Evaluation Questions

Question 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The way in which my magazine is like a real magazine product is it has a similar layout like having a barcode in the right hand corner, having mastheads, images and tag lines. To start off with the fonts i used for the titles and headlines are typical of a music magazine because they stand out which grabs the readers attention, which is what a music magazine should do. On the front cover for example the font 'TIU' is big bold and eye catching but does not take your eye off the main image used on the front cover. Typical magazines want the reader to get drawn in by the main image as this is what will be seen on a shelve of a shop. My magazine forms the same as a music magazine because the image I used on the front cover which is a mid-shot with her eyes looking straight forward this is serposed to draw the reader in.

I also have features like "WIN! The latest gig tickets" and "includes free posters" on the front cover this is typical of a music magazine as this makes the magazine sell quicker as my target audience like to go to gigs and get free posters. I also on my double page spread have the masthead 'TIU' at the top of the page which is typical of a music magazine, as they include the name of the magazine either buy the page numbers or somewhere at the top of the page, magazines have this just as a small logo to show it belongs to them. Also the colour schemes is set out like a proper magazine because normally they have a certain colour scheme and even on a page where there is mostly image there will be the smallest thing that is made that colour for example like on mine the page number on the double page spread is purple as that is part of my colour scheme, and on a real magazine like NME there page numbers on their contents page are red to go with the masthead as red is part of their colour scheme.

My target audience also agreed with it looking like a proper music magazine, they thought the colours where good as this is the colour scheme they thought the magazine would best suit. Most of my target audience gave the sort of response when I showed them my final image. Some example of the responses "I love the way you have used the same colour scheme throughout, even small details like on the double page spread"

"I like the way it doesn't look to busy with overflowing stuff but still theres no spare space"

"I like the effect the image has given on the front cover, and the effects you used"

Question 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product represents particular social groups by focusing on age, ethnicity and orientation. Firstly it represents age by my target audience being teenagers, you can tell this by the colours and the way it is set out. I also used informal language on the font cover and double page spread which targets my audience as the younger audience are not so interested in reading blocks of information. It has alot of images taking up alot of space which also appeals to them the age i am targetting would prefer to see more images. Also the images I have used are representing age as they are also teenagers around 17 years old, this is more likely to appeal to my target audience.
With ethnicity and orientation my magazine is more likely to target white people who are into indie/rock music because my music magazine is more appealing to this audience and i do not have any images of black people because the music genre of my magazine is most likely not to appeal to them, as my magazine is indie/rock genre.

Question 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product why?
The media institution i might distribute my media product to could be a publisher that publish news paper, magazines, comics, books and anything on paper. I would need my product to be printed with the proper printing material as it is a print base product. One company i could distribute my product to could be http://www.magforum.com/ the reason i have chose this publisher is because they already deal with alot of publishing like mens, womans and teenagers its has also been going round for a long time, so they're experienced with publishing a magazine properly. This would also be a good publisher because they do not print many music magazines and not having a fully established music magazine published by magforum it will make it alot easier for a company like magforum to publish my magazine, as they wouldn't want it to compete with their other big selling magazine if they made others.

Another company that could publish my magazine could be http://www.ipcmedia.com/ they are already a big publisher, as they publish the music magazine NME which could be a problem as it already deals with large selling music magazines like NME so this media institution would make it hard for a company like IPC Media to publish my magazine, as they wouldn't want it to compete with their other big selling magazine.

One other company i could use to publish my magazine could be http://www.futureplc.com/ which is one of the largest publishers for guitar magazines in the UK and USA this is good for publishing my media product because they already deal with alot of magazines which shows that they like to have a large portfolio to show other businesses their work. It would also be a good pulisher because futureplc may publish a lot of magazines but they have mainly stuck to one topic which is guitars, so publishing music magazines its linked to guitars as it involves music and this case will make their portfolio have a wider range ad become more of a popular publisher for all sorts of music my music magazine would also be unique and different to their magazines making it easier to sell. I could also sell it in popular places like supermarkets for example Tesco or shops like WH Smiths as my target audience are more likely to go in these shops.

Question 4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my magazine would be for teenagers male and female. This will also target my audience who like indie/rock genre this is because of the way it is set out with the layout, colour schemes, fonts, images. I new from when i first started designing my magazine it would be for teenagers, due to my questionaire results. So i progressed on this, to start off you can tell by my layout that is not aimed at the older auidence this is because for example on my double page spread there isn't much writing and its very clear with all the colours. All the images I also used on all three bits of my product involve teenage models, normally adults wouldn't be so interested in teenage bands and music, the younger generation tend to be more interested and read about them. Although my Audience profile shows the traits of a conventional female reader, it is unisex although females are more likely to read my magazine, but having a unisex audience you are able to attract a wider range of people to buy the magazine.

Question 5. How did you attract/adress your audience?
I attracted my audience by having the right layout, images, designs colour schemes that would appeal to them. In the media institution mise-en-scene is also important even in magazines this is to attract my target audience. For example on my contents page they are wearing fashionable clothes, the sun glasses and checked shirts looking relaxed outside by a tree. This attracts my target audience because teenagers like to hang outside and like to dress like they are. Also on my double page spread in both images they yet again are wearing checked shirts with bows and fashionable glasses, in the smaller image they are yet again sitting outside looking like they are practising for a new song, this yet again attracts my audience because the younger this is something the younger audience would enjoy doing. I also made alot of things match like the page numbers are purple on my double page spread this goes with my purple 'K' behind the interview text this attracts my target audience because in my interview most people that took the poll were aged between 14-21 and 52% voted having the colour scheme purple, black and white.

