Finished Double Page Spread

Finished Contents Page

Finished Front Cover

Diary entry: Week 6 and 7

For the last two weeks, I spent most of my time working on Photoshop, editing each page to make it look more realistic. I finished cropping and neatening up all my photos and inserted them on to my magazine. i also began to write my article. i read a few different interveiw of Katy Perry and Pixie Lott so i could grasp their interveiwing style and their personality. I then added a barcode, date and issue number on to my front cover to make it look more realistic. I think these small items contribute a large amount to making it look more professional.

I also decided I needed another smaller image for a insert picture on my contents page, so I took some pictures of a female subject against a brick wall. I used a background on this image as I wanted to show variety instead of all my images looking the same.

I added stories to my contents page with page numbers, i tryied to feature popular television programs and artists such as Gossip Girl and Paolo Nutini to increase popularity of my magazine.

Making the 'USA' and 'UK' font

I wanted to have UK Vs the USA as the theme for my magazine, so I decided to make a statement out of ‘UK Vs USA’ so to do this I constructed a font, I used a photograph I took of the Union Jack and the American flag and I cut out each letter using the flag as a background for the letter, I then but an outline round it to make it stand out, I also changed the contrast and lighting of the image to make it stand out. This was very time consuming as it was extremely hard to get the right part of the flag and the right size font that I was cutting out, but I felt it was worth it as it does make a statement and looks professional.

Rough Cuts And Feedback

Feedback

I summed up the main points made from my feedback, and bullet pointed them below.

Front cover

More stories

Change strapline 'borderline indie'

Cant make out logo 'Up'

Move 'Influential woman special' Doesnt stand out and isnt clear.

This feedback helped me as i wouldnt have thought of the 'Up' logo no being visible as i knewit was there, so this helped me to see what other people think about my Front cover. Also the advice to change my strapline was very useful as its more obvious to the reader and 'borderline indie/pop' isnt a very well known genre of music so it would most likely put people off buying my magazine.

Contents page

More stories needed

'Influential woman' too long, looks out of place

More page numbers needed and also on images

This infomation helped me to improve my contents page as i didnt realise i hadnt put a page number on one of my insert pictures until soeone pointed this out to me. I changed the positioning of 'Influential woman' as it looked out of place. And i also added more stories to the page to make it look more full.

Double Page Spread

Article needs to be longer

Page numbers

Name of magazine could be mentioned

Looks very 'spacey'

Other people reading my article helped me to identify mistakes i hadnt noticed, such as capital letters needed. this helped make my magazine look more real. Also a piece of infomation i found the most helpful was that as its a double page spread, the center line will be down the middle and since my article was in the middle of the page, it wouldnt be readable so i decided to move it to the left handside of the page and put the two images of the subjects next to each other on the right handside. This solves the problem of not being able to read the article and it also solves the problem of it looking 'spacey.'

Diary Entry: Week 5

Diary entry week 5:

This week I started constructing my magazine, I started on the contents page, I added my main image and edited it. I then began adding stories and page numbers to make it look more realistic. I also began coming up with ideas for the name of my magazine…

F.A.B
Fresh
Very
Re-load
Plus
Bold
Lock
Down
Up

I then shortlisted these names to those below:
Fresh
Re-load
Plus
Bold
Lock
Down
Up

Then after much deliberation I settled on ‘Up’ as I thought it symbolises the music chart.

The image on the left was my contents page taking place and what I achieved this week.

Original Image 5

I originally used two images and merged them into one, I took separate photos as the subjects had a large height difference which I thought wouldn’t look profession, so I took each image separately, merged them together and then but them in proportion before editing them. I cropped the background out as I wanted them to be standing behind a flag to represent their country.

Original Image 4

I used this image for my contents page, as it’s the main image I took lots of care and time editing it to make it look like a real contents page. I cropped the background out, I also replaced the colour of the lolly pop with red as I thought green clashed with the rest of the page, and I also edited out a pink strap on the dress to make it look more professional.

