Music Magazine Evaluation

Media Studies Coursework Evaluation

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The brief for our media coursework was to produce the front cover, contents page and a double page spread for an up and coming music magazine. The magazine had to feature at least four original images provided by us. This was given after our preliminary task of creating a cover page for a college magazine. To begin the planning of the magazine, we had to understand the conventions of magazines, therefore we had to do an analysis of; three front covers, three contents pages and three double page spreads all taken from mainstream music magazines such as NME and Rolling Stones. This allowed us to look at the main features of music magazines and how the conventions fitted together. Using this we could decide on the conventions we could apply to our own magazines. The basic conventions that we could apply to our magazines were things such as; Mast heads (the name of the magazine), magazines logo (this is to signify what magazine the audience is reading), sell line (a headline which would grab the readers attention, therefore selling itself), A main image (the image would have to be eye catching, but also allow the representation of not only the artist but of the magazines presented to the audience), cover lines (topics within the magazine, which would interest the reader into buying the magazine) the more obvious conventions are things such as, date line and price of magazine. These are the main features of a music magazine, on the other hand there were other types of conventions we could use such as; screamers (theses are headlines in which they have emphasis on the topic there are advertising) and flashes (these are items of interest provided in small format within the magazine an example of this is a offer of free music presented in the format of a sticker in the corner of a magazine cover).

Once I had done my analysis of the magazine conventions I could then begin my research and planning of my own magazine. I first had to decide on the genre of music I wanted to base my magazine around, I began by looking at the mainstream music magazines and looking at their own genres on how they represent the ideology back to the audience, who would mainly student ideologies (life style, music type, fashion sense) I wanted my magazine to represent their music along side their lifestyle (Students). I mainly focused on NME, Rolling Stones and Q magazine. Whilst looking at the magazines they all seemed to had a common theme, this was they all seemed to focus on the most popular artists around such as; Lady Gaga to Kings of Leon, but didn’t really focus on a specific genre of music. Furthermore I wanted to focus on a specific genre of music for my magazine. This then led to the decision to look at the genre of music I enjoy. I decided to focus my magazine of Electro Pop music, whilst doing this I looked at the kind of artists that fall in to the genre of Electro Pop. Artist such as; Lady Gaga, Little Boots, and La Roux. One common occurrence the genre’s mainstream artists seemed to be female., I took this into account and decided that my main model for my magazine would be a female artist in a dominate stance representing how most of the artists of this genre are female, therefore giving the connotation of women owing the music scene. Once I knew the type of genre I would use for the magazine, I would then be able to research the target audience my magazine would be aimed. As the genre of music was quite modern and up to date, this meant I could rule out the types of audience based on age, such as the elderly and older range of adults. However this aided me as I was then able to focus on the younger audience, this brought me to the conclusion that my target audience of teenagers and young adults. On the other hand this brought problems with the pricing of my magazine, as the magazine was only focused/based on one specific genre, then it would only appeal to a small minority of the population. Furthermore this would mean that the price would have to be more then the average magazine. On the other hand this would mean that the audience my magazine is aimed at (mainly students of colleges/ universities) may not be able to afford the magazine. However this problem was resolved as I broadened the target audience to a bigger range such as students whom have just got their first jobs, whilst still keeping the audience of students still in education. I also looked at the type of merchandising the genre of music would be involved in this again would help to create an image of the audience type. I then had to look at who would distribute my product (institutions of magazines) I thought that because my magazine focuses on one specific type of music that the magazine would rely on the music to sell it.