Also on my contents page it adresses my audience because of the way it is set out for example where i have the page page references it is on lined piece of paper and other small effects like the bit of information underneath the main image I have used the effect of crinkled paper,you wouldn't normally see this sort of effect on a magazine aimed at the older audience because this way it makes it more interesting for the younger audience to read and as it is trying to grab their attention. The fonts I also used are simple, bold and very easy to read, it also a bigger font size as most on my contents, front cover and double page spread ive mostly used images instead having lots off text which attracts my audience because the main thing the younger audience look for when buying a media product, they look more at the images and who it includes which draws the reader in, which is why I did not include alot of text even on my double page spread, thats why i did and interview as its more fun and exciting to read what the actual artist said, instead of having blocks of text just talking about the main artist. This is the main image i used on the front page, I decided to change the colour because her checked shirt is purple like my colour scheme but I thought it would clash too much with the background, therefore i made the image black and white but have the bow red this would make the audience draw to the images clothing. I thought this would attract my target audience because it has something different about it making the magazine look more exciting an highlighting the bow can show her fashion. The image on the double page spread page is pretty much the same with the clothes only difference is she is wearing fancy glasses, I didn't have change of clothes with the main image because this is showing off her fashion.

Question 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt many alot about the use of certain technologies when constructing my product. Firstly Photoshop is what i used to make my product, I found this hard to use as alot of the tools like magenetic lassoo you had to have a stedy hand and if you make the slighest mistake you have to start cutting out the whole image again. I also learnt about using the layers on photoshop, if you wanted to move a certain image you had to click on the certain layer it is then you are able to move it. I also had the problem of making the main image on front cover different colours, having it black and white and only the bow in colour which is red, so i had to duplicate it and make the image black and white, i had alot of trouble with this because everytime I went to colour the bow back red, it went purple which was the colour of my background, in the end i realised it was because I wasn't editing it on the duplicated version. It took a long time to turn the bow red but in the end it worked out and the final version looked like this;

I also learnt how to do back shadows to make the text stand out from the page instead of looking flat on the page, which would look boring as I do not have a really busy front page. On my double page spread i learnt how to have the Questions and answers different in the questionaire and having parts of the text blended like the 'K'. Whilst making the product I did learn about the technology as I had to start my double page spread again as I was not happy with the text and the style so when i started again as I was going along each step I was learning something new with photoshop. I didn't just learn the use of technologies when actually making the product, I also learnt how to use the scanner to scan my designs for the front cover, contents page and double page spread, however I didn't end up scanning all my designs because it took twice as long and i didn't finish all my designs so instead of using the scanner which was simple, I took a picture with a camera of my designs then placed that onto my blog. I also learnt alot with using my blog, at the start I did't know how to put images onto my blog ad found it hard to actually use my blog thats why at the start one of my music magazine was analysed in a spider diogram untill I used it more and more I finally learnt how to analyse the magazine properly and how to put images onto my blog. Overall I leart alot with technologies when constructing my product.

Question 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? When looking back at my preliminary task, I have learnt a lot from when i first started using photoshop element. I firstly didn't know how to use alot of the effects like on my front page of my final product I used alot of blending methods and back shadows behind the text, however on my preliminary task I do not have any of those effects as I didn't know how to use photoshop properly. Also on the front cover and contents page of my preliminary work the titles are so simple, it has a simple font as I didn't know how to use the magic wond tall to cut the text on the white background and get the inverse bit of the image onto my blank page. Therefore I learnt how to use alot of the tools on photoshop. I didn't just learn how to use tools on photoshop though from my preliminary task. I also didn't have alot of extra effects like the crinckled paper on my final magazine product because on I found using the mac computers hard to use and I didn't know how to print screen to get the image on mypage quicker, but then I learnt after searching for the certain image I wanted I could just grab the image and place straight onto the page. My preliminary product also didn't have alot of colour and didn't look like it was done on photoshop because the colours I did have like the blue box round the text was to block like, it would have looked better if I blended like i did with the big letter 'K' on my double page spread. Not only learning how to edit the product, I also learnt great deal about magazine conventions giving me more of an idea about how to attract my specific audience and how to draw the reader into buying the magazine all by the way the person in the image is looking into the camera. As i also had to analyse three existing front covers, three contents pages and three double page spreads which has definatly made me understand more factors about making the final product, as I also new all about connotation and denotation on a certain magazine cover for example NME.

Final Double Page Spread

Final Contents Page

Final Front Cover

Construction of Double page spread

First step:
I started off with the picture of the brick wall across the whole double page spread, however i thought it would be very hard to read the writing, so i decided to do half and half by having the side with the writing on just a blank white page. It is still a simple layout. I also had to cut round the main image because i didn't like the old background she was on, I cut the image out using the maganetic lassoo tall. This was quite difficult as the image isnt a straight forward shape. When i placed the image on the brick wall i had to use the rubber and rub away the rough edges and resize it so its made to look like she is standing by the wall.


Second step:
I then had to find a good font to go with my title one that was easy to read, draw the reader in and have a rough effect. Once I found a perfect one I found out it didn't really stand out on its own and therefore didn't like it. So i placed a black box around it which carried onto the right hand side of the double page spread, this was to give it abit of character. I also put a black box around it, so it did have some colours the same that link with my front cover and contents page scheme. This also was more likely to draw the reader in to reading this page.