Original Image

I used a cream background for this image originally, but then I decided to continue the white background theme throughout my magazine as I thought it looked more professional, so I cropped it out. I also originally had a chair in the image which I later cropped out as I didn’t think it was in keeping with my style model. This image appears twice in my magazine, once in the contents page and once in my double page spread, I have lightened the image as I thought it looked better. I also rotated the image so that the subject is at the opposite side of the photo.

Original Image 2

I used this image as an insert picture on my front cover, I used a white screen as my background as the costumes used were very patterned, the checky shirt in-particular, I didn’t want to have a cluttered background because it would distract attention from the image its self.

Original Image 1

This is the main image I used for my front cover, I took it a bright corridor as I wanted to use natural night because I find that artificial light give the image a more yellowy tone. I decided to have the subjects wrapped in an American flag and a Union Jack, I decided this as I wanted it to symbolise the battle between the two artists and America and the UK. This is also the reason why I had them positioned back to back.

I cropped the background out of this image so I could have a gray/white background on the back of the magazine cover. I also edited the photograph in many ways to make it look more realistic. I changed the lighting on the left hand side of the photo as it was a little darker, I airbrushed the subjects and also edited their teeth. I also made the image lighter as I wanted it to be very light.

Diary Entry: Week 4

Week 4

This week I evaluated and analysed my questionnaire results. I have presented this information on graphs to the results. My results helped me decide on important aspects of the design of my magazine such as the price, images on the front and it also helped me to identify a style model to base my magazine on, I chose ‘Q’ magazine.

I also drew the first drafts of my magazine by looking at and taking information from my initial ideas spider diagram. This helped me to visually create the ideas I had on my initial ideas mind map.

Photo Planning Sheet Continued

Photo Planning Sheet

First Designs: Contents Page

First Designs: Double Page Spread

First Designs: Cover

Analysis of results:

I decided to complete some audience research to identify my target market. I constructed a questionnaire to do this. I have presented my results on graphs.

What magazines do you buy?

This graph tells me that ‘Q’ is the most popular magazine bought. This information has helped me decide that I am going to use ‘Q’ as my style model. I think using the most popular magazine as my style model will make my magazine more realistic, more successful and exactly what my target market wants. By choosing ‘Q’ as my style model I am targeting young adults who have a very open taste in music. And as ‘Q’ is the favourite and most popular magazine, proved by my results, hopefully If I style my magazine on it, mine will be successful.

What celebrities/music artists would you like to see on the cover?

I learnt that Katy Perry and Pixie Lott are the most popular images for the cover, from this graph. Therefore I have decided to feature both artists on the front cover. As both the artists are very current, and very poplar at the moment I think it will increase the popularity of my magazine and also they are very stylish which I hope to incorporate style and sophistication but with a hint of youth…similar to that of my style model, ‘Q’.

What images would you like to see on the front cover?

Singers are the most popular image that my target market would like to see on the front cover, according to my graph. This is ideal for my magazine as I liked the idea of having two artists on the front cover instead of one. My style model, Q often does this too. I think having more than one singer on the cover will also be more aesthetically pleasing than just one image as I think it will attract more readers who are fans of each artist.

What price would you pay for a magazine?

£1.51-£3.00, is by far, the most popular price that a consumer would pay for a magazine, I will use this information to market my magazine at a price in-between £1.51-£3.00.

Results of the questionnaire

Initial Ideas

Results of the Questionnaire

Results of the Questionnaire

Questions i asked when interviewing for my research...

Questionnaire

What magazines do you buy?
....................................................

Why do you buy these magazines?
............................................................

What features do you like about this magazine?
...................................................................................

What attracts you to a magazine?
..........................................................

What price would you pay for a magazine?

£0 - £1.50
£1.51 - £3.00
£3.01 - £5.00
£5.01+

What makes you choose a magazine over another?
.........................................................................................

