Evaluation of my_music_magazine

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Final design of my front cover

This is the final design of my front cover, i have kept it quite simple whilst still including necessary information such as the name of the magazine, sub headings, a bar code, the price, a banner and a quotation which links to the photograph of Katie. I want the photograph and the name of the magazine to grab the attention of the target audience first, then the quote and the sub headings so that audience will then have a taste of whats inside the magazine. I kept the background of the banner white so that the red writting would stand out on the page and entice the potential buyer. The banner is important because the buyer might buy the magazine on impulse purely because of the chance to win tickets to V Festival and also if they don't then they will at least have a free CD and poster so they won't be dissopointed. All in all i think less is more because most people buy magazines on impulse, plus they might also be in a rush they don't want to have to stop and have to take in lots of information. If one piece of information on the page grabs their attention that interests them then the magazine is sold.

This is my final design for my contents page, i have now included the issue number and date on the magazine as well as the name of the magazine and a photo of the editor. I have adjusted the words at the bottom of the page so that they are now aligned. I like the fact that i have kept this page quite simple because the simpler the page is the better it looks. Although the contents page looks quite simple and looks like there might not be much in the magazine, it leeds the audience to believe that there is another contents page just as in Q magazine. In Q there is one contents page like mine then another one a few pages on, i think this makes the information for the audience easier to digest. I want the buyer of this magazine to be drawn to the list of contents and the large image of Katie. The image of Katie speaks for itself as the buyer will have already seen a quotation from her on the front cover that would have grabbed their attention in the first place and made them want to read on. The contents set against a white background with the page numbers in red makes the words look as though they are coming out of the page. I have used the same font for "contents" and for the list of contents and the editors letter to give the magazine a sense of style and professionalism. I have kept the font of the name of the magazine the same as on the front page to show that the magazine has a recognisable style. This is the key piece to have in any magazine as if the buyer wanted to get this magazine again then they would easily be able to recognise it. Her fingers which are in a rock pose are pointing to the letter from the editor which encourages the reader to look at the letter and states its importance. This is one of the reasons why i decided to have this as my final contents page and not the one of her with red hair looking in to the camera. I felt it was important to keep the page quite simple but still ultimately grab the audiences attention. The writing is also easier to read against the the wall as opposed to the yellowish background.

Final double page spread

This is my completed double page spread: i have adjusted the colour of the writting on parts of the page so that the writting is clear and easy to read. I have added the name of the magazine on the top right hand corner of the page aswell as the date and page number in the bottom left hand corner of the page. The columns are neat and clear and the same font has been used throughout the page for the interview. The heading and the sub heading are in the same font as the title of the magazine, this is to show that the magazine has a clear design throughout. I have written who the article and images are by at the start of the interview as i have seen this in other magazines and know that this makes the magazine look professional. I have edited the photograph by increasing the contrast and light to make the colours in the photograph stand out. Her red hair and stipy top are very eye catching so if someone was flicking through this magazine in a shop they would stop at this page just because of the photo.

On the contents page you can see that the writting at the bottom of the page hasn't been aligned properly and therefore doesn't look very neat. There isn't a picture of the editor which would make it look more professional and a issue number and date haven't been included neither the name of the magazine. "CONTENTS" at the top of the page is too small, there is too much blank space around it and it looks out of place in the centre. The front cover is incomplete: there isn't a bar code or price on the page, the writting at the bottom is hard to read because of the colour its in. There isn't much information on the page to say what the magazine incluideds and therefore the targeted audience would probably not be interested in this magazine because people buy magazines on impulse most of the time and there is nothing on the magazine that draws them in apart from the image. The blank space where the wall is could be used for a list of bands and possibly festivals to draw the readers attention to the magazine.

Contents page - draft

Here is another draft of my contents page, i think the photograph is very striking and makes the audience feel close and intimate with the artist as she is looking straight in to the camera and ultimately at the person reading the magazine. However the yellowish background doesn't fit with my colour theme of red and black, i also feel that the front cover image is very similar to this one because they are both looking straight in to the camera and i wanted to show some contrast by capturing the artist holding different poses.

Draft for my contents page

This is my first draft for my contents page as you can see there are various problems with the layout: the letter from the editor is too small and you can't really see it let alone read it. There are different fonts of writting on the page which make the magazine look untidy. One font would be suitable as professional magazines stick to one font to make the magazine look presentable and clear. There are two photographs of the same person which overlap each other and look altogether out of place. The photograph below this is the same as the front cover and needs to be changed. "CONTENTS" is presented too far to the left and needs to be bought back across to the right slightly to make it in line with the photographs. There needs to be more contents headings so that they meet with the bottom of the photograph.

