AS Media Studies: G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media: Evaluation

5) How did you attract/address your audience?



I tried to make my magazine really girly but not a traditional girls magazine for example; i used a bright coloured pink for the masthead to grab you're attention, and hints of black on my front page to give it an edge . I also got the band to actually play an instrument and sing so they didn't
look to posed and so it didn't look as though i had got two people with no music ability, and so it would be more believable. I wanted it to appeal to an average teenager and make them want to be that person on that magazine. I used two girls at both seventeen years of age to over emphasise that it was a girls magazine that was aimed at girls around that age range that was interested in playing music and listening to that style of punk themed music. The clothing that they wore also reflected that for example i got one of the girls to wear a pink dress and pink tights because it was a traditional girls colour, and i got the other girl to wear a denim jacket, black fish net tights and a white dress. I did this because on one side i wanted it to represent a girly girl; but on the other side i wanted a more darker punk image, which is why i got her to wear fish net tights. I did this because i wanted to put across that all girls have a darker side, and the magazine reflects that which is why you should buy it and want to read more and find out about the band on the front cover.

6)What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
i have used a range of tools on Quark and photoshop such as:

I learnt how to use different fonts and text styles so i could make my font cover more interesting and appealing for example my Masthead. I used a font called "Twenty eight days later" it looked really effective for the punk style theme of my magazine.

On some of my pictures there was for example a light in the background which needed to cut out, so i learnt how to crop things out of my picture.

I also learnt how to make you're pictures turn different colours and have different effects for example there is water colour, sketch e.c.t. I also learnt how to rotate the pictures for effect, for example i rotated my pictures to make them look like Polaroids.

I learnt how to put on a background and then how to bring forward my pictures to they didn't blend into the background i did this by right clicking my mouse and then pressing bring forward.

I learnt how to get a text box up and make it a different colour.

I learnt how to import a picture into quark for example you click the right hand side of the mouse and then click import, go to your pictures and press open.

I used a straightening tool, i used this when i had four pictures and they were all wobbly so i used the straightening tool to straighting it up.

Here are some examples of
college magazines.

Ideas for my main product
target audience=
mainstream
16-24
female audience

sub-genre=
Punk
Dance

Title of magazine and connotations
Punk= because mostly all the things in the magazine are relating to punk for example Lilly Allen, Kelly Clarkson e.c.t
Mayhem= because there is going to be Lot's of different things in the magazine and because there is so much it's like mayhem.
Muzic= because it's going to be a music magazine and the things inside is also going to be about music.

Ideas for main cover image:
A medium close- up of three or four girls of a girl band stood together.
A medium close- up of just the main artist on the front cover.

Ideas for main splash article:
An interview with the band.
What they have got planned for the years to come.

Ideas for other possible contents:
What is going to be in next weeks issue.
Where and when there tour dates are going to be.
Top 10 this week.

5 main rules to take a front cover image
1. No cluttered backgrounds.
2. Make sure you focus on the lead singer if it is a band shot so the audience KNOW who they are.2.If it is a single artist make sure it is a medium shot - close up- 3/4 image may be good, not centered.
3. Leave room for a masthead (oh, and don't cut heads off!)
4. No high angle shots - they make bad cover images! Fine foe double page spreads but really poor on covers.
5. Animate your band - make sure they look at the camera

6 main rules of taking pictures
1. No cluttered backgrounds e.g (Against a plain background)
2. Make sure you focus on the lead singer if it is a band shot so the audience know who they are.
3. If it is a single artist make sure it is a medium shot- close up eg ( 3/4 image may be good, not centred.
4. Leave room for a masthead (Dont cut off the heads)
5. no high angle shots- they make bad cover images! fine for double page spread but really poor on covers.
6. Animate your ban- make sure that they look at the camera.

How to make something transparent
If you want to take away the white backgounr on images after importing them into Quark (if it hasnt automatically ketp transparency from photoshop), right click on the image > Modify > on both the 'Runround' and the 'Picture' tabs make sure that 'alpha channel' and 'alpha mask 1' and selected > press apply and ok.

Appendix 4- Music magazine indusrty research

The sub-genre of these magazines are all different to fit in with a range of customers, some of them are gossip magazines, information magazines, sport magazines e.c.t

There are a variety of prices for example

Take A Break= 75p

Heat= £1.65

Kerrang=£2.20

FHM=£3.90

Pregnancy&Birth=£2.70

The different magazines have different audience for example if you was to read a magazine like Take A Break or heat they would be a gossip magazine and it would tell you whats happening at the moment weather that would be about celebrities or true life stories, the main target audience for Heat is late teens early twenties. Another magazine that is totally different but is owned by the same company is Spirit&Destiny which has physics and it tells you you're horiscopes. The main target audience is females between the ages of 25-44.

