magazine I have decided to use Billboard magazine

as my style model for my front cover. I have also done some research into Billboard magazine. I think that this magazine goes with the genre of the magazine that I am planning on doing.

Billboard is an international newsweekly magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. 

The first issue was in1894 It maintains several internationally

recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums on weekly basis.

The two most notable charts are the Billboard Hot 100, which ranks the top 100 songs regardless of genre and is based on digital sales, radio airplay, and internet streaming data

Billboard 200 is the corresponding chart for album sales.

IPC media IPC media only publish 2

different music magazines. This could be that they might not be a good distribution company to use because they don’t have much experience with music magazines. Also the genres of the magazines that they produce are quite different from each other. One is about contemporary music and the other is about rock and film both old and new.

Music Magazines – NME and Uncut

Conventions of music magazine front covers Simple yet effective

colours One main image Bold fonts and different

sized fonts Puffs Barcode, price, issue

number and date. Eye catching images. Logo/name of magazine

Style Model - Front Cover I have looked at this front cover and I have

seen some things on it that I like, that I could incorporate them into my front cover.

This magazine keeps the same scheme throughout the whole front cover.

The cover model’s head covers up the title of the magazine; this shows me that he is the most important thing on the front cover. I think that people don’t need to see the entire name because they know the magazine by the style of the front cover its self.

This front cover keeps most of the writing to the sides which goes along with was is a conventional cover style this is because that the audience can see the cover model better.

The pink coloured font actually goes with the edges of the cover models blazer and tie. Also the white text goes with his shirt and the background.

In what ways does your media product challenge forms and conventions of real

magazine products?

I think that my magazine challenges forms and conventions of real magazine products because real magazine company's will use top designers for their layouts and real photographers for their photo shoots. I only had my self when it came to planning and producing my magazine.

My magazine does follow some conventions of real music magazines because I have taken inspiration from Billboard magazine and I have had to look at many different magazines to find one that I likes the look of and could use that as my style model. I think I have taken from billboard magazine inspiration on how to lay out my front cover and to try and use the same colours through out rather than a muddle of a lot of colours.

Also I think that real music magazines just stick to the same things and the same genres, but in feel like my music magazine tries to produce something for everyone, I have chart updates for all genres.

My magazine is more targeted at teenaged girls by the colours and the articles that are going to be inside my magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I think that the audience for my magazine will be

teenage girls around 15/18

My magazine is mainly aimed at people who like

pop music but I feel like I have included different

things from all genres of music.

This is because I have include chart updates

from all types of genres, articles on different

artists that don't just stick to pop music. I think

that the music that is in the charts does not have

a specific genre so I feel like that is kind of what

my magazine is like.

I think that my magazine shows a new fresher

face to the music magazine scene. When doing

my photo shoot I tried to go for a minimal

makeup look. Rather than when you see adverts

with models who have had every little blemish

taken

off their face because they have to look a certain

way.

Analysing contents pages

As you can see from the pictures to the right there is a definite connection between the front cover and the contents page

They have kept the blue from the front cover and used it on the contents page. They have only used a bit of blue but you can still see it.

They have blue for some of the text and when they underline something’s. They have also included the colours from the mast head in the contents page in the chard down the right hand side of the page. 

I can see the name of the magazine on the contents page, it maybe smaller than it is on the front cover but it is still easily recognised.

Style Model – Contents Page

I have used this contents page as the style model for mine.

This contents page is not from a music magazine but from a fashion magazine. The magazine is called “Look”.

I have chosen this magazine’s contents page because I like the shapes and the way that each section is separated from other parts of the contents page.

One thing that this magazine has in common with my music magazine is that they use the same distribution company as I am planning on using.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and Why? I am going to use IPC Media to

distribute my music magazine. This is because they already

distribute a few music magazines so they should know what to do.

They are also quite a well known publishing company.

Compared to Future PLC who has quite a few music magazines.

Future PLC may have a few music magazines but they all revolve around guitars and that is something that won’t come in to my magazine very often

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my music magazine will be teenage girls.

But, I think that my magazine is mainly aimed at people who like pop music but I feel like I have included different things from all genres of music.

This is because I have include chart updates from all types of genres, articles on different artists that don't just stick to pop music. I think that the music that is in the charts does not have a specific genre so I feel like that is kind of what my magazine is like.

How did you attract your audience?

A magazine is there to get you to read it, so if a magazine front cover does not catch your attention then it won't sell.

I think that I attracted my audience by the use of different fonts on my front cover.

I think that having different fronts make the font cover look more interesting and exciting.

I have about 6 different fonts on my front cover. All my cover lines are also in different sizes.