This is my first draft for my double page spread: the problem with this layout is the headline is too low down and the sub heading cuts across her forehead which isn't very pleasing to the eye. The pages are missing a date, page numbers, the name of the photographer and writter and the email address of the magazine. The quote is hard to read because the writting is too dark in some places, altogether the layout needs some tweaking before it can begin to look professional.

front cover draft

This is my first draft for my front cover: i like the enlarged image as it draws in people's attention. However the banner across the page obscures her face and looks out of place, the strapline is too dark and therefore very hard to read as is the email address across the bottom of the page. The lure is partially obscured by the colour of the writting which is a big problem as this will be one of the main reasons why someone may buy the magazine. If they can't see what they will be reading about the chances are they won't buy the magazine. It is important therefore that i make all the text clear and easy to read throughout my magazine.

photoshoot

Photoshoot

Rock Montage

I have created a montage of rock magazines in order to compare the different types of magazines and see what they have in common. All of them use mainly the colours black and red as these are associated with rock, they all use big bold writting so that the masthead and cover lines stand out and catch the audiences attention. Two of the bands on these front covers appear to be performing just for you, none of them are casual images as all of them are quite aggressive or opposing in some way. Most of the bands in the images are looking directly at the camera which makes them appear to be confident. I need to remember these points when it comes to creating my own magazine in order to make it a sucessful rock magazine.

please fill in my font poll

which font should i use?
	best antiqued font
	best comic font
	best sans serif font
	best serif font
	floral font
	grunge font
	brush script font
pollcode.com free polls

Which font should i use? please answer the poll above

Please vote in my poll

what genre of music do you like?
	rock
	indie
	R and B
	dance
	house
	pop
	other
pollcode.com free polls

ABC Figures

I found these abc figures on the Media Week website, they show that Empire is the most bought magazine and New Musical Express is the least bought magazine. However Kerrang comes second to last which means that its not as popular. From these results i can see that i prehaps need to make my magazine more like Q and less like Kerrang to please my targeted audience.

Kerrang! Double page spread- textual analysis

· There is one large image covering two pages of Hayley Williams, the singer from Paramore. It’s a close up/ medium close up of her singing in to the microphone with closed eyes. Next to this is in some large text in speech marks which says “IT’S OK TO HAVE SCARS AND SHOW THEM…” This is a quote from the article and might persuade people to read on.
· Underneath this is three columns of text in white writing set against the dark background of the photo. There are lots of references to the songs they have released; the use of language is informal as if she’s talking to a friend. The questions she is asked are in bold to make them stand out. This means that the reader can just look at the questions they are interested in and don’t have to read the whole thing.
· There is a sub heading at the top “PARAMORE SHARE THEIR PAIN ON ALBUMN TWO”
· The headline, sub heading and columns of text are all in a sans-serif font which shows that the magazine is modern.
· At the bottom there is another image, this time of the whole band in a long shot and look like they are having fun which makes them look approachable. There is a caption on the image and in the bottom corner of the page is the page number. I need to make sure I include all these things when designing and producing my magazine.

Questionnaire

1.How old are you?

2.Male? Female?

3. Do you read music magazines?

4. If so, how often do you read them?

· Weekly?
· Monthly?
· Sometimes?
· Never?

5.Which magazines do you read?
· Kerrang?
· Q?
· Mixmag?
· Other? (if other please specify)

6. How often would you like to see the new music magazine published?
· Weekly?
· Monthly?
· Other?

7. What would you like to see in the new music magazine?
· News about current bands?
· Upcoming gigs and events?
· Upcoming albums?
· Free posters?
· Free CD?
· Interview with the cover band/singer?
· Other? (please specify)

8.How much should the new music magazine be?

