Tuesday, 14 February 2012

double page spread for my magazine




magazine pitch


R&B magazine pitch

  • ·        Monthly issues
  • ·        Specifically aimed at R&B and rap genre (as these genres are similar)
  • ·        Target audience of under 25’s
  • ·        £3 per issue


The name of the magazine I am constructing is called R&B and focuses mainly on the R&B and rap genres of music. I have looked carefully into the target audience for my audience using questionnaires and focus groups and also into similar magazines to look at layout, content, mode of address, price and how often it’s published.


Research into target audience- from the research I have found that the target audience would be made up of equal number of male and female readers. I also found that the target audience will be relatively young as 70% were 25 or below from the initial questionnaire. I also found that the most popular price category was between £2.01-£3.00 and so my magazine will be priced at £3 per issue which is reasonable as it will be released monthly.

Research into similar products- I looked at three similar magazines: NME, Q and rolling stone. From the similar product analysis I found that the language used is mainly formal, although NME used more informal terms as it was aimed at a younger target audience than the other two. I found that the magazines tend not to directly address the audiences, which is something I will follow in my magazine. I also looked at the layouts used on front covers, contents pages and double page spreads which I can use when constructing my own magazine. I also found a lot about the content of the magazines which were all pretty similar so I will aim to include similar things in my magazine. From the conventions I have found from similar products, I will try to include many of these conventions in my magazine as they are successful for popular and successful music magazines.

I feel that my magazine will be successful as I have already identified the target audience that it will be aimed at and made it with what they want in mind as identified in my questionnaire. I also feel by following conventions from successful music magazines, my magazine also has a high chance of being a success. 

focus group contents pages


Thursday, 9 February 2012

focus group double page spread


focus group front covers


draft text for double page spread


fresh from recording for the first  in def. jam studio after announcing the release of his new album later this year, we caught up with British raps hottest property to talk about his big record deal and his plans to crack America .  First thing we asked him?, well how long will we have to wait for the album to come out?  He told us the album is planned to drop sometime this June, however would give us no clues as to what its going to be called or whether rumours of a collaboration with Wiz Khalifa were true.However when asked about his plans to crack America he told us that its something he really wants and hopes will be a big success after good reviews from his first mix tape.  The rapper also added that he has finalised a deal to see him added to the line up at this years V festival , where he’ll be joined by boyhood hero Jay-Z who headlines the festival.. He told us “ it’s a dream come true to be playing at such a big festival and on the same line up as Jay-Z who I’ve admired my whole life, its massive!”.Dizmul has also been nominated for several breakthrough act awards including a nomination at this years Brit awards at the 02 arena.

research into institutions


Research into institutions

NME- IPC Media (formerly International Publishing Corporation), a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. The company caters for many different demographics and have published many different types of magazines and comics. The company only currently prints magazines and no other types of media. the target audience for nme is predominately teenagers,
 Current Publishing Divisions
IPC Media groups its current titles under three magazine divisions each focusing on a core audience.
Connect — mass market women
Southbank — upmarket women
Inspire — men


Q magazine- Bauer Media Group is a large German publishing company based in Hamburg, which operates in 15 countries worldwide. Since the company was founded in 1875, it has been privately-owned and under management by the Bauer family. It was formerly called Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, abbreviated to HBV and usually shortened to H. Bauer. Worldwide circulation of Bauer Media Group's magazine titles amounts to 38 million magazines a week. Bauer Media Group has a 50% stake in the British television company Box Television, the other half owned by Channel 4. Box Television acts as the content subsidiary that produces several popular music television channels, which include: Q TV, 4Music, Kiss TV, Kerrang! TV, The Box,  Magic TV,  Smash Hits TV. This is an example of cross media convergence as the magazine advertises the TV channels and the TV channels advertise the magazine. Bauer group also publish popular rock magazine Kerrang!, which is also very successful but focuses on a different genre of music. The target audience targeted for Q is over 25’s and is based on popular music whereas the Kerrang! Target audience is rock fans.

