contents construction

This is my conents page for my music magazine. To start of with i opened a blank document on Indesign and decided to keep the white background as i wanted lots of colored text and didn't want it to look to busy. Unfortunately at the time i had to make my contents page i had misplaced my memory stick with all my images on therefor had to use the same photo i had on the front cover. I placed this in the right hand corner quite large as i remember from previous research that a main photo on a contents page is quite effective. After  this i placed the title on a slant above my model to give it an edgy look but swapped the yellow and white around so it would go with my background.
Then i went on to create the text i wanted. As the background is white i wanted lots of bright colours for the text so it would look interesting. I used the 'Type tool' to create text boxes for the writing and then used the 'Apply colour' tool to choose what colour i wanted my text to be. I played around with different font types but decided on 'Rockwell extra bold' as this looked simple and easy to read.

How i made my feature

This is my feature. Unlike the other pieces of work i have produced i had to make this double A4 to make it look like two pages of a magazine. I first decided on a purple a white background, as i thought this wasn’t to girly for my male readers. When i had done this i went on to choose an image for my feature. I chose that photo as i thought it looked fun a quirky and would give a real feel good vibe to my work. I used Photoshop to cut out my model and placed it in the right hand corner.
After i had done this i began adding more images to make it look more exciting. I added three more images of my model performing at a gig with a white box behind to create a funky effect.
Then i began on constructing the text boxes. As my background is purple and white i thought it would be a good idea to continue with this theme and have the text boxes white too. So you can read the writing, i made the text black as i thought it would look too much if i made the writing purple too. To make the text boxes all i did was use the typing tool to make a text box and i then filled it white. I made these text box's slanted as i thought this would give it an edge and make it look less simple.
In between my text i have used quotes such as ' ' and ' ' as this is common in magazine articles and gives the readers a quick view of the material involved in the article before they start reading and it is something to bring them in.

Images and what photoshop tools used

Here are some images i took to go in my music magazine. I had to edit some of these photos so they would be suitable for how i wanted them and to do this i used Photoshop. I had never used Photoshop before i began As Media so had to learn how to use all the tooks quickly.

The tool i got most use out of was the lasoo tool. This is the tool that enables you to select certain boxes and images and remove it from the background. This helped me to cut out the image of my model and change the background to what ever colour i wanted. It is very useful.

Another tool which does something similar is the pen tool. This helps you to create straight or curvey lines around something you want to cut out and then enable you to change its background.

Another useful tool i used was the type tool. What this did was created a text box enable you to type a piece od text onto your photo.

contents page analysis

This a contents page for Kerrang magazine. It involves many images and lot of bright colours which i personally think makes it look quite busy. It does however make it look interesting as there are lots of things going on. The main image is off a band called Slipknot who are wearing all black and strange masks. This is a rather strange image and would draw people in to find out what it is all about making it a good image for a contents page. In the top left corner this is a photo of the editor and a little story about something featured in that issue. The beginning of the text is in bold making it stand out and show that this is a start of an article as this is common at the beginning of a piece of text.
There are 7 other images of varies different bands on this contents page and that is there to brighten up the page and give the audience knowledge of what kind of other things are going to be inside the magazine.
The text is in one simple column down the right hand side with bolder, coloured headings to help the reader find what they are looking for easily. The font is quite simple and all the same, as the photos and colours already make it look exciting enough.
I like there use of lots of bright colours as this makes it look exciting and would be something that would catch the audience’s eye. I also like how they have used a main image on the contents page and i would like to include this aspect in my own work as i already have an idea of what image i would like to use. is

double page spread analysis

This is a double page spread from the magazine 'NME' it features a band called Florence and the Machine, a largely recognised Indi band around at the moment. The main image takes up a lot of the feature and is the first thing you look at when you see this as she is pulling quite a fun, quirky pose playing round with flags in a long shot so you can see her whole body. I like how the photo is the main focus of the page as it makes the feature look less dull as the writing is only part of the focus here and I may consider this idea for my own work. The colour scheme is quite plain with white, black, pale green and red how ever this looks professional as it doesn’t look too busy. I also like how the text is all the same and simple and this fits in with the simplistic look they are obviously going for.