Q magazine contents page textual analysis

· The contents page is set against a white black ground, the word “contents” is written at the top in a bold, sans-serif font which gives the page a feel of sophistication and makes it look smart.
· Above this is some text which advertises the date when the magazine was published and their website address.
· There is a large long shot image of Girls Aloud underneath who are all posing and looking seductive, they are all dressed in black, tight fitted dresses and black heels. This image draws the male audience in because they are drawn to the sex appeal of the magazine which makes them want to read on and look at more images of the girls.
· Underneath the image of girls allowed are two images, one of James Blunt in a long shot standing on what appears to be a rocky beach with the sea and sky as the backdrop. The other of Jeff Buckley in a mid shot who appears to be on stage, he is holding a microphone and looking down at the floor. This appeals to the audience because the image only has a caption of the page number which means the reader will have to read on to find out what the articles about. Also they will want to know where the artist is and what he is doing there.
· Underneath the images is “Q REVIEW THE WORLDS BIGGEST AND BEST MUSIC GUIDE” written in a sans-serif font in red and white. There are page numbers underneath this of where you can find different articles.
· There is one long column down the left hand side of the page which advertise the more important parts of the magazine and the ones the readers are most likely to read. The column is split in to four sections; three boxes which are colour coordinated. The first box is in white, red and black, the second in blue black and white and the final one is the same as the first combination.
· At the bottom of this column is a small long shot image of “The Police” performing on stage with a caption stating which page number the article is on which advertises them but keeps it simple so that if the reader wants to know more about them then they will have to read on.

KERRANG! contents page textual anlysis

· “Contents” has been written in bold at the top of the page so it can clearly be seen.
· There is also some smaller text next to this which dates the issue number and the date.
· There is a letter at the top from the editor with an image of the editor beside it.
· There are three medium sized images at the top of the page with text on each of them to tell the reader what page the articles on and a little bit about what it’s about.
· Underneath this is a sub heading in bold, this is followed by a list of what is included in the magazine and the page numbers.
· There is one fairly large image in the bottom right hand corner of the page with some text “THE TASTE OF SUCCESS” and the page number.
· There is an advertisement for subscribing to kerrang magazine every month at the bottom of the page.
· There is one small image next to this of three kerrang magazines to support the advert.
· The contents page uses white and yellow as its main text colours.
· The background colour is black which suggests that the magazine is aimed at older people and gives it a gothic feel.

Mixmag- Textual Anylsis

· Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine"
· Price is small and hidden in the corner as the magazine is pricey at £4.20.
· Mid shot of David Guetta, with a big, bold banner over him as the main cover line.
· He is seen as a role model for a lot of people as he is well known in the music industry and a successful artist.
· Lots going on in the magazine and although it’s quite expensive this suggests that you are getting a lot for your money.
· The language he uses is quite explicit and the swear word he has used has been stared out so as not to offend anyone.
· He seems to come across as quite confident by the way he is holding himself, his body language and his facial expression.
· In the top left hand corner is a small graphic advertising that you get a free CD when you buy this magazine.
· In the top right hand corner is a small image of a girl smiling and holding her arms up in the air which could suggest that she’s at some sort of gig or a rave. Underneath this is some text which reads “DON’T STAY IN. NYE party guide.
· Underneath this is a bubble with some text that says “SPECIAL END OF YEAR ISSUE” which may persuade people to buy the mag because it suggests that this mag is better than the rest.
· The main colours that have been used are yellow and white which really stand out and contrast with background which is brown and grab the reader’s attention.
· Almost all the writing on the front cover is in bold capital letters and is a mixture of sans serif and serif is which has the effect of making the words jump out of the page.
· The tag line at the top tells the audience what type the magazine is, it’s always used on the front cover.
· The masthead “mixmag” has connotations with a DJ and mixing music on a deck.
· Having begun 1982 in the United Kingdom it covers dance events, and reviews music and club nights.
· It’s published by DMC
· There are cover stories framing David Guetta around the border of the mag which are colour coordinated, easy to read and stand out in a bold font.

Textual Analysis- Q magazine

· Price- this is small and hidden in the corner as the magazine is quite expensive.
· Names of bands- “U2, Oasis and The Stone Roses” have been written in bold in the top right hand corner of the magazine in a bold font to grab the reader’s attention.
· “Exclusive!” has been written in bright red just above The Stone Roses to push this story and make it clear that it’s more important than the rest.
· “Wicked, Wicked” is bigger than the rest of the by-line to make it bold and dangerous looking.
· Its sexual relating to the image of Lily Allan with two panthers by her.
· “Sexy Beast” is written above Lily Allan which refers to the picture of her topless.
· This front cover is aimed at men because she I topless and has references to sexuality.
· The panthers in the picture relate to Lily Allan having a wild side.
· “25” stands out to make it seem like there’s more context on the page than there actually is, this fills up the space and makes the magazine look busy.
· Blue arrows draw attention to cover lines and the main story.
· There is little colour in the image of Lily so that the cover lines stand out.
· White/grey simple backgrounds
· Long shot
· Big, standing out “Q”- this is there brand identity.