Rolling stone- Jann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone unlike the other two magazines which are published by companies.  Wenner also owns and publishes mens journal (aimed at middle aged men, mens lifestyle and culture magazine) and us weekly magazines (aimed at mass market women, celebrity gossip magazine). There are no subsidiary’s as its not owned by a company. Wenner only publishes magazines so there are no examples of cross media convergence. 

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

draft font ideas


Draft font ideas for my magazine


Destroyed aero

Cooper std black

Cinnamon cake

Harabarra

plane crash

Rockwell extra bold

Copperplate gothic 

from this I have decided to use harabarra as the font for my masthead on my front cover of my magazine. I downloaded the font from dafont.com 

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

contents draft layout


double page spread draft layout


draft front cover layout


draft colour scheme for my magazine


research into similar products analysis


Research into similar products analysis

Design- from the research into similar magazines I have found what designs are conventional in music magazines for front covers, double page spreads and contents pages. I have found that all 3 of the magazines I researched use one main picture on the front cover and takes up the most room on the page. I also found that the masthead is always the largest font used on the front cover, as the magazine name is a big selling point alone as they are all very successful.  I have also found that in the double page spreads all three magazine use drop caps to start the article.  I also found that most cover lines were placed down the left side of magazine covers and so I will use this technique in my magazine. I have also found that the double page paged spreads tend to only use one picture and often have it on one page and fill the other page with the text, which is again something I aim to do in my magazine.

Content- I found that all magazines advertise their best stories in the contents page instead of a table of contents summarising every page. On the contents page the main stories will be advertised with pictures and text, and the pictures used in the contents will be different to the ones in the double page spread and front cover so there needs to be a range of pictures taken. I also found that it’s conventional for magazines to use a subscription advert on the contents page. I also found that magazines often use a pull quote from the text on the double page spread. Most double spreads also use a stand first under the headline which gives a lowdown on what the article is about. I have also found that most of the text is in sans serif font but certain bits of an article use serif font (usually pull quotes or stand firsts) and or different colour font.

Mode of address- from the research I found that magazines with a vaster target audience (Q and rolling stone) address the audience differently than NME who has a specific genre it targets and so directly addresses the audience and uses words to directly address them. I found that NME focuses on rock and roll lifestyles a lot and speaks about sex, alcohol and drugs more as its aimed at a young target audience ( a similar target audience that would be interested in my magazine according to my questionnaire results) and makes them feel part of the lifestyle. Rolling stone and Q have vaster and older target audiences and so cover more genres and so do not directly address the audience a lot in the text. 

Saturday, 4 February 2012

NME contents analysis


Typography—  sans serif font is used consistently across all of the page. The largest font used on the page is the headline/ title which is conventional as it tell the audience what page it is, the main article is placed in the middle of the page and so has more of a caption and also bolder text. The page numbers are placed on to of the pictures so they stand out more as they are the same colour as the text. The only serif font used on the page is in the plus column where it briefly goes through the other articles in the issue, serif font is used to separate it from the text surrounding the pictures as it is the same colour and size.

Layout—  the layout used is conventional as most magazines use one page for there contents as Nme do here. It is also ordered as each article featured on the contents page has exactly the same layout  with there picture with the page number on along with text underneath each picture expanding on each article (caption). They are all ordered  around the main article featured which has a larger picture and bigger font and is located in the middle of the page.  The headline/title is ‘inside this week’ which is unconventional as most magazines include the word contents and the magazine name which does not feature here.  The issue date is located below the title which is conventional . There is an advertisement in the bottom right corner to subscribe to the magazine for every issue, this is brighter than the rest of the page as it cant make the magazine allot of money and so stands out more.

Colour– there is a  consistent colour scheme used on the contents page ,which is black and white. The background d the page is white and all the text on the page is black, this is used as black on a white background stands out well and is easily readable. However is it unconventional to only use two colours on a page and usually  colour schemes contain more colours than this . The only exception to the colour scheme is the subscription advert in the bottom right corner which is brighter than the rest of the page using red and yellow so it stands out more and is used because it generates a lot of money for the magazine.

