Music Magazine Final Design

Magazine Process

I have added the images to my contents page and linked them to the features in the contents list. adding this images help make the contents page look like ones sold today.

Magazine Process

After gaining some audience feedback I have added some more images as some people asked to see more, and put a background to the bands name as it did not stand out enough before. I now have to make the finishing touches and attention to detail such as page numbers and a pull out quote.  

Magazine Process

I have started the double page spread until I have images for the contents page. So far I have decide the central image and edited. Have started to play around with the layout and where the image is going to be. I have tried it being on one side but decided it was too small, also I have looking at it  with opacity on 100% but once the article is on the page you will not be able to read it. Next is to finish the article and make sure that the language is suitable for my target audience.   

Magazine Process

Since the last up data I have finished the layout for the contents, and added additional information at the bottom. I saw this in my research and it has worked well with the rest of the page. Next for this page I will be adding images that link with the contents information.  

Audience Feedback Questions

Front Cover~:

• How does the central image connote the pop genre?
• Do you think the colours have worked well together? Why?
• How do the layout show that its a magazine?

Contents Page~:

• Does the contents page look apart of the same magazine as the front cover? 
• What do you think about having the contents information as a list?
• How do the images represent the target audience (which 15-18) 

Double Page Spread~:

• Does it look like a double page spread? How could it improve?
• How does it link with the other pages?

Magazine Process

So far I have added my contents list, I have put it in a list as my target audience is 16-18 so having a list doesn't make it childish. 'The Big Top 20' has been put in so show the pop genre, there was similar thing this on the magazines I looked at. Next I will be adding photographs to match the contents list.   

Magazine Process

I haven just started my contents page, I have planned my layout by looking at other pop music magazine and seeing what goes into a contents page. next step is to decide all the features that will be in my magazine to show that it is a pop genre.

Magazine Process

Update- I have edited my central image to make my photography look more professional. Also I have decided on my layout and add some generic conventions such as a barcode and price.

Magazine Process

Update- so far I have started to pull things togther, I have got my masthead, splash, cental image and coverlines all togther. I now need to sort out the layout and add more generic conventions to make it look more like a magazine front cover.

Location

For the location of my photo-shoot I will be using a plain white background. This is because in the magazines I have looked at they have used a plain background either white or a bright colour. This will also make my photographs more professional which is what my audience feedback came back as.

Outfits

I have chosen these outfit because they are very modern. Skinny Jeans are very in right now and I want my band to look like any other person down to earth and in style. I went for simple colours like black and white with a hit of brighter colours like green and blue.

Inspiration

Inspiration- I have look at Little Mix, Union J, Saturdays and 5 Seconds of Summer. They are all pop bands in some way and their styles shows this. I like that the band members outfits link together in each band. Their style in very now and appeals to my target audenice. This is what I hope to do with my band that I am putting together.

Models for Band

Time Management

I have fallen behind in some of my post, but magazine process is going well. I will be updating my blog shortly with post including photography and time process of magazine.

Coverline Ideas

Here are some Coverlines that I might use for my magazine, the colours work well together and the font works well with the masthead I have created. The font I have used is 'Playbill', comparing it to the masthead I have used it works well as this smaller and the serif help give it a more structured look.

Masthead Ideas

These are some ideas for the masthead style. The last two I feel work best and look best for the Pop Music Magazine I am creating. They both connote bright colourful energy which is need for my magaizne. The bright pink and blue helps makes the masthead standout. 
I have used the font ' Berlin Sans FB' and made the letters taller. 
I perfer the bottom two because they are simple but effective.   

Mock-up Double Page Spread

Mock-up Contents Page

Mock-up Front Cover

Style Sheet

Typography

Tracking is the spacing between each letter in a word.

Summary of Pitch Feedback

I asked a group of 4 people that gave me a range for my feedback. What I have took from this is that my target audience wants bright colours, lots of information and interesting images. This has helped me get on the right lines to what I want my magazine to look like and what content to put in. My aim is to make the magazine bright and lively to appeal and catch the eye of my target audience.