This is a double page spread on Hayley Williams for the magazine Kerrang! She is a massively famous female singer for the band Paramore with a huge fan base and is largely recognisable. Like the feature above the image is the main focus of the feature. It is a close us of Hayley Williams face while she is singing and is quite a cheerful photo. The colour scheme is black white and orange which is quite dark but has a cosy feel to it, and the artist’s hair matches the colour scheme making it look quite professional and neat. The text is in a simple font coloured white so it is readable on the dark background with a large sub heading above giving an insight of what material is going to be in the article encouraging there audience to read on. There is a smaller image on Hayley Williams and her band mates at the bottom of the page witch also fits in quite well with the colour scheme so this was a suitable photo used. This gives the audience more background knowledge on the singer as it shows you the other people she is associated with in the music business. I like that they have added more than one photo to the feature giving there audience something more to look at and I shall take this into consideration when I am making my own feature.

examples of magazines matching my genre

INDIE MAGAZINE

The magazine i am researching is called INDIE. This is an independent style magazine featuring cutting edge fashion and music which focuses lesson celebrities and gossip. This is a magazine that i really like as i can relate to the models that feature on the front. I like the font that they have chosen for the mast head as it is quite plain and boring however it contrasts with the bright colours underneath. I also like how every issue has a different blast of colour. It seems colour has a lot to do with how this magazine gets noticed as this was how it caught my eye. I also like this random and quirky images they have used as this is what gives it its originality, and also the accessories that don’t seem to fit in with the magazine as i think it makes it stand out. Another thing i enjoy is how they have put writing over the top of the image of the model. Because they have done this that is the first piece of text i read as it stands out. This is quite effective and i will r

emember this when i am designing my own magazine and want my main story to stand out. This magazine style is something i really want to include in my magazine, and it is the magazine that will influence what my magazines look the most as it ticks all the box's of what my genre of music is all about, i think the colours they have used with largely influence what my finished product will turn out like as i really like this aspect of these magazine covers. The style of the models have also given me an insight of what is the kind of thing that is expected to be on my model. 

PAPER MAGAZINE

These are examples of a magazine called PAPER. On there front covers they use interesting celebrities with a large fan base there for making them eye catching and interesting to there audience as many people know who they are. On the first front cover is Lilly Allen with big bright pink hair. This looks attractive and quite unique making it a brilliant image for a front cover as this is what is going to bring in there audiences attention. On the second front cover is Ke$ha pulling a face making her look quirky and exciting giving off the impression that the magazine is also going to be like this. Also on the second front cover they have changed the style of there masthead PAPER and put it in individual coloured boxes. I like this technique as i like there use of lots of colours as this contrasts with the plain white background giving off a good effect. I shall consider this use of plain backgrounds with coloured writing in my own production however will not consider using individual boxes as i feel this makes it look quite amateur.

NME MAGAZINE



This is NME magazine which stands for New Musical Express. It is a very famous indi magazine and has been running for many years. This magazine is very masculine despite featuring female artists on their front covers. On the front cover above they have used female singer La Roux looking striking in her pale make up with tears coming down her face. This image is very drastic and is good for a front cover as it catches peoples eye. They have used a very dark background and contrasted it with bright yellow and white writing for the masthead there for making it very easy for there audience to identify what they are saying. There use of these colours means they look more appealing to a male audience and i personally wouldn’t want to just appeal to one sex therefore i shall be following a different colour scheme to this one how ever i do like there used on contrasting colours as this to me looks very effective.

looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product

From this task i have developed my skills in technical areas such as Photoshop and Indesign to create a professional finish to my work. I have also learnt that the audience plays a big part in the choices we make in constructing our magazines, it all depends on there choice of genre and there age. For the preliminary task i definitely didn’t carry out as much research or put as much thought into it as i did with my main task and i learnt this is key in producing an accurate production.

I put more planning into the layout, images used, and colours on my main task as i wanted to achieve more marks that i did on my other work. i sketched out a plan for my front cover so i knew what i was going to do when i got onto Indesign.

Other research i carried out was on two other magazine 'the rolling stone' and 'nme'. I took notice of what fonts, colours and images they used so i could take it into consideration for my magazine so it looked more realistic.

I do feel i have made a vast improvement from my preliminary task to my main one i feel i could have included more mastheads on my front cover. i also believe, that if i had enough time, i could layout my contents page in a much better way to gain more marks. As my magazine is aimed at both sex's i could have used more unisex images as i only included images of a female. However, overall i believe my unisex indi music magazine was quite a success when relating to the genre and target audience
.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted and addressed my audience by using models that are roughly the same age as my target audience and who dress in a similar fashion. i did this as my target audience wouldn’t be interested in someone who is nothing like them therefore resulting in less magazine sales. They can relate more to the models i have chosen therefore persuades the reader that they to can be like them and maybe make it in the music business as easy.

I used big bold texts and bright contrasting colours to catch there attention. This makes the magazine look like something exciting to read. I made it £1.20 which is quite cheap and affordable for students and i have included competitions that they could win such as gig tickets.