To create my magazine, I used the ideas taken from my planning and research such as the role of women in the genre of Electro Pop, this then allowed my to base the magazine around this. My first thought was to look at the representation of the genre of Electro Pop, the type of music is mainly fast paced, loud and high pitched and also mainly dance. This then gave me the idea to use the representation on energy within the development of the product. I also wanted to use the idea of women being the main focus of Electro Pop. With these taken into a account I began to develop a magazine in which women are the main focus through dominance over the music scene , whilst at the same time giving the magazine the representation of energy and excitement. This then led me to create the name Pulse for my magazine, it was created with the use of electrical imagery (due to the genre of music) but also the medical use of the word pulse to create the image of fast paced energy created by the music. I began by taking my photos for the magazine, I initially had my models in a shared frame (such as, a band), However I then decided that my female model would be the dominant model in the photo , therefore I had her hold the power over the male model. This helped to create the representation of female domination for my main image. I then began taking the photos for my product, whilst doing this I decided that my model would wear, a black silk dress, giving the connotation of darkness and mystery within the artists persona. I used shots such as low angle shots to help create the connotation of dominance, however when taking the image of the artist on her own I made sure that she showed attitude within her character. Once all the pictures had been taken I then started to create the product, I did this on Photoshop, however when developing my double page spread I used Publisher. With using Photoshop for my preliminary task I learnt a few simple methods I could apply to this task, however as we had to create more and this task was a lot more serious, therefore I had to learn how to do much more on Photoshop, an example of this would be the use of placing items such as my lightning bolt onto the sections of the magazine, this then meant I had to use the Magic Wand tool to select and delete the items I didn’t need from the image. I also had to learn the technique of creating images in Fireworks, then importing then into my Photoshop documents, this again meant I had edit the white background the images came with using Magic Wand.

When creating the actual products using the conventions, I also had to apply the genre of music to the look of the magazine. Therefore when creating the color scheme for my magazine I decided on using contrasting colors, the main being black, I used the colors of green, red and blue to contrast with he black giving a effect of a black background with these glow in the dark in colors (much like a nightclub effect of darkness and vibrant colored lights), when I did my audience feed back I asked if the color scheme of worked well when representing not only the genre of music but also the type of coloring of a nightclub, which may be attractive to my audience, 75% of my sample agreed saying it worked well as it reminded them of neon colors in a dark room. The other 25% said that the colors could have been brighter (e.g. pastel), therefore giving the magazine a more electro look. When applying the conventions to my magazine, I wanted to make sure that they followed the theme I was creating fro my magazine, therefore I decided to use the concept of bright colors again. My mast head (Pulse) I used a spray paint effect on the text, therefore creating the concept of the ideology of my audience (young adults). I then made sure that the text on my mast head fitted with the concept of electro pop. I made the coloring bright vibrant colors; green, blue, red and yellow. This would also follow the theme of electro/energy. For the logo of my magazine I decided that the logo would be a lightning bolt therefore continuing the theme of electro pop as a metaphor for the reference to energy.. Again when asking my audience about the logo and the masthead 100% (a sample of 20 people who I showed my blog to) of my audience gave me positive feedback that the use of the coloring and style of the logo and masthead works affectively when its representing a electro magazine. The second type of convention I used was my main images within the magazine, I tried to create a sense of power with the female model. I also tried to change then font and color to match the genre of music and appeal to the audience again by using bright colors especially on my cover lines, this would draw the attention on the audience. I also did the same with my main cover line. 50% of my sample said this was effective however it would look better . I also used things like a flash on my double page spread to offer the reader to win a copy of the artist album, this stood out as it was in a bright green color. When asked about the effectiveness of the flash, the audience said that it worked well as it caught the readers attention, but all matched the text within the interview.

To conclude, looking at the feedback from the sample of the audience I asked, the magazine does represent the audience but it also represents the genre of electro pop. Looking at the positives and negatives of creating the product and carrying out the research for the magazine, then I would have to look at the way in which I carried out the research, and how I applied my findings to the magazine. On the other hand the way in which I applied the genre of Electro Pop with the use of color and text on the magazine , it seemed to work well according to the audience. Furthermore if I could do the magazine again, then I would have taken the pictures with different costumes and in different settings therefore there would be variation in the type of context the artist is represented to the audience. Also I would have changed the way in which I organized my research meaning I could then break down the way in which I constructed my magazine, based on the ideology of the audience. Another point to add was the change in skills from my preliminary task to my final product and the use of technological skills learnt. Firstly from the preliminary task I learnt how to correct my images using Photoshop, but also learnt how to take the images properly to allow better representation shown to the audience.