Camerawork/ mise-en-scenethere are a range of shots used in the contents page, there are close ups , mid shots, long shots two shots and live action pictures all used in just the contents. There are no  costumes used in the photos which is conventional for music magazines where in the photo shoots artists nearly always wear there own clothes . However in pictures of the artist playing live there are usually instruments and microphones used.

Mode of addressthe language used in NME is far more informal than in Q and rolling stone, this is because it is aimed at a target audience of mainly teenagers. The contents of the text is famous for promoting a ‘rock star lifestyle’ and even talks about sex and partying in the contents. There are not many complicated words used due to the young target audience its aimed at and also uses lots of wearing and slang.






Q contents page analysis

 Layout— the layout of the Q contents page is unconventional as they have spread the contents over two sides of a page, with each side mirrors the  layout  of the other as what's on the left side of one appears on the right of the other and keeps the same colour scheme. At the top of the first side it has the headline/title ‘contents’ which is the boldest text on the page. the main picture on each page is located on the  top right of the front and top left of the back page and has two smaller pictures located directly below it.  All text is placed down the left side of the front page with a small picture at the top of the column this is the same on the right side of the back contents page except it has a picture of the magazine cover at the top of the column.  The pictures all have the page numbers on them which are bold and easy to see. There is a small circle located underneath the title with the issue number printed on it. There is also a subscribe box located on the back page of the contents offering a discount if you subscribe for a year. Despite the amount on the contents it is an ordered layout. Another unconventional element is that they show a picture of two of the double page spreads in the contents.  The issue date and page number are also located at the bottom corner of every page.

ColourThere is a consistent colour scheme used throughout both sides of the contents page, this is white, red and black.  Is conventional for magazines not to use more than 3 or 4 colours on a page so it doesn't look overloaded with colour. All page numbers are in red as they are easily recognised and do not blend in with the text. The majority of the text is in black as this is complimented by the white background and so is easily visible and stands out well.  Certain parts of the text have been put in red font in order for them to stand out more for example the ‘regulars and ‘features’ headings are in red which  clearly separates them from the article titles below. There is also a black text box on the bottom of the back contents page with white font on which is used to lighten up the page but is also more eye catching and so considered an important article.

Mode of address– the language used is quite informal as there is swearing used and phrases like bloke and pigeon crap this is because it is aimed at an adult audience and so wouldn't usually be read by children. The magazine does not use any words that directly addresses the audience and so is mainly in third person .  It would be considered an ‘easy read’ as there are not many complicated words in the text and so would a low age reading level.

Typography– the contents headline/title is the largest font on the page which is conventional as it tells you what page it is. Sans serif font is used throughout both sides of the contents and he same font type is used throughout. On the front page text column the first article which is related to the picture above it has larger font than the rest of the column and is in red compared to black for the rest. The article names are in bold so they are more obvious than the stand firsts below and are more eye catching. A slogan is used underneath the contents title ‘discover great music’ which is the magazines slogan will reappear a lot throughout the issue. The Q logo is also at the top of the page which is conventional as most magazines will put there logo/title on every page. The subscribe advert also has much larger font as it is  an advert for the magazine to make money.   There is also a review box on the back page which has a different colour font to the rest of the page (white) and is bold throughout the whole text box.

Camerawork/ mise-en-scene– there are a range of different shots used across the contents pages from different articles. Al the picture used on the contents page will have the page number written on the picture and will also be related to one of the stories advertised in the text side of the page., which will give more information about the article. the pictures have been specially taken for the use in the magazine however Q have also used pictures from live performances.  Another important point from the pictures is that they do not repeat the same pictures as those in the article and have separate pictures for the contents page. There are props used for certain photos like the blood used in the Lana del Rey photo-shoot and certain articles they have also used costumes like the  two men in the bear costumes in the 140 songs to download now article.





