Music Magazine DoublePageSpread Analysis'

The main image of the double page spread covers the whole of one side instantly informing the audience of what it is going to be about. As it has been placed on the right hand side of the cover, people will see instantaneously see this image before deciding whether or not they want to continue reading on with this article story. The cover story appears to almost be attacked by the letter ‘C’ which is likely to be used for Cheryl Cole. This gives the effect of danger or something going wrong, which may trigger the reader to read the story wanted to know more into it. At the very bottom left hand side corner, appears a pull quote which has been pulled out of the story in the intended manner to inform the audience a brief entail of what it is about in the hope that it will pull their interest towards reading the whole content.  Opposite this pull quote, we are shown another image of the model which relates to the bigger image on the other page. The smaller image looks as though it is intended for the purpose to give another informative detail to the content to give the readers a bigger chunk of information to persuade them to read the article.

A colour scheme of red and black has clearly been used, and is very affective as it almost triggers that there is danger within the life of Cheryl Cole, or stereotypically presuming that something has gone wrong for her once again. Cheryl is shown just in the colour black in both images which could connote that this is going to be rock based with the studs shown on her clothing in the main big image and the style of her posture.

The title of the page is clearly obvious as the text is written in a dark, bold font whilst being placed on a highlighted yellow background. This gives the reader the impression that this text is needed because it is important. The magazine would attract both male and female genders as it has cleverly used different artists to be introduced within this magazine also to attract the audience to read. Rihanna is a well known R&B icon along with Drake who is also another very well known icon for R&B. This influences a wider audience to purchase the magazine meaning it is spread along more of an audience instead of targeting a specific audience. The cover story is all about Rihanna, so when informing the audience about what the story is about, they have purposely ensured that her name is of higher importance than Drake’s by editing her name to be bigger than his. The images of previous photographs of Rihanna with different hairstyles can be seen targeting toward a female gender as they are able to copy the hairstyles of her if she is an icon to them. It could also be seen targeting toward a male gender also due to the blue font and also the images of Rihanna which men might like to look at if they are interested in her. The main image stands out as it is directly in the middle of the page and Rihanna is looking directly towards the audience this is a conventional approach. Another main attraction goes down to the terminal area. The first thing you see is a little yellow box that has a sub title saying ‘along similar lines’ it is short and catchy which will make people want to read it. The colour scheme is in yellow, black and white. This is effective as they all stand out when they are put together as they are contrasting colours. The background of this article is in white which makes everything else on the page stand out and putting the side column with a black background makes it stand out. These features make the magazine more appealing to the audience and therefore may choose this over others on the market. This page consists of more pictures than text as for this age group are not as likely to be as interested in reading the articles. The article is promoting Rihanna's new single which is also shown in the page title which makes it sound catchy. The text is also persuasive which will persuade the audience to buy/listen to Rihanna's new single.

Music Magazine Content Page Analysis'

This magazine includes a page title of 'Contents' this informs the reader of what is on this page. It also has a 'features' section which includes everything in the magazine. It has an 'Oasis special' this will be aimed at fans of Oasis another persuasive device to get people to buy it. The colour scheme is continuous as the colours of red and black has carried on. This magazine contains a large, bold font. As I researched various magazine's I realised that 'Q' contents pages and covers all use the same layout on each page to keep it consistent. The letter 'Q' is used on every page which could be seen as their "stamp". The 'Q' means 'quality'. Their use of the colour red, white and black shows consists well together and stands out. This could also make the magazine type and genre more recognisable. They use a review box which can be read quickly. They put the headlines in capital letters to make it more noticeable. The main image is placed to the right of the page which will be noticed straight away as the reader turns onto this page. Having a contents page makes an overview of the magazine and informs the reader what is in it and where. The image is a long shot which shows the whole body, this works well for the magazine as it makes it the main focus. The target market of this magazine is fans of rock as shown by using rock artists to represent and appeal to the target audience. The artists in this magazine are shown to have attitude and to look professional.

'NME' was published in 1952 they have an audience of 16-26 year olds, the genre is indie/rock. This magazine was the first british paper to include a singles chart and was the best selling British music magazine in 1970. This is a contents page of 'NME' which is clearly marked on the magazine in the red font (logo) this is followed by 'this week' showing what is in the magazine. Every section has a heading of the category e.g. 'news'. The headings make it easier for the reader to read the page they want to. The main image is unusually a music venue instead of an artist however, many famous have performed here. Readers will be interested in this to find out more on the recent news. This magazine has an advert for a magazine company which has relevance to this as you can buy NME on a subscription. The colour scheme carries on throughout the magazine as shown on this page (the consistent colours of red and black). The main image is in the centre of this page showing that this is the main focus and attraction. The target market of this magazine is fans of rock as it has rock artists included in the magazine and rock language which will appeal to the target audience.