What image would you like to see on the front cover?
.............................................................................................

What celebrities would you like to see on the cover of a magazine?
.....................................................................................................................

Diary Entry

Week 3 half term week

During half term we were set homework to analyse 5 front covers, contents pages and double page spreads of existing music magazines, we also had to keep our blog up to date with diary entries, questionnaires and interviews so we can gather information for designing our own music magazines.

Diary Entry:

Week Two 8th-12th February 2010


After completing our preliminary task we moved on to starting to researching real music magazines. This week we started looking at different contents pages and comparing different ones with other magazines of different genres. We started to do our initial ideas and to think about our own magazines.

Analysis of double page spread

5) Echoes Magazine

This double page spread id from the magazine of ‘Echoes’ the main feature and what draws the readers attention first is the main image. The main image is of a woman presumed to be a solo artist. She seems relaxed and happy which connotes the genre of magazine as this magazine is themed on R&B and black soul music, this type of music and its listeners are stereotyped as being very laid back and happy which link in with the main image.

The main image is situated in the centre of the pages and flow on to both pages with the centreline running down the middle.

This page is more image based than text as the background is the main image, I think this is very effective as it doesn’t make the page look all ‘boxy’ which sometimes happens.

The subject, the female singer is leaning on a piano, this links in to the type of music and the genre of music this magazine includes as soul singers often use pianos.

The text gets smaller in size as the information gets longer and more detailed for example the title is very bold and big and then the little introduction is medium font.

On the left hand side of the page is a column which reads ‘top 50 R&B songs’ this hints to the genre of the magazine to the audience.

Overall I like this double page spread as I like the colours used, I think the orange links into the ‘happy’ feel of the music and the mood.

Analysis of double page spread

4) ATM Magazine

This double page spread is from ‘ATM.’ It’s very simplistic looking and very striking. It looks like its aimed at male, I think this because of the blue colours used and also the style, its very clear and easy to read and straight down to the point. I also think its aimed at males because of the main image, the main image is a mid shot of two subjects.

They are both facing the camera but only one of the men is looking into it. The man standing at the back of the photo seems to appear intimidating, as his arms are crossed in a arrogant manor and he seems to be giving an aggressive look to the camera.

The page is equally image and text, with one page being fully image and the other fully text. This seems very simple and its very clear to look at. This has probably been done because a lot of text is boring to if not broken up with pictures.

The colour scheme for this page is very ‘fresh’ whites and pale blue colours are used to give off a relaxed vibe.

There is a large house in the background, which could suggest that although the two men in the main image don’t look it they may be posh, this subverts the stereotype of band members.

The font used on the title is very modern and original, it grabs the readers attention. I like the simplistic look of the double page spread and I will defiantly make my design simplistic.

Analysis of double page spread

3) NME Magazine

This double page spread is from NME magazine. At first glance the reader’s eye is draw to 3 things: the large photo, the title of ‘Kasabian’ and the large ‘S’. I think the main image is very effective as it is very original. Its not the normal type of photo you’d expect to see in NME, I’d expect to find a much more rocky photo.

The large title displaying the band’s name is in sans-serif font and its black and bold, this makes it stand out and makes it look more modern and up-to-date. This layout is simplistic and yet filled with content, this is how I hope to make my design.

There aren’t any bright colours on this page except a green box with a quote in, this immediately stand out to the reader. I like how the text is written in three thin and long columns, I think this makes it easier to read and there for clearer.

Overall I think this double page spread is very effective.

Analysis of double page spread

2) Mixmag Magazine

This double page spread is from Mixmag magazine. The first thing you notice when you glance at the page is the photo in the centre of the pages. The pages are mostly image based with text in thin and long columns down each side of the photos.

The main image in the middle of the pages is of 12 female D’Js they’re all wearing fur coats, this shows power.