     

rolling stone contents page anlysis


Typography— all page numbers on the contents page are in serif font as  is the text underneath each of titles the article titles, but the  article titles themselves are in sans serif font and bold, which helps the titles stand out more. The page is split up so that the cover lines are split up under what  topic there about, these titles are in  sans serif font again as they are meant to stand out more and are also In red font so they do not look like an article title.  The title of the magazine (Rolling stone) and the issue date are in small font under the title (contents) in the same font as the title and same colour which makes it look more professional.

Mode of address – the magazine does not directly address the audience due to the large and vast target audience rolling stone has. From the language used you can see that rolling stone seems to be aiming at a target audience of older people (over 25s) which is shown by the topics in the text like climate change which would not appeal to a young audience but also the way that they use lots of long words which would mean it had a high average reading age and hard for  younger readers  to read.

Layout—the layout of the contents page is conventional as most magazines use just one page for their contents. The contents does not contain every page number and only includes articles that they think are the most attractive under the title ‘features’ which is again conventional of contents pages. 3 pictures have been used and there page number is printed  on there rather than any text describing that particular article which again is very conventional for music magazine contents pages. The title/headline which says it’s the contents page is at the top of the page and Contents is the largest font (sans serif) on the  page which follows conventions as the title is usually the biggest font on a page. All pictures are on the left side and all text is down the right side.  All three of the pictures are equal in length going across the page and so looks organised as they all  line up.

Colour—there  is a consistent colour scheme used on the contents page and is not overloaded with lots of different colours which can make the layout look less professional and have to much happening. The colour scheme used is white, red and black. White is the background colour of the page and is also used for the title at the top of the page across the red box which helps the white stand out more on a red background which is Important for the title to stand out.  All article titles and text below them (stand first) is in black font as black stand out well on the whit e background. Red font is used to separate the articles into genre I.e. features, national affairs etc.  By using a different colour these are easily recognised and not confused with the article  headlines. All page numbers next to the text are in red font which makes them stand out from the title headlines. White font is used on the page numbers on the pictures as white best stands out on pictures.

Camerawork/ Mise –en-scene — a range of pictures are featured In the contents page so not magazine does not look repetitive and it is also important to have varied shots.  The shots used  relate to the text and so what's in the shot is very important. A close up  is used of a music artist and the focus is solely on her and the only prop used is something to cover her mouth which fits with the title where the word radical is used which suggest she is extreme and therefore not normal. The biggest picture is a live performance shot of a musician and so props used include microphones and guitars which are props you expect to see with a musician and fits the genre well, in both shots of the musicians they are not wearing costumes they are wearing there own clothes. There is also a shot relating to the climate change article which shows a bird in an area where  it has been affected which again relates well with the article. Overall the pictures and props have been carefully chosen to suit the article that there related to.




Friday, 3 February 2012

my magazine photos

  



   
i have taken a range of photos for my magazine i have used a close up, long shot and two shot of the artist with he's producer to use variety and range in my magazine. 

Thursday, 2 February 2012

rolling stone double page spread analysis


Layout— the layout used for the double page spread is less common than used in nme and Q. the picture covers both pages in the double page spread which is unusual as many magazines have the picture taking up all of one page and have the other page filled with text.  Using this layout means there is less room for text and so does not have a lot of text on the double page spread however the article continues onto another double page spread. The layout is ordered and the text is ordered in columns in the bottom right corner of the page.  A watermark is also used as part of the headline.

Typography-  the kicker is in serif font with the rest of the article in sans serif font which is unusual as often when a drop cap is used it is usually the same style just bigger and often in another colour which isn't the case here.  A stand first is used in a larger font at the start of the article to give a brief lowdown on what the article is about. Part of the headline is used as a watermark ( the USA part) and so is partly covered by the picture, it is also in larger different font. Underneath the title there is a byline used telling us the journalists name and the photographers name.

