Final Draft of Contents Page

Final Draft - Contents Page 

This is my final draft of my contents page. When previously evaluating my second draft of my contents page I felt like I needed more content in it and make it a lot more interesting. This is why I have added in more imagery of different artists that I have said I was going to discuss in magazine onto my contents page. Also when researching other professional magazines I quite liked their layout shown in the blog post for my second draft. I think it makes my layout more complexed. I also like the way that the page numbers are placed on top of the pictures instead of beside them in a line which the majority of magazines do and therefore makes mine more original. 

Furthermore when adding in other artists pictures I made sure that the readers main focus was still on Lelia and her "exclusive interview" so that the reader would not get confused with who was the focal point in this particular issue. However i still needed to make sure that all my target audience was involved and so I chose a variety of different artist to feature on my contents page. This is why I have placed Lelia's picture at the top of the page and in the centre and then the other images are filtered out underneath her, to make her more dominant on the contents. 

I also needed to include the cover lines on my front cover onto my contents so that my magazine can smoothly link together with the main features in it. So I added subtly added in the stories or events at the sides so that the reader would still be able to quickly scan and find them there.

My Audience Feedback

Second Draft of Contents Page

In the second draft for my contents page I decided to opt out in changing the background colour this is because when asking for other peoples opinions they disagreed with the idea as they thought the white background was more sophisticated and helped me appeal to the older range of my TA. Also when researching other music magazines they too had a white background just like these two different music magazines. I have taken some inspiration from the Billboard contents page (on the right) where they have used a straight line to divide up there page and in the left hand corner they to have also placed there name as well. 

 Furthermore I still used pages as I felt when trying to use pixlr it failed to make changes where they needed to be done so I had to remain using pages. 

When producing my second draft, previous comments mentions how they wanted me to follow the same colour scheme of purple and white so when editing I still made purple the main colour as I feel it does compliment my genre well as it isn't too feminine or masculine it seems to have the right amount of balance to it and when surveying both male and female they agreed. However the male still thought that my magazine was more biased towards the female audience, which I was intending it to. But I still wanted to evoke that mature aspect to it so I chose purple. 

I have still chosen the same picture of my artist from the previous draft as I think that the picture makes her more interesting as it isn't a typical pose. The picture is very different to the front cover shot, something that the people I surveyed liked as it kept them interested and wanting to know more. 

When asking my peers they still thought that my contents page was too simple and that even though I had changed my layout and added in another female artists the though it was "lacking something". Therefore in the next draft for my contents page I am going to include more pictures. However when looking at the professional magazine content page on this blog post I have noticed that they have unusually placed the page numbers with the pictures. I think that will make my magazine page much more interesting and hopefully make it less simple.

First Draft Contents Page

 

This is my first draft for my contents page. When talking to others for their opinions they feel like it is very basic and simple and does not fit with my genre at all. They seem to not appeal to it. However they do like how it links very closely to my front cover. This is done by using the same cover lines from my front cover and including them onto my contents page. They also like the fact that "Lelia Ray" is still the main focal point throughout my magazine so far. By having another picture of her it just emphasises on how the whole issue is based around this artist and how the magazine is willing to capture different sides to her. By capturing different photos it also keeps the readers entertained and to wait for whats there gonna read next. However some of the people I asked like the simplicity as they felt that it was easy to read and good for them to quickly scan the page so that they go to what fascinates them the most. 

When producing my contents page I used the software "pages" which I found difficult to use when editing and moving about texts. This is a possible reason why it is so plain and simple as I was hard to incorporate different techniques to make the contents page more interesting and different. 

On my next draft I think that I will change the background to a plain 'purply' colour and include more features that will stand out, but also keep the easiness for the reader to chose the pages they want to read first and add in more pictures not just of Lelia Ray but maybe even other famous artists that I have wrote about. 

Second draft - front cover

This is my final draft for my front cover. I have kept to the same layout as my previous layout as I thought that it stuck to the usual conventions of a pop magazine. I have kept the same cover lines as before like "first interview" and a "look book" as when asking my peers they liked how I had added in different features into my magazine. By using the "first interview" it makes the audience feel special and important, enticing them to buy my magazine as they would want to read on and see what "Lelia" has to say after her split.  I have tried lots of different cover lines to try and make my audience want to read this issue as much as possible. 

Also from my previous draft my feedback was that they didn't like the placing of the master head therefore I moved it up sightly and made it more transparent. This is so that you could see my models eyes (which previously was covered up by the title). Now, from the adjustment, you can clearly see the models eyes where now my model is making clear eye contact to the reader, again being used so that it will entice the reader into buying the issue. 