Third step:

I then added the magazine name, logo onto the black bar at the top of the page, the reason being most magazines follow this by having there magazine masthead somewhere on the page. I also placed this here because i could make it white to stand out but not be too in your face which also follows my colour scheme. I used a simple font, the same that i used for the main masthead on my front cover. Where ever the masthead name is, it will not change style this is so it is reconisable. I Also added 'Interviewing Katie' underneath the title in the same font as the logo, this is so most of the fonts on the page stick the same making it easier to read and not seem too busy with lots of different things. I also found this font is very standing out and draws the reader in and as the page is about Katie's interview that had to stand out mostly. I added a big latter K in the middle of the left hand side page and then using the blending option, i blended the writing can go over the top, this is just showing the first letter of the artists name as it all links to her and I liked the effect it gives, as it also can be found in many music magazines. At the right bottom and left corner there is a small square of crinkly paper, this is what my page numbers will be placed on, I did this because it will then be easy to spot as you cannot see writing that well on the brick wall. The effect also goes well as i used the same crinkly paper on my contents page and front cover so this will also be followed throughout the magazine. The last thing i added was writing going over my main image saying "Going Solo?" this is a rhetorical question and as the image will be the first thing that hits the readers eye, the text on the top will draw the reader in to reading this article and thats why i placed it there.

Forth step:
I then added all the text to the page this wasn't as simple as just using the text tall and writing and questions and answers. As the questions are different colour to the answers I had to do it all seperatly which took longer as i had to keep changing the colours round. I did this so it didn't look boring and just one block of writing, it seperates it up into sections, makes it clearer to read and yet again follows my colour scheme- black and purple. Also the page numbers are purple to match the K and the questions. I put a drop shadow behind them to make the numbers stand out from the crinkled paper this is the same technique i used on the front covers text it gives it a better effect. The last effect I did on the text, was make the first letter of the text alot bigger than the font and a different colour, this style is also used in alot of magazines, it draws the reader in.
Fith step:

Finally I added a second image of the artist and one of the band members, I paced this next to the bit of text at the top left because it is introducing what the page is about and why the artist is leaving the band, so it fits in well. I also added another image because most people like to see more than one image it breaks up the text and makes the page look more exciting to read. My double page spread is then finished.

Construction of contents page

First step:
I started off by yet again making the background purple and white, it is different to the front cover, its the other way round i didn't want the backgrounds being exactly the same because that will make it boring. So on my contents page there is more black boxes and outliners unlike the frontcover that has white boxes. I have also made the background a lighter shade of purple so it doesn't seem too busy and hard to read stuff, as the contents doesn't have to be so eye catching like the front cover. For the image I cut round the people and the tree using the lassoo magnetic tool, and then using the rubber tool i rubbed out the rough bits that where left from the back ground and resized the photo. Then placed it over the background, i did not need to change the colour or the lighting as the picture was already perfect.


Second step:
I had to yet again like the front cover find a good font for my title, this was again hard because i didn't want it to be the same as the front cover as it yet again would be boring and too repetative which would make it seem like the whole magazine inside uses the same scheme throughout. Following im design layout, i have the website adress on the top right underneath my title, i placed this here because it is easily noticed if looking for it, its not difficult. Also placing this under the title i do not have cram it in next to the title it has alot of space making it clear to read.

Third step:

The next thing I did was add another picture in the bottom left hand corner, this isn't of a person it is only a picture of a gig i took, the reason i havn't used a person picture is because there is alot attention to the main picture. This way the gig picture is just something simple showing what the magazine will include, also my target audience would like to see pictures of gigs as they will want to attend them and if buying a music magazine they will want to read about them, what acts where playing etc... I also included small detail like in the top right hand corner i added a small logo saying 'TIU' the reason for this is because on most music magazines they include their logos everywhere, its small and simple just to show the magazine brand. Like on the front cover I yet again used the creased up paper underneath the main picture, this is what my bit of text will be placed on, making it easier to read and gives my magazine more of an effect. As my colour scheme involves black aswell i needed to use more of it, so i placed a small black line at the bottom of the page yet again there for effect. The big black box on the left hand side is only being used as an outline as another picture will be ontop.

Forth Step:

I added another style of paper ontop of the black box on the right hand side, however i did not want to use the same style i have been using under the main image and on my frontcover. To make a change and seem more exciting also having something different will draw the reader in also this will have my key bit of text on. I have decided to use lined paper so when i put my contents stories and page numbers on it, it will look as if its writen in a text book which yet again targets my audience as its paper you could drop music lyrics on. Next to my main picture there is a number '32' in red, the reason I have put that there is because its showing straight away what page number to go to without having to look in the contents to find the page number. This will draw the reader in to reading the magazine. Although the number '32' is in red which is not my colour scheme, but this makes it stand out from all the other dark colours purple and blacks. It also goes with the bow on my front cover, however red is not part of my colour scheme i will still involve bits of it like the numbers.

Fith step:

I finally added all text to my contents page. I used a really simple font 'Tahoma' this is because i didn't want it to be the same style as my front cover also, if its more of a simple font it wont be too difficult to read when trying to find a certain page number. With the lined paper I set it out like an actual piece of paper, having the numbers in the margin, these numbers are also red along with the number in the text next to my gig image. All my numbers are going to be red as it will be alot easier trying to find the page reference. My contents page is quite simple compared to my front cover, i didn't use as many effects like shading and blending, this is simply because it needs to be easy to read and not be too busy. I did not include alot of writing because hopefully the images would be enough to draw people in to read on and the page would be to cramped in, this way there isn't alot of space left but its been spaced out quite well so it does not look busy.

Constuction of front cover

First step:
I firstly made the background of the blank file purple and black, as my those are some of the colours that I chose for my colour scheme. I then had to use the magnetic lassoo tall to cut out my image and making the it black and white as I am going to make the bow in her stand out from the rest of the image.

Second step:

This is where i only changed the colour of the bow to the rest of the image. I had to enhance the black and white bow into its original colour red, however i did not make it purple to match my background bexause i didn't want too much purple plus it stands out and is a different feature on the magaine. I did this by the use of the "Hue/Saturation" toolbar.