Colour scheme—there are few colours used on the double page spread and the vast majority of the spread is black and grey. Using these dark colours helps to make the red (on the flag and her hair) look brighter and so stand out more. The background of the page is different shades of grey as is the watermark as its also part of the background. All other text is in black font which is unusual as often the headline and or the stand first is in different colours.  One of the connotations associated with red is power which Is fitting in the article as it talks about her being such a success story and how she has taken America by storm.

Mise-en-scene— a USA flag is used in the picture as its directly associated with the article as the article talks about Florence and the machine in America. There is also some kind of stool/table used which she is sitting on but is covered by the flag so we are unable to see, this is useful as it means they can use a shot of her sitting down. 

 Mode of address-  the language used is formal as there is no slang or swearing in the text. The magazine does not directly speak to the audience and is written in 3rd person which is recurring for the whole of the rolling stone magazine. The article is written in a style that is aimed at fans of the artist ( hence the title : USA got the love, adjusted from her song you got the love) which people who do not follow her wouldn't understand.

Camerawork—a long shot is used of Florence welch sitting on a table/stool covered in an American flag. It’s a long shot as you can see all of her body and the surroundings in the shot. It is conventional to use longer ranged shots in double paged spreads as often the picture shows the artists whole body. The picture is more on the left side of the spread however the shot crosses over onto both pages of the spread, something that is unusual in terms of layout. It is slightly more to the left so it does not interfere with the text which is located to the right side of the right page.






Wednesday, 1 February 2012

rolling stone front cover analysis




Route of the eye— the route of the eye goes along the masthead at the top through the main picture of ke$ha which takes up most of the route of the eye and along the bottom of the page where there has been no text placed which is very unusual as this is where the cover story  is placed but instead has been placed in the top left corner of the cover.

Layout— the layout  used is a very common layout, the masthead is located at the top of the magazine and is the largest font on the page. The main picture of ke$ha  takes up most of the of the page but is located more to the right of the page with all cover lines down the left side of the page vertically aligned. The picture has been brought to front as the top of her head covers part of the rolling stone logo, this is a common feature of magazine covers to have the  picture cover part of the masthead. There is no text across the  bottom of the page, which is unusual  as many magazines use this space to advertise the cover story.  The layout of the page is ordered  with all  the cover lines vertically aligned down the left side of the page.

Camerawork— a close up shot of ke$ha has been used as the main shot on the front cover, it’s a close up as you can only see her from chest upwards. A close up is used as she is a famous star and so by using a close up she is easily recognisable and is a big selling point for rolling stone.  The shot is in black and white which is an unusual technique for a front cover which is nearly always shot in colour, however it does fit well with the dark colour scheme used on the cover. Another  unusual part of the shot is that you can only see one side of her face which is unusual for a close up on a front cover where  usually the whole face will be shown.

Typography— the rolling stone logo is the largest font  on the cover which is usual as it’s the masthead . The logo is the same as used in every issue. The cover story is the second biggest font on the cover and is  bold and in complete capitals as is the stand first  unlike the rest of  the cover lines which are in  normal sans serif font. All cover lines keep the same font throughout the cover and the same colour which keeps a consistent look about the magazine.

 Colour– the colour scheme used on the cover of this issue is predominately black and white , as the picture has been taken in black and white to fit the colour scheme and all the cover lines are in white text . The masthead is still in red font as this is the colour of the rolling stone logo in every issue and so has not been changed, this also helps it stand out more from a dark background. There are also orange lines used to separate the cover lines from each other but neither the red masthead or orange lines are particularly bright  which fits with the dark colour scheme used.


 Mode of address– the magazine does not directly speak to the audience due to the large target audience rolling stone has it would be hard to direct such a vast and different audience. The language used in the magazine is formal as it also talks about films and politics and so has an older target audience than a magazine like NME which has a young target audience.  There are no words at all  directly  aimed at the audience E.G. You and we. Although the language is formal the word ‘sleaziest’ is used in relation to the ke$ha article which suggest some articles are more aimed at specific target audiences inside the main target audience.