The colour scheme of the photo is dull colours, dark grey, white, black and dark brown. This makes it look classy and timeless I think. Below the main image is 4 smaller images, these images show the girls in action, when they are D’Jing. I think this involves the audience in the article and therefore is successful.

The title of the article ‘girls gone wild’ suggests the obvious, but this contrasts with the classiness of the photos and appearance of the page itself.

The large ‘O’ at the start draws the reader’s attention at the start of the article. I may include this in my magazine to make it look professional.

There’s a subheading at the top of the page which reads ‘meet girlcore, the international female DJ collective that makes guest male DJ’s play in drag.’ This shows the power of the girls and it suggests a ‘sisterhood’ relationship between them.

The stereotype of females in the dance music are usually portrayed as wearing skimpy neon clothes, but in this case it subverts the stereotype as the women are dressed in fur coats and have a look of the 80’s about them.

Overall I think this is an interesting double page spread and I would be interested in reading it.

Analysis of double page spread

1) Echoes Magazine

This double page spread has been taken from ‘Echoes’ magazine. Echoes is the UK's longest standing magazine for black music, specialising in soul, R&B, hip-hop, reggae and jazz. It was established in 1976 as a weekly newspaper, became a monthly glossy in 2000.

This double page spread has two images, the first image takes up exactly half the page and is of a black, male presumed to be an R&B singer or Rapper. The man is leading against a white background. He is wearing jeans which makes him look quite casual. But he has sunglasses on which makes him look very ‘Hollywood’. The stance he’s standing in gives him attitude and makes him look a little arrogant and powerful. You can tell that artificial light has been used to create a shadow of the man on the white back ground, I think this looks very effective and I may consider using this in my design.

The heading of the page is almost central, but more to the left of the top of the pages, it also flows on t the second page. The text reading ‘Common Place’ which is presumed to be the rappers nick name, is printed in sans-serif font, in black and it’s also bold. This really makes it stand out as it contrasts against the white background making it instantly grasp the readers attention.

A quote is printed in the middle of the text reading ‘I’ve gotta be honest, and stay true to myself.’ This is printed in large black font with text at either side. I think this is an excellent idea as it allows the reader to see an extract of the article before reading it, it also stands out is it’s amongst the small font. I am considering using this in my design.

The image to text ratio is almost equal in this double page spread and I think it works quite well. It looks simplistic, up-to-date and modern.

The colour scheme is black and white which looks very classy and sophisticated.

Analysis of magazine contents page

5) Mixmag Magazine

This contents page is also from the dance magazine, Mixmag. I like this contents page because I like the clear layout, subtle colour scheme and polished look.

The image to text ratio on this contents page is mainly image.

There is one large main image and two smaller insert pictures. I this is aimed at females because of its feminine colour scheme and glamorous look. The main image is of a young female. The woman appears to be leaning on a fence, the pale colours of the fence contrast with the colour of the clothes she’s wearing especially the purple jacket, this attracts the reader’s attention to the image. The clothes the woman is wearing are quite modern and fashionable, which links to the type of music of the magazine, which is dance. The metallic jacket the girl is wearing could also represent the disco genre.

Each image has a page number at the bottom to direct the reader to the page that the particular article is on.

San-serif fonts are used for the text down the left hand side of the page, I think this makes it look more modern and easy to read.

Overall, I like this contents page because its clear and easy to read, glamorous looking and I like the column style layout it has.

Analysis of magazine contents page

4) Mixmag Magazine

This magazine contents page is for Mixmag magazine. Mixmag is a clubbing/dance music magazine. It’s very popular with young adults. The main image on this contents page is featuring a musician; the photo doesn’t appear to be a professional shot, not posed. By the clothes the subject is wearing it gives off the impression he’s at a festival or a music gig or concert. This idea is also supported as he’s holding a can of alcohol.

The image is very large to catch the reader’s attention and at the bottom of the image is a page number presumably where the article on the musician can be found.