Third step:

After doing this I then went on to experiment the different fonts, styles and shadings I can use for my masthead on my magazine. It was hard to find the exact style of writing i wanted, in the end i found something simple yet bold, this is shown as loud which is the effect I wanted to give out. I also had to put another style of font for 'Turn it up' underneath the main masthead, so the reader new what it actually stood for. This didn't have to be so loud as the main masthead as this was not going to be the most eyecatching image on the magazine. However making it look white so it matched my colour scheme and not to look too boring, still seemed plain. So I added a small speaker image next to the small masthead, this therefore transformed it making it look louder and more interesting.

Forth step:

I then went on to adding more pictures to my front page to show what my magazine will include, also as i decided to have more than one image on my front page. This is quite simple as i didnt have to cut round the image and then paste it onto the cover, and then having to rub out rough edges, for this the images where fine as they where so I copied and pasted the images onto the cover, putting a black outline round the image to make it stand out and not look like its just been stuck on the page. I also added a smallish bar code on the right hand side, as all magazines include this.

Fith step:

I then wanted to think of different ways i could present my text on my front cover, i didnt like the fact it being on the plainish background, and not standing out that much. So i looked for many different styles i could use. I finally came up with the idea of putting it on paper so it looked like ripped paper like a post note on the front cover. However i couldn't fnd decent paper to use as it didn't go well. I then thought of using creased up paper which would give it a rough look, going with my style of magazine. It was also perfect because it was white and i needed more white as, purple, white and black is my colour scheme. I also had to add something for my pug which i had difficulties with as i couldn't think of a good colour to go with all the colours on the page. I finally decided to go for something different like gold, making it stand out from the others so i had to blend it with the blending tall. Its also good a totally different colour because this shows its something totally different to my main story advertised on my front cover.

Sixth step:

This was my final step, i only had to add in the text and information onto the page. This was also quite difficult because i had to find the right font that wasnt too boring or too hard to read. I finally came up with a decent font called 'segoe print', which wasn't boring or too hard to read. I also wanted to give it an effect so i added on a drop shaddow to make it stand out and and look as if it is coming slightly off the creased background. I finally added in prices and dates in on the left hand side, this isn't so important so it doesn't have to stand out that much therefore, i didn't have to add the creased paper behind the text. It also didnt have to have that much of a drop shadow, this ended the construstion of my front cover.

Photographs Analysis

Photo 1:

This is the photo i have chose to use for my contents page, i like this because it is different from all my other photos i wanted to use different people to have more of a variety so the magazine didnt seem like it was about just one person. I also like this because it has character and looks like a typical band photo. The way they dress aswell is perfect, and with them all looking at the camera still draws the reader in. I also don't have to edit this photo as much as the one i am going to use on my front cover because its not a simple photo that could do changing to make it look more different. I also like the fact that it is a long shot and a very clear photo, it can show there fashion and the way they are standing, all of this influences my target audience to read my magazine.

Photo 2:

I am going to use this photo on my double page spread, the reasons being its different from the others, it is a long shot showing more of her fashion which is important to my target audience, as there into fashion and how pop stars dress. I also like it because she has alot going on with her accessories like the glasses and bow, this makes it jokey and make her seem like abit of fun. She is also looking directly at the camera which isnt so important on the double page spread but it still draws the reader in. This photo is also good as a long shot because my back ground on my contents page will be a brick wall, so a long shot makes her look like shes actually standing by the brick wall. I also like the way she is standing, her pose doesn't look boring and too normal, it has abit more life to the photo.

Photo 3:

I was also going to use this photo on my front page, however i decided not to because of many reasons, one she is on a busy background making it hard to use the magnetic tall to cut her out. She is also not even nearly looking at the camera and her hair covers up one of her eyes, so this definatly wouldnt draw the reader in. Another reason, it is a long mid-shot which is not what i wanted, it also is a more normal boring photo unlike the other two s she doesn't have any accessories i could make stand out like the bow on the photos below. However this picture wouldn't be too bad on a contents page as its not as important looking at the camera as it is on the front page. Its also good because it shows her fashion about more, which goes with my music genre. Overall i decided not to use this because of the reasons above.

Photo 4:

I was going to use this photo as its not too simular to the one below, the way she is standing and also still being a mid shot. However i decided not to use this one for a few reason, one being she is not looking directly into the camera and has glasses on, which is not a problem as it shows her style but as she is not looking it does not have the same effect and draw the reader in. This is also too light as the flash is on her face, making her look more pale than what she is. I also think having her not smile like the one below gives a better effect and draws the reader in more, as she has a half smile here it doesn't give the same effect. Apart from that the picture isn't to bad to use as its not too different from the one below.

Photo 5:

This is the main image i am going to use on my front page of my magazine, it is great for what i want. Firstly she is looking directly into the camera which is what i needed due to, when buying the magazine she will grab the readers attention from her eyes it will draw the reader in, if she wasn't looking into the camera it would be different and wouldn't draw the reader in so much. also liked this because it is a perfect mid-shot which is what everyone voted in my questionnaire The photo aswell is very clear and if you see her on front of a magazine on a shelf you would reconise who she was easily and want to read about her. Another reason i liked this photo is because of her bow in her hair is standing out and i want that to be the only thing in colour on this photo, so that works out well.

Double page spread layout ideas

This design follows a typical conventions of a double page spread layout. Having the title on top of the page followed by the text underneath and the image on the right hand side. However it is slightly different because the text will go all around the image, at the bottom of it. The reason for this is because there is more space to write the interview on. I also have a logo at the top of the page representing the magazine 'TIU'. This layout is good to use for having space and still having a lot of room for the picture on the right hand side, although i am not going to use this because i think the text at the bottom of the page will be hard to read and to crammed in, therefore i am not going to use this design as i would like to use something more simple.