 Mise-en-scene—there are no props used in the shot and no special background used. This is so none of the focus is taken away from the cover artist (ke$ha) , which the editors believe is a powerful enough image to sell the magazine without any props or backgrounds. The clothes used are her own and she isn't wearing a special outfit for the photo shoot, however her clothing is dark which fits in with the colour scheme of the magazine cover.






Monday, 30 January 2012

NME double page spread analysis


Layout-  Nme have used one page for the picture and not text and the other page for all the text, this is the most common layout used for double page spreads in music magazines.  The name of the band being interviewed is a bold headline at the top of the text page and underneath there is a stand first giving more information on the article.  There is also a pink strip on the bottom of the text page with text on, it is in another colour as it’s a different article but also lightens up a dull page.

Typography– the article is in columns which is common for magazines and the font used for most of the text is just plain black which again is very common for magazines.  kickers are used at the beginning of the article and again towards the end to signal the start of another section of the article, kickers  are often used at the start of magazines and usually in a different colour in this case pink.  The headline with the name of the band is the largest font on the page and is in a different font as its meant to stand out.  An italic font is used on the stand first , it is in italics to show its separate from the rest of the article.

Mise-en-scene—  the only props used in the shot of the band is a long piece of knitting which has the bands name on, which they are holding as if they have just knitted and the two chairs that they are sitting on. The clothes they are wearing are their own and wearing nothing unusual.  There is also no special background used for the shot as its taken against a plain white background.  The prop is mainly used to brighten up the spread as it’s predominately white and the red knitting brightens it up .

Colour– The main colour used throughout the double page spread is white  and there are very few other colours used across it . There are aspects of  pink used on the drop caps and used on the box containing another article. And the text is black throughout the article.

Camerawork— the shot type used is a two shot as it fits both band members in and you can also see all their bodies as the distance of the shot is long. It also fits the knitting into the shot which is used as a why of incorporating the bands name into the shot as you can read ‘deathrays’ on the knitting. A plain white background has been used on the shot which means that the editor doesn't want to take the focus of the band themselves and so they are the only thing in the shot. 

Mode of addressNME is known for promoting a ’rock and roll’ lifestyle and often talks about drugs, alcohol and parties. This is due to the young target audience Nme has which is mainly teenagers. In the article about ‘DZ deathrays’ they mention drinking a bottle of jaegermeister in four minutes and house parties both of which mainly appeal to a teenage audience. The language is very informal and lots of the article is quoted. The article is written so it is talking directly to the audience so they feel like they are part of the lifestyle NME promotes and that the stars are talking directly to them.






NME front cover analysis


Typography- the font used on the masthead of the magazine (NME) is bold and in capitals to emphasise the importance, this is conventional for a magazine to have the masthead in bold and always features at the top of the page.  There are different coloured and types of fonts used on the cover story( 100 new bands you have to hear), this is completely   in capital letters as this makes it stand out more. Also In the text accompanying some letters are in bold and some are not and some are sans serif and some are serif font which is don't for effect and made to look ‘messy’ which is part of the theme on the front cover.

Route of the eye:  the route of the eye goes across the masthead through the cover story and the main picture which are placed next to each other and across the bottom  through the text accompanying the main article heading.

Layout- the layout of the front cover is cluttered. It is also an uncommon layout for a front cover as the main picture is not the main point of the cover as the cover story text is actually the biggest point on the cover (100 new bands). The cluttered layout makes the cover look more like a scrapbook layout and the picture looks like its been cut out and stuck on the cover. There is also another small picture used in the top right corner of the cover which is another uncommon feature for a music magazine cover. The cover story has also been positioned un-straight and so the text looks wonky and un ordered. This is an uncommon feature  of a front cover where the masthead is usually placed straight at the top of the page and the cover story across the bottom, with the picture being in the middle.

