Research: Q8

I asked 'what makes an image appeal to you?' and the answers varied however one of the main answers was that the picture was of an artist they liked/someone they have an interest in. They also said that the picture has to look professional and be of high quality. They would prefer if the artist was somebody their age as its more relatable.

When taking the pictures for my magazine I will take this into consideration and as my target audience will be late teens, I will have someone around that age as my main artist. I will also take the pictures to the highest quality I can. 

Research: Q7

I asked 'what do you look for in a magazine and what makes you choose to buy one over another?' The answers varied from the pictures used to the content to which artists/bands were featured. People said they would look for an interesting article and at the price as they would want to buy whichever one is cheapest for what it is. They also wanted the articles to feature detailed, up to date news as well as interviews with their favourite bands.

I will take all of this into consideration when designing my cover and deciding what to include in the magazine as well as what feature stories I should have on the front cover to grab peoples attention and make them want to buy mine over any other. 

Research: Q6

I asked 'how often would you buy a music magazine?' so I know how regular my magazine should be made available.

66.67% of people said they would buy a music magazine monthly which made that easily the majority.

I will make my magazine available each month for example one issue at the beginning of January then the next one in February etc.

Research: Q5

To get an idea of how much to charge for my magazine, I asked 'how much are you willing to pay for a music magazine?' and gave some price ranges to choose from. 

My results show most people, 41.67%,  would pay between £2 and £3.

I will take this into consideration when stating the price on my magazine cover as if it's too expensive people aren't likely to buy it however if its too cheap they may assume its of low quality. 

Research: Q4

I then asked 'do you prefer to read more serious or gossipy articles?' to get an idea of what my double page spread should be about. It will let me know what my target audience want to read and what they would be more likely to buy.

50% of people prefer serious articles and 50% are interested in gossip meaning I have no real result.

I am more interested in serious articles and would prefer to write one that is more personal so I will make my double page spread about a topic such as struggles the artist has faced or have them open up, this will make the readers feel they are closer to the artist than reading some gossip that the world knows. It will encourage readers to buy the magazine.

Research: Q3

My next question was an open question 'what is your favourite band?' and I took all of the answers and put the most popular ones into a chart. I asked this to get an idea of who to include into my magazine to appeal to the most people possible.

My results show Aerosmith, Blink-182, One Direction and Fall Out Boy are the most liked bands closely followed by Good Charlotte and Green Day. The bands fit the pop-rock genre I'm aiming for so I'm happy with these results.

I will try to include these bands in my magazine especially on the front cover to grab the attention of my target audience.

Research: Q2

The next question I asked was 'do you prefer a light and bright or dark colour scheme' to get an idea of what sort of pictures I should be taking and what my main colours should be in my magazine. However with my target audience being in the rock genre I think I already knew what the turnout should be.

My results show there is an even split between a dark colour scheme and a light and bright one.

As there is not decision made I will go for the colour scheme I prefer which is the darker colours. I will have black backgrounds with simple white writing and the pictures won't be too brightly lit. 

Research: Q1

I am going to be asking people that like music of the pop-rock genre some questions about what they would like to see in my magazine. I will be asking quantitative and qualitative questions putting the quantitative data into charts which are easy to analyse and summing up the results from the qualitative data in a paragraph.

The first question I asked was 'do you prefer magazines which are busy or simplistic and why?' I asked this so I could get both types of data out of it, I could get an idea of what sort of layout I should plan and peoples opinion on it so I can design it to suit what the audience want.

My chart shows that 91.67% of people prefer a simplistic layout which I am happy about as thats the style I prefer too. When asked why, the people that said busy said it was because it looked more reckless and fun however the simplistic people said they chose that option because its more aesthetically pleasing and because its more professional and easier to find what you're looking for.

I understand both these opinions however I will go with the majority and aim for a simplistic design. I will have less but larger pictures and a simple colour scheme with a few block colours. The text will be in capitals to keep it looking simple on the cover and the writing in the article will be in three simple columns.

Style models

These are the style models which I will use as a main source of inspiration for my magazine.