Mgazines like closer have the up to date news and is mainky aimed at women, where as magzines like Bike is a total different sort of magazine where it is aimed at men. Even though the magaiznes are owned by the same company they do a variey of magazines aimed at all differnt age ranges and people and by doing that there profit goes up because there is so many different types of magazines to choose form.

Here is an example of a music magazine Kerrang owned by the company Bauer:

Bauer, a private company who made a breakthrough in the UK in 1987 which owns 166 magazines across three continents for example some of them are called,
Closer
Heat
Grazia
Bella
Take a break
Its life!
FHM
Arena
Zoo
TV choice
TV quick
Total TV guide
Empire
Mojo
Yours
Spirit&Destiny
More!
Pregnancy&Birth
Bike
MCN
What Bike?
Classic bike
Max Power

AS Media Studies: G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media: Evaluation

1) I have tried to copy other music magazines by looking at the layout of a particular magazine and trying to take some of those ideas and put them in mine. For example for my double page spread i saw in another magazine that they used small Polaroid pictures and i thought i could use that in mine because they could be pictures the girl band that i chose practicing or performing at a gig. I also got another idea off a magazine where on one page there would be one person from the band, I chose to have the lead singer and them saying a quote. i took another idea where at the top of the double page spread i would have the name of the band so when the reader was turning the page it would be eye catching and the first thing that they see. I also copied a lot of the ideas from an NME magazine for my contents page, i chose to have one main image in the middle which was the girl band from the front cover. I also copied a section of the magazine which would be the tour dates where and when they would be performing. I also did a section where i would interview them, or i would write for example when i met them.



2) This magazine represents age and gender because of the main image used which is on the front cover are seventeen and female teenagers which is appropriate because the target audience is female 13 to 19 year olds. One of the main images on the double page spread also represents age because of how they are posing for example one of the girls is on the other girls back which is a child like things to do and you wouldn't find this in an older magazine.The way they are dressed appeals to the female audience because they are dressed up in traditional feminine colours such as pink, and they are wearing stylish clothing which represents the punk girl image that i was looking for. The clothes that they wear represent an average female teen for example one of them are wearing a pink dress, and the other is wearing a white dress with a denim jacket. I have tried to get them to come across as average teens but at the same time teenagers want to be like them. Class has also been represented by the image on the front cover which is working class, they are wearing average clothing for example one is wearing a pink dress and the other a white dress with a denim jacket and fish net tights. The props that i used which was an key board and a micro- phone. i chose to use those props because they are not expensive to buy for example like a drum kit or an electrical guitar would be. I wanted the props and clothing not to be expensive and so the reader could relate and they could go out and want to be like that band on the picture and they wouldn't have to spend a fortune to do so, i think by doing the magazine like that it will encourage more and more people to want to buy the magazine because they could go out and do the same thing. There sexuality is being represented as hetero sexual for example they are posing casually and either looking at the camera neutrally or singing into the micro- phone and not really posing.

3) I would have a conglomerate company to distribute my magazine because it's a lot bigger than an independent company and so it would be more well known; also it will have a lot more money so they can spend it to try and get the magazine out there for example they have got enough money to distribute the magazine and afford to have loads of magazines to be made so they can be put out into shops and supermarkets and so they can begin to get sold. They could also afford to maybe have an advert about the magazine, or an website to try and get it publicised.

4) The target audience would be females aged 13 to 19 year olds. There hobbies would be a range of things like listening to that specific style of music such as punk for example Lilly Allen, Ashley Simpson e.c.t. They would like playing music and going to gigs. I think people of that age rage would like this magazine because the people for example on the front cover are seventeen and so the readers could relate to them and the people younger would want to be them. The style of music applies to that age group, and the instrument that i chose for them to have is not a hard instrument so the readers of that particular age range could play that instrument and relate to the people on the magazine and want to be like them.

Examples of names of magazines that i might use.

Example of music magazine, i took some examples from this magazine for my double page spread and my contents page. I chose this because its the same style of magazine that i am going to be doing.

Treatment

Name of magazine=MAYHEM
Production team= Alex Jenkinson

Synopsis: The type of magazine that I am going to do is a punk theme magazine and the pictures that I am going to be taking will fit in that genre.

Detail of target audience: The target audience I am aiming for girls aimed between the ages of 16-24 who have an interest in the punk style kind of music for example music like Lilly Allen, Kelly Clarkson. They will have a range of hobbies like playing music, listening to punk style music and going to festivals. The demographic will be C1, C2 and D.

Photography Design: I will be having either three or four girls dressing in either bright pink tights or fish net tights with a skirt; also with either a vest top or chequered shirt with an option of fish net gloves. They will have backcombed hair with heavy eye make-up. The props we will be using are a guitar, micro- phone, and a keyboard. The location will either be in the studio in college or at a friend’s house. I will be having one main image of the band on the front cover of all the girls stood together with the main singer holding a micro- phone. The same image will be on the contents page. On the double page spread I am going to have a picture of the main singer holding a micro- phone by her self with a quote at the side of the picture. I am also going to have four small pictures of the band each individual person playing an instrument for example one person on a guitar, another holding a micro- phone , another on the keyboard and someone else on holding another micro- phone or playing a guitar. I am then going to have another picture of them altogether playing an instrument.