Final Double Page Spread

Final Front Cover

Final Contents Page

Pulse Magazine Logos

Three logos I choose I finally decided on the graffiti to make the logo look more electrical for the magzine.

Selection of Photos For Music Magazine

IT Draft (double page spread)

Basic layout of double page spread.

IT Draft (Contents)

Basic layout of the contents page.

IT Draft (Cover)

The basic layout for the frontcover

Hand Drawn Draft (Double Page Spread)

The double page spread, will feature and article on the artist (NEON), the artists name will be at the top of the page in the centre to help draw attention. The back ground will be white to help make it more eye-catching to the audience.

At the far left of the page, there will be the magazines logo (Heart Monitor effect) but also the words 'Xclusive Interview', this will bring more attention to the magazines article.

At the far right of the page will be a angled image of the artist to add extra effect and make the article more personal as there is more information for the reader.

The main image again will carry on the theme of female domination in the music industry. The image will be the female artist foot on the chest of the male model, whilst she is pulling his tie. This creates a good representation of female power and confidence. Where on the other hand male audience may find the image slightly sexual, because of the power of the female role. The words for the article will be fit into the blank section and will be arched across over and around the main image

Hand Drawn Draft (Contents)

For the contents, I will carry the aspect of energy and electricity through onto the contents page. However this time the style of electricity would make up the layout of the page. At the top of the contents, would be the magazine name mixed with the logo. On the right hand side would be the title 'This Week' this instantly allows the reader to know they are on the contents page.

The page is then split in five section; The first is far left and this is simply a rectangular box stretching from top to bottom of the page and will have a heart monitor effect in it. This has been place there to amplify the effect of the music genre, within the magazine.

The second and fourth sections will include images of the feature artist, and this will come under the section called 'The Buzz', this is the information section, giving previews of articles featured in the issue. However the word 'buzz' is again a play on the use of energy and electricity.

The third section will a letter from the editor of the magazine, this will explain the main article (the artist) but also mention other things within the magazine. The effect of having a letter from the editor within the magazine, gives a more personal feel to the reader, when they are reading the magazine.

The fifth and final section, is a basic set of listings within the magazine, these give the reference to the articles and corresponding pages. These are featured in every magazine. I also considered putting in a subscription box, this would show more detail towards the institution of the magazine.

Hand Drawn Draft (Front Cover)

I tired to make my front cover appealing, by making it seem like it was full of energy. I will do this with the use of the magazine name 'Pulse' begin made to look like a lighting flash, giving the representation of a fast, quick and alive genre of music. On the other hand the logo of the magazine (which will be throughout the magazine) is a simple coloured block with the effects of a heart monitor going through it. This represents the heart beat of the target audience, it shows that is their hearts are beating quite fast, again showing the speed of the music, however also showing their love for the music.

The main image will be on the left hand side of the page, however to add impact is may be changed to feature across the page. The image will show the male model looking away, contrasting to the female model looking directly at the camera. This again show her confidence, on the other hand with the male model looking away from the camera it also enhances the effect of dominance. Both models will be dress very formal and in the same colour, to show that they are connected but, disengaged at the same time (with the aspect of dominance).

The cover line are in the same text as the mast head, however will have slight differences to add an aspect of energy again to the magazine. On the other hand the main cover line, will be stretched across the page giving the impression it is the main focus of the magazine. I decided that background would be a dark colour, such as purple or blue, however it may not contrast well with the use of black on my models. On the other hand it may work better as my cover lines and main cover line (showing the new artist) will be bright vibrant colours. I will try to recreate the feel of a nightclub, with the use of colour on the front. I will do this with the use of a dark background and light colours. The price of my magazine is at the bottom along with date of issue.