This second design is yet again quite simple, you do sometimes see this design on double page spread layouts but not as often as the one above. I will have the title on the top left hand side this is so it stands out from the restof the page, it also has alot of room around it so it will not be hard to read. Yet again I will have the logo on the top right hand side i put that there because it doesn't have to stand out and grab the readers attention its just showing its magazine name as they have on most music magazines. This design is different from the others because the image will be in the center of the page with sections of text on either side of the image. This is good because there is alot of room for all the questions for the interview and there is alot of space without it all being crammed in. However if the image is in the middle of the page then you will not see the full effect of it because on a magazine where the page folds over, the image could be creased, I also would like all the text to be together instead of seperate. Therefore I am not going to use this layout for my double page spread.

This design is very original and very simple and is set out like most double page spreads. I like this layout because there is alot of space required having the main image on the right hand side along with the text on the left hand side, this is showing that simply the interview is about the person in the image. I also want the image to be long shot so the more space for it the better. The title is in the same place like the other two designs because i like how it easy it is to read, also having it above the interview text is good because of having all text on the left hand side. There is also a footer at the bottom as I have the space for one on this desgin. Therefore I am going to use this design for my double page spread.

Contents page layout ideas

This design is very simular to the one below although being the other way round, which is not typical of a music magazine, as the colum of contents is normally one the left hand side and the image being on the other. Thats what i like about this design it is different from normal contents pages. However I prefer the design below because i think it is trying to be too different, and having one main pictue and smaller images, this will make the contents look busy so my page doesn't have to look too different. I also do not like the fact the colum of contents is on the right hand side because when the reader opens the page that will be the first thing to be viewed and this will be complicated for the audience to glance over, and seeing alot of writing could put off buying the magazine unlike if you had the image being the first thing viewed it will grab the readers attention to what the article wil include/is about.

This design is very simple and yet again follows typical conventions of a contents page having the title at the top of the page along with the website underneath, this is then easy to read and instead of having to look all over the page for a webite it will catch the readers eye next to the title. I will use one main image on the right hand side on its own, it will take up half the page this is will therefore have alot of room, and not look too messy and crammed in like the other layout design. There will be a small bit of texts underneath the main image just saying what its about to make the reader want to read on about this image and the story that follows it. I will still use more than one image however there wont be loads all over the page, there will be a small one down the bottom of the page with a small section of text also saying what it will include. I have still kept the colum on contents on the left hand side as that is what the readers eye will catch but also keeps it out the way not taking too much space. This will be the design i am going to use for my contents page for the reasons above, it is simple yet still different and not too busy with lots of texts and images.

This contents page is simple, and like how other music magazines would use. It has the title big at the top of the page, yet again so people would notice that first. The colum of contents is on the left hand side this is what alot of people would focus on as it is showing what the magazine is going to include. This is also a good design because having more than one image will show you what is included within the magazine without having too much text to read. However as there are more images on the right hand side next to the main image, the main image will therefore have limited space and this contents page could end up too messy and crammed in. Therefore i am not going to use this design for my contents page.

Front page layout ideas

This layout is different from the other two, it has alot more on the page like more images, including different sizes. One main image in the center of the page to grab the readers attention, with two smaller images on the right hand side. However the main image could end up with not so much space like the other two layouts but then this makes the cover seem more exciting with lots of information. The headline will be underneath or over the image itself this is so it doesn't take all the attention away from the brand name in the right hand side, this makes the brand name also stand out. This will also include a pug and footer which is showing what the magazine includes and what you can win within the magazine. I have decided i am going to use this design for my front cover as it is still a typical cover convention but yet different and more exciting than my other two designs.




This layout is slightly different, having the headline underneath the main image can make this magazine stand out more. This is also a typical magazine front cover layout, Having the brand name on the left hand side with nothing else next to it makes this stand out the most and will be one of the first things noticed on the front cover also with the the main image will also like the other layout be standing out because it has a lot of space for it. However i yet again will not be using this design as it is too plain and i would like to use more than one image as it will make it more interesting and stand out more. I would like to have more included aswell and having the sub-stories and features will be the most standing out image on the page, and makes this layout look more like a contents page than a front cover.

This front cover design is very simple, having the brand name at the top followed by the headline. This is the most simple layout for a front cover, having only one big main image on the left hand side, with sub-stories and features on the right hand side. It is good because it has lots of room for one big main image, with lots of room left, however i do think this layout is too simple and could be boring ad not grab the readers attention as there isn't much going for it. So i will not be using this for my layout design.

Chosen Ideas For Double Page Spread

For my double page spread i have chosen to do an interview on a famous artist. That will be the main story in my issue. I will have more than one image, there will be one big main one on the right hand side, with the main story and headline on the left hand side.

The colour scheme will be different from my front and contents page this is because it would all be too boring if every page was the same colour which is purple, white and black. Therefore this is going to be slightly different, the background will be a brick wall this gives a better effect and makes it different, more interesting and grabs the readers attention. The page may not have a simple colour scheme but it wont be too busy which will make it too confusing to read. I also think this will grab my target audience because the younger audience like to see different things, not too repetative and makes the page article seem more interesting, using a brickwall effect will target my audience because it shows a band/singers style.

The title I am going to use will be 'Whats the latest news?' this is simple because I do not want a busy background with a long title, so the more simple it is the more simple it will make the whole double page spread seem. It is asking a question to grab the readers attention to make them wonder what is going on this week with the latest singers, bands etc.. Underneath the title it will say 'Interview with...' so it is showing what the article is about. I have chosen to do a interview because this is what people mostly want to read in a music magazine, as it is normally about their favorite singers.

Chosen Ideas for Contents Page

I have decided for my contents page I am going to use the title name 'In this weeks' instead of a normal name 'contents'. This makes the magazine different from normal issues of music magazines. The title is simple and to the point, showing what its going to include. I also think that it makes the magazine seem more exciting and something to look forward to within the magazine, using 'Contents' makes it seem dull and boring nothing really to look forward to. Also the name 'In this weeks' stands out from everything else that would be on the page. I think this would attract my target audience as the style it is, would be for younger audiences- teenagers 'Contents' is more for the adult audience.