Interview/Article: I will have to interview the band altogether and there will be a couple of paragraphs explaining about the name of the band, the band name, what they have got planned for the future like what songs they are going to release e.c.t. there also will be a small column when and where there tour dates are.

Initial Recce considerations: The possible locations will be either the studio in college or at a friend’s house. The health and safety issues could be a range of things for example when taking pictures make sure to look after the equipment.

Draft of music magazine

socio- demographic
A= Doctors, chief executive
B= Teacher
C= Skilled worker/ white collar
C2= Semi skilled/ blue collar
D= laborer
E= Unemployed

contents page done on quark.

this is my draft double page spread which i completed on quark.

generic elements
by- line= credit to photographer and journalist

Generic elements that you find on a contents page
1) masthead
2) images
3) competition
4) captions
5) page number
6) editorial
7) sub heading- different sections of the magazine
8) date
9) house style
10) subscriptions
11) magazine personal
12) issue number
13) small advertisement

Yesterday i learnt how to use different fonts and text styles to make the mast head more effective.

The fonts that i used for examples for my magazine were:
radioactive, fire
smoke, small noisy border
pepper

This magazine is one of the most popular music magazines, this weekly magazine featues comprehensive gig guide for the UK, reviews for gigsd, albums, singles, and comments from lots of oppinionated writers, NME magazine feature a lot of new music that is to soon be released or has just been released, their main genre focus’s are indie, rock, new rave and any bands which may have an out of the ordinary sound, but NME magazine doesn’t tend to feature bands for the more dancy genre of music, such as r’n'b, hip hop, rap,

Starter task

Circulation- how many unit products are sold
Readership- how many people actually read it
Mainstream- target a wider audience

yesterday i learnt the different types of magazines and why they chose to call it that specefic name and what and why they chose to appear to that specefic audience.

Textual analysis

The magazine that I chose to do was NME; it is an indie/rock kind of magazine. The masthead is in the top left hand side it is the same colour and the same writing like in every issue so it’s easier for people to recognise so they can buy it. The main colours used are red which represents passion and danger and black which represents dark and evil; which also relates to the picture of Lilly Allen because she has her hair black and has black eye make up around her eyes and she is wearing a red manly shirt. By doing this she is representing both masculine and feminine qualities so the magazine appeals to both sexes. Also by using unisex colours the magazine appeals to males and females. Also the way that Lilly Allen is dressed it shows that she isn ’t a traditional girly girl, she isn’t wearing a lot of make-up she is wearing a red shirt which could be worn by either male of female. The reason behind this is so the magazine appeals to both girls and boys. For example if she were dressed all in pink it wouldn’t really appeal to the male audience because it would look like a girly magazine.

On the left hand side there is red bubble writing tilted to the side of the magazine it quotes Lilly Allen saying “I can’t keep living like this, its doing my head in”. This is a feminine thing to say and therefore it will relate to the female audience also it will make the reader want to know more about what she has to say so they will want to buy it. They have chosen to write it in that style because its edgy and disorderly also because the background is white the red writing stands out straight away so it makes it eye catching; the size of the writing isn’t as big as the other writing saying “Lilly Allen” this is because the readers are more interested who is in the magazine and not why they are. The mast head is in red bold capitals with a white border, this connotes that it wants to grab the audiences attention and that is one of the first things that you see and so it’s got to be eye catching. The Mise-en- scene is a picture of Lilly Allen; her facial expression shows seduction which will engage the male audience to buy the magazine.

There is use of banners for example there is a yellow background with big capital red and black letters, the reason for this is to grab the readers attention and make you want to know more about the story and so you will buy the magazine. Also there is four main colours used constantly which is red, black, yellow and white the reason for this is by using the same colours over and over again the buyers of the magazine will find it easier to recognise the magazine. Pictures on the magazine from previous issues shows that the clothing the celebrities wear is black, yellow, white or red to keep the trend of the magazine.
There are other stories on the front of the magazine the main headlines are in a bigger bolder font either in black or yellow and then the taglines are in as smaller font and are either red or white. This is so you read the main headlines first and then the taglines gives you a teaser so you will have to buy the magazine to know more about the story. At the bottom of the magazine it says “Franz Ferdinand” “Babyshambles” in a smaller font again this is giving you the names of the people in the magazine but it’s not giving too much away and so you will have to buy the magazine to find out more. Under the masthead it tells you what NME stands for which is “New Musical

Today i researched music magazines and a range of magazines came up like "under the radar","rolling stones" but the one that i decided to do was "Blender".