Furthermore I added in the price, vertically next to the master head. I thought that this was the best place to put it as it is clearly visible to the reader where they can quickly find it. When looking at other professional 

First Draft - Front Cover

This is my first front cover draft I have firstly called in Relic as within my surveys the majority of people chose this name and also it was my favourite as I felt it gave that edgy twist to the pop genre that I was aiming for. I have placed it in front of the model as i feel that the name is the most important feature and convention out of the whole magazine. It is what makes you recognisable and differs you from any other product. 
Furthermore I have decided to go with a mid shot of my artist as when researching other magazines like Billboard and NME the majority have done mid shot and close ups. When doing my surveys they also agreed that they preferred this image to the other pictures I took (shown in previous blog post). They felt like they had the most connection with the artist in this shot and this was the main reason for choosing this picture. The eye contact the model gives seems to appeal with the audiences something which I was aiming for when taking my pictures. 
When editing my pictures I only used pixlr which could be a disadvantage to my magazine and in my other drafts I will change and try to use a variety of softwares so that I can find lots of different editing skills to bring about the best possible outcome. However when using this website I fist of all cropped my image as it was originally a long shot and so I edited it to be a mid shot. Also I added in the different cover lines that had bold wording like "top 10" and "first interview" to make the audience feel that my magazine was special and was the only one to have these features in it. I took some of these conventions from other pop magazines like Billboard and alternative magazines such as NME and Q. I used this method also as in my survey the audience revealed that they wanted cover lines that "stood out" to them and to make them want to read it. 
Next in pixlr I stuck to the same font family being "sans" and again only used three different types of fonts as I didn't want the audience to become to overwhelmed with the front cover and feel like there was too much on the page. When looking at pop magazines like "top of the pops" I felt like this was the case and so I tried to avoid that from happening. 

Planning My Photos

Location

I have decided to take some of my test shots outside, just to see how natural lighting would effect the pictures. I did like the outcome, however because I didn't have the correct equipment to make my pictures believable I have decided to take them in front of a green screen instead. This is so that I can edit the background to my advantage. I can manipulate the background which is unlike taking it in natural settings as it would be impossible to control the mise en scene and unpredictable.

Who am I planning on taking pictures of?

I have decided to not use a classic look for an indie pop artist. Instead I am planning on using my model Christel who is 16 years old. I am using someone I already know because again the reduces the risk of unpredictably also they are easy to get a in touch with and plan my photo shoot with. As I am already friends I know what their comfort zone is and how to act with them. Hopefully by using a friend I will be able to produce a good end shot. 

Clothing

As my magazine isn't classic pop I have decided to almost juxtapose the style of my model by them wearing a dark colours. Black would then contrast with the light pink leather jacket I am going to place on my model which I think would clearly portray my idea of my magazine being pop that is represented by the pink and then the black which symbolises how it is the mature side of pop to fit my target audience; it shoes the versatility of the pop genre. Also this type of jacket would represent my social group as well as it would be the kind of thing they would wear.

Risk Assessment

During my risk assessment, by choosing to do my photo shoot inside I have eliminated risks that may occur outside. This could consist of the weather, especially when the winter season is happening meaning that it could be raining, icy, foggy so that my model could slip and injure themselves. Furthermore due the temperature decreasing my model could begin to get very cold quite quickly (especially if they are wearing something that fails to keep them warm.) There I had to constantly keep checking that my model was good carrying on with the photo shoot

However when taking my pictures inside I had to be wary of the spacing. This meant making sure that it was a big enough space to take my shots but also be aware of anything being on the ground. This could be the flooring and making sure its safe to walk and that there isn't any pins, loose wires and just anything that is a hazard to me and my model.

Comparison of First and Final draft Front Cover

 

In this post I will be discussing the comparisons between my first draft (on the left) to my final design (on the right). When making changes and editing I kept referring back to my questionnaires and surveys that I underwent.

To begin with I have changed the size and the effect of the master head. I defiantly wanted to keep "RELIC" name in front of the artist as i feel like that is the most important feature to the magazine and how it will become recognisable to the readers. The name is the crucial element therefore it would remain in front of the artist. However when undergoing my questionnaire the audience felt like the name was covering up my artist face and put them off in buying the product as they felt it was "too harsh" having the name on top of their face and it seemed they just had an overall negative effect to the placement of the name. To evolve my draft I therefore decided to change the opacity of the text and made it less opaque so that the name would still remain in front  but you could also see the artist face as well. Also another feature I changed to the master head is the size of the text making it larger and spread further across the top of the page. I did this because the text was less bold I had to still remould it into being the focal point of the cover. I then moved the title above and around the eyes of the artist so that they were not covered up as I wanted the artist to give eye contact to the reader to essentially 'draw them in' to my magazine and make the reader feel like the model has a secret almost, something to tell, something the reader wants to know. 