Double Page Spread Analysis Conclusion

After looking at these double page spreads I have decided that I would like the picture for my article to cover a whole page however not overlap with the title in large letters on the other page. I will also only use one picture. I would like to write my article in 2 or 3 columns as I think it looks more like a poster than an article if it's all in one block like the MOJO article. I will take forward the commonly used colour scheme of black, white and one other colour and fitting the picture into the colour scheme as well as the text and background colour. I will also use a drop capital to start my article, most likely in the feature colour.

Double Page Spread Analysis 5

This spread is taken from MOJO magazine. The main colour is clearly black with white and gold also being used. The black and white picture covers the entire right page with a caption in small white text in the bottom right. The title of the article is a quote with three key words in gold. There is a subtitle with more key words in gold and the article itself is all one block and no columns have been used. There is a drop capital larger than the letters in the title used to start the article. Its very simple.

Double Page Spread Analysis 4

This spread is also from NME featuring Pete Doherty. There is a clear orange colour scheme being used as the picture, which covers the whole of the left page, has an orange tint to it with white and orange text over it. The large 'A' is also in orange as well as the name of who said the quote which is in the middle of the right hand page. There is a second picture in the bottom right corner of the article. The article is in 3 columns with the quote righting the middle. The title and sub title of the article cover the picture on the other page.

Double Page Spread Analysis 3

This is a double page spread featuring The Vaccines from NME magazine. It has a very vintage look to it with the background colour looking coffee stained and the colours used in the picture matching it. Other than this washed out colour black and blue have been used, black for the text and blue for drop capitals, quotes and key words in the subtitle as well as for some shapes around the pages to contrast with the rest of the page. The main image covers the whole of the left page and overlaps to over the left third of the right page. The other two thirds of the right page each contain a column of text each. The title of the article is the band name in capitals at the top of the text with a subheading underneath. This double page spread is fairly simple.

Double Page Spread Analysis 2

This double page spread is from Q magazine which is made obvious by the signature red Q logo in both bottom corners. The one picture covers the entire left page with all text in two columns on the right page. There is a large drop capital taking up the majority of the text page. The whole text page is in simple black and white apart from the Q logo. The picture, a close up of the artist, is tinted with red and blue so the whole spread fits into a very basic colour scheme. There is no title to this article besides the artist name in fairly small print at the top. There is nothing obvious to state what the article is about.

Double Page Spread Analysis 1

This is a double page spread about Taylor Momsen from Kerrang magazine. It has a large picture on the left side slightly spilling over to the other page. The main colours are black, white and pink with the artist wearing all black which blends into the background and makes her light hair and face stand out more. There is a quote on the bottom left of the picture highlighted in pink. The title is in large filling the top left quarter of the right hand page. There is a subtitle underneath in bold white capitals with names in pink. The main article itself starts with a pink drop capital and after the first two words it continues in white. After the introduction the article is an interview with the questions in pink and answers in white. The article is in two columns.

Contents Page Analysis Conclusion

After looking at these contents pages I have decided I prefer the ones with simple layouts and one or two main pictures. I also want to take forward the single column list of articles as I feel if there are too many people can't be bothered to read them and the feature ones are most important. I also like the idea of having the page numbers in a different colour to make them stand out more. I will most likely include my magazine name, issue number and date on my contents page somewhere as most of these contents pages do that.

Contents Page Analysis 5

With the magazine initials and issue number in huge red and black text this contents page is from rolling stone magazine. It has one column of articles split into 3 sections with red titles. The background is all white with black text making the black, white and red colour scheme very obvious, blue is also significant in the pictures. There is a main picture with two smaller ones underneath and they all have white text in the bottom left corners with page numbers. It lists 9 of the main articles in the magazine with page numbers to the left of the titles and descriptions so they are clear to see.

Contents Page Analysis 4

This contents page from DJ Magazine has a simple block 3 column layout. It has the title 'contents' at the top and no main picture, only 7 smaller ones. It has a list of feature articles in the first column with every other one highlighted in yellow to make them all stand out. The overall page is very colourful with a lot more bright colours than most magazines. In the second column it had been split into four sections all with different feature colours with the same grey background and black text. The third column is all pictures with numbers on them direction you to the article linked to that picture. It lists a lot of articles which a lot of magazines don't do, they simply list the main ones which are most likely to draw people in. Everything in this contents page stays in blocks and nothing overlaps.

