Double Page Spread Mock Up

Contents Page Mock Up

Mock up front cover

Experimentation with fonts

Experimentation with colour

Questionnaire results

Q1: The majority of the results were towards "Cowboys & Indie"

Q2: People suggested that I have around 31 - 40 pages

Q3: A lot of my feedback was aimed towards £1.50

Q4: Since my magazine is aimed at a younger age the audience mainly wanted images.

Q5: The audience mainly voted for spaced out in layout.

Q6: The audience believed my magazine would be best published every month.

Q7: They thought the headlines should mainly be about festivals and upcoming bands.

Q8: They voted the content to be about advertising along with free gifts.

Q9: Language should be informal.

Q10: The age range was voted to be from 16 - 21.

Audience Questionnaire For Music Magazine

1.           What title of magazine do you prefer?

-Heavy Indi Vibe Positive

-Cowboys and Indi

-OCDC

-Wham! Frank

-Rolling Stoned

2.           How many pages should my magazine contain?

-15-20

-21-30

-31-40

-40+

3.           How much would you pay for a magazine?

-50p

-£1

-£1.50

-£2.00

-£2.00+

4.         -Should the magazine contain more images than text or visa versa?

-Mainly text

-Mainly images

5.           Should the layout be packed or spaced out?

-Packed

-Spaced out

6.           How often should the magazine be published?

-Every week

-Every month

-Every two months

7.           What should the headlines be about on my front cover?

-Band articles

-Festivals

-Upcoming bands

-Other

8.           What kind of content would you like to see in the magazine?

-Free Gifts

-Advertising

-Festival Dates

-Other

9.           Should the language be formal or informal?

–Formal

-Informal

10.     What should the age range be for my magazine?

-16 – 20

-21 – 24

-25 – 28

-28+

Action plan and introduction to music magazine

For my AS Media I now have to design and create a music magazine which includes a front cover, contents page and a double page article. I will be using both InDesign and Photoshop to create it. I am going to research music magazines of different genre's which will help me with ideas on what to include.

Action plan:
16th January -Compare Magazines & Research the magazine market place
                     -Research similar products: 3x front covers, 2x contents pages, 2x double page spread

24th January -Initial ideas
                     -Audience research
                     -Writing a treatment plan

30th January -Layout / Masthead ideas
                     -Plan photo shoot and take photos
                     -Drafting of pages
                     -Audience feedback

6 - 27th February -Drafting of pages
                            -Audience feedback

5th March -Evaluation

9th March -Final Deadline

Ideas For Title

Here are some of my possible music magazine titles:

1. OCDC
2. Cowboys and Indi
3. Rolling Stoned
4. Heavy Indi Vibe Positive
5. Wham! Frank

Music Magazine Moodboard

Initial Idea for Music Magazine

The style and genre of my music magazine is going to be ranging from mainly rock from different generations however including metal. The audience I am targeting are from the ages of 16 - 23 which are the average age to appreciate this music. I have researched magazines like Metal Hammer and Kerrang! which also focus on that particular genre of music.

Analysis of Music Magazine - Double Page Article

This double page spread from Kerrang! is about a rebellious 17 year old artist as shown on the page. The style of language is quite formal however uses words like ‘wild’ and ‘outrageous’ to express this artists personality. Again the house style is kept the same however the use of red the meaning of danger or evil. The other font styles give a very strong meaning, especially in the title, adds to the effect of danger. The use of mise-en-scene in the central image is effective from the use of clothing/make up. The clothes are leather which adds to the rebellious side, however also makes it seem quite sexual. The stance of the girl gives the impression of her not caring which would appeal to other audiences her age. The ratio between the text and image is almost even however more of the image is shown which is what till get the most attention at first glance. 

This other double page is from the magazine Kerrang! that features the band My Chemical Romance (MCR). The use of colour again is similar to the previous double page as the use of red connotes the house style, as well as resembling the band to be another rebellious group, which could represent danger or being bad. The layout is mainly taken up by the use of images, as that is what interests the reader more and would make the article seem far more interesting at first glance. The use of photos is again to connote with the house style and also helps with the representation. The use of language is quite informal as it is appealing to the target audience, which is of a younger age.  Further more the style of font is kept quite bold and fairly easy to read, which is so the reader at first glance can recognise what the magazine is about and whom it’s about. Finally the other headlines on the same subject are there to influence the reader more to buy it, words like “exclusive” and “New MCR track” would interest them and give them the impression that there getting more than they paid for.

Analysis of Music Magazine - Contents Pages

This contents page from NME magazine uses the brand identity the same, by keeping the same brand style and its colours similar and not too overpowering. For the headlines on this page, it uses quotes from certain band members which would make the reader want to purchase the magazine.

NME also use advertisement which would interest their target audience. Also from the use of their layout they show the contents of what’s inside to try and offer a taster of as much of the magazine as possible. Furthermore the contents uses more than one image, this is to expand and share more information with the target audience. As well as the use of mise-en-scene, the props like the bass guitar for example would interest a small proportion who perhaps plays the instrument. The use of font is kept quite simple, which helps the reader understand the context a lot better if they were scanning through the magazine. Finally the layout is a huge importance for a contents page which helps the reader find their way around, NME have also made the different parts of the magazine colour coded on the right hand side, which helps the reader for what specifically they are looking for.

The Metal Hammer contents page uses its brand identity which helps with the layout and placement of images and text. The images are marked with the page numbers which helps the reader find out more of the image if they were interested. The images use mise-en-scene quite well as they appeal to the audience with the clothes and props. Also from the positioning gives the band members a sense of power making people feel inspired and want to be like them. The magazine also offers adverts which would appeal to its audience, such as albums, DVD’s etc. The layout is designed to be quite packed; reasons are to show the magazine has a lot to offer and well worth the money. If the reader got the impression the magazine was packed they would be more likely to buy it.

The use of puffs connote with the contents page, by the use of the stickers to promote the magazine gives it a more rebellious look, and helps keep with the brand identity. Finally the use of language is kept quite formal and more neatly paragraphed, however the list of band names are kept at a large font, which is what will grab the reader’s attention.