The next thing I decided to edit is the colour scheme. Even though the colours remained the same being just purple and white which I chose as I had previously seen in a Billboard magazine when researching and decided that I think that they would compliment my photo and the overall genre. I didn't want to use pink, (the typical and traditional colour used in a pop magazine) as I felt like that was a convention that I wanted to challenge almost and try to make my pop magazine have a more edgy feel and look to it. However when editing I felt like some of the titles where failed to be seen according to my questionnaires and therefore I had to rearrange them in order for them to be seen clearly. 
Also due to my editing in the final design to make the whole picture brighter and more vibrant I had to change which texts where purple or white. For example when writing "She's Back" due to the lightened pink jacket you failed to see that text in white and in my survey I recorded that the reader failed to read the cover line and actually didn't want to struggle to read it and someone commented on how they would move on to the next magazine. This resulted in me changing this particular cover line into purple so that now it can defiantly be read clearly. 

Furthermore in my first draft I failed to include some very important conventions being the bar code and the price so in my final design I made sure that I included these conventions.  

However what from my questionnaire I agreed that I didn't want to change the layout of the magazine, so I kept it very similar when editing. I felt that when researching magazines like "Top of the Pops" it seemed like their product suffocated in cover lines making it difficult to the reader to depict the message that issue wanted to portray. In my survey it revealed that the reader appreciated the fact that I had one main cover line being focusing on the artist "Lelia Ray" and how she was the model in the front cover. But they also appealed to how I did have other little cover lines so that they could see the other main features in the magazine which they could find interesting. Also they liked the fact that the features I have decided to include are very versatile so that I can hopefully involve the whole of my target audience and maybe even appeal to others outside. 

Target Audience

In a previous blog post I have provided a general outlook to my target audience, discussing the age range, gender, social groups and other traits that contributes to make up my audience. 

However this will be a more specific description on my particular audience. 
                                                      
This is Emma, who is 17 years old and lives in Sheffield, England. Emma is my ideal reader for Relic  as she is into a variety of music but her favourite is indie pop as she enjoys the music but also all the other aspects that follow, being the fashion, artists and going to see them at concerts and gigs. 
She is currently studying Art, Media, ITC and English Language for her A levels. Here favourite subject is Art as she enjoys being creative and experimental. 
Emma is inspired and looks up to the artist presented in the indie rock genre and buys every issue of Relic when released monthly with her money provided by her job from the cafe in town. Emma's hobbies include painting (outside of school) and playing the guitar with her band.

Emma is my ideal audience member as she would be dedicated to Relic and would provide an interest in the artists mentioned and other articles that would be shown. 

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is where another author has taken a previous texts ideas and has shaped it into their own. Its essentially their inspiration. In this era its called post modernism, where the idea has already been done, yet they references to it. It can included in the following forms

• thoughts 
• architecture
• conversations
• sounds 

However intertextuality can also be achieved through parodies, translations, quotations, plagiarism and illusions. 

Artists who have used intertextuality to inspire their image include Madonna who has transformed into Marilyn Monroe. 

On the right is the famous 1950s sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, who perfumed 'Diamonds are A Girls Best Friend". Then on the left is Madonna who sings 'Material Girl' both famous songs of their eras. However this provides evidence for intertextuality because it shows how Madonna has take the inspiration for her music video for the previous 1950s video. It shows how Madonna has taken the same costume, physical setting and just the whole mise  en scene has taken reference from Marilyn Monroe, from the pink dress, blonde short hair and a dozen men holding love hearts in ore.

Another example where intertextuality has been taken into the music industry is where Taylor Swift uses her first single of 'Love Story' where the music video "creatively" uses Shakespeare famous play 'Romeo and Juliet' reference to reproduce the love story between the two characters. One popular scene in the play is the balcony scene. This is referenced back into Taylor Swifts music video as she to replicates this famous moment. 

Planning

Deconstructing Q Cover

This is a cover for the company Q. It has typical features of a magazine in general, for example the company has set their logo in the top left hand corner in the left third. This means that straight away the reader will be able to recognise the magazine. Their Logo has a red background which is bold and big, attracting the readers attention. Red has connotations of danger, death, mysterious and being scary. This links with Qs genre, being rock which is all about rebellion and being different. This defiantly gets represented by their logo.

In this Qs magazine edition it seems to take on this post modernism effect. This is done by having the rest of the band mates being in the reflection of the lead singer, Liam's sunglasses. I think that this is a really clever effect that they have done as it is exploring the boundaries of photography. It's playing on the miss en scene and using the effect of tromp l'oeil. I hope to plan something like this, being creative and escaping the reader away from reality, questioning what they are looking at.

