publish many rock magazines such as ‘Kerrang’ so therefore they would be experienced is making them and also in how to distribute it as they already distribute other rock magazines.

• My magazine would fit into the rock section of the music market it would be along other rock magazines such as Kerrang, NME, Rocksound.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

• My music magazine is aimed at older teenagers to young adults and this is shown through the layout, context and also images of artists.

• The age group would be around 16 to 23 years olds. My magazine uses certain phrases and words ‘off the hook’ which would appeal to a rebellious age group and therefore is appropriate to the my target audience.

• My target audience would predominantly be aimed at an male audience this would be because of the colours, and artists used in the magazine.

• The social class for my magazine would be of middle class and upwards and psycho graphically they would be individualists as my magazine is quiet unusual and is not like other rock magazines out there.

How did you attract/address your audience?• To address my target audience which is of rebellious teens and younger adults I chose the

content of my magazine very carefully. I use colloquial language to appeal to my target audience which makes them feel more comfortable reading the magazine and also they would be able to relate to.

• There is a mix of sophistication for the younger adults and rebelliousness for the older teens however there both over lap as the older teens are becoming younger adults and the young adults still have aspects of rebelliousness in them. Taking this into account I chose a model which would appeal to both sides and this is shown through I pictures I have taken.

• The main image is off my main artist “Kane” wearing a white shirt with an acoustic guitar this picture can be seen to appeal to the younger adults as this picture suggests sophistication and maturity however his pose at the same time can be seen as not as serious which then appeals to the teenage group I tried my best to appeal to both groups without confusing them and also at the same time not confusing the ideology of the magazine.

• My image on the contents page is more likely to appeal to a teenage group as it has my main artist with a hooded jacket with his hood up , hooded jackets are normally associated with teenagers stereotypically therefore by having him in a hooded jacket would more likely appeal to that particular group.

• I also had to take into account the colours of the magazine into consideration I predominately used a wide range of dark to bright electric colours, the reason in which I have done this is because youth are more likely to be drawn to bright colours which stand out and the older audience tend to not to be however to appeal to the older group my magazine is not splattered with bright colours however this is s subtle contrast between the two of dark and bright colours.

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

product?• I have use different types of technologies to construct my music magazine. The most important

technology was the software which I used to make the music magazine. • The software which I used was Photoshop cs2, with this I was able to make my music magazine

without having any limitations. This software allowed me to have full control of the constructions process of the magazine and let me adjust even the most minute detail. Having this software helped me greatly and I found it very easy to get hang off and let me fulfil my potential.

• Another technology which I used is a digital camera this enabled me to take high quality pictures of my model which I used in my music magazine. The quality of this camera has allowed me to have realistic photos which would enhance the quality of the magazine which I have made.

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

the full product?• In my opinion I have learnt a huge amount from my preliminary task to the end product of my

music magazine. One thing I have learnt is how a magazine should be laid out and the conventions of an music magazine, this was very important to learn so I was able to implement this into my own magazine.

• Another major aspect I have learnt is how to use the software Photoshop cs2 to its full capabilities and through the progression I was able to expand my Photoshop skills. I also learnt how to take pictures and the types of pictures which would be suitable for my magazine. I had learnt the different types of shots such as mid-shots and close-ups. This was very important as I had adapted the skills and I had learnt how to implement this into my magazine during the construction procedure.