Pitch Feedback

1) Which name do you think is most appropriate for my magazine and why?

·         I think shout is a good name for the magazine because it is catchy and appeals to a younger audience.  

·          Selfie because it fits with teenage language

·          Fusion because it sounds cool and catchy   

·         I like Know It and Selfie because they just go with the magazine. Selfie is a younger generation word that will fit with the target audience

2) What sort of content should I include in the magazine?

·         I think the magazine should contain interviews with bands and/or celebrities and possibly pull-out posters for teenagers to use around their bedrooms. 

·         Everything you have put in the pitch, think you have hit all the key points   

·         Review on songs and videos. Could contain interview with celebrities about their favourite songs    

·         include content that's appropriate for 15-17 year olds, like all of the new music and singers, keep everything up to date

3)  What colours do you think would be suitable for my magazine colour palette, please state three?

·         I think bright colours should be used such as pink blue and green. 

·         Blue, Purple, Green 

·         Sunshine yellow, baby blue and lipstick red

·         If it's a unisex magazine, I think colours that would suit both genders would be appropriate. For example, blues, black and whites, red

4)  Do you thing taking an informal approach to the audience is suitable? or should it be more formal?

·         I think an informal approach to the magazine will be more suitable to draw in the younger audience. 

·         Informal because it will fits with today’s society 

·          Informal because it connects with the target audience   

·         I think it's best to keep it informal, it would suit the target audience a lot more this way 

                                 

5) Which images would you prefer to see? Professional images or images of the band performing live? Why?

·         I think that current images are important to be used whether that's professional images or the band performing live but professional images will be more appropriate for posters   

·         Professional it will look better    

·         Bit of both, images of live performing does not focus on them focuses on the music but a professional image does which some teenagers will like.   

·         I think both images would be good in my opinion, if it were me I'd like to see both.

6) Do you prefer the majority of the magazine to be images or writing? Why?

·         I think it's important to have a balance of images and text. Text makes it more interesting to read  

·         writing because you would  want something good to read about in the magazine 

·         50:50, if there’s too much writing it would be like reading a book. But if there is too many images you would not get enough information

·         I'd like most of it to be pictures but still quite a lot of writing as well so that the pictures don't swarm the pages. 

Pitch

Contents Page Analysis

Double Page Spread Analysis

Double page spread from kirstiehope

Institution reseach- Billboard magazine

Billboard from kirstiehope

Music Magazine Genres

Wordle

Action Plan

6th Oct

• Initial ideas for music magazine
• Research of chosen subgenre: Font Page analysis

13th Oct

• Research of chosen subgenre: Contents Page and Double Page Spread analysis
• Develop Pitch

20th Oct

• Pitch & Audiences
• Style Sheet & Mock-up
• Planning for production

3rd Nov

• InDesign/ Photoshop training
• Designing Front Cover

10th Nov

• Designing Front Cover

17th Nov

• Designing Front Cover

24th Nov

• Designing Double Page Spread

1st Dec

• Gain audience feedback on all magazine pages

8th Dec

•  Finalise magazine design

15th Dec

• Evaluation preparation

5th Jan

• Evaluation

Main Task

For this task I must complete the front cover, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. Everything I use much be original which includes all images and text.

Evaluation

1)      In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The key conventions of a student magazine would include a masthead, a central image, headline, house style, mode of address, a puff and a strapline. The front cover has to include most of these things; it must have a masthead and central image. It would normally have a caption to accompany an image, a puff to promote a special offer usually seen in the top left or right corner. It also must have a house style and brand identity, this should then flow onto the contents page(s) and all the way through the magazine. The contents page would normal have a brief description about some of the most interesting stories, and page numbers. Some may have an additional part telling the reader about what went into making the magazine and about the writers.

In my own student magazine I have tried to include many of these and more. I have a masthead and central image, I believe that my front cover and contents page like together well from the use of the house style and brand identity. I have use coverlines to summarise the most enticing features inside the magazine.  Instead of a puff I have use a pug to promote a special offer as it fitted better with the page.