The company Q is covering the band Oasis in this issue. However I find it interesting that in the cover they do not actually mention their band name, but only the lead singer "LIAM'S" name which is in a red bold font. They are emphasising the stereotypical feature of having the lead singer as the front and main person, the only one who is important. In my research I have notice this has happened a few times when Oasis has been mention, that Liam's name being the only thing written. I don't think that I would do this on my magazine as I think that you should involve the whole band and not just the favourited members. 
By Liam's name being in the same colour red as the logos background it suggests that he is everything the Q wants to represent, like he is the face of Q and therefore the rock genre as well. He has this smirk on him, like he is better than others and has this slight hint of being mysterious in him. Like he is is hiding something away from the reader. This intrigues the audience as they want to gratify their needs and wanting to read further to uncover his secret. 

Deconstructing Double Page Spread

I think this double page spread is very interesting, especially the title "FIERCELY CREATIVE". The word 'fiercely' links especially to Beyonce as her alter ego is called 'Sasha Fierce' so straight away the reader can depict that this spread is going to be about Beyonce. Billboard has cleverly incorporated this which is something that I would like to try as seems like an effective technique to get the reader interested. Furthermore by the word "fiercely" illustrated in a bolder font. It suggests that this is the more important part of the wording. It helps to further connote her style and image to her fans. Also in this image Beyonce is looking ferrous and serious, supporting the title. The colouring is in white that makes it clear and helps the reader to follow the route of the eye, meaning that first the reader looks at the title, then the image and finally begins reading the article. The white writing contrasts against the electric pink background. The pink is very vibrant and portrays fun and full of life helping to represent Billboards audience. 

Furthermore the pink background links with the artist as her makeup as similar colour to it. Her eye contact is towards the reader, almost looking through them, the reader is drawn to the artist they are captured under her gaze. This particular artist draws a wider female fan base then men which is probably why it is a close up shot, rather then a long body shot, to show her assets. 

I am particularly appealed to the simplicity of this structured layout, as there is just a main title, an image and a short article. I think its important not to over use different effects to engage a reader and just stick to the basics. Its good to focus on thing which is an idea I will take on in my music magazine. 

Deconstructing Billboard contents page

This contents page belongs to Billboard magazine. What I find interesting is that Billboard doesn't make it so stated that this is their magazine, unlike the front cover where their master head was one of the largest texts. However in the contents page it is unnoticeable placed to the left hand side in the corner. It is almost hiding suggesting that inside is the most important thing for information to be given, not the company. 

Also on the left hand side is a list of page numbers and what the magazine features inside. It seems to highlight to the reader which are the most interesting and on trend stories there are that month. The contents page almost guides the reader to specific pages which the magazine knowns will hit their audiences interest. This is a good technique to use and something I would consider doing in my music magazine as straight away the reader will find excitement and desire in the specific stories.

On the other hand their is a fully body picture of the main image, suggesting to the reader that this is going to be the main feature throughout the magazine and how they hold some importance to the issue. The model looks happy and fun representing the pop genre, how it is symbolising what the younger generation should be about... YOUTH. By the model looking happy it motivates the reader into a positive mood and makes them want to and enjoy reading their issue. But there are secondary images on the contents page of other artists. This is important to include because if the reader doesn't like the main feature, then Billboard is still offering other interests to their audience. This is something I admire as I also don't want to limit myself to just one artist/band, I need to make sure that I am appealing to all of my target audience and exploring the whole of my genre. The secondary images are also at the top and neatly placed next to each other. By doing this it helps to bring back the idea of being organised and well placed. If the magazine appears to be to dysfunctional then the reader could get confused and get annoyed or irritated with the layout. Furthermore the smaller images are clearly labelled with pages numbers making it clear and easy for the reader to find the artist.

The contents page is also labelled into clear sub headings like "The Latin Kings" which also have page numbers referenced besides them, again supporting the idea of having a structured layout. However Billboard also offers to the reader different chances to explore a variety of genres, like the "The Latin Kings" and for them to see events involving "COUNTRY MUSIC". By Billboard doing this they are providing other genres to mix with pop and create new sounds. This is effective as Billboard are cleverly inviting a wider target audience base to their magazine very subtly and ambiguous. 

Deconstructing Billboard cover.

In this edition of Billboard the main focal point is the main image, being the artist 'Lady Gaga'. They have used a well known artist on the cover as she appeals to many readers, meaning that the audience will be attracted to the issue. This particular artist has been used because her music genre is mainly pop and she has a lot of fans. Lady Gaga, however is showcased in a provocative way, this could suggest that the magazine doesn't just want to sell to females who idolise her, but males as well. Also it could be that it leaves the reader in question, as she is showcased to be almost dangerous and intimidating making the reader feel compelled to see her feature in the issue. 

