Main Task

I am going to produce a front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text I use must be original, produced by me – minimum of four images.

In this project I am going to be looking at:

Genre:

Looking at the key features of a genre are.
What magazines cover this genre.
What features the cover in their magazines and how these tie in with their target audience.
What additional features could I include to make it stand out and appeal to an audience that is not already being marketed to.

Target audience:

Have a definite target audience as my magazine will not appeal to everyone.
Make the magazine appeal to the target audience I am setting.
How will I sell to my audience whilst being profitable and affordable

The magazine:

I will come up with a name for my magazine. Ideally it should be short and snappy and should also grab the attention of the target audience.
Come up with a rough price for the magazine.
State how often the magazine will be released.

The front cover:

Use a colour scheme and make it stand out to he target audience and to represent my music genre.
Create a masthead that is clear, bold and eye-catching.
Look at different artist I could use in the magazine.

My chosen genre.

In this project I am going to be using rock 'n' roll, as my chosen genre. This is mainly because I listen to this type of music and have a brief understand about the genre. This means I will be able to pick out the conventions I see in other magazines and be able to understand them better and easier.

There are many key features of this genre. For example, the genre shows its own individual appeal and style. This is shown in the clothes they wear and how the fans and artists present themselves. They often wear skinny jeans with dark shirts or plain dark tops. Men's hair, in most occasions is a lot longer then normal and not often lighter colours. In music videos they often also wear casual jackets and smart jeans with smart shoes.

NME is one of the main magazines for this type of genre. The magazine is a British weekly magazine that features many different things. For example; agenda-settings news, the UK's most comprehensive gig guide, definitive reviews of the weeks hottest gigs and many more topics. These are covered because attracts their target audience that is around 15- 21 years of age. As this age range are more likely to be going to gigs they will want to read about how gigs went and how people felt about them. By looking at these they will be able to see if they like the sound of some curtain gigs and plan to go to see other gigs which they can look up in the magazine.

I am now going to Analise front covers of NME magazine. This will allow me to see the conventions it uses and how these make it appeal to the audience. NME (The New Musical Express) is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart.

To do this i will use LIIAR

L-anguage - How does the text, colours and pictures set the genre and style?
I-deology - In whose interests?
I-nstitution - Who made it? How can you tell?
A-udience - Who is the magazine for? How can you tell?
R-epresentation - What does it say about the world?

I am able to use these to help me to find the conventions and to find the most from the magazine that will help me make the most effective magazine front page.




In this issue of NME magazine, we can see many different conventions and techniques that have been used to attract the an audience.

For example, in most magazine fronts we see text and pictures that are the dominate fracture of the magazine. The text is sans serif text which is basic font type and a lot easier to read. This is because it does not have any flicks or dashes on the end of each letter. This creates a simple, easily understood text that makes it basic for the reader to read.

The picture also stands out as it is in a light black and white effect. This stands out form the text that is presented which gives the magazine the edge of standing out from others. The picture being black and white also shows the main story of the magazine. In this case it is blur returning to the music scene. The picture is represented as black and white as they are coming back from the past to make there return. Another way the picture tells us that the bad are making a return is the fact that the man on the left is dressed differently from the man on the right. The man on the left has older clothes on, for example, rounded glasses, older hair cut, older style jacket and scarf. This is typical for the 1990’s, when Blur where a popular alternative rock group. On the other hand the man in the left is dressed in a much more modern effect. NME will have done this so that we see that Blur are making a come back to a new era compared to what it was before. For example the man on the left has a modern hair cut with and ear piercing. He also has a modern leather jacket on with a plain black t-shirt. This is a typical stereotype of a modern artist.

The black and white colour allows the red boxes with white and yellow to stand out as they are a lot brighter then the black and white. This means that the reader can easily look at both the picture and writing as they both stand out from each other making it easier to read. The colours read white and yellow are also the main colours of NME magazine making the magazine easy to recognise from other magazines.

The plugs of the magazine are also a big convention that helps sell the magazine. For example, one of the plugs looks like the corner off the page has been torn away. This makes the reader feel like they are being aloud to have a sneak preview of what is in the magazine. This plug relates to the main story that we are presented with through the picture being the return of Blur.

They are also presented in basic and simple shapes. Circles and rectangles are used because it is easier for the reader to look at and read. As well as the shapes being simple the sanserif text inside is also basic so it is easier to read. This is important as the circles and rectangles are often of set. With them being off set the sanserif text makes sure that the text is still readable. The shapes of the plugs are often of set because it relates to the genre of the magazine. With the genre being alternative rock and roll, it has its own free style and themes, which are often mess and unorganised. This means that with the plugs being off set we see this being emphasised.

The text as well as being sanserif, the colour scheme is the same with all text. This makes sure that the magazine stays with the same style and keeps its consistent colour scheme. This is important because having the colour scheme the same makes the magazine look simple and easily recognised to other magazines by having the same colour scheme being consistent. This makes the plugs easily recognised and from other features on the front page meaning that the magazine is easily read and understood as plugs are easy to pick out and read.

Again sanserif is used in the masthead. This keeps the same theme and style of the magazine consistent. But it makes the masthead simple to read and easily recognised. The colours are again set with the main theme and style of the magazine it has set itself. It is placed near to the top right hand corner, this is because you would expect to see the masthead near the top and it is also out of the way from plugs and pictures. This gives more space to put things on the front page like pictures and plugs as well as allowing the reader to understand the magazine easier.

I am now going to analysis another magazine front of NME magazine.




In this issue of NME magazine we can again see many different conventions used.