Textual Analysis- Kerrang Magazine

· Mast head- KERRANG! This has connotations with guitar sounds and loud music because the words are cracking.
· It’s a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom.
· The magazines name is an onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.
· Price- special offer, this draws people in and makes the magazine more appealing.
· Free posters are included in the magazine which may persuade people to buy it.
· “Slayer- answer your questions”- “your” is in a different colour which suggests that the readers have sent the questions in.
· Strapline- this is individual to the magazine.
· The main story, front cover line stands out in a bold font.
· Harsh, clashing, bold colours and font.
· Image is a medium close up of Axl Rose who appears to be performing to you from the way he has been placed in the frame in a medium close up shot.
· Target audience- young people/teenagers
· Brand identity- masthead/ busy/ lots of colour
· Throw away magazine- it has a papery feel which suggests it is made quite cheaply and the price reflects this.
· Weekly magazine- it has a fast feel to it.

Action Plan- Main Task

Week 1- 14th December
Week 2- 4th January
Week 3- 11th January
Week 4- 18th January
Week 5- 25th January
Week 6- 1st February
Week 7- 8th February
Week 8- 22nd February
Week 9- 1st March
Week 10- 8th March

Weeks 1-4
· Research and planning
· Action plan
· Brief
· Textual analysis
· Internet research
· Colour and font research
· Draft layouts
· Photo shoot

Weeks 5-9
· Construction of magazine
· Drafts

Weeks 9-10
· Evaluation- including 7 questions and drafting

Week 1-
· Action plan
· Type up brief
· Textual analysis


Week 2-
· Finish textual analysis and put on to blog

Week 3-
· Internet research
· Colour and font research

Week 4-
· Draft layouts
· Photo shoot

Week 5-
· Construction of magazine- front cover
Week 6-
· Construction of magazine- contents page

Week 7-
· Construction of magazine- Double page spread

Week 8-
· Tweaking my magazine
· Drafts

Week 10-
· Evaluation

The Treatment

The Magazine: ROCK RADIATION

Target Readership: ROCK RADIATION is aimed at guys and girls between the ages of 16 and 19 who are keen about rock music and go to gigs on a regular basis. Some of them may play musical instruments e.g. the electric guitar, drums or bass and might be in a band themselves. They are keen to follow in the shoes of their favourite rock legend or band and aspire to achieve what they have. As members of the middle classes, they understand that they must work hard to do this but have high expectations and expect to reach their goals in life. They are fairly independent; they go to college but may also have a part time job. They sometimes use the money that they earn to buy tickets for gigs.

Form and style: ROCK RADIATION Is an A4 full colour magazine which contains band and CD review, dates of upcoming gigs and events, an interview with the band on the cover, free poster, free CD and news about new bands. The cover is mainly black with pink and yellow illustrating that this is a punk/rock magazine. The magazine will feature competitions on a monthly basis to give buyers the chance to win a ticket to an upcoming gig. Cover lines show the magazine to be bright and successful, writing about everything from band interviews to news on upcoming bands. The graphics used are bold and catchy and the cover will often have a packed feel which relates to how packed gigs are. Some cover lines will overlap each other to illustrate people pushing their way through a crowd at a gig. The magazine will sell at £3.50, making it affordable and because the magazine is packed with stories, the readers know that they are getting their moneys worth.

Themes and Typical features: ROCK RADIATION will have many regular features typical of a rock magazine. Every issue will include a band interview, free CD and poster, along with upcoming gigs, competitions and rated CDS. The magazine will have a strong reader influence with many band interviews with insights of what it’s really like to make it to the top.




ROCK RADIATION will also try to round up band news, as well as reviewing the latest music videos, CDS and gigs. Articles about new CDS and bands will feature every month and the tone of such articles will be informal as if talking to a mate. The writers will use language familiar to the target audience to make the magazine as useful and interesting as possible.

Potential advertisers: A range of brands will advertise in the magazine each month, particularly those with an interest in music, gigs and live events such as Grind store, Punky Fish Clothing, Sohos, phaze clothing, blue banana, blackrose, redhaze, shrinking violet etc.

Editorial team: have experience in writing magazines and know a lot of about music, they are usually around 25 and have been to a lot of gigs themselves so they know what’s good and what isn’t. They work hard to guarantee an up to date event and gig list as well as interviews with upcoming and successful artists.