This is there to show more important parts of a magazine.

Planning my magazine I needed to pick a name for my magazine now that I knew what

genre of music was going to feature in it. I have decided to call my magazine “shufflin”. I picked this name

because it is a way that you can listen to music on iPod/mp3 players.

My magazine is going to be sold at £1.99, weekly. This is so the reader can get the latest chart updates from my magazine.

I think that I am going to sell this magazine in the UK because I have done a feature on a new artist from the UK. So I think that will be more appealing to teenager girls in the UK rather than around the world.

I have made a paper copy of my front cover so that I could get an idea of how I wanted it to look. I have not stuck to my original plan because things change when they are being made because new ideas came to me while I was making the magazine that I felt I needed to include.

Analysing double page spreads I am going to use this double page spread as my style model for my own double

page spread. I like that they have split the page into two. They have kept the writing and the

photo separate and I think that that makes the page look cleaner and more professional.

The model on this double page spread is using a direct mode of address to the camera. They have used a close up shot of her; this means that people look to

her when they open this page.  The writing is also in a bold, simple font. This looks more professional compared

to if they had a fancy looking font that you could not read.

Photo Shoot/Planning I want my model to be making eye contact

with the camera when I take her photo. This will draw in the reader if they can see her eyes.

I think that I will take the photo against a plain white background because I want the model to be the main focus rather than what's behind her.

I will take quite a lot of photos during the photo shoot. I will also try and take the photos in different locations, with or without the flash. I may also have the model in different outfits to see which one is better.

My model will be wearing minimal to no makeup when I take her photo.

Shots – mid shot/ close upsDirect mode of addressWhite backgroundSimple make up

Contents Photo Shoot For my contents page I decided to have another photo shoot. I did this because I wanted to have a different type of look for my

cover model. So she is looking more casual in this photo, but I think that, that it makes her more relatable to the reader.

I also took inspiration from a photo that I had taken a while ago of a girl writing, so I decided to add that photo onto my contents page.

I didn't want all the photos to be of my cover model. I think that, that would make it boring.

I saw from my style model of my contents page that they included a photo of the editor, so I decided that I would include one to.

Using Photo shop to Manipulate my photo

This is the image is for the front cover of my music

magazine. This was before I made changes to

it.

This is my photo after I had edited it in photo shop

I didn't really want to change that much about my photograph but I wanted to have my model in the

middle of my page so I had another photo of her so I used the “quick

selection tool” to take the arm and the face off it and put it on my

original photo.

First I cut out my model from the background she was against. Then I found that brick background and

layered her on top. Secondly I got another photo of my

model and took the arm and her face off. I did this so she would be

looking into the camera now. Then I just used the smudge tool to tidy up

the edges.

Analysis of my final front cover

I have added in the date and issue number to the top of the page

My masthead is on a brown background that matched my models dress. My magazine is called “shufflin” and it is in font Bauhaus 93, size 125.21 and it is in italics.

I have added in a tag line for the masthead. It says “Your weekly chart update”.

I have added in a puff. This is there to grab attention

I have 5 cover lines on my front cover. Then I have the main cover line which says “Hannah, the new rising star, exclusive interview”.

I have added in a bit of colour to the back of “official top 10 chart update”. It matches the colour of the writing in the puff.

I did this because I thought that my front cover needed some more colour.

My model is making eye contact with the camera. It is also quite a strong image because of she is standing with her hands on her hips.

The barcode is in the bottom corner of the page, I have put the price with it. I put it there so that people can still see it but it does not spoil the rest of the magazine.

Analysis of My Final Contents PageI have kept the name of the

magazine at the top of the page so that people will be reminded.

I have added in 3 photos of feature in my magazine. This makes the contents page look more interesting.

I have another picture of my cover model.

At the bottom I have added in a box. It is there to try and get the reader to subscribe by offering a free gift.

This is the editors letter. I have just explained a bit about the magazine and what will be happening in this weeks issue.

I have a photo of the editor. Above the editors letter. I think that this makes the magazine more personal.

In here I have put all the features and parts of my magazine. I have tried to get lots of information in. This is so the reader is getting lots for their money.

I have some chart information on the contents page. The chart updates are from all types of music genres.

Analysis of My Final Front Cover I have used all lower case for

this part becasue it goes with the way the name of the magazine is.

I have added “Britain's newts star” to the top of the page. This gives the reader an indication into what the article is about.

Here is the main article

I have added in a quote from inside the article. The reader will see this and want to read more.

I have used a different photo for this page. Also I have added other little photos of here to the side of the photo.