There is no main page headline. The content section features the articles in Bold along with a tag line from the article. All the heading are featured in pink as this allows them to stand out. These different sections are split to show the different aspects of the magazine, for example “Tunes” and “VIP.”

The colour scheme is quite simple but dark and perhaps slightly dull, featuring blacks and browns. This relates to the genre of dance music because Clubs are often dark and moody. There are some hints of colour featured on this contents page, for example the neon colour like headings. This also links in with the club scene as neon is a popular colour used in clubs.

Analysis of magazine contents page

3) Kerrang Magazine

This contents page is for the popular music magazine, kerrang. Its very cluttered and its pages are very busy. There are multiple images used to show the reader what is included in the magazine and which page number they feature on.

This contents page follows a structured layout which is easy for the reader to get a clear view of what the magazine contains. The page is divided into sections. The image to text ratio is high, as images cover the majority of the page, with the information displayed around it. This format means the reader is immediately drawn to the images, enabling them to feel more involved within the magazine, and be more entertained.

The same colour scheme is often used in Kerrang, yellow, black and dark blue. The repeated use of these colours means the magazine keeps its appearance, continuing the same genre and feeling.

Two images stand out in particular, a large dark image, and a large dark yellow image. These colours contrast against the white background.

The use of exclamation marks represents heavy music and attitude, which connotes the style of the magazine.

The language used in the text is very informal and stereotypical of the type of magazine. ‘Your chance to win hot signed shit!’ is a very informal and slightly rude. Using swear words is typical of rock magazine and not something you would see in a pop magazine such as ‘smash hits.’
Despite all belonging to the same style of music, each image displayed is targeted at a different aspect of music. For harder rock fans, there are slightly scary images, whereas for lighter rock fans there are images of their bands performing and smiling at the camera. This helps the magazine to appeal to a broader audience as it includes a range if different music.

Analysis of magazine contents page

2) Drummer magazine

This contents page is form the rock music magazine, drummer. In the center of the page there is the magazines title in a bold and black font. This stands out to the reader as their eyes are drawn to it.

The image to text ratio is a lot larger in this contents page, as pictures have been used to inform readers of what is included in the magazine. I think this is a really good way to interest the reader and also sometimes the reader can be put off by large amounts of writing. I think I will use the technique of photos with page numbers on in my design as I think its effective. The In the top, left corner of the contents page is the heading ‘Contents’ this is written in white, which allows it to stand out from the red background due to the colour contrast. The magazine issue date is written, largely and clearly, at the very top of the page. I may also include this in my design to make it look realistic.

The contents is written in two groups: ‘Features’ and ‘Regulars’. The ‘features’ list contains the features that would most interest the reader, whereas the ‘Regulars’ list is mainly aimed for readers who regularly purchase the magazine. Each feature has a title, written bolder and larger, with a description and page number. The page number is written in red to allow it to stand out. The descriptions are very small and vague, so it does not give away too much detail. The regulars do not need descriptions as readers tend to know what to expect.

Analysis of magazine contents page

1) NME

This contents page is from Kerrang, I think its striking because of its simple layout and original photo. The image to text ratio on this cover is about half and half. I think this is a perfect combination for a contents page as its not too cluttered but gets the information of what’s in the magazine across. The main image used is a mid shot. Mid shot are very popular with magazine covers and contents pages as they are quite safe, and not as daring as say a close up, which would be focused on the subjects expression or a long shot which would be focused on the subjects body language and costume or clothing.

The subject in the main image of this contents page is the lead singer of green day, this is obvious to readers who don’t recognise him as it states at the top of the page. He’s wearing a pair of stylish headphones which links in to his music and the magazine itself. He’s dressed quite casual and in ‘normal’ clothes such as a leather jacket and a scarf, this isn’t typical attire for rock stars to wear on photo shoots. Also he’s sticking his tongue out, this suggests playfulness and cheekiness, not something you normally see from a rock band member, so it subverts the stereotype.