The main image at the top is the band 'Escape the Fate' and the image could represent that the article is going to be based on this band. The image has a yellow banner which shows what band it is and the number ‘8’ appears beside it which is informing the audience that they will find this information on page 8.There are other images that appear within this contents page which suggests that there is a lot going on in this magazine. There is an image in a square box in the middle right hand side of the page with a band appearing inside. This also has another yellow banner which appears underneath the square box. By creating a yellow banner, this makes the writing eye catching for the audience. This is a good idea because it draws attention to the most relevant things immediately. In the banner it says 'Posters'. This informs the audience that within this magazine, they will be able to find some free posters. This is a good idea because it is engaging the audience in their magazine. It could also suggest that the image shown in the box is going to be one of the free posters you can receive. All of the subheadings are shown in a yellow bold font on top of a black background. This works well because it makes the subheadings stand out against the background which helps the audience to pinpoint the most important things on the page. There is a specific theme throughout the front cover which shows that all of the major headlines are in a yellow font with a black banner behind it and the rest of the writing is in a black font.

The theme of this contents page is to provide the audience with what is going to happen in this issue of Kerrang! Magazine. It also shows what articles are in this magazine and what bands/singers are featured. The contents page is also there to provide you with any special offers and will inform you on where to find them.

This magazine will probably be found in all supermarkets and mini license shops as it will appeal to most people. The publishers will definitely want as many people purchasing their magazine as possible. I think, this magazine will attract the attention of people aged between 15-30 purely because it is quite a general informative magazine. The bands that are featured within this magazine have written songs with quite explicit language and this is why it wouldn’t be aimed towards a younger audience.

Most people in this age group will be able to afford to pay £2 for this magazine given all the information that is inside it.

Music Magazine Front Cover Analysis'

The masthead on the front of this music magazine cover is big, bold and in red.

It is in the top left hand corner and can be seen clearly. It does not take up the full width of the top because it is short and snappy. Also NME is a very well-known music magazine and does not need to fill up space informing people who they are, as they already know.
The music magazine is aimed towards young people and the colour red could signify rebellion.
The photograph is the whole front cover, and gives off an ‘I’m not bothered what you think look’ this is appealing to young people as they want to appear the same way and get the same look. This will attract young people to purchase the magazine as they will want to get involved and gain role models for themselves.
Beside the photograph is ‘MIA’ also big, bold and red. This is to attract the audience by telling them that within their magazine is going to be information about someone important. They will see it is someone important when looking at the magazine as she appears in the photograph.
At the top right hand corner of the magazine cover it says ‘INTRODUCING THE NEW NME,
8&10 SPECIAL EDITION COVERS’. It isn’t as clear to see the top line but informing the audience that there is going to be special edition covers will encourage people to purchase the magazine. In the bottom right hand corner of the magazine are some sub-headings of important names after the heading ‘THE STATE OF MUSIC TODAY by’ this emphasises the importance of this magazine and that it is a well-known magazine. It must be a popular choice of magazine to have a lot of important people featuring in it.

This magazine cover also features a barcode to scan and a price to inform the audience how much they’re going to have to pay for this magazine. These are done at the bottom of the page as they are less important and have no effect on the readers opinion.

The institution of NME music magazine is IPC Media and is a popular magazine; it has been published weekly since 1952. It was the biggest selling music magazine (then newspaper)
The masthead on the front cover of this magazine is in the top left hand corner and is bold. This is done to help the audiene recognise which magazine it is.
Underneath the masthead shows a black circle that reads ‘JACK WHITE’S SHOCK NEW ALBUM’ this is very eye catching and immediately attracts the audience to the magazine. It appears as though it is covering something else which gives it the effect that it is too important to miss.
Just above to the right hand side of the masthead is the studio news: selling line. This would straight away attract their target audience because the selling line has the names of popular bands, with the same type of genre. This magazine would attract a lot of people as it has included popular bands that people would listen to.
There are many cover lines, going down the left third of the front cover. Most of the cover lines relate to the type of genre that is studied within the magazine. ‘ROLLING STONES’ and PANIC AT THE DISCO ALBUM’. This is to help the reader in understanding and not getting confused. It instantly informs the reader about what is going on, who is featured in it and the type of genre. This is good because it is direct and gets straight on with selling the magazine to their audience.

