Photos I took for my first draft

First Front Cover Draft Music Magazine

Photoshop tutorials using test photos

Test shots

Double Page Spread box draft

Contents page box draft

Box mock-up for front cover

LLIAR analysis of a music magazine

Front Cover, CP, DPS photography analysis

Focus group

This was my focus group for my magazine answering my questionaire.

Focus Group response:

My focus group was useful as it allowed me to find out what my target audience expect to see in a music magazine, what they would be interested in reading about and their preferences for how they read magazines. It helped me find out what genres of music my target audience listen to and as expected it was a broad range of musical tastes from metal to pop to indie to hip hop as well as Jazz. My magazine is an indie/rock magazine so my target audience would be interested in it, I will not change my magazine genre as different people have musical tastes and 3 people who like different things cannot make me change my magazine genre. I was surprised to find out my focus group do not buy magazines often, they either read occasionally or only every few months. This means that my magazine should be monthly as my target audience do not buy magazines every week and as students it would be costly. I was also surprised to find out my target audience unanimously prefer to read magazines physically as many magazines are now available on mobile devices. This information advises me not to produce an online only magazine and also print physical copies for sale in shops. In addition, I found out that my target audience expect to see interviews, new album releases and reviews, gossip about artists and headphone reviews. I will now change my ideas to include review of music technology as this is something my target audience are interested in.

Answers

Q1. How often do you read magazines?

 

Couple of times a year

Not very often

When on holiday

 

Q2. What is your favourite music genre?

Metal

Pop/Indie

Jazz and Hip Hop

 

Q3. If you buy magazines, do you prefer to read them digitally or physically

Physically

Physically

Physically

 

Q4. How much would you spend on a magazine?

 

£2

£5

£2

 

Q5. What do you expect to see in a music magazine?

Interviews, gossip, album releases

Interviews, gossip, album releases

Interviews, gossip, album releases, headphone/speaker reviews

 

Q6. What is your gender?

Female

Female

Male

 

Q7. What is your age?

17

16

17

 

 

Social class and demographics

Questionnaire for my magazine

7 Questions for my focus group

Q1. How often do you read magazines?

Once a week

2-3 times a month

Monthly

Every 3 months

Every 6 months

Annually

Never

Q2. What is your favourite music genre?

Q3. If you buy magazines, do you prefer to read them digitally or physically

Digitally

Physically

I don't read magazines

Q4. How much would you spend on a magazine?

Less than £1

£1.01- £2

£2.01-£3

£3.01-£4

£4.01-£5

More than £5

Q5. What do you expect to see in a music magazine?

Q6. What is your gender?

Male

Female

Q7. What is your age?

Costume ideas

Colour scheme

Fonts and name ideas for final product

Music Magazine Moodboard

Digital Mock Up 4

I added a new font and changed the colour scheme too blue, yellow and pinky red. This is because it suits the costumes and make up well and matches the  hair colour of the girl in the middle of the image. 

Digital mock up 3

Digital mock up 2

Digital mock up 1

Genre research

Reader profile analysis- NME

Front cover, contents page, double page spread analysis

Evaluation of college magazine

Evaluation of college magazine

 

My magazine uses conventions such as a masthead which contains the logo of the magazine. This is placed at the top and is large in size so it can be easily recognised and to make sure it stands out. My colour scheme had three colours, purple, black and white. This is because these are the main colours of the college that the magazine is about. My magazine has a footer which features a Plug competition ‘Win free festival tickets’ this means that the person is more likely to buy the magazine to enter the competition. It also features a barcode which is conventional. The issue number and price is contained in the masthead which is not always conventional of magazines. My magazine has a main image of a college student which is a convention of magazines; my model is showing the mise-en-scene by carrying college folders and having a smile on her face giving off the connotation that the college is a great place to be. My magazine also has pull quotes which have captions which summarise the articles, these are on the front cover so will attract potential customers to buy the magazine. It also has a main story in bold which could draw readers in to buy the magazine too.

My media product represents teenagers in a positive light. The model is shown as happy with college magazines and folders which have connotations of a hardworking, sociable person. This means that the college is also seen in a more positive way. The audience of my magazine is college students. This is shown by the college student model on the front cover and the articles which are about things which will interest people of that age group. The audience are attracted in several ways. The social media logos of Facebook and Twitter mean that the magazine is more accessible and relevant to teenagers who all have accounts on these websites. This means that they are more likely to buy the magazine as it is more connectable to them than if it had no social media presence. Another reason why the audience may be attracted is the 'Win free festival tickets' plug. This means that the target audience are more likely to buy the magazine to have a chance to win tickets for the festival, this links to the pull quote 'New music reviews' which means that students who are interested in music will probably buy the magazine to read about the latest bands. The price is also affordable for the students; it is not as expensive as Vogue magazine which costs a few pounds more. Its affordability means that students are more likely to buy it. The main article 'Beat exam stress' will attract students to the magazine as it will offer them advice for their exams so they are more likely to purchase the magazine. Another pull quote ‘Interview with the principal’ will also increase the likelihood that they purchase the magazine as the students will be interested to hear from the principal about issues that affect the target audience.

During this task I have increased my knowledge on Photoshop. I learnt how to draw and colour in shapes which I have used for my masthead, footer and pull quotes. I also used the text feature even more, with different fonts and colours which fitted into my colour scheme. I also learnt more about camerawork and types of camera angles and shots. I took several pictures for my magazine, several of which I didn’t use on my front covers. The pictures were took in college as it was the perfect setting and mise-en-scene for a college magazine. I took close-up shots where the lens has been zoomed in to show just the face and perhaps the top of the shoulders. I did not use these shots on the front of my magazine as it is not conventional of magazine front covers. I took a medium close up shot that shows the model and the setting behind them. I used this picture because it shows the college mise-en-scene and is conventional of magazines such as NME and Vogue. I used long shots to take pictures of the college as these show the whole subject in one picture, making it the preferred shot type for backgrounds. I also took high angle shots; these are useful for showing the whole body of the model and also the setting and background but from a different angle. Low angle shots are also similar; these show the background and model from the floor. High angle shots are conventionally used in magazine photo-shoots.

I have learnt to take better pictures which show the mise-en-scene and contain a model. For my perfume task I decided not to use a model and instead use an original image of the sky to give connotations of freedom and dreams however using a model means that it is easier to show iconographic features of the place where the picture is set. I have also learned about how to structure a magazine conventionally.

To improve my magazine front cover I would design it more artistically because the rectangles look quite ‘blocky’ and make the front cover seem to have too much on it. To do this I would put the pull quotes on without a box displaying them and relate them to my picture

Magazine spider diagram

Unused images

College magazine front cover

LIIAR analysis peer feedback

Peer feedback LIIAR analysis:

By Naomi Buckley-

Time management- I think you have done well but I would have tried to get a couple of sentences down for the double page spread and the content.

Areas to improve- I think in the language bit when you said about the colour scheme fitting in well I think you should have said what it links in with because I was a bit confused. I would add when you say about the feature story been on a tilt - “her head is also on a tilt so it’s like that bit is her looking at it” or something along the lines to show that the magazine is addressing us and the person in the magazine.

What they have done well – your language skills are really good J

 

Lauren Schofield

Time management: you have written a lot about the language and institution on the front cover but could spend some time at home to finish the LIIAR analysis of the front cover and do the content and double page spread.

Areas to improve: finish the analysisJ you need to

Areas done well: you have used good language skill

To improve I will add some more description to the language analysis of my front cover. I will also finish my LIIAR analysis and improve my time management skills so I can complete work quicker. I will continue to use good language skills and terminology.

 

 

Framing examples