The font on this contents page is very basic, it’s black, normal sized and not fancy or any particularly interesting font. I think they’ve done this to simply get the information of what’s inside the magazine to the readers rather than making as big deal out of making it fancy or colourful.

Analysis of magazine cover

5) NME


This cover for the popular magazine of NME is very different to the previous covers I have analysed. The genre of this magazine is rock. The main image of the magazine is if the foo fighters band member ‘Dave Grohl’ the shot used is a close up shit, this is used to emphasise his expression. His expression is angry and a growling like expression. This enforces the stereotype of rock music being aggressive links in with his expression. On the bottom left hand side of the cover there is a feature which reads ‘win a guitar, studio time and more!’ this encourages readers to buy the magazine in hope they will win a prize. This is a technique I think I will use in my design as it will draw more people into buying the magazine.

The heading ‘foo fighters’ at the left side of the cover is large and attention grabbing. The font is bold and white with black ‘scuff’ like marks in the font; this makes it look more rugged. The large size of this heading grabs the readers attention and informs them about what is included in the magazine.

Overall, I probably wouldn’t buy this magazine, because I’m not a fan of rock music and from the outset it looks like its aimed at rock music fans.

Analysis of magazine cover

4) Groupie Magazine


This magazine isn’t as well known as the previous ones which is why I think that its title is very large and obvious. Probably to make it more well known. The magazine cover is very simple and doesn’t have a lot of features on it.

The main image is of the popular and very original female singer ‘la roux’ La roux is known for her androgynous sense of style and originality. The main photo is a mid shot. I think a mid shot is the most appropriate photo as its not too zoomed or fussy. She is wearing a white ruffled shirt which stands out from the blue background. This makes it look very striking.

The background is a mixture of blues; it’s very sky like and contrasts with the paleness of her skin and the white shirt.

A play on words is used for the heading of ‘bon appetite, it’s la roux’ the font is red which make it stand out to the reader.

I don’t think I would be tempted to buy this magazine because of its lack of feature on the front, it doesn’t tell me what’s inside.

Analysis of magazine cover

3) Q Magazine


At first glance, the cover of ‘Q’ magazine looks a little cluttered, but not in a bad way, more like its jam packed with content. The cover is very ‘busy’ and your eye is first drawn to the title of the magazine ‘Q’. The magazines logo is very large and the white font stands out against the red background of the logo, with the red catching the audience’s eye first and drawing them in to that corner.

The main image used is a photograph of the female singer Madonna, the photo is a head shot and Madonna isn’t facing the camera, she’s turning towards it. She’s also dressed in a hood and is peering behind it; this makes it look quite secretive and gives her a look of attitude.

The audience’s eye is drawn to the main heading of the cover which is ‘Madonna’ Its bright red colour.

The background of the cover is black, this makes the white writing stand out. Also the black background contrasts with the light blonde of Madonna’s hair.

There is an issue number at the top and a bar code. I am going to use these features in my music magazine to make mine look more realistic.

On the left of the cover there is a list of celebrities/bands/singers and comedians. It says that they all interview Madonna. This is an excellent way of advertising the magazine to the audience as it ‘name drops’ such a wide range of celebrity’s that it will attract the audience into buying the magazine. I think I might also use this in my magazine.

Also the promise of a free ’70 page special women in music’ also will attract readers because everyone likes something for nothing.

Overall I think I would be tempted to buy this magazine due to the celebrity’s mentioned, I think this is an excellent way of getting readers and I may include this in my design.

Analysis of magazine cover

2) Rolling Stone


I decided to analyse another 'Rolling Stone' magazine cover. The reason why I decided to analyse another was because I decided to use the same magazine but a different cover as I like this cover and I think it differs from the previous ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine cover above. I think it differs because the main image used in this cover is a medium shot or one person, the actor Zac Efron. Whereas in the cover above a image of 4 people, also the previous cover is also a body shot of the subjects whereas this is a medium shot. The headings of what’s in the magazine are on opposite sides in the previous cover and this cover of Rolling Stone.