Camerawork- a long shot is used on the main picture as you can see nearly all  of his body (from head to legs) . This shot type is used as he is playing his guitar and so this shot is the best to show this.  The shot itself is in black and white which is used due to the magazine covers theme which is made to look like a scrapbook and so the picture is placed on a white background( which is separate from the front cover) background and so looks like it has been cut out and stuck on.

Mode of address- the magazine is directly talking to the audience, which we can see by the text ( 100 new band you have to hear) as the word ‘you’ directly targets the reader and so the reader feels as if they are part of the magazine. The language is formal on the cover which is unusual for NME who are associated with rock star lifestyles and lots of wearing, as there is no slang or swearing used on the front cover. As the magazine is aimed at a smaller audience than Q they can directly speak to the audience as they have similar interests and are all fans of similar music and genres ( mainly rock music).

 Mise-en-scene- the only props used on the cover is a guitar which is used as the cover model is meant to be a rock star and he is also wearing skinny jeans which is another thing associated with the genre (rock) that NME predominately aimed at.  By looking like this it is more likely to appeal to the target audience as the can relate to it . 

Colour- there is a consistent colour theme used throughout the front cover . The background colour is pink, this is used as its bright and instantly attracts the eye of the reader. There are only 3 other colours used : yellow , black and white. These are all used for the text on the cover. By not overloading the cover with too much colour it helps to make the magazine look more professional and easier to read as all the colour isn't too distracting.











Sunday, 29 January 2012

Q double page spread analysis


Layout- the layout of the double page spread is ordered and Q has chosen to use a common layout with the picture taking up one page and putting all the text on the other page. An unusual design in the layout is on the text page they have used to small pictures in the middle column.  The text has been laid out in three columns which is common of magazines to put text into columns. A pull quote is also used which is placed on the page with the main picture. The first thing that the audience will see is the picture as it’s the most eye catching thing on the spread.  There are two kickers but no headline or standfirst on the text page.

Typography- the font used on the pull quote is bold and in block capitals, this is to make it stand out more as it’s clearly a quote that the editor wanted to be read. Two kickers are also used in the article, one of which is at the start and the other indicates the start of another topic. Kickers are commonly used at the start of articles in magazines. All  font is sans serif.

Mise –en-scene – the costumes/attire worn by the Coldplay band is all bright colours which has been used to match the bright background that the pictures have been taken on. The background used has been specially created for the photo shoot and is artificial so the shoot would have taken in a studio rather than an outdoor location and most likely using a green sheet of some sort. There are no additional props used in the photo shoot and the shots are kept basic.

Camerawork – the shot used is a long shot as it fits all four band members in and you can see the background behind them on all sides, which is important as the background is an important part of the shot. The shot is neither high angled or low angled and so does not affect how they are represented.

Mode of address- the magazine uses formal language throughout the text and does not directly talk to the audience.  The reading age is higher than NME as it’s aimed at an older target audience and is reflected in the content. 




Wednesday, 25 January 2012

q cover analysis

Typography- bold sans serif fonts are used throughout the front cover, this is used as bold fonts are more eye catching. The biggest font is the ‘Lana Del Rey’ (cover story) this is because it’s the main important article advertised and it accompanies the main picture, it also uses pink font which helps it stand out. All cover lines are in capitals to help them stand out. The text that accompanies the cover lines are not in capitals and are in a smaller sized font. The font used on the ‘Lana Del Rey’ is unusual and looks as if it has been written with lipstick and has been used to match the personality of the artist.


Layout- the layout of the front cover is ordered with text being positioned around the main picture and magazine title, this is a consistent layout used in every issue of the magazine. The picture is placed in the middle of the page and the masthead is placed in the top left corner of the cover. The picture is placed in the middle as it’s the largest feature of the cover and the biggest eye catching point. The cover story is placed near the bottom of the page and goes across the picture to show it accompanies it, this is a layout often used on magazine covers. The cover lines are on both sides of the front cover with text underneath each cover line in different colour and sized text. There is also another cover line at the top of the page. The layout used brings the picture to front and the masthead to back as you can see the picture covers part of the masthead. The date and price are located by the barcode in small font in the bottom right corner. All cover lines are in different colours.