The main image on the front cover is of ‘The Last Shadow Puppets’. This immediately tells the audience that they are going to be one of the bands featured within this magazine. They both give off a serious expression. This suggests that their story is going to be important for the reader, it could also link with the line below ‘I was worried the monkeys…’ This will entice the reader to buy the magazine as they will want to know what it going to happen.
At the bottom right hand corner, there is a barcode, issue number and price. These are the less important features of then magazine and are therefore placed at the bottom. The website is also placed underneath; this is so the reader can access more information about the magazine if they really enjoy reading it.

VIBE is a popular music magazine and one they constantly use the large, bold and thick title VIBEt to specificically show it's them. Also this form of title is one that is used with other music magazines such as ‘NME’ this clearly demonstrates that a large title must be a lot more appealing to the audience . Also VIBE will most likey have more famous artists on the front cover, generally being hip-hop, rap and RnB. This immediately shows to the reader what type of magazine it is just from it’s front cover, making it very clear from the front that the magazine is based on music, specifically in the Hip-Hop, Rap & RnB area. On the front of this music cover, they have made the main picture bigger than everything else this demonstrates that they want to make it clear to the reader what the magazine will specify in for its best and main story. The purpose in doing this is that VIBE believe in they promote their most interesting story on the front cover and give the reader just a taste of what is inside,  making them want to purchase the magazine.

Vibe has the idea to entertain rather than inform people, this could be a possible good idea reviewing the new realeases as it coul be more informative than if it was trying to be informative. VIBE includes articles such as stories from Eminem, who is a large Hip-Hop artist. He's put articles such as this in not to inform the reader but entertain them with his conversation, the magazine is publicised in a fashionable way with slang and a hip hop feel to it. It creates its genre of music by having artists famous in the genre all over the magazine.

I feel this magazine would be aimed at the 16-27 age group. I think this is because, Eminem is an artist of recent times which shows us that the magazine is going to be based around that genre in general. Everybody knows what genre of music these artists perform. I think this magazine could be targeted more towards the male market, this could be because of the certain look of Eminem. It is too intimidating and is more suited for the male side. The magazine has inside information for fans interested in the hip-hop / rap genre. As Eminem is on the cover, it instantly tells us the genre of the magazine, the style and the information inside.

Distribution

I would like my magazine to be published weekly, I think as the price is quite low it will be affordable for people to buy each week to find out the latest gossip. By publishing it weekly, the audience will be able to keep up with the latest gossip also as they are not having to wait a whole month.

Target Audience

I would like to aim my music magazine to both male and female genders with an age between 16-24. I think by choosing pop as my genre, it will target more towards a younger generation than an older generation.

Music Genre

I have decided that the genre for my music magazine is going to be pop. I have come to this conclusion because I think pop music appeals to everyone but also is more appealing to the younger generation such as teenagers rather than the elder generation.

The Brief

Main Task: The front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you-minimum of four images.

Evaluation

Evaluation of my College Magazine

To create the front cover of my college magazine, I used a 12 megapixel camera to take some photographs that will be used in the creating of my front cover.

I had a few initial ideas for the front cover of my college magazine.  I had originally planned to have the masthead ‘WYKE’ appearing in the colour purple to match the logo so people would clearly recognise what college my magazine is aimed at. I had also planned for my college magazine to have an orange background so it would be bright and would stand out to the audience however after thinking about it, it would show no indication as to what college it was informing people about and also the purple masthead would contrast with the colour of the background. Instead I decided to have a purple background with the masthead being white; the theme of Wyke College is still then shown.

On my front cover, I have included the date and price to inform people how much my magazine would cost and also to notify them if my magazine has any relevance to current issues so that they would know if it was worth buying. I have shown both of these in white font as it is visible and stands out clearly for the audience to see. I have placed them underneath the masthead as the audience don’t have to look far to find them.I have also included some cover lines on the front. At the top right corner of the magazine I have advertised for the college party which takes place at Pozition. I have written this in a bright pink font as it matches the logo for Pozition and people can instantly identify this. I have then included that NUS cards are on sale for £11. This will be important for students as it is the main purpose for use of discounts so this would gain their interest. This gives a clear indication of what is going on and will inform the audience a bit about what is happening. I have taken a photograph of someone playing chess and placed it in the bottom left to notify the audience about a tournament that is
taking place. I have written ‘Friday 18^th November, Don’t Miss Out!’ in a yellow

font so that it appears bright and people can easily spot it. I would also like this to persuade people to purchase this magazine by identifying that there is a competition and by finding out about the competition they will have to buy the magazine.

