drafting and planning - photography

As my magazine is going to be a rock music, the cover star needs to reflect the theme of the magazine through their body language and facial expressions.
For example here, where Oli Sykes from Bring Me the Horizon can be seen to be very confident. He is looking straight into the camera, making direct eye contact with the reader, which adds a bit of intimidation. However, this also has a good effect of engaging the reader. I think that in rock magazines it is important for the cover star too appear to be quite intimidating as they are reflecting rock music, which is know to be in some ways harsh or brutal. Therefore, the front cover picture needs to be able to depict this. His straight facial expression suggests that he is focused, which may link to the headline, for example it could be 'Oli Sykes works hard on new album' and if he is pictured to be focused, it relate to the headline creating cohesion in the magazine.
Body language is also important. For example, here Billie Joe from Green Day is standing with his hands on his hips, which suggests that he feels comfortable and confident, which is good as being confident is very commonly seen amongst rock stars in music magazines. using confident body language shows the reader that the person is ready to talk about their music or whatever it is that they are going to be talking about, and it suggest to the reader that the information could be quite controversial due to the confidence of the person on the photo.

Research into target market: Survey Monkey questionnaire analysis

i thought that this was an important question to ask as sometimes gender plays a big role in the style of a magazine. For example, girls are stereotypically expected to listen to lighter music, while boys are expected to listen to heavier music. This also applies to rock music and it's sub-genres. as 80% of my respondants are female, this means that over 3/4 of my target market will be females. This may suggest that my magazine should focus on the lighter types of rock music, as it is something that females listen to. However, i want to involve both genders equally, therefore my magazine will focus on all genres of rock in order to involve and appeal to everyone.

This question is also a necessity as for my magazine to be successful it needs to appeal to the ages of the target audience. From this i can tell that 90% of my audience are in the ages 15-18, therefore my magazine will need to target and engage this age group. This is an advantage for me as i am in this age group, therefore i have an idea of what people of my age like in music magazines and what type of rock music they listen to.

This question is important in order to find out what the price of my magazine should be. It is important for a magazine to be able to be afforded by their target audience, or else the magazine will not sell and make profit. 80% of my audience said that they would spend 2-4 quid on a music magazine, therefore this gives me an idea of what price range i am looking at including on the cover of the magazine.

I also think that it was important to ask how many respondants of the questionnaire listened to rock music. 90% of them did which shows me that the people who responded know what they are talking about and therefore the answers they give are relevant.

Colour scheme is an important part of a magazine, as it mirrors the style and theme of the magazine. I have found from this question that the colours red and black are very common, and most people associate these colours with rock music. Therefore, i could use the colours black and red in my magazine in order to successfully mirror the rock theme of the magazine.

I also asked my audience what kind of artists they would like to find on the cover of a magazine such as Rock Sound, a popular magazine. My audience have given some good responses that i think are appropriate, so i could use these artists in my magazine in order to get the mise en scene of a music magazine correct.

This question was important to me so that i know what kind of content my audience would like to see. This will come in handy when i create my double page spread and contents page so that i know what kind of features my target audience are looking for.

Drafting and planning - remake remodel task feedback

It is vital for me to have gotten feedback from this work as it is the final piece of work where i had to design a magazine before producing my own magazine.
From my feedback, i now know that a couple of things have to be added to make the magazine look more realistic.
Firstly, i have to add more features such as more supporting cover lines as well as basic conventions such as pugs. This will make the magazine look more realistic as magazines usually have more features, and mine only had three cover lines. However i did this so that the cover lines work with the layout, as there was no space for more cover lines unless i made them smaller, but then they would be less visible.
another thing that i have to work on is the colour scheme of my main headline as the black colour of the font blended in with the shirt of my cover star. therefore when producing my magazine i need to make sure that the cover star is dressed in an appropriate colour.

Reasearch into similar product - colour schemes

Colour schemes are important for magazines because it shows possible connotations of the content of the magazines. For example, the bright orange on this cover relates to 'new noise' as it suggests that the new music is exciting. This persuades the audience to buy the magazine, and makes the reader feel positive due to the bright colours. The mix of orange and pink gives a good balance of colours on the page, therefore making the page look organised and neat. it is important for a magazine to have a colour scheme where the colours work together so that the magazine looks realistic. I would like my magazine to include vibrant colours such as orange, pink, red or yellow as these colours are eye catching and so they can be recognisable on the shelves of shops. 