Route of the eye: the route of the eye goes through the masthead across the picture and along the bottom through the cover story (main article). This is a common layout for magazine covers and is often used in music magazines.

Mise –en-scene – false blood is used as a prop on her face, this helps portray her character/personality and suggests that she is damaged. And her crown also suggests power but also may suggest she is unusual as it’s an unusual occasion to wear a crown.

Mode of address- the magazine speaks the audience formally as the language used is not directly directed at the audience. This is due to the magazine being aimed at over 25’s so the language has to be quite formal although the word ‘bloody’ is used.  Another reason that the magazine doesn't directly speak to the audience is that the magazine appeals to a number of genres and so has a large target population and so would not be able to directly speak to that target population as its vast and different.

Colour- there is a consistent colour scheme used throughout the front cover, the colours used are: Red, white, pink, yellow and black. Colours are used specifically with other colours on the cover so it doesn't look like to many are being used. For example yellow and black are used together as yellow is only used as a background on black font. White and pink are also used together a number of times. Pink is used on ‘Lana Del Rey ‘which is stereotypically a girly colour and she’s female. Red is used on the Q logo this is as its eye catching and helps the white Q stand out and connotations of red are blood and fire and so is associated with power.

Camerawork- A mid-shot of Lana Del Rey is used as the main picture on the cover. A mid-shot is used to so she is easily recognised and so is a big selling point for the magazine. The shot is slightly low angle to make her look powerful.






Friday, 20 January 2012

media prelim contents

media prelim cover

research into similar magazine audiences

NME

“The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, in the 14 November 1952 edition. In the 1970s it became the best-selling British music newspaper. During the period 1972 to 1976 it was particularly associated with gonzo journalism, and then became closely associated with punk rock through the writing of Tony Parsons and Julie Burchill. An online version of NME, NME.COM, was launched in 1996. Today NME.COM has 5 million users per month.” Wikipedia source

The target audience of NME is a younger audience from around 13- 25 which is very similar to the age group to that I found would be interested in the magazine I will be constructing. The content of NME is therefore aimed at a younger audience which is reflected in the contents and type of text included in NME. The genre associated with NME is mainly rock which fits in which fits in with the young target audience as the genre is generally associated with a younger target audience.

Q

“Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.
Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology. Q was first published in October 1986, setting itself apart from much of the other music press with monthly production and higher standards of photography and printing. In the early years, the magazine was sub-titled "The modern guide to music and more". Originally it was to be called Cue (as in the sense of cueing a record, ready to play), but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine. Another reason, cited in Q's 200th edition, is that a single-letter title would be more prominent on newsstands.” Wikipedia source

Q’s target audience is more vast and appeals to a wider target audience as it covers more music genres and is aimed at a more vast range of age groups, though it is aimed at music buyers over 25 years old. This is reflected in the contents and language as the style of text and complexity is aimed at older readers. Q contains more contents than NME as it covers more genres and so is a bigger magazine in term of contents.


Rolling stone 

"Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner, who is still editor and publisher, and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was known for its political coverage beginning in the 1970s, with the enigmatic and controversial gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.Rolling Stone magazine changed its format in the 1990s to appeal to younger readers, often focusing on young television or film actors and pop music. This led to criticism that the magazine was emphasizing style over substance. In recent years, the magazine has resumed its traditional mix of content, including in-depth political stories, and has seen its circulation increase." Wikipedia source 

The target audience of rolling stone is vast as it covers popular culture and more than just music, as it also follows film and politics. The magazine is not aimed at one particular age group due to the vast range of topics covered in the magazine, however the content is aimed at an older audience than teenagers partly due to their lack of interest in politics. rolling stone is aimed at both males and females as popular culture interests both sexes, although some articles inside the magazine may be aimed at more specific target audiences inside the main target audience.