Furthermore the main colour scheme used in this issue is black, grey, white and purple. This colour scheme conveys a sense of sophistication, how they want to appeal to an older age group, been late teens, early twenties. They may want to do this so they can escape the stereotypical pop magazine. This is an idea that I would like to take on, to avoid the younger view on pop. Also the purple writing/symbols link with the models hair. This is done so that the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed with colour. They don't become confused by the cover and its overall look. The black, grey and white also compliment each other well as it again suggests this idea of sophistication but also simplicity, this idea of not suffocating the reader. On the other hand it helps with the idea of dangerous and intimidation as black has connotations of seriousness and mysterious. It's almost like the colour scheme wants to reflect on Lady Gaga, having this idea of with held information from the reader. They don't want to place everything on the front cover. 

However there are many cover lines used in this particular issue which are used as further incitement towards the reader. Especially when they write "SHE IS BACK" which makes the audience read on and see who the magazine is talking about. The magazine seems to cleverly with hold information by saying "SHE" instead of the name from the reader making the urge of knowing heightened. By placing most of the cover lines in bold and capitals it helps with the idea of importance, they want the text to stand out so that the reader can quickly scan it, yet they still want to read further. I find it interesting how the cover lines are beside and even placed behind the artist, suggesting that they are not as important and are not the main selling point. It just portrays that Lady Gaga is more significant and anything else is second best, they don't compare to her. This is what I plan to do with my music magazine as I feel that it's the artist who should be the focal point and not the cover lines.

How I can use existing music magazines?

Existing music magazines that I think that I can receive inspiration from is Billboard magazine. 
I have chosen this specific magazine as I believe that it really reflects my target audience, being female and aged between 15-25 year old (see previous blog post for more information on my audience). Also this magazine fits my genre, being pop, but it also seems to explore the boundaries of pop. This is the idea that  I would also like to explore and help me to influence my magazine. 

• What I really admire about the magazine is the use of the master head being one of the main focal points. It is constant in font, size and colours especially when it is used to create the unique coloured in title effect. Furthermore even though sometimes the master head may differ from black to white, it certainly is a recognisable name which is an influence I would like to obtain on my reader. How they will be able to pick out straight away my music magazine just by the master head. This is a common technique used by other magazines such as Top of the Pops, Rolling Stone and Blender.

• The colour white is mostly continuos throughout all of the issues. The colour white has different connotations of purity and this sense of innocence to it. This could be reflecting the whole pop genre how its ideology is supposed to be about this innocence and well cut image, like they can do no wrong. Even though I have discussed about wanting my target audience to have a rebellious side to them, I think that by using white it still helps to make that link between the pop genre, so that part of the pop music does not get forgotten about. I think that it is important that my magazine still refelxs where the indie pop sub genre came from... Pop. 

• Even though the master head supports this idea of familiarity to the reader, I also like how they present their model, most of the time being a mainstream singer or band. In this specific issue it is Beyonce (a house hold name) meaning that readers who don't usually read the magazine might take an interest due to the specific artist used. This is a concept I would like to enrol with my magazine, making the main image the most important feature as this is what takes the audiences interest, who appears in it and how the magazine has showcased them. I would like my model to present themselves as a typical, mainstream artist who tries to connect and even represent my target audience. I have chosen this issue as it is a head shot of the artist which I would like to use for my music magazine. However a problem with this could be that this technique is mainly used when the artist is well known and popular through a variety of people. 

• Lastly I also admire the way in which Billboard don't clutter their front cover and only have 5 short, simple cover lines that are set to the left third. This is effective as the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed with writing on the page and it doesn't distract them from the artist, which I believe should be the main focus of the magazine. I would like to use this idea for my magazine as I want the music and the different artists that I introduce to the reader to be the main focus.

Audience

Social Identity Theory

Social Identity Theory is all about people that categorise themselves into groups, this way they are able to construct their personal identities which influences them for the rest of their lives. 

This theory was proposed by Henri Taiffel and John Turner. They put their theory into three main sections, Categorisation, Identification and Comparison.

Categorisation: This is when people place themselves and others into specific categories. These can be based upon age, gender, ethnicity or social classes. Examples of this is by saying someone is Jewish, a dancer, of an older generation or even a chav. 

Identification: In this part of the theory it's all about how you chose which group you believe you are apart of. This is your in-group, which could be your family and friends. Your group helps you feel like a sense of belonging and will essentially boost your confidence. Furthermore there is your in-group and an out-group (which is meant to act as a threat to your group).

Comparison: Groups now decide to compare themselves to other groups to see if they have similar common grounds or not. This is like in the younger generations when they divide themselves into further sub-groups based on fashion, music, hobbies and other interests that consist to make them.


Examples of Two Complete Different Social Groups

Skinheads- These are usually a group of working class people in London in the 1960's. Their name comes from their short/bald hair style. Their fashion style originate from the mod look, however the skinheads were then formed by the 'hard mods'. Also this social group was influenced by rudeboys (Jamaican immigrants)   

There music influences is mainly punk, they wore tight white shirts with braces, jeans a Dr martin boots. 