Drafting and Planning - possible names for the magazines

I want my magazine to have a name which will present the rock/punk nature of the magazine. 'Kerrang' is an onomatopoeia of the sound of the guitar, which is effective as it contributes to the rock theme of the magazine, and the stereotypical mess that is linked with rock music.
One of the ideas for a name for my magazine was 'SMASH' as, following Kerrang's footsteps, i wanted my magazine to depict the messines and chaos linked to rock music, and the onomatopoeia 'smash' would do this as it links to things such as smashing guitars.
I have also thought about 'Sound of Rock' as it describes the magazine well, and it shows the reader what kind of music is talked about in the magazine. However, i would have to stick strictly to the rock music, as with 'Smash' i could include punk and sub genres as it is not as specific.
I have also thought about.

Remake remodel task

I have created this magazine in order for preparation for when i make my own magazine. Using the masthead of Rock Sound allowed me to create a magazine cover in the style of a popular rock magazine, and i also want my own magazine to focus on the rock genre. My main cover star is looking down, which creates an image of being tough or intimidating, which is popular amongst rock magazines. I have used a colour scheme of black and yellow for my main headline, as yellow highlights the important words such as 'fantastic new album' which interest the reader and persuade them into buying the new magazines. Furthermore, yellow is a bright colour which effectively catches the attention of the reader, meaning that it can stand out on the shelf of a shop. I have also consitently used black and red for my cover lines. This was to create a consistency, and make the page looked neat, and not have many different colours on the page. This is due to the fact that many different colours on a page may make the front cover look messy and disorganised, and in result less realistic. I have included a puff, which is a ticket giveaway. These puffs are usually seen on magazines as they are effective ways of persuading the reader into buying the magazine, as well as give the reader something they can't get somewhere else. i have also added a selling line, which tells the reader the motto of the magazine, making the magazine relatable to the reader. I have also included the web address of the magazine so that the reader knows that an online version is available and to inform them that this is where they can find out more about the magazine. I have also added the essential bar code in order for the magazine to be able to sell in retail. Also, the issue date so that the reader knows the date of publishing.

Research into similar product - front cover

target market research: Target Audience of Rock Sound Magazine

The audience of rock sound magazine appears to be 15-24 year olds. 77% of this age group are female. Overall, from outside the age group 55%, over a half, are female. Rock sound also helps around 80% of their audience discover new music and new artists, which is important for a magazine so that they can meet the needs and demands of all of their target audience. Rock Sound magazine is published every 4 weeks, meaning that there are 13 issues per year. The 4 week age gap allows the creators of Rock Sound focus on creating the next issue and include every detail needed. This also allows the young audience to save money, as well as creating a sense of anticipation for the next issue.
I have decided to take inspiration from rock sound for the reasons listed above. I think that my magazine will be successful if i take example from a popular Rock Magazine who's target audience is 15-24 year olds. I also fit in the age group, so i cant relate to the magazine and produce a magazine that people of my age will be able to engage with.

Research into similar product - double page spread

this double page spread is from Rock Sound magazine. I think that this double page spread is effective for a few reasons. Firstly, the colours such as black and white on a grey background nicely contrast each other, making the text visible. The title of the magazine is also effective as it uses different font sizes. 'Absolutely' will catch the reader's attention, it will make the reader want to read the article. Furthermore, the use of pink throughout the title highlights important elements, which make the reader have more interest in the article. The layout is effective as the text and image are on separate sides which means that the page looks more organised. The title spreads out onto the left side of the page, showing the link between the artist and the article which is important, as the reader will know who the article is about. The body language of the star suggests that he is confident, which shows that the article may be controversial, or about the personal life of the artist. The subheadings within the text are on a white background which separates them from the rest of the text, and introduces new topics or questions.

Research into similar product - typography

My magazine will be inspired off magazines such as Rock Sound and Kerrang.
In the most of the articles of these magazines the fonts are very bold and noticeable on the page. This is effective as a bold font can help contribute to the loud, and in some cases, controversial message of the magazine. The typography can also help the reader identify the main headline between other cover stories, which adds a planned out and neat look to the page. The typography can also help to add to themes. For example, if an issue has a robotic theme, then typography such as font will look rather robotic and mechanical; it helps to keep up a consistency throughout the magazine.
Typography is also important in making the magazine look realistic. Choosing a font and it's colour can be critical to the look of the magazine, if a generic or inappropriate font is used then the magazine will seem unrealistic and wont sell very well due to the audience not finding it attractive to the eye. Here are two examples of front covers from each magazine which i think are effective:

On this magazine i like the fact that the typography is used to contribute to the main image, as the word 'pop punk' looks like a part of the water spilling out of the can, and the other words around stand out, contributing to the pink and blue colour scheme of the magazine.

Similarly, i like the typography looks here as it adds consistency to the front cover of the magazine. The magazine looks realistic and more organised. 'Green Day' catches your eye and makes you notice the whole headline.

Research into similar product - contents pages

I have decided to look at a Kerrang Magazine contentents page, as my own magazine will take example from Kerrang Magazine as it is a famous Rock magazine with a target audience of younger people.