Here tells people to go to out website to find out more about the photo shoot and more about ‘Hannah’.

I have added in a QR code. This gives people a free download of ‘Hannah’s ’ new song.

Audience feedbackI have printed out the whole of my magazine and I asked

10 people from my target market what they thought.

Questionnaire for my magazine as a whole.

1. What is your favourite part of my magazine?

2. What don’t you like about my magazine?

3. Is there anything that does not match with the rest of my magazine?

4. What changes would you make on each page?

5. Rate out of 10 

Audience feedbackDavid said: “I think that my favourite part of this magazine is the contents page because it is well structured, informative and it is easy to read. I think that the double

page spread could be spaced out a bit better. I think that everything hangs together and there is nothing that looks out of place. I would just add in a few more images.

Rate: 8/10

Lesley said: “My favourite part of your magazine would be that everything it well spaced out and it is not too crowded. I think that the whole magazine goes together really well because you have kept the same colours. I would just add in more things on the contents page.

Rate: 8.5/10

Julie said: “I think that the magazine as a whole is very good, all the pages look really professional. I like everything. I think that all the pages go together and look like they are from the same magazine.

Rate: 9.5/10

Charlotte said: “I like the colours that you have used in your magazine. I like that you have used lots of photos. I think that you need some more things on the contents page. I think that all the pages match and go together. I would just add a few more bits to your contents page.

Rate: 8.5/10

Faith said: “The magazine is laid out really well and it is easy to understand what is written on a page. I think that your article is really informative and interesting. I do think that you need to add in a few more stories or parts to your magazine. I think from looking at it that all the pages go together and it defiantly looks like something that I would pick up off a shelf in a shop. I would only change the part about adding things to the contents page.

Rate: 9.5/10

Harry said: “I think that all the cover lines and article lines are easy to read especially the ones on the cover which you have changed. I also like the pictures down the middle of the double page spread. That makes the article more interesting to look at. I just think that those pictures could be a smidge bit bigger. I think that all the pages go well together and you are always reminded what magazine you are reading because the name is always there and the colours are the same on each page. I would only change the size of some of the article lines on the contents page.

Rate: 8/10

Millie said: “I like that you have changes the size of the fonts on the cover and I think that the article is very well written and I found it really interesting when I read it, so that is a good point. I think that having a QR code at the bottom of the double page spread is a really good and different idea. It is keeping up with modern technology, which I think is a good thing. I don’t really not like anything of this magazine. I think that because you have used the same colours on each page it helps tie them together. I think that I would just make sure that all the spelling is correct.

Rate: 9/10

Samantha said: “I think that you have a good magazine so far because you have kept the same colour scheme on all the pages. I don’t think that you have checked your spelling so if you did that then it would make it better. That would be the main change that I would do to finish off your magazine.

Rate: 7.5/10

Colin said: “I think that it is good that you listened to the advice we gave about your front cover and you have changed things and I think it has made it look better. The contents page is really well laid out but there is a bit of a gap so I think that, that needs to be changed. I like all the different pictures on the double page article and I think that the article is really interesting. I feel like I have learnt a lot about Hannah and what she is planning on doing. I don’t think that your spelling is perfect at some points in your magazine but that can be easily resolved. Everything goes together because you have kept the same colours which is a good thing. I think you just need to do final checks before you can be officially finished.

Rate: 9.5/10

Fi said: “Like I said last time about your front cover I think that it is good that you have kept the same colours and that the cover lines are not in the same font. I am glad that you have not changed that. I think that it is good that you have made the cover lines bigger. I like the layout of the contents and double page spread. It is easy to follow and to read. I would just change the size of the pictures in some places

Rate: 7/10

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

I have learnt from doing my music magazine is that, there are many different factors that you must take under consideration when planning and making the magazine. 

I had to use photo shop to bring all the elements of my magazine together. At first I found photo shop hard to work and it did get quite annoying when it didn't do the simple task that I wanted it to.

In the end I have found it easier because I know how to use the tools and how to get the desired effect that I was looking for. When working on photo shop, you can't just click on one button and it will do what you want. I found that you have to click a few different buttons to get it to do what you want. 

Then when it came to making my music magazine I decided that I needed to figure out how to use photo shop. So I got help from my family, teachers and I looked on the Internet for tutorials. Another technology that I had to work with was a camera. This was because I had to do a photo shoot for my double page spread.

From my own photo experience, you can't just go in and take some photos and it will be done. I had to plan what I wanted and then I still had to make some changes to them with the use of photo shop again. From my photo shoot I got about 50 photos of my model and then I only used about 7 of them in my magazine, with the exception on one which I decided to take on another date.