I have included the issue number at the bottom left of the magazine as this helps the audience to identify how many issues there have already been of this magazine.

When preparing the image for my magazine, I took a lot of photographs around the college, such as the entrance, the buildings, the library, inside the library and all around college. This was for the background. I then focused on taking a photograph of a college student as it says in the brief to be on the front cover as a medium close up.

I have taken a few photographs and testing them with different backgrounds as well as testing different backgrounds on the same image. I then decided on a photograph of a Wyke Student, with his arms in the air to appear like a really happy student. I wanted to convey this message on the front cover of my magazine as I want people to buy the magazine and know that good things are going on inside the college. My initial ideas were to have a student sitting at a desk studying, but when I tried this out it didn’t look very good he either looked at the camera which looked unrealistic or looked into his studying material which didn’t grip the audience to magazine.

I have placed a barcode at the right bottom corner of my front cover, as if it was to be sold, the shop selling it would need a barcode to scan the magazine in order to know how many issues had been sold.

I decided to place an anchorage on the front cover of my magazine just placed above the main image, ‘It’s all about the preparation!’ After thinking about this for a while I finally decided on this slogan as it was catchy and quite memorable. I think this makes the audience think about college work and exams, and gives informs them that that within the magazine will be information to help them balance their college work and how to concentrate.

Overall I think the front cover of my college magazine works really well because I have used a range of different colours and all the colours work together instead of blend in to one mess of colours.  I have also used a range of different fonts to help give the cover variations instead of having it look all the same. If I had more time, I think I would maybe change the layout of the cover as it could look more realistic with the image directly underneath the masthead and the cover story lines on the opposite sides. However I decided on the original layout as I think it still works well and the cover story lines are clearly seen.



Finished Product

Drafts

This is my idea for a first draft. After looking at it, i do not like this design at all. The 'Wyke' masthead at the top doesn't fit in with the rest and looks a little out of place. Whilst the colour of the date and price cannot be seen very clearly. The image is too big for the background and doesn't give a good effect of him 'holding the Wyke masthead'.

Contents Page

Drafts

I have experimented with different backgrounds for my image to give it the right look. When drafting the front cover of my magazine properly, i wil test all the different backgrounds to see how they will look when i have added the masthead, cover story lines, anchorage and everything else.

Mock up of The Front Cover

This is my initital idea for the layout of the Front Cover.

Planning/Development

This picture could be used as the background of my cover as it shows clearly the college that i'm using.  However the lighting seems a bit dull, so if used would need to be taken again.

I think this image would look really good next to the masthead or down near the barcode and offering a competition and prize alongside. This will attract people to buy the magazine as they could win something if they know and attend.

I think this image would look really good on the front cover as it shows a student who looks happy about the fact they attend this college. This would appeal to an audience as it encourages them to find out what good things are going on. 

 This second photograph could be more likely used on the front cover as it shows student from Wyke College who is learning and is happy, this gives a good impression of the college.

This photograph could be used on the front cover as it shows a student from Wyke College learning.

This image could be used in my cover as it shows the inside of the college and looks bright and happy. It would attract somebody to buy the magazine.

Liiar Analysis of the Brief

My front cover will need to have a masthead. This will appear at the top of the page in big bold font, therefore it will stand out and will be clearly seen as to which college it is for.

My college magazine will be brightly coloured with two main colours that go together. This is so it will look formal but also appealing to the age range and the bright colours will attract the attention of my target audience.

My main image will cover the whole of the page and will be a medium close up shot of a student from Wyke. The student used in my magazine will look directly into the camera to draw attention to my target audience when they are purchasing it.

I am going to include an anchorage to go with my main image which will inform the audience as to what is happening in the image and what they have to look forward to within the magazine.

On my front cover, there will be a barcode, price and date shown to notify people about the cost of the magazine and how recent the magazine is, and if has any relevance to current issues. My barcode will be placed at the bottom of the page on the right hand side. The price and date will be placed just under the masthead.

I would like the front cover of my magazine to show that Wyke is a fun and different environment to learn as it has very high standards. I hope to convey this message within my magazine as it is to encourage students to attend college every day and enjoy it.  