I really like this contents page for several reasons. First of all, i like the use of a few of secondary images on the page. These help the reader visualise things, and help them see what the article is about without having to go to the page. I like the use of the picture of a double page spread also as it shows the reader what they can expect, and it encourages the reader to move on. I also like the main, bigger picture of the main article about Bring Me The Horizon as it creates cohesion and gives the reader an insight into what they can find in the magazine. Furthermore, the use of the Kerrang logo on the contents page also creates cohesion, and reminds the reader what magazine they are reading. I like that the words 'contents' and 'this week' are in the same colour as they link and point out what can be find in the particular issue of the magazine. I would also like my magazine to have similar features as it would look like a realistic and professional magazine.

Research into similar product - Mastheads

I have decided to look into mastheads in different rock magazines in order to establish what they have in common. This will help me see what a rock magazine's masthead would usually look like, and i can apply these things to my own rock magazine later on.

Most Rock Sound magazine mastheads are at the top of the page near the skyline. This allows, both, the skyline and masthead to be pointed out by eachother. For example, the reader will notice the masthead and then the skyline above it or vice versa. This is important as the reader will notice the magazine name and then key features in the magazine. As you can see, the cover stars are in front of the main image, making direct eye contact with the reader. This acts in two ways. It's brings the reader's attention towards the masthead as well as makes the reader feel engaged in the magazine. I think this is important as the reader needs to be able to feel engaged and relate to the magazine.

A similar thing happens on the cover of Classic Rock magazine. This tells me that these techniques are common, and are very popular amongst rock magazines. It is a good idea that i do something similar as, first of all, it will show my layout skills but it will also apply to the rock theme of the magazine.

target audience research (kerrang)

I have chosen my magazine to orientate around the rock/punk/pop-punk genres. I picked these genres because it is the type of music that i usually listen to, and because i can find multiple magazines to gain inspiration from.

Kerrang magazine has the same audience that i want my magazine to have. The audience of Kerrang magazine are young people of ages 15-24. Most of this target audience are therefore teenagers. Kerrang relate to their target audience in a couple of ways. For example, Kerrang features musicians who their target audience is likely to listen to. For example, on this cover it is Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance; a majority of Kerrang's target audience are aware of who he is. This way, Kerrang attracts and maintains their target audience.

My magazine will also have a similar target audience of teenagers and young adults. I think this is a good idea for i am a teenager and i know what people my age, who listen to rock music, are interested in. 

Practise magazine in Page Plus

On the front cover, I have decided to use a range of codes and conventions in order for the magazine to look realistic and well organised. First of all, I have used a blue and yellow colour scheme throughout the magazine. This is because Halsey has blue hair with a yellow fragment on her pictures. This creates cohesion between the artist and the magazine. I have also chosen to do this because blue and yellow go together nicely. I have used more yellow in the text than blue because the yellow fragment in her hair is smaller, therefore there would be more blue on the page if I used mostly blue instead of yellow. This way, there is a nice balance of the two colours on the page.

Furthermore, I have decided that the name of the magazine will be ‘Smash!’ this is because it relates to the rock theme of the magazine, and is an onomatopoeia which can make the reader imagine smashing something, which contributes to the rock theme as rock connotes mess and loudness. I have chosen the colour of the masthead to be blue as it relates to the general colour scheme of the magazine. I have also included a selling line which is the motto of the magazine and makes the reader feel more engaged                                                                  

I have of course included the bar code and the price to make the magazine able to sell in retail. This is important as then the publisher of the magazine can make profit off of the magazine.

I have also included a couple of cover lines apart from the main headline in order to make the magazine seem more realistic. This also shows my layout skills as it proves that I can fit multiple things on the page.

Furthermore, I have chosen the main image for a number of reasons. Firstly, the way halsey looks in the magazine shows that she is emotional, and so it shows her sensitivity which relates to the songs on her album, which she then talks about in the magazine. Plus, I felt that the colour scheme would work nice on the magazine, and the way she is standing on the picture makes it easy to place cover lines and secondary image, as well as the main Headline.

I made the main headline very bold on the page so that it stands out and grabs the attention of the reader. The main headline also contributes to the colour scheme of the magazine.

On the contents page I decided to include the masthead, which creates cohesion between the cover and contents page. I have places ‘CONTENTS’ at the top of the page in a bright colour. This is because it will catch the reader’s attention, stand out on the page and make it obvious that it is a contents page. I have also made the word ‘contents’ and subheadings to be in the same font as the masthead, which adds to the cohesion and consistency throughout the magazine. I have also added secondary images to make the page look more interesting as well as linking them to the cover lines. I have also included page number to make the magazine seem more realistic. The background of the contents page is blue, with yellow subheadings in order to contribute to the blue and yellow colour scheme that is visible throughout the magazine.