Contents Page Analysis 3

Mojo, a magazine following the genre of classic rock, has very simple contents pages. It has a block colour background and the picture of the artist is the only picture and takes up almost half the page, the colour of his suit also contrasts with the background to make him stand out more. The simple layout includes the name of the magazine in bold letters at the top, a single column list of only the main articles in the magazine and a separate section for the cover story. The page numbers are all in yellow as well as the headings and a description of a quote at the bottoms. The colour scheme is a simple four colours; green, red, black and yellow. The artist names are all in capital black letters with descriptions of the article in smaller text. It all fits round the picture to shape it. There is also a date and issue number.

Contents Page Analysis 2

This is a contents page from Q magazine which tries to appeal to all genres. It has the signature red Q logo in a bar on the top which also includes the page title, contents, the issue number and date. There is one main image of the Courteeners who are the feature artist in this issue with a smaller one of Nick Cave underneath. The main image has a page number, article title and small description which includes a quote on it so you know where to find the main article you see on the cover. There is a single column list of the main features in the magazine, with all page numbers being in red. There is a Q Review section at the bottom also using the red signature colour for the page numbers and two columns of articles. The general colour scheme and layout is very simple and in blocks/block colours which makes it easy to look and and find what you're looking for.

Contents Page Analysis 1

This is a contents page from rock magazine Kerrang. It features one main image of the main artist being featured in the magazine as well as several smaller ones of other people. It has contents written across the top in yellow which is also used in titles to organise the contents. The name of the magazine is included on the page in the signature font so you know what magazine you are reading. The list of articles are in four columns with a fifth column giving information about the editor. The is also a promotion for the magazine in the bottom right corner. This is a very busy layout with lots of small pictures which many rock fans like as it looks messy and careless however it can also be confusing.

Front Cover Analysis Conclusion

After looking at these covers I have decided to take some ideas forward which I can consider when creating my own cover. Firstly for my magazine I will have the name of it in large bold letters at the top and a close up picture of my artist slightly covering it. I also really liked the layout of Mojo and Classic Rock where the artist name was straight across the artist. I also liked their black and white colour schemes with a feature colour, I think red would be a good colour to use as it stands out and fits with the rock theme. Four out of the five magazines used red on their cover. I will also take the idea of listing some bands featured in the magazine to grabs the fans attention and to let people know whats going to be inside. I will most likely only have one person on the cover as I think it looks better and more organised than a full band. I also like the magazines which are fairly simple but not bare like Billboard and I would like to use darker colours like Classic Rock.

Front Cover Analysis 5

The final cover I will look at is an issue of Kerrang featuring All Time Low and immediatley you can see Kerrang covers are not at all organised or simplistic. With red being the main colour there is also a lot of yellow and some white and blue. The name of the magazine is in smashed letters and the artists heads slightly cover it. The photo is a long shot of the band and there are lots of other small pictures on the cover in various places too. The band name covers the photo of them and theres also a quote above it. There is yellow strips across the top and bottom of the magazine with band names in them. There is a barcode on the left hand side in the centre and below that is a feature advertising free posters to encourage buyers.

Front Cover Analysis 4

The source is a rap magazine and this cover is featuring Chris Brown. The photo of him is fairly close up with his face well lit. The colour scheme is black, white, red and gold. Red and gold suggest money and they are colours associated with wealth. Rappers tend to have an interest in gold chains and money so this will appeal to them. The is also a slight gold him to the lighting on the artists face. There is also a list of rappers on the right hand side to draw the attention of their fans. The main artists name is to the left hand side in large writing on a 90 degree angle, unlike the other covers the name doesn't cover the picture. There is also a quote at the top from another rapper to make people want to read more about what he said. The cover is fairly clean and organised and the white background helps with this.