Initial Ideas

Wyke

Wyke

Wyke

Wyke

Wyke

These are my initial ideas for the font i will be using for the Masthead on the front cover of my magazine. I have used the colour purple as this is the themed colour of the college. It will help my target audience to identify which college the magazine is for. I have chosen my fonts based on that fact that it needs to stand out, look fun but also serious so that my target audience are aware that within the magazine it will have some important information  whilst also some information about things going on outside the college.

Target Audience

I have researched target audience and now think that if i aim my magazine for the purpose of males and females, it will be more popular magazine and will have a wider ranged audience. Age will range from 16-19 as this is the age of students attending college. I think it will be best to aim my college magazine for students at Wyke as students studying at Wyke can find out current things that are going on in the college. Students studying elsewhere could be interested in this magazine as it may give them ideas about the college where they are studying however I think Wyke students will be the main audience for my magazine. The masthead for my magazine will be 'Wyke'. This gives a clear indication that it is specifically aimed for students at Wyke.

The Price Of My College Magazine

The cost of my magazine will have to be reasonably priced as College students need to be able to afford it. I think i am going to price my magazine at £1. If students have an NUS  card when purchasing then the price will change to 70p.This is affordable and enables students  to now read about different things going on in College. I think this is a good price for a College Magazine as even students who don't have a part time job will be able to afford this magazine. I think I would issue my magazine monthly as there wouldn't be enough information to gather in a week and people would be more inclined to purchase the magazine monthly rather than weekly.

My Chosen College

Wyke College
For the front cover of my College magazine, i shalll be using Wyke College. I am doing this as my target audience will range between 16-19 year olds and will be available for either male or female genders, the majority of Wyke Students are between this age range and i can relate to the College itself. Wyke offers a range of different subjects, the standard is high and must be a good College as the students achieve high grades. Although i shall be using Wyke College, students from other Colleges will be able to relate to this aswell.

Conventions of a College Magazine

I will be analysing the front cover of this College Magazine to help put ideas together for when creating my own College Magazine.

The front cover of this College magazine includes:

The Masthead- This is important as it helps people recognise what magazine they are reading. Everything else changes on a magazine but the masthead will always be kept the same. If it was to change weekly the audience will have no idea which magazine they are reading.
The Date- It is important to have the date shown on the front cover as it easily identifies when the magazine was issued and the will be easier for the audience to distinguish whether it is relevant and has any relevance to the present time.
The Image- The image on the front cover (double spread) shows on the left hand side, a college girl and on the right hand side shows a college boy. I think this has been done to demonstrate how learning is different depending on gender. The female seems to be looking sitting down patiently thinking about the lesson perhaps, whilst the male appears rather excited about seeking help from somebody. This implies that within the magazine, there will more than likely be a discussion about learning styles between the male and female gender. The female shows the audience that in general girls learn better thinking and processing about information whilst males learn better by working with others. Both students are dressed in a uniform which gives the idea that they belong somewhere, however the uniform has no logo or badge indicating where in fact they do belong which help make the audience feel included so that it’s not just a particular college. On the left hand side beside the female is written ‘Do boys and girls learn differently?’ This also appears beside the male. However, is written in pink for the female and blue for the male. This gives could give the suggestion that boys and girls do learn differently.
Even though it is a two page spread, both spreads include the masthead and the main topic. When the spreads are shown together, the girl appears to be looking over across at the boy and also covers her notepad which could illustrates that she is fine and prefers learning by independently but also observing that the boy prefers to learn with the help of others.
Price - This front cover does not show the how much it would cost to buy the magazine.
Barcode- This front cover does not have a barcode shown.

Conventions

Left Third- The strip down the left where the main headlines are.

Mast head- the title of the magazine usually top left.

Price- Magazine cost

Date- Weekly: usually from Saturday to Friday.

Issue Number- A tally of magazines

Splash- The whole cover

Barcode- Read electronically and decoded into usable information.

Teaser- One word/phrase acts as an attention grabber

Subtitle- Smaller headline that may summarise the feature

Smaller feature- Features included in the magazine

Images-Size - Ranges from one main image to x amount featuring one main image and smaller images. Helps make the page look more interesting. It can add understanding of a story and/or entice someone to read the magazine.

Font-Style and size of type face.

Colour-specific/stylistic/thematic  product types.

Graphics-Graphical shapes to highlight feature(s)

Offers/Adverts Blurb- Banner-style shape featuring  free products/promotions

Kicker- A short phrase found set above the headline. Usually set in a smaller type than the headline

Colour Scheme- the choice of colour used in design for a range of media.

AS Media Brief

Preliminary excercise: Using  DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of DTP.

Main Task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine.
All images and text must be original, produced by you-minimum of four images.