I have decided to include the masthead on this double page spread in order to create cohesion throughout the magazine. I have also made the title of the artist be in the font of the masthead to contribute to the cohesion made throughout the magazine. I have also included the colour scheme of blue and yellow as it reminds the reader of her hair and creates symbiosis between the artist and the text. I have also included text which wraps around the artist's body on the page which makes the page look more organised. The use of Drop Caps in the text symbolize new paragraphs, just like in a real magazine.

Self assessment of layout experiment task

I believe that what i could of done better when designing the magazines is use a range of different colour schemes. In four of my magazines the colour scheme is mainly red and white. Although i didn't do this on purpose, i should of looked back on the similarities sooner and realised the repeating pattern of red and white colour schemes. I needed to use a range of colour schemes in order to see which one looks best. Therefore, in the future i need to make sure that i am experimenting with a range of different colour schemes to see which one will be most useful later on for my own magazine.
Furthermore, I think that i could of also added more cover lines to each magazine in order to make the magazines look more realistic, as a normal magazine would usually have a few cover lines, and each of mine only had three.
In addition, i could also improve on my analysis as although i did analyse a couple of things i did, but i can go into depth and explain the effects this will have to the reader and the end effect of the front cover of the magazine. I could also expand by writing about the features that i might have missed out on.
I plan to use this exercise in the future as it shows me what works best with particular types of magazines, and which fonts apply and which ones do not. Layout is also important, and this task helped me practice the placing of features such as cover lines on the page. This will be useful in the future when creating my own magazine as i have the skills needed for designing the layout of the cover page, so that the magazine looks professional and realistic. Furthermore, i had to apply generic codes and conventions to the magazines during this task, so it gave me practise on creating things such as anchorage text, which is essential to grabbing the reader's attention.
I also want my magazine to be a rock magazine, and this task enabled me to create a cover page of two typically rock magazines. This will help me in planning my own magazine as i will know the skills needed to create a good rock magazine of my own. I also practised making the magazine to the liking of the target audience, which is important so that the magazine appeals to the target audience and in result sells successfully.

Layout experiments task

One of the most successful things that i have managed to achieve when designing this magazine cover was the cohesion between the masthead and drake by the colours of the text. Most of my text is gold to match the colour of Drake's shirt and his accessories. I have also made a reference to one of his most famous songs, therefore, it is relatable to fans and adds humour to the magazine. Furthermore, i have included some red highlights to match the text to the masthead. Furthermore, having less colours on the page can mean that the page looks more organised. I have also included ancorage text to hook the reader, and puffs such as exclusive interviews to persuade the reader to buy the magazine. I have also included the essentials such as the date of issue publishing, website and price to accompany the barcode.

 With this magazine, i had to build up and image of a band. I have chose this to be a hippy band because of how the band look and the tie-dye colour of the woman's dress, which is stereotypically hippie. I have chose the name 'Hippie Hype' as it relates to the genre of the band and the word 'Hype' suggests that their music is fun and interesting. In the subtitle and anchorage text i said that the band is new, which can persuade the reader to buy the magazine and find out more about the band. I have chosen to put red boxes behind the main cover line and the subtitle to make it cohesive to the masthead. I have chosen the text colour to be yellow and red as they go together, and match the masthead. I have chosen the font of the main headline and the font of the band be in a hippie style to contribute to the genre of the band. Furthermore, i have included a cd review which may attract the audience. I have also included the price, date and website to make the magazine able to sell.

 In this magazine cover i decided that the main colour should be red to match the hints of red in the masthead and in the picture of the artist. I also think that the red colour stands out boldly  against the black background. I have also included anchorage text which can hook the reader and persuade them to buy the magazine. The additional cover lines will tell the audience what is in the magazine without them having to look at the contents page. I have also included the date of when the magazine was published, website and price so that the magazine can be sold in retail. A couple of white elements on the page also link to to the masthead, which makes the page look more organised and creates cohesion.

For this magazine i have also used the colour red as the main colour. This is mostly because of the masthead and to create a sense of cohesion between it and the text so that the page looks well organised. I made the main cover have two layers to it so that 'Marilyn Manson' is the main thing that stands out on the page apart from the masthead. Furthermore, the subtitle to the main title is in white to link to the main image and also make it more visible and differ from the rest of the text.

For this magazine, i have used the colour white as the main colour of fonts in order to make the page look organised. The white text also links to the white background and makes the main image stand out more. I have of course included the date, price and website along with the barcode in order to make the magazine able to sell. Above the masthead i have also included a selling line, which is a motto of the magazine which briefly describes the content of the magazine and make people want to buy it. I have also included a pug, which is the giveaway which will persuade the audience to buy the magazine as they get something free with it. Furthermore i have also included other cover lines to make the reader aware of what else they can find in the magazine.