Hippies- A group formed in the 60's in America, there famous motto "make love not war" set the motion in for flower power. Their main image consisted of this psychedelic, free flowing and floral clothing that had a counter culture to the typical white picket, clean cut, american look. At the time America was fighting in the Vietnam war, so the Hipsters were set against the war and brought literature, film, media and protest to try and overcome this fighting. 

How does this Theory apply to Music Magazines?

This links in with music magazines as people do categorise and identify themselves into their personal music preferences. People do begin to judge and question others if they do not have the same interests in music, such as in Pop that is mainly aimed towards the younger generations who are innocent and who are 'clean cut' and have good role models.

Unlike the rock genre who are expressed as rebels and explicit in various ways.They seem to have this 'bad boy' image for their fans. In the magazine it must be set to a specific genre to work, as like pop and rock they are the complete opposite to each other, meaning that you can't create a music magazine that will appeal to everyones interest. 

Graphology

I have uploaded my graphology investigation to slideshare:

http://www.slideshare.net/emilygrannon/graphology-for-music-magazine-emily-grannon

Binary Opposition Theory

Ideology

Ideology are peoples beliefs an attitudes towards something that they believe is the most important thing to them. This relates to media, as sometimes they provide a 'hidden meaning or message' in order to relate to these set social groups. 

Dichotomy - Is the splitting of or branching of groups or ideas into two parts. 

Dichotomy of Pop and Rock.

  

POP

 

On "Top of the Pops" music magazine they have used classic stereotypical features that relates to their genre. The typical reader would be female, so this relates back to why they have used a pink master head as that is symbolic to a female reader. Furthermore they have placed a young Justin Bieber as their main image again appealing to the female teenage reader, he is smiling and inflicting to the reader that he is having a good time. His songs are most recognizable pop songs and he looks 'clean cut' and innocent which is what pop is known for. Justin Biebers songs are always about love and not sex. His songs don't really have a deeper meaning apart from impressing a girl. The cover lines of the magazine "mate or date?" convey what a teenage girl thinks about... boys.

ROCK

 "Classic Rock" again shows the stereotypical appearance of the rock genre. The colours used in this music magazine are the complete opposite to 'Top of the Pops.' Black, white and gold are the colour scheme for this particular issue, which links with their genre as it is associated with alcohol, drugs, sex, violence and politics. The colour scheme matches the rock vibe as black is represented by death and danger which links with the violence alcohol and drugs aspect, this would appeal to their target audience being older men. The white then juxtaposes this as it usually conveys innocences and purity, something that rock doesn't showcase.
The main image is two main members of Guns n Roses also appealing to the older men as they would have been fans when this band was at it most popular in the 80's. They are considered to be the leading rock band. Their whole persona showcases rock just by their appearance. They have tattoos, long hair showing that they are 'rebels' of the music industry, they don't follow the rules. Unlike Justin Bieber who is smiling in 'top of the pops' magazine, Guns n Roses come across as serious and their character is almost dangerous and scary to be around.  

The sub genres from 
 Pop:
  RnB, White Pop, Soul, Chart Music 

Rock:
  Hip Hop, Indie, Heavy Metal, Alternative, Blues 

Mood Board

For my music magazine I have decided to produce a mood board on pinterest to showcase want I want my magazine to incorporate. I have search for ideas and inspirations. I preferred using pinterest as their is a wide range of photos which I can keep on adding and developing to. Hopefully after I have finalised my magazine you will be able to see the similarities and where my ideas originated from.

http://www.pinterest.com/Emilyjadgrannon/music-magazine/

All about Bauer Media and NRS

Bauer Media is an international publishing group, linked together by over 300 magazines in 15 different countries. The company can date back to 1875 in Germany and their first launch of a magazine was in 1987 called Bella magazine. Its products include multi platform media, radio, TV, distribution and marketing services. The publishing company is now combined which means that Bauer Media Group includes, H Bauer Publishing and Bauer Media.

Some of Bauer Media more popular brands are:

Kerrang, which is based around the rock music genre. In 2005 it launched its first music channel, and has since risen in popularity, its average adult reader is about 252 million, which is 0.5% of the worlds population. The average ABC1 reader is 120 million, whilst in the C2DE audience is at 133 million. According to the NCS results 192 million,15-34 year olds read Kerrang and the remaining are 34+. It is also interesting to see that there is nearly an equal amount of women to men who read this magazine. The total men being 150 and women resulting in 103. 

furthermore, another music magazine that Bauer Media Group publishes, is Mojo. It was first published in 1993, which included Bob Dylan and John Lennon, leading it into a famous rock based magazine. In the latest NRS readerships surveys, it total in 201 million reads, 150 million male and only 51 million females. I am surprised by these results as the magazines image seems like it would appeal to both genders equally, do to the celebrities that they advertise in their issues and the colours aren't harsh colours, which you would stereotypically associate with a male reader. Also only 0.4% of the general population even read Mojo magazine.