Front Cover Analysis 3

The next cover is from mojo featuring the rock band Aerosmith, a band which I like a lot and would like my magazine to be influenced by. The colour scheme is very clear on this cover with everything being black and white with some red text, this makes the red stand out. The picture is a medium close up and is in black and white to match the colour scheme. The artists head once again covers the name of the magazine. The name, mojo, is also in a fairly thick bold text at the top making it clear what magazine it is. The feature bands name is across the picture of the artist and there is also another band name across the top with a small picture of them in the corner showing they will also be largely featured in the magazine. A free cd is offered on the opposite corner to persuade people to buy this magazine. On the left there is a list of some more bands to draw in any fans to get as many rock fans reading as possible. A barcode is also clear on the bottom right corner.

Front Cover Analysis 2

Next I decided to look at a Billboard magazine cover which mainly features pop music and tries to appeal to a wide audience. Immediately you notice the bright pink background and flowers all over the artist which makes it appear very feminine. Unlike the rock magazine she isn't centred and is edging more toward the right. A mid shot has been used revealing a small amount of the artists leg, her head also covers the magazine name. Light, even lighting has been used so you can see all her features and there is little shadowing. The magazine name is at the top in fairly thin text compared to the rock magazine. The artists name is almost as large as the magazine name and is fitted in the curve of her back drawing attention to it to bring in her fans. The whole magazine layout is very simplistic, clan and organised which is perhaps appealing to the audience as fans of pop tend not to like a huge mess of writing all over and things in no particular order. The layout is to appeal to people with clear minds looking for something easy to read.

Front Cover Analysis 1

I am going to analyse 5 music magazine front covers to find out what they generally contain so I can create my magazine to suit my audience. I will then do the same with 5 contents pages and 5 double page spreads.

This is the first rock magazine I will analyse. It is an issue of classic rock featuring Guns n Roses. The main colours of this magazine are black, white and pink with the artist wearing dark colours. There is also dark lighting on his face creating a dark and dangerous effect which the audience will like. The title if the magazine is in big bold letters at the top and it is made clear that its the name of the magazine. The artists head slightly covers some of the letters. The picture is a mid shot getting the whole of the artists upper body in the shot so you can see how they are staining and their relaxed, carefree posture. The band name is in large pink letters over the picture of the artist and there are other band names around the sides with smaller writing underneath explaining the article relating to that band. I think they do this so the fans of particular bands are drawn in when they see the name of someone they like and would like to read more, it engages them in the magazine. The cover also includes a barcode as well as a date, issue number and price which are in ver small writing. There is also a small advert in the top right corner for a free cd to encourage people to buy the magazine.

Mood Board Inspiration

To help with my initial ideas and future decisions and designing I decided to make a mood board of magazine front pages, contents pages, double page spreads and adverts for music tours to inspire me.

Initial Ideas

I have decided I want to make a rock magazine with some pop-rock aspects as that is my preferred genre of music. I have looked at some rock magazines and taken some inspiration from them to create some initial ideas for my magazine.

Preliminary Task

The first step to completing my coursework was a preliminary task where we had to create a school magazine. I started by looking at some school magazines and identifying the codes and components used as well as taking some inspiration from them. After getting a general idea of the layout I created a basic template on InDesign which I continued to add to and edit as I went on. During my research I found school magazines tend to follow the colour scheme of their school so I decided to make my magazine follow the blue and white colour scheme which our school has. I then went to take my front cover photo using a white backdrop so I could easily edit the photo to make the background transparent on Photoshop. I did this so the head of the student on my front page could slightly cover the title of the magazine as I found many others do this. I then took a picture of the school logo and made
that transparent too. I added some article titles and an issue number and date and my front cover was complete. For my contents page I started by adding a title and my two pictures however it looked very plain so I put the navy blue boxes behind them to create a border. I used 2 text boxes to add in the writing. I made the page numbers light blue and large to stand out from the text and made up some articles which would be likely to appear in a school magazine. The layout however still looked very plain to I used the draw tool on InDesign to create the waves on the top and bottom then also added the navy blue cross meeting at the top left corner for more detail and made the background a very light blue. My contents page was then done.

Welcome

Welcome to my media magazine blog where I will be recording the process of making my music magazine.