Who would the audience be for your media product?

The audience for my music magazine is for both male and females aging between thirteen to twenty. They are going to be of working/middle class that are interested in Indi and alternative images.

The two images above are examples of my audience. There names are Molly Morris and Zack Bullock and they both enjoy listening to bands such as The kooks and Florence and the machine which are both typical Indi bands. They also enjoy socialising with friends and regularly attending gigs and festivals. Molly is currently studying A levels in photography media and English and is hoping to go to university when she has completed her A level studies. Zack is also doing A levels and is studying media art and maths and is also hoping to go to university. Molly and Zack both work in a shop together called the wardrobe and spend there wages on things like clothes, gig tickets, mp3 downloads and films. They both live near the centre of town which is a busy environment but enjoy this surrounding. Molly regularly shops at places like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and h & m. Zack regularly shops at places like Burton, Topman and h & m.

how does your media product represent particular social groups?

The female model on the front cover of my magazine is dressed in a nice white shirt and black trousers. She seems quite stylish and is looking straight into the camera with a serious look on her face. This gives of the impression that the way she is dressed shows she is important and respectable and her facial expression shows that she is serious. Her outfit fits in with the Indi stereo type therefore will attract the right kind of people to read this magazine.
The names of the artists on my front cover seem strange (for example vampire weekend and the kooks). This represents young artists and also that the magazine is something different and creative.

The main image i used in my feature is of my female artists pointing up in the air. She looks happy and quite kooky showing she is confident but also outgoing as she is unashamed of posing and looking into a camera. In the feature i use respectable English with no slang or swearwords to show that she is respectable female despite being a young artist.

In what ways does your media product use develop or challenge form and conventions of real media products?

My media product was a indie music magazine. As this was the theme this helped me decide on what kind of person was going to be included on the front cover. Indie kids are associated with dressing smart in shirts and tight jeans with tassely hair so this gave me the incentive to pick someone who fitted this criteria so my audience could see a comparison with other indie artists.  
All the way through my magazine i have used a colour scheme that has involved typical male and female colours such as greens, purples and oranges. i chose these sort of colours as i have noticed most music magazines such as Kerrang and Rocksound are aimed at more of a male audience and i wanted to make mine different to chose to aim it at both sex's. The fonts i have used are big and bold as this gives it more of a preppy look my audience would enjoy. Most indie magazines use bold fonts like aerial black but for my masthead on my main feature i decided to challenge indie conventions by using a more dainty font such as script ms bold to give it an unique look.

Most of my images are medium long shots which are quite common when it comes to indie magazines, expect for the three small images on my feature. i chose to conform with the indie conventions with medium long shots as this shows of the persons outfits and how they are positioning themselves but also you can clearly see there expression on there face. In my feature i have used no slang and i have spoken in English and this is how my target audience speak. if i were to use slang words it would of made my interview seem less realistic.

front cover progress

 

This is how my front cover began. i chose a light green background to make it look cheerful but not exclude either gender. I put the photo of my main feature in the centre so most attention is focused onto them. My photo is of a female model wearing a shirt and tight black trousers with a brown belt which is seen as 'trendy' to my target audience. My photo was originally on a different background but this didn’t fit in with my ideas on what i wanted the front cover to look like so i used Photoshop to cut out my model and put her on a transparent background giving me a choice on what colour background i could choose.

 This is how my front cover has progressed. I added a title, date of issue & price, bar code, and banner at the bottom. I played around with different font types and colours so see what looked the best and i felt having live in the colour yellow fitted in well as i associate live gigs with bright lights.
I positioned the title of the magazine were i have so it is easy to read however doesn't draw to much attention to it. i put the bar code where it is for the same reason. It is out the way however isn't hard to find it. The date and price of the magazine is small and in black so it doesn't stand out to much however if the reader felt it necessary to find this information out they would know were to look.

In this screen shot i have added the main title of my feature onto my front cover. i put this quite big in the middle of the page over the top of the image of my model as i have seen this done on other magazines and thought it was quite creative as was made obvious to my audience what the main story was going to be about. I put it in pink dainty writing as this story is on a female and the colour pink usually represents a girl.














                                                            
This is my finished front cover. I added a competition to encourage readers to buy it more as they feel they could potentially get something for free out of buying my magazine. I used the same font as the masthead so things looked neat and not to busy. i also added a story on a different artist just to give my audience more incite as to what was going to be inside my magazine.

construction of my music magazine

I came up with the magazine title LIVE because with my past experiences with reading magazines such as NME and ROCKSOUND i have seen that they regularly uses articles about live performances from different kinds of bands and i believe these types of story's to be popular therefore i decided using the title LIVE would fit in with the content of my magazine.