The main image is of the very popular and up and coming Zac Efron. He is known for his very ‘wholesome’ image through his many links with the very successful American company Disney so the fact that he’s lifting his top up makes it look more promiscuous and like he’s trying to lose his ‘all American good boy’ image. Zac Efron isn’t the stereotypical celebrity you’d expect to see on the front cover or rolling stone magazine but the fact that he’s pulling his top up to reveal his body suggests that he has changed. And it gives the impression that he’s not an innocent young boy anymore. I this image fits the cover very well and looks good. I this is effective as the image draws young females in to buying the magazine.

The top of the image covers the part of the title ‘Rolling stone’ as I mentioned before in the other rolling stones cover I think this suggests arrogance and confidence in the magazine as I think they feel as if the whole title doesn’t need to be shown for the audience to identify the magazine.

The white background in this cover is very simplistic, I think this makes the main image stand out more. The white on white (the colour of Zac’s top in the main image and the white background) normally doesn’t work but in this case I think this has been very successful. It normally doesn’t work as the image sometimes gets lost into the background if it’s the same colour but not in this case as I think it highlights, the subject, Zac’s skin. Therefore I am considering using a white background in my front cover design. I just need to make sure my image doesn’t get lost in the background if it has parts of the same colour.

The headings at the side of the page are in a bright orange, light orange, grey colour scheme which I this works well in this cover as the colours all complement each other. ‘The new American heart throb Zac Efron’ this is the largest title on the cover, it’s also in a bright orange font this makes it grab the audience’s attention and draws the reader in to read the magazine. ‘New American heart throb’ mentioned in the title also refers the Zac losing his good boy image.

A wide range of different fonts, colours, and size of font is used for the headings at the side of the page, normally I think this would make the cover look cluttered but I this in this case it works as the main image and background are simple. The bright font’s used in the miss-matched fonts also looks good with a plain and simple background and main image. I’m considering using this in my design as I don’t think it will look too busy or that the text would disappear into the background I think it’ll make it stand out.

To conclude, I think I would be persuaded by the front cover to buy this magazine.

Analysis of magazine cover

1) Rolling Stones

This cover for the very popular and iconic magazine 'Rolling Stone' uses the main image of characters from an American TV series names ‘The Hills.’ The name of the television series is stated in bold, large and a particularly glamorous font style making the title very striking and obvious to the reader. I like this technique used as I think it ‘highlights the obvious’ but also seems to ‘name drop’ the title.

The main image is of the 4 main characters of the television series, the girls are wearing lots of the colour pink and have their legs on display, I think this is to appeal to both female and male readers. I do think the pink and the pale colours f the cover appeal to women slightly more than men as it seems to suggest playfulness and feminineness. I like the white background in this cover as I think it makes it look simplistic but also striking as it makes the image stand out more, I am considering using this in my front cover design.

The title of the magazine ‘Rolling Stone’ is an iconic image itself, I think this is partly why the magazine feels like it doesn’t need to show its whole title for it to be recognised as the logo has become very well known, although it’s a little arrogant for ‘Rolling Stone’ to be so confident it its self.

Underneath the heading ‘The Hills’ is a line which reads ‘OMG! Do they totally hate each other?’ This line is almost a parody of the television characters as they are portrayed as speaking that way, having a very ‘L.A’ way of speaking. This also hints to the stereotype of ‘dumb blondes’ which I think the magazine is hinting towards, but its very subtle and you can tell that the magazine has done this playfully and not offensively. The girls also being dressed in pink also enforces the stereotype of ‘dumb blondes.’

The glamorous and very feminine theme is carried out throughout the cover. From the girly main image itself through to the fancy font and the pink themed ‘Rolling stones’ title, this defiantly attracts women readers which would help ‘Rolling stone’ branch out their target market as I think their magazine’s main audience isn’t girly, and very feminine females, I would say it was mostly male.