Q magazine was first published by EMAP in October 1986. It was originally set to be called Cue, but due to the confusion between the game snooker it was changed to just Q. The magazine is devoted to sharing with their readers different 'top 100' lists monthly to keep their audiences up to date. Their estimate readerships is 319 million which beats both Mojo and Kerrang!. That results in 0.6% of the population reading Q. Furthermore 237 million ABC1 read Q and only 83 million are C2DE. This is surprising as compared to the other magazines I have investigated they are relatively close with the different social classes. But there is a larger amount of people who read Q which are higher up in social class. However there are 167 million 15 - 34 year olds who read Q and only 153 million who are 34 +, suggesting that Q appeals to a younger generation, particularly students. These results are what I would like to base my magazine around, by having a younger target audience around 15 - 20 year olds. 


NRS- National Readership Survey 

I have taken these results from what NRS have been able to produced. It takes surveys and information helping a range of different magazine brands.

Advantages: 

• In their surveys they show a range of different brands 
• The different brands can keep a records 
• They can actually see who buys their product, and if they are successfully reaching out to their target audiences. 
• NRS are able to keep the surveys history.

Disadvantages: 

• NRS can only give estimates on who actually buys and reads the brands product meaning that it is not always accurate as it is almost impossible to be. 
• During my investigation some of the numbers did not 'add up'.
• You can't see peoples opinions, just who buys it.

Research Methods

Primary Research:

It's known as 'first hand research,' where the information has not been taken off from any other data, it's usually field work, where you would go out and find the research yourself. Its carried out by using surveys and questionnaires. I have decided to use this type of research because I think that this is the best way of gathering data as you are able to personalise the questions to suite your own interests and desires. Also you can go out into the 'field' and speak to people yourself and gain their reactions to your magazine. 
However by doing this it takes a long time to produce a list of questions, and you have to go out and find your target audience, which could be difficult considering that they might not all be in the same place at the same time.

Secondary Research:

It is produced by taking others research and data that has already been carried out previously. For example taking data from the internet or newspaper reports. This way of creating research is fast and easy but the reason why I have not chosen this research method is because sometimes the research is not always accurate and therefore it may be misleading and have you submit false data.

Quantitate Research:

Is used to survey vast amounts of numbers and has numerical data and statistics to uncover peoples opinions and attitudes towards the given work. It generalises the data and unpicks different patterns and results. There are different types of methods including, online surveys, polls and telephone interviews. The advantages to this type of research is that it is fast and you are able to gather a lot of information. On the other hand some of the methods may not interest the audience for example, people might 'hang up' on the telephone interview, or during the online surveys they could not be telling you the whole truth. This is why I am not using this research method as I want accurate results for my music magazine in order to appeal to my target audience.

Qualitative Research:

This type of research is merely the opposite of quantitative research. It is more dependant on peoples real thoughts and opinions then on numbers. Data is collected through focus groups or face to face interviews, so that the company can have a good and truthful results to essentially move on forward with. I prefer this method over quantitative research as by having face to face interviews the audience must be honest and you know for definite that each piece of data is real and reliable. But the problems with the type of research is that the interviewee may feel uncomfortable or even intimidated and feel forced to give an answer. Also like primary research it takes longer to produce large statistics, so you may not have a lot of data to 'go on' for your magazine. 

NME Music Magazine

The British music magazine New Musical Express (NME) was first published on the 7th March 1952 and mainly focuses on indie, alternative rock music. The IPC publishers revealed that their ideal costumer would be a male 25 year old, who is obviously dedicated to the magazine and someone who will evolve with the NME magazine. 

Andy Gray was the first editor of NME from 1957 - 1972. The most common bands to get featured was of course The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. From 1959, NME would hold award ceremonies for artists to win awards given to them by the public vote. They were originally live, but then began to be recorded by 1964. During the 1960s the magazines sales were at a steady, 200,000 per week.

After NME began to 'fall' due to their competitors Melody Makers, the employees and new chief editor Alan Smith, began to introduce the magazine into this psychedelic rock era. Then in 1976 they gave the Sex Pistols their first music coverage. In 1978 Neil Spencer was made editor and he redesigned NMEs logo, and like The Rolling Stones music magazine, it started to expand from music and entwine with the world of politics, by including Margret Thatcher frequently in their magazine for a long period of time.