Planning and Research (Magazine) part 4

When carrying out the research, I found most of the electro-artists who are big at the moment are women. Therefore I would feature a female model on the front of my magazine. However to make it more individual, I would also feature a male model. Further more the female would be in a dominant posture over the male. This would represent the dominance in the charts for females in the world of elecro-pop. Hence showing how they are the stronger artist (gender wise) in the the charts. I also decided that my model would be dressed to show confidence. The cover of my magazine would feature bright colours, to represent the electric feel of electro music, on the other hand the bright colours could represent the energy of the audience. The image of my magazine would have to be appealing to both woman with the factor of dominance, on the other hand this may also appeal to men. I decide my magazine would be called 'Pulse', again playing on the sense of electricity, but also using the sense of a heart beat as the music is fast and up-beat.

Planning and Research part 3 (Target Audience)

Once I had began to put my ideas together I had to look at my target audience with more detail. The genre of electro-pop seemed to reach out more to the younger generation rather then anybody else, this meant that my magazine would have to be create to appeal to a younger audience. Therefore one could feature things such as electro fashion or merchandise of artists (as shown above a 'La Roux' T-shirt) . On the other hand, I could feature things that would be able to sell the electro-pop life style to the target audience. On the other hand with the genre of electro-pop been mostly enjoyed by the younger section of society, such as students, this would mean the magazine price would have to be looked at carefully. If only a small amount of people enjoy the genre of music then to make a profit the magazines price would have to be higher then normal mainstream music magazines, however if the magazine is aimed at a younger audience, this maybe seen as negative as most of the young population is made up of students, therefore the price would have to be affordable to students who are at the far end of education or have just come out of education, i.e first job. This would mean they can afford the magazine but at the same time fall into the target audience, of a younger reader. Whilst at the same time applying and representing the same ideas and values of the audience back to themselves through the magazine.

Planning and Research part 2

Once I decided on a genre, I then had to research that genre. I decided to create a magazine for the music genre of electro-pop. Electro music is created using synthesisers, therefore I could look at the aspects of creation of the music for my cover, on the other hand the music mainly is quite fast paced, but also into the dance genre, so I could feature a cover full of energy and vibrant colours. When looking at the artist who fall into the electro-pop genre, they all seemed to have a quite similar style such as La Roux, Lady Gaga and Little boots (as pictured above). This style comes not only from the artists own personal image, but lifestyle and their sound. There fore I could use this aspect to create and outrageous artist with the same sort of image, however I could also add a slight twist to make it more individual. Furthermore adding a different aspect to the electro-pop genre I would be able to have a mixed target audience.

Planning and Research part 1

Whilst carrying out the magazine analysis , on the covers, contents and double page spread. I decided I would concentrate on one particular genre of music. I looked at the more popular genres of the mainstream music industry at the moment. I also looked at the more popular mainstream artists, such as Lady Gaga (featured above), Rhianna, and so on. Whilst carrying out my research on the artists, I then decided that I would focus on the genre of electro-pop, this type of music seemed to but up beat and fast paced, therefore my magazine would need to be bright and vibrant. The type of artists who are involved in this scene of the music industry seem to have an outrageous attitude and style to bring to the world of music, such as Lady Gaga. Furthermore my magazine would have to feature a represention which would stress the effect of a outrageous theme, this could be a wide range of topics, such as dominance to sexuality. Also my models would have to be made to seem, different and be able to stand out of the crowd whilst at the same time reaching the target audience. I also would have to create something which expressed the ideas and values of my target audience.