The colour scheme will be simple, the colours i will use will be Purple, black and white. The same as my front cover. However there will only be a small amount of purple used for improtant information like page numbers would be within a purple box. The reason i have chosen to do this is because i don't want it clashing with the front cover, and be the same as it because it would then turn out boring and too repetative. Although i do want to keep to the same colour scheme throught as these colours purple, black and white represent my magazine TIU, just like other music magazines for example 'NME's colour is represented red. This makes the magazine simple and not too busy with all sorts of colours making it hard for the reader to read.

I will have multi images on my contents page, but there will be one main one of a band, and one other smaller image which will be of a gig. They will be mostly long shots. The reason i want to use multi images is because it shows the people my magazine issue is obviously going to include. The reason for this is so it grabs the readers attention and showing a number of people will make the reader be interested in atleast one article in this issue. Also using two different images, that are completely different style makes the page vary more.
On a contents page, people do not tend to read alot, its normally the page they flick to, to see whats included and if the magazine is worth buying and so on. So using images will represent what and who is included within the magazine, so they play a big part and putting a small bit of passage next to the image will almost tell a story. Also using a few images more than having lots of words will target my audience, as most teenagers are not alway interested in reading lots of information, so making it simple the images have just told them.

Chosen Ideas For Front Cover

Chosen Brand name:

From my questionnaire results, i have decided i'm going to use TIU (turn it up) as my magazine brand name, i have chose this because its short and simple, and abbriviated also easy to remember. This will grab the readers attention because the reader will know it stands for 'Turn It Up' because it is not an excisting magazine, like 'NME' everyone who reads music magazines know it stands for 'New Music Edition'. It also will attract my target audience because they like to use there own catchy short phraises for other words.

Chosen Colour Scheme:

i have decided im going to use the colours Purple, white and black this is because it was most popular voted on my questionnaire. I also chose to use these because the colours go well together, and makes the magazine stand out from most of the other music magazines due to alot of magazines use just white and reds for example 'NME'. Also the colour scheme goes well with my genre music, which is a Indie rocky look/feel to it, as i can make the purple a dark shade. The white on the other hand will brighten it up abit and make the magazine not feel too busy and abit more spaced out. The title will be be black aswell so it will stand out alot, and being easy to read.

Chosen Camera Shot:

I have decided i am going to use Mid-shot, as my main image on the front cover. This was the most popular vote in my questionnaire. I also like to use the Mid- shot because that way you are able to see what the person is half wearing, what there style is, and see their face expressions clearly aswell as there dark make up. Also you can use mid-shot for just a single person, or a group photo unlike a close up shot which you could only use one person because its mainly of there face, and there expressions. I think a Mid-shot would grabs the readers attention more also due to the reader may be interested in the music, but also style like hair, clothes etc.

Questionnaire Results

For my questionnaire I created on my blog via using a poll, which has been answered on the right hand side in a Colum format on my blog profile. I roughly got 20 people to vote.

The Questions:

1. Which age group are you? 19 members of the public answered this question.

10-13- 0 votes
14-17- 6 votes
17-21- 13 votes
22+- 0 votes

These results already show me that my magazine should be based on teenagers due to I got no adults voted for reading the magazines. The biggest category being 17-21 showing the older teenagers voted. My second biggest category being 14-17 votes. I have decided I’m aiming my magazine on for older teenagers, so my magazine is going to have to target that audience by being bright bolding, attracting the reader, catchy words.

2. What is your favourite music Genre? 20 members of the public answered this question.

Hip Hop/ Rap- 4 votes
Indie- 9 votes
Rock- 6 votes
Metal- 1 vote
Electronica- 0 votes

By these results I am shown that there are a lot of different types of genre people are into, Indie being the most popular with 9 votes and Rock following after by 6 votes. I was originally going to do Indie as my genre for my magazine, but with rock following short after I’ve decided to have a mixture of Indie/Rock.

3. What colour scheme do you prefer? 19 members of the public answered this question.

Purple, Black and White- 10 votes
Red, White and Black- 3 votes
Blue, Purple and white- 1 vote
Silver, Red and Black- 5 votes

This has shown that most of the audience liked the idea of using purple, black and white as my colour scheme with a number of 10 votes, this is by far the most popular scheme. Second running is silver, red and black with 5 votes. By these results I have decided to use the most popular one, this is because it would stand out and it wouldn’t be a contrast with all the other magazines. It also goes well with my music genre.

4. How often do you listen to music in a week? 18 members of the public answered this question.

0-2 hours- 1 vote
3-4 hours- 2 votes
5-6 hours- 3 votes
7-8 hours- 1 vote
8+ hours- 11 votes

This shows the audience listen to music a lot, and are very into there music. Showing I need to make my magazine based on the audience who know a lot about there music. As a whole 11 votes listen to music 8+ hours a week, so if buying the magazine there going to know a lot.

5. How much are you willing to pay for the magazine? 18 members of the public answered this question.

Less than £1- 1 vote
£1-2- 6 votes
£2-3- 8-votes
£3-4- 1 vote
£4+- 1 vote

These results are showing that the readers will spend £2-3, which is mid range market. I am going to price my magazine at the same sort of price due to it being targeted at teenagers, they need to be able to afford it without it being way over priced. The price of my magazine will be £2.99 instead of £3 this is because when the reader sees the price says “£2.99” they would be more interested than if it said £3.00” this is because the price starts off with a lower price grabbing the readers attention.