In the 1980s the magazine was in danger of shutting down, due to low sales and the era of rock was fading and hip hop was on the rise. It started to become difficult in what they should write about, and what would now appeal to the new generation. But by the 1990s, Grunge became increasingly popular with the reader demands and NME saw opportunity to write about American indie bands which over took demand over British music. Even though the grunge sound was still high, in 1994, Britpop became the essential genre, with NME including Oasis and U2. 

In 2000 the paper had officially upgraded into a typical magazine size and touch, meaning it upgraded from their old newsprint style to a glossy texture. Their rival Melody Maker decided to incorporate with NME, after Ben Knowles (former writer for the rival mag) became the new editor. In 2006, a new magazine called NME Irish was developed and launched in Dublin. 

The current editor is Krissi Murison, is still publishing the magazine weekly by IPC media, who's readership is at a well earned 411,000. 

The typical social groups that NME represents are the rock and indie groups, as the covers usually include people from that genre, like Arctic Monkeys and Oasis. The stereotypical reader is represented as loyal yet rebellious. The front covers consist or celebrities smoking, having tattoos and typically sitting their just looking almost 'dangerous'. The main genre is rock 'n' roll, which is all about rebellion and being different. Their image does reflect their reader statistics as currently the dominant reader is male at 73%, who are also part of the abc1. NMEs desired reader will devote their income to music, how they will buy and learn to play instruments and attend concerts who the magazine presents in their issues. 

To conclude I think that NME has been very successful in keeping dedicated to their magazine and making sure that they are producing what the audience wants to see. They care about the readers opinions and always try to stick to their british roots. 

The Rolling Stones Music Magazine

The History and the Typical Content 

Rolling Stones music magazine was founded in 1967, by Jann Wenner. He was a music journalist and aspired to meet some of the most famous rock legends, including John Lennon and Mick Jagger. So he decided to gather $7500 to start the first issue of "Rolling Stones."

Its main focus is on rock 'n' roll and alternative music, however it contains political views. The title "Rolling Stones" was said to be influenced by the 1950s blues song "Rollin Stone" by Muddy Waters. The magazine was said to be 'countercultural', it was a different sound to what was usually heard in that era. However Wenner didn't want the magazine to be just about the music but "everything that embraces it."

Many writers have made their name by publishing their work in the magazine, such as Hunter S. Thompson, Cameron Crowe and others.

However one of the most controversial magazine cover was the nude cover featuring John Lennon. But it was the first to sell out of the magazine. This made others pose nude for some issues, including singer Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson and Jennifer Anniston.

Since 1970, Rolling Stones has already been different, by changing the frame to all the other magazines. They've done this by increasing the size of a typical magazine being 8.5 by 11 inch, to 10.5 to 15 inches. It stayed this size for the next 30 years, however after extensive research they found that the readers did not approve of this size and so they changed it back down to the regular size in 2008. The rock magazine sales have fallen from 189,000 to 132,000, it is still recognised as an iconic music magazine.

The types of people that this magazine relates to is mainly people that enjoy rock 'n' roll music, the statistics show that 52% of men purchase the magazine with the remain of 48% being female. The general age is about 38 years old. This doesn't surprise me as this genre of music was particularly popular when this generation was young, and have therefore they have stuck to what they enjoy listening to.

Contents Page

Evaluation: 

Our cover has the same colour scheme through out which is white and red. This has been shown by the writing and the colours shown throughout the picture, we used these two colours as they are our school colours. 

We have chosen this picture as it shows the school in a positive way, with the students representing how they feel during school times. This is an action shot as they have been caught doing an everyday activity. The contents page is a contrast from the main cover image as we have shown younger students in the daily school life here and sixth form students on the cover.

Ray Gun front covers

David Carson, Ray Gun

"David Carson is the "grunge typographer" whose magazine Ray Gun helped explode the
possibilities of text on a page."

David Carson is a famous initiative and a very creative graphic designer. He has won over 170 awards for his graphic design, some being "best overall design" and "cover of the year". He was employed in 1992 by Martin Scott (the publisher) to start his inventive work on Ray Gun.

Carson is now well known for his role of art director in the alternative, rock magazine, Ray Gun. This is a magazine that experimented with the 'laws' of magazine design. Carson essentially took the norm and completely changed it. Usually the 'popular' magazines like 'top of the pops' stuck to the identical master heads and continuous layout of the magazine for each issue.  But the abstract and unusual design of Ray Gun made it stand out and manifest in this unique style, no - one had yet accomplished his kind of vision before.

One famous front cover he designed was where he had used a font that only included symbols for words (and even Carson commented that he classed that as boring in an interview). He had made his own front cover unreadable, yet it had just seemed acceptable to do this in a music magazine, as it almost goes well with the music genre, being alternative and indie. 

David Carson left the magazine in 1995 and moved on to do work in New York in his own studio. Ray Gun had its last issue in January 2000 with issue no. 74, with Nine Inch Nails on the front cover.