Double Page Spread Analysis 3

The Main image on the double page spread is a image of the Black Eyed Peas, however because the article is about Will.I.AM the rest of the group seem to fade into the background. Instantly the reader is then able to work out what the article maybe about. In this case it seems to be about the artist leaving the group. It may also suggest this as in the image he seems to be not only more dominate to the others but, he seems to be stood slightly further out, from the group

Furthermore the main title suggests the same thing; 'WILL HE, WON'T HE?', the image has been created to compliment the title and the overall article. Again the main focus is placed on Will.I.AM. If we look at the way in which the page is laid out the main image is on the left hand side of the page, however it seems to spread slightly on the right hand side of the page. The text on the other hand is more on the right hand side of the page, although there seems to be a main focus paragraph, this is the one with the black background, and the white text. This maybe due to the factor of the more important information is placed in the paragraph.

Double Page Spread Analysis 2

The main image of the double page spread is the artist Shakira. The image gives a representation of an independent woman, this is shown as she is a work and seems relaxed within the environment, therefore must be in charge and must feel confident. On the other hand there is a contrasting image of her naked, but covered by herself, therefore this shows how she can versatility change her image from business woman to performer instantly.

The headline 'Danger! Shakira At Work' also adds to image of an independent woman. On the other hand when we look at the text it seems to have a plain essence about it a making it seem normal for a woman, been independent. This would appeal to a female audience, however, Shakira has a sexual appeal for men, the fact she is independent would also add to this kind off appeal for men. The text has been put on a white background to make it stand out much more.

Double Page Spread Analysis 1

The double page spread, has all the basic , conventions of a magazine, it features a main head line which is eye catching whilst informant at the same time. It has been made to look as though each letter has been cut out of a news paper, also the way the font comes across seems to make it have a attitude type affect towards the audience. These factors combined make it eye catching but also give it attitude making it edgy.

The main image is of artist Lilly Allen. We get the image of her having positive attitude, this works well in sync with the text and helps to create a powerful perception of Lilly Allen, whilst at the same time helping to give her a positive image with the help of the article. If we look at the costume of the image, we see she is wear a read t-shirt, this may influence the reader to see her a having attitude in the same way the text and her posture do.

The use of a white background help to make the image stand out, and also have a good effect in making the main text stand out on the page. The layout of the article, is basic but affective, we know this as there is a main image on the right hand side of the page, bu the layout of the text and the main headline are also basically placed for the reader to understand the layout easily.

Contents Analysis 3 (NME Magazine)

The contents page features again the basics of a magazine contents has such as a mast head, again showing the logo of the magazine and the title "THIS WEEK". The colours are the magazines logo red, also there is black to give the magazine and eye-catching impact effect on the reader.

On the left hand side of the page there is a 'Band Index' this allow the reader to see the new and upcoming band in the next few issues. If we look at the colour surrounding the text, we can see that it is a vibrant red, this may suggest the 'freshness' and 'hotness' of the new bands. The colour also matches the logo, which may also signify the 'hotness' of the magazine. However it may also symbolise the power of the magazine.

The sub-titles for each section of the contents are in contrasting colours, black and white this in turn helps them stand out more to the reader. Like the rest of the text on the page. Under each sub-heading we can see that the different features of the magazine have been put in order of the types of things in each category.

The main image is a image of the featured artist in the magazine in this case its Oasis. The image shows two of the band members on their world tour, this makes the image more personal to the reader as they are interested in the tour and it becomes a way for them to see the tour. The title of the image '...Oasis kicked off their world tour' has been made to stand out and grab the readers attention, its in a bold, black font. This is then followed by smaller but still bold font giving the reader a little more information on the article. Above the main title there is silver italic font saying 'The moment that.....' again dragging the reader in, however this font seems a little more suttle as it is silver and smaller the the text below, this maybe because it is leading up to the main title. With the article we can see the magazines ideology, this is show via the genre of music the band fall into and the type of people who listen to this type of music.

Below the main text there is a advertisement for people to subscribe to the magazine, this is in a black box which again stands out loudly, with it being on a white background. This is also accomplished with the aid of yellow text and the image on the magazines.This also shows an example of the magazines intuitions as its advertising itself.