6. Which shot would you prefer to see on a front cover? 15 members of the public answered this question.

Close up- 4 votes
Extreme close up shot- 0 votes
Mid shot- 9 votes
Long shot- 1 vote
Mid-Long shot- 1 vote

By these results, Mid shot has been most voted by 9 votes which is the image I was going to use for my front cover because it can show face expressions and certain make up for example, if I wanted someone to have dark make up, this image would be able to show this effect. This effect is also good because if I choose to have just one person or a band it will still work just as well unlike a close up, you couldn’t have a band on a close up, as it would be just of there face. That was the second most common vote but 4 votes.

7. What masthead do you prefer for my magazine? 7 members of the public answered this question.

Smash- 1 vote
TIU (turn it up)- 3 votes
Kraze- 1 vote
RTR (raise the roof)- 0 votes
M Extreme (music extreme)- 2 votes

The public that voted thought “TIU” was the best masthead with 3 votes, and M Extreme with 2 votes, I have agreed with the public and though TIU was the best name this is because it has been abbreviated so something small and simple like NME- New music edition, its eye catching and memorable. It also appeals to the younger audience because they use abbreviated words a lot so its similar.

Audience Profile

This is Holly Turner, she is my typical reader for my targt audience, who my magazine appeals to most. She is 18 and still in education also she attends university and studying psychology. She is very into her music and thats why her hobbies include singing and dancing which she attends to alot in her spare time. Like the average female teenager she will also make the time for shopping and spending time with friends. Her favorite shops are H&M, Primark, New Look and RIverisland. She doesn't always have the time for t.v due to her hobbie as they take up alot of time, but she does enjoy programmes like- Hollyoaks, Eastenders, X-factor and Strictly Come Dancing this is also the typical programmes teenagers enjoy watching.
She listens to alot of different types of music, but her favorite are; Pixie Lott, Lily Allen, Vampire weekend, linkin park, muse etc..

I think my magazine would appeal to Holly as she is into all sorts of music but mainly Indie and as the music style featured in the magazine will be mainly indie and rock, with all the lastest top 10 artists as shes very up to date with her music and what shes intereseted in.
This magazine will also be at a low price, so she can afford it as an unemployed student. Special as there is a new addition out every month, to keep the readers updated.

Q contents page evaluation

The final contents page i have evaluated, is from the magaine Q. All the contents pages are very simular, they all use the same sort of font and colour schemes. For example again the main colours used on this contents page are reds, whites and blacks. The reason they use red though is because of the front cover there title of the magazine uses a red square around the letter 'Q' this shows they stick to there colour scheme by using it throughout te magazine on certain important things, which are wanted to be standing out. For example draw the reader in the sub heading 'features' and 'Every month' are outlined in a red box like the title of the magazine. Also the the numbers on the side by the titled pages are in red, the magazine doesn't use too much red, only on small detailed bits of information and this therefore makes the contents page look neet and not to busy with lots of colour coming out of the page. Instead of using a coloured background half of the page on the right hand side has been taken up with a big image of a boy band 'The Courteeners' the reason they have included this is to show in the magazine there is going to be a big section, even a interview about these boys. If the target audience reads this magazine then this image will appeal to them. If the reader doesn't normally pick up this magazine, you can tell it would appeal to the younger audience, due to the image. The way they dress is very infashion and young, they look like a typical bunch of layed back guys just hanging out. With a quote underneath the picture saying "he's just showing off"'liam frays mum hits a nail on the head' this grabs the audience in as it doesn't go with the very relaxed picture.

There is another image in its own little box of Nick Cave called 'Review' this shows that its a whole new story and is something different, about this other man. They have filled in the inside of this box with a gray colour to add abit more colour to the page.

Design;

The style of this contents page is dead simple and very eye catching, also easy to read and follow up on the latest stories. The title 'Contents' is outlined with a black box, yet again using very simple dull colours but this draws out the title and makes it very bold, using capitals aswell, it is very hard to miss. Along with the title there is a websight aswell and the date of the magazine, so the contents page is giving other resource information where you can look up certain things. The contents page uses very simple short sentances so it doesn't make it boring like 'Oasis special' and 'The worlds biggest and best music guide'. Another way of grabbing the readers attention when looking at the contents page is showing games it includes like crosswords etc. The magazine Q have used there symbol around the contents page for example next to the subheadings. The format of the writing is very chatty and jokey for example "Soho. bottoms up". This gets the reader more into the magazine and as its aimed at a younger audience they find it easier to read.

Karrang contents page evaluation

This contents page is from Kerrang, and this is very different to the other contents page i evaluated- NME this is because of there is alot more images used than writing. Although this contents page still has alot of writing, but its not in paragraphs it has the information about whats 'This Week'. It is alot more spaced out and easier to read when trying to find a certain section in the magazine. Like many magazines, on the right hand corner there is a quick note from the Editor along side with a small image of the magazine front cover, the small note from he editor is including why the main singer is in the next Kerrang issue (Biffy Clyro). The reason the editor has done this, is so the reader who has bought this edition is also drawn to the next edition so the magazine keeps up its popularity. The type of language used is chatty and informal 'We Heart Biffy Clyro' they are using taboo words this is to grab the readers attention because the type of people who buy this magazine would be drawn in by this.

Images;

On this contents page, there is alot of images, mostly covering up the page. They are all different sized images but are very detailed to what is included in this montly edition. Underneath these pictures there is a small text of writing, some which are rhetorical questions, this grabs the reader to read on and find out what the latest stories are on the singers etc..

There is one big image on the left and side, and the rest which are alot smaller, the reason for this is probably because the first story/main story is about him, and there will be alot of information on it. Most of these images are action shots, of them preforming. Others are which they are posing like a photo shoot, so the images are very mixed and makes the contents page more exciting instead of sticking to one thing.