To make my project i have chosen to use Adobe Indesign CS5 & Adobe Photoshop CS5.
For the front cover i used a range of different colours. As my survey suggested they were expecting to see the colour green in my magazine i decided to use a pale green for the background. This could also add to the fact i would like my magazine to appeal to both male and female.
After i did this i edited my main picture. i cut her out from the background and made her the centre of my page.
Then i chose how i wanted my music magazine title to be. I decided on having the words in white and yellow with a thick outline so this gives of the effect of a head light at a gig.
For the cover lines i chose different colours like orange and pink to go around the edge, this is so it looks bright, colourful and attractive.

my feature for my music magazine

Sofia, the new musical express

Its 6 o’clock in the evening, outside the O2 arena Oxford. The April showers are really giving us a run for our money. It is wet. And it is cold, yet you can still feel the excitement buzzing through the crowd of fans queuing up ready to go inside. Sleeping bags tossed to the edge suggesting people have camped over night, one group of teenagers have actually made a sign saying ‘tickets please?!’ the fact they have stayed overnight and are queuing up in this typical British weather without a guarantee of getting in asks the question, what’s so special about Sofia?
Today is the first time I have crossed paths with this teen eminent since she performed in oxford two years ago as a support act for The gossip. She was fresh to the music scene and her music was virtually unknown, however you would never have thought this from how she entertained the crowd. It was almost like they had been fans for years! “That gig was nerve racking, I didn’t know what to expect and was frightened of a bad reaction” says Sofia. She had nothing to be worried about! Sofia has given herself a good reputation over the years on being a good performer, and we must say she deserves it. At every opportunity she gets she’s leaping around the stage giving it her all, even coming to the edge and letting fans grab her hand.
This increasingly popular female artist hasn’t always been such a sensation though, “I wrote ‘Females‘ and ‘Never ever’ when I was 16 in my friends music room while I was going through a bad break up” she tells us. She also used to be part of a band called ‘the trivia’ but parted over disagreements and felt as if she would go further solo.
Her hard work and tricky decisions have sure paid off. Endlessly travelling around Britain playing in tiny venues she didn’t even know existed has brought her a wide spread of support across Brittan. She’s also been swarmed with record companies and hyped by the indie press but has never let any of this go to her head. This young star is incredibly modest and never speaks of her success and we love her for it.
Sofia’s childhood is very different to the life she leads now. She comes from a strict Muslim family and has had to live life by demanding rules. Boys were out of the question and partying was kept to a bare minimum “I didn’t have my first kiss until I was 19!” she giggled. Now she has grown up and is old enough to make her own decisions she has chosen a life without religion, but still has the same loving relationship with her family. They where never much of a wealthy family and lived in an urban area of oxford. To earn herself a bit of money she worked in the local café near her home on most weeknights to fund her studio time she had at the end of every month. “I used to love it there, the studio really felt like my second home.” She tells us. It wasn’t just the studio time she spent her money on. Sofia loves fashion! Her left over money went on her crazy outfits from bright floral hot pants to big round glasses, she really is unique. Noel Fielding described her look as “flipping amazing” I’ll never forget the time I saw her make an appearance on stage with Hadouken! Wearing a mini mouse inspired dress with silver glittery boots, “I was on a mad one that night!” she tells us, with a big grin on her face. Sofia’s interest in fashion, and growing status as a style icon, is about to be cemented with a book, My chic. "It's a style guide," she says. "All the usual fashion don'ts will be fashion dos.” Well she isn’t boring that’s for sure. You never know what she will do next, and what ever happens she has already made a massive impact on the alternative music scene and we are sure you won’t see the back of her for a long while. The relationship between Sofia and her audience creates electricity we’ve not really felt before. It’s clear she’s going to be big this year and we can’t wait to see what she will deliver next.
‘Mirrors’ is out on EMI music on March 10^th.

my survey

I have conducted a survey on survey monkey for my music magazine where I ask my friends questions and this gives me feedback on the quality of my magazine. Here is a graph from one of my questions about the colours in my magazine.  I asked them 'what colours would you most expect to see in my music magazine' this shows that the people who did my survey were mostly expecting the colour green to be in my magazine. They expected the colour red to be featured in my music magazine the least.

 

This is a plan of my magazine front cover. It is quite basic but i am planning on having a large photo of my artist in the middle from the waist upwards and mast heads around her body with the title of my magazine located on the top left hand corner behind the image so the image is the main focus. I am planning on using lots of bright different colours so it looks attractive but also appeals to both male and female.