 

2)      How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The social group that I have represented is students. I have done this by including features that would appeal to them and making sure the mode of address is chatty instead of formal. I believe that I have represent students away from the stereotypical way they are seen. I have included features that students want to read about and helpful information that they might need.

I chose the central image because it is of a student so this will help attract the target audience from first look. I have made the langue as chatty as I could to appeal to the students, in the magazine I have mentioned a lot about gossip which will help keep the language chatty. The ratio of text to picture for the front cover would be 70%:30% and for the contents page would be 50%:50%, this will appeal to the students as there is less to read.

 

3)      What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

There is probable a few student magazine, most university’s publish student magazines. As I have aimed mine at college students I feel that there is not as many for this market. My magazine offers exciting information that is of interest to my target market, this is why a company would probable publish my magazine.

4)      Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience is college students between the ages 16-19. I have tried to include features that both genders would what to find in a magazine. The interests that these students may have could be music, film/TV and gossip. These are all things that I have tried to include in my magazine. 

 

5)      How did you attract/address your audience?

In my research I asked a group of students what they wanted to see in a magazine, the coverlines on the front cover was based around the answers I got from my research. To make the magazine more personal to students my central image is of a student, which in a shop will be the first thing that they see. The chatty talk on the front cover and flows to the contents page attracts students as this is who they would talk day to day to their friends. The chatty talk is to represent the students instead of use a formal langue which would not appeal to them. Also the colour scheme was influenced from my research, I tried to use colours that would appeal to both genders but still be eye-catching. The bright purple and blue together is showing youth, energy and life.

6)      What have you learnt about technologies from the process of construing this product?

For this product I use Blogger, InDesign, Photoshop and a digital camera. I have learnt all the different processes for all the computer software’s and learnt what image looks best for a central image. Photoshop and InDesign were difficult at first but after you start to use it more you understand what needs to be done, they both allow you to have a professional look once the magazine is completed. A digital camera is very handy for Blogger, if anything needs to be posted a camera can come in use to take a picture and upload it. One problem with blogger is that documents have to be a JPEG to upload.    

Finished Magazine Font Cover and Contents Page

Mock-Up

Mode Of Address And Name Ideas

Mode Of Address:
I am going to be do my magazine in a informal manner. This will appeal to students more and then make more sells. I would make it gossipy and say want is happening around, find the gossip in the groups and put my opinion to it. I think this would appeal to students because of from my research and what I would want to read in a magazine.    

Name Ideas:
Student Gossip 
The Gossip
College Life 

Contents Page Analysis

Font Cover Analysis

Font Scheme

This is the font scheme. I have identified which font to use for which part of the magazine.  

Colour Scheme

This is my colour scheme ideas, I am more for the purple and black as it will be eye catching.

research target audience

I asked four people what kind of stuff they would like to see in the magazine. This is what they answered.

1) What would you like to see in the student magazine??
     -celebrity gossip
     -upcoming events and information
     -a personal opinion about the latest, gossip
     -information and local events

2) What kind of colours would appeal to you??
     -neutral colours
     -unisex, something bright and exciting
     -nothing too girly... maybe purple
     -blue/green, social colours

3)Would you prefer it to be based in the UK or world wide??
    -World wide
    -UK
    -UK
    -bit of both

4)Based around students or celebrities or both??
    -both
    -students
    -both
    -mainly students, but some inspirational celebrities

5)how much would you pay for this magazine??
   -up to £4
   -£3 tops
   -£1 to £2 (don't have much money to buy magazines)
   -£2

Generic Conventions Of A Student Magazine
Here are some basic ideas on how to make a magazine look like it is for students. I will be using these ideas when making the start of my own student magazine.

Action Plan

So this is my Preliminary Task blog. I have to produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, and produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page.
Deadline: Friday 10th October

Action Plan:
Week One- Research and Planning

Week Two- Production, Photo Shoot and Design Front Cover

Week Three- Production, Design Contents Page

Week Four- Evaluation