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