Desgin;

There isnt alot of colour involved on this contents page as the background is a simple white, this therefore doesnt make it really busy and hard to look at because if there was alot of colour with alot of images, the reader would draw more attention to the colours and fonts instead of the images which actually gives you alot of information about the edition. The font is big, simple and very easy to read. On the right hand side it has highlighted the main titles in 'this week' colum in a yellow colour which matchs the main title 'Contents'. Yet again the contents page has stuck to a colour scheme. The only main bit of colour you notice is in the right hand corner which is showing a package you can get with buying the magazine every month. Like the NME contents it is showing it in another colour so you know it is an adervtisment instead of a story or a page number you should view. Overall this magazine contents is very simple an isn't so over the top, like the front page of Kerrang normally is. The reason for this is so the target audience doesn't get put off by finding it hard to follow up even on the contents page.

NME contents page evaluation

This is the first contents page i will be looking at. This contents page of NME has many features just like the front cover of the magaine. The style of this looks old and like a news paper showing its been around a long time, for example the title 'NME THIS WEEK' in simple colours, black, red and white gives it that news paper effect, simple and very bold so the reader can not miss this. It also uses short, simple catchy words like 'this week' this is to grab the reader into what the magazine will be including.

The contents page uses the same colours as it does on the front of the magazine this is to stick to the colour scheme. The main colours used again are, red black and whites. It doesn't include lots of colour which also gives it a newspaper effect.

Images;

As you can see there are not alot of images on the contents page, there is only one photo and that is right in the center of the page. By this you cannot miss it, its very colourful and will draw the reader into what will be included througout the magazine. The image is of a band called 'Kasabian' they put a well know band on te contents page, and they are probably there because the main issue of this magazine NME is about them. The other image used is of two magazines of the latest edition of NME and how you should subscribe and get one everytime a new edition is out.

Design;

The design of the contents page is not the normal set out you would find it many magazines, this is because there is not alot of colour and there is alot more writing than there normally is. For example below the image there is a big paragraph talking about 'Kesabian got romantic in a church'. This will only give the reader a short start of the story and will tell you to carry on to the following pages. This is a clever idea to get the reader to want to read on what they found out on the contents page. There is writing all round the main image in the center, they are all the stories and page numbers, this is a normal format for a contents page, saying short catchy words like 'reviews' and 'live'. In red on the left hand side it has included 'Band index' wic of course only music magazines would have, they put this n red as it is a big block of writing its so the reader doesn't miss it and not want to read it due to alot of writing. But in red this shows the reader its probably worth reading and is useful information. Down in the right hand coner also read, a Big arrow pointing the edge of the page to make you turn over and see more.

Text;

The writing is a very easy to read font which is probably sans sherif. There is also alot of bold sub headings involved. The only other colour used in one place is on the writing 'subscribe today and save over £45' this is showing the reader that it is not part of the stories inside about the bands and music etc.. its showing someting completely different and you can tell this just by the change over the only yellow font on the page.

Evaluation double page spread

This magazine double spread page is different from the other two this is because, this one isn't that busy it doesnt have alot going on with the colours and images bursting out of the pages. The main colour they have used is white for the background, and black for the writing and the black box around one part of the text. Yet again they have put a black box round this certain part of the text to either show a quote or a title showing what the next paragraph is going to say.
The title on this page isn't the most standing out thing on the page, because its faided abit and there not bright colours like reds, blues, greens etc.. the colour of 'Will he' goes with the main singers clothes and the 'Wont He' goes with the other singers clothes. This is so you are aware who the main singer is, and he stands out the most out of the whole page this shows that most of the text is going to be about him. Hense 'Will He Wont He?' is about him as it links with his name. There is also arrows pointing to the text from the singers, which is also the same colour as the lead singer and the title, they are sticking to the same colours throughout the page.
Image;
The images on this page are also very different to the other double spread pages i have anaylzed because normally the image is in your face, something about it makes it stand out. As for this image the singers are all faded into the background abit apart from the one. They ae all dressed smart and not very modern, their outfits are quite old fashioned with the type of suits the men have on, although they are wearing modern shoes, so this has two different effects on if they are trying to be modern or not.
Design;
The way the magazine is set out is a good idea, having most of the two pages being a image of the singers, and having a small amount of information on the left side under the title explain abit about them, and then on the left hand side a whole colum about them and what the article is about. This grabs the reader because its not a whole page of writing and its not hard to read due to, too much colour and having different text information all over the page in different places. Also the title 'Will He Wont He?" is asking rhetorical question to the reader and which makes you wanna read what the title is asking us.

Evaluation double page spread- NME

This is the another double page spread i am looking at from the magazine NME. There is alot going on, on this page, it is also busy with lots going on but not so busy that it turns the reader away. As you can tell by the two pages there are alot of blacks, reds and whites involved. The background has been made black to make the main titles stand out and you could not miss them, for example the quotes are in red and white, its loud and it capitals its almost as if its shouting at you saying they are the best! and that you must read on.

Images;
There alot of mages on this double page spread, they have been edited to be in a black and white tint to go with the whole effect of the back ground and so the red writing stands out more than the colour of the images. The lead singer is shown on the left hand side, this is the biggest image so the reader is aware he is the main singer. He is dressed casual and rock, with the scruffy looking jacket and dark black hair so you can tell that this band is a rock band. There are also 4 smaller images below him that are memebers of the band, you can tell there not as important as the lead singer as its smaller. These images are also in black and white tint, most of them are dark haired, so it still shows there all part of a rock band.

Layout/design
The way this the magazine is set out, one side has all the information and the other has just mainly pictures, and a small amount of writing. This is all to grabs the readers attention, for example the short sentances instead of long dragging out titles. Otherwise the reader would be put off before starting on the actual information the magazine is about. There is also a small colum of information on the very right hand side, this is not to do with the main article you can tell this because the background is white and doesnt follow the colour scheme. Although it has a red block round the top writing this is to get the reader to read what the extra information is about.