The girls are pictured barefoot, this is unusual as normally the audience would expect them to wearing some sort of high heel or a pair of glamorous shoes. But the fact that they’re barefoot also links in with the ‘L.A’ lifestyle, which is often been portrayed as care free and outgoing, and also the television show which the girls are from is sometimes set on a beach which being barefoot fits in. I think this carefree impression contrasts with the glamour of the hair and make-up of the girls are its very elaborate and ‘done-up’, but I think this works in this cover.

There isn’t a lot of writing on this cover and I would say the majority of the page was defiantly image, I think this makes it look simplistic but also rather striking as it makes it stand out. There are 4 headings at the side of the page, and they show the audience what is included in the magazine, they too are in a fancy font, and the back font with the white shadow really makes it stand out more on the pale background of the main image. I like this idea and I think I might use it in my design of my music magazine cover.

Overall, I like this magazine cover and the glamorous style of it would convince me to purchase it. I like the simplistic and striking look

Diary Entry:

Week One – 1st - 5th February 2010

In this week I began looking at existing music magazines and looking for inspiration for what to do for my own music magazine. We analysed two very different music magazines in class, Kerrang and Mixmag. We used 4 points to analyse the two magazines with, these were as following:

How does it reach its target audience?
What schemes does it use?
What kind of brand are they constructing?
Pick out the details that have been generated to make it a success.

This helped us work out what we wanted our music magazine to be like and gave me some inspiration for my magazine design.

Research Interviews: Alex

School Magazine Task Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

I tried to make my magazine as real and as professional as possible, to make it look like a real magazine. I studied other magazines and aimed to give my magazine similar features to make it look more realistic, such as: insert photos and a professional finish. There are some features I missed off that could have enhanced make my magazine look more professional like page numbers, an issue number, a barcode and a price. I decided to use an bold font to make it stand out. I also used one large photo as a background rather than having a coloured background with an image on it as I think this gives my magazine a more professional look and thus makes it look more realistic. This technique was used in some magazines I studied for inspiration for mine. I decided to use an image of a teenage girl in Paris as I think this will draw in my target market as my magazine is aimed at teenagers. Also I decided to theme my magazine on the school trip of Paris which I think would interest many pupils.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I have targeted my magazine at teenagers as it’s a school magazine. Techniques which I have used to make sure my magazine is popular with my target audience are using a photo of a teenage girl as my main image. I think this will interest my target market as I’m targeting the socio economic group of teenagers who are probably on a low income so the magazine would have to be cheap/low cost or free. I could have also used a image of a footballer or celebrity to target teenagers and that particular socio economic group as this would attract them to my magazine.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

My magazine would be an informative product as being a school magazine it would inform students and parents of events, important news and other information about the school.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target market for my magazine would be students of the school. The features and news stories which are included in the magazine would be relevant to the school, its pupils and also parents.

How did you attract/address your audience?

The main way I attracted my target audience was through the use of the theme of ‘Paris’ I think that as the Paris trip was a real event and it is also current and exciting it would draw my target market as they would be interested in this theme. I also attracted my audience through images, i used images of other students doing activities that might interest other students such as the photo of two teenage girls outside the castle at Disneyland. I think this usual photo would interest the audience and draw in their attention also images are normally what draws a persons attention to buying a magazine.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

During the task I have learned and developed skills on Photoshop and as wasn’t very experienced using the program. When using Photoshop I just made sure everything I did was on a separate layer and that the green ‘tick’ was clicked as when I first started using it I didn’t realise and I thought my screen was frozen. When using the camera I tried to position my ‘model’ making sure I was using the rule of thirds.

School Magazine Analysis

Analyse school magazine


Fusion

The main colours used in this front cover are red, white and black. This makes it stand out. The cartoon style picture on the front makes it look ‘edgy’ and modern which is not typical of a school magazine. I think this is very effective for this magazine.