An example one of these conventions is the text that has been used. For example the text is sanserif and stands out well from its background. With the text being in sanserif it means that the text is much more simple and easy to read as it does not include any fancy patters that distract the readers attention from what the text is saying. The background is very dark and the text being yellow and red, the text will again stand out from the background and the magazine itself. This means that the text stands out a lot more and is a lot easier to read. The reader is then more likely to pick up the magazine and look to see what is inside the magazine.

The masthead also follows this as the design of it is very simple and a sanserif design. It has a black background layer and on top of this we have the NME name in red. Around the NME we see that there is a white background that makes the red and white stand out from the black. This means that the masthead are a lot easier to read, understand and recognise. It also makes it stand out from the black, dark background that surrounds it.

The picture that dominates the front page is also a convention as it shows a member from The Killers. He is presented to us as a modern person who is a dominant figure in the picture. This is because he has a modern hair cut with modern style glasses. Dominance is shown because he is leaning into the camera and has little light on him which allows us to only see the head of the person. With the name of the and also being The Killers, the person looks very serious and that he has committed murder. The pictures effect on the magazine is strongly used. For example it straight away tells the viewer that there is going to be a main story on The Killers as one member of the band is the main picture. For the readers that like The Killers, they will automatically want to read the magazine as they want to see what is new about them. NME has used The killers because they are a successful, well known band. If they used The Strokes, less people would recognise the name and the music that they play, meaning less people would read the magazine. The colours that are include in the pictures are colours you would have expected to see in a real human face. This brings realism to the magazine and makes sure the read believes in the story. The bright colours in his face also bring out the face from the black background as the face fades away into the darkness. By doing this the face stands out in the magazine and make it appealing to the reader.

The text that is presented with the picture is a bright yellow, red, with a white. With the black background, this means that the text jumps out with the picture to appeal to the reader. The different text is parted by the different colours, for example "THE BIG HEADLINERS" is in a deep red that is clear to read over the red. Where as "THE KILLERS" is in bright yellow that stands out over the white text below. This is because The Killers are a well known band that have many new songs in the charts. So NME magazine have made example of this and put this in the brightest colours that stand out on the page. The white serif text that is quoted from The killers, "We'll have the new album finished for Reading and Leeds." This is produced like this because it is a quote and it is more like the artists have just written the text and it has gone straight to the magazine. The readers will then feel that NME magazine have the latest updates and news on their favourite bands.

Most of the plugs do not have any boxes or boarders around them. This is to keep with the style of the magazine and keep it consistent throughout. Having no boarders around the plugs means that someone could be miss read or not see the different plugs. This is prevented by using different colours for the text of the plugs, using bright yellow and reds. These colours also stand out form the black background which makes any bright colour stand out to the eye. A lot of information is crammed in to the plugs; "Exclusive line-up details and interviews". This clearly tells us that there is a lot of information about bands and artists that are in the magazine. To tell us some of the artists, we also get a list of different names of artist letting the reader see who will be included in it. This means that the reader will be able to relate to the magazine a lot easier and quicker.

In other plugs there are two festivals advertised. NME will have included these because there will be a lot of people wanting to go to Leeds and Reading to join the events. This means that there will be a much bigger target audience covered with this topic and it stays within their genre of music. Even the main story relates the the two events as The Killers aim to get their new album ready for the event. The fans of The killers and people that are going to the festival will wont to see if there are any songs they recognise in the new album. This will mean that any news on them will be passed about being brought out by NME. This creates a bigger and more powerful name for NME magazine.

Surrounding the two plugs about the festivals, there is a pattern surrounding the text showing some importance in the subject. It gives the effect that they are two names up in lights and is one of the best things happening at the moment. This makes people to read the plug and see that there are two big events going on, resulting in more people looking at the magazine to see when and where they are. If people are already going to the festival they will want to look in the magazine and read about what they are going to experience and see. By making these blogs with a fancy boarder over all results in more people looking at the magazine and wanting to read it. But the magazine has only included two of these blogs, this is because if there where more the reader would have to much to read and may not be interested in looking at the magazine. So the balance of plugs need to be correct to make sure they do not over power the magazine.

Here is another analysis of NME magazine



In this issue of NME magazine we can again see different conventions used to make the magazine stand out to the reader. One of these conventions is the use of the picture. In the main picture we can see that the artist is wearing dark, modern clothes that you would expect to see everyday people wearing. This is because the reader can relate to the picture and therefor show a connection with the magazine. This also shows the genre of the magazine and the artist shown. He also has a stylish hair cut which shows that he is a modern, stylish artist. A white little is also coming from the back of the artist. This is to make him stand out for the black background behind and emphasis the artist. The text that is included with the artist is also below his shoulder level so he can still be easily recognised. This is a key convention because if someone likes the artist they will want to read about him and see what he has don't that is new or any new news about him. Overall the picture stands out from the black background because of the use of lights and in result of this the artist stands out a lot more to the reader.

In the small pictures we see in the magazine we can see other conventions used. The picture located at the top of the page is a brighter picture then the rest we can see, this may be because the man in the picture is in jail. This shows that he has a secure life away from drugs and other problems rock stars encounter as all the other pictures we see are free men but in a darker tone. The picture is also is set on a slant to show that his life is not exactly going well as he cant make a career in jail. It also gives the reader more to look at and makes the magazine stand out more. In the second picture we can see that the colours are a lot darker showing their side of life and how the artists live. In the background we can also see a big crowd of people at a gig. This tells the reader that the band is popular and if they don't know them they should look them up. By doing this it will make more people want to read the magazine.

The plugs are placed in certain places to draw the attention of the reader to different parts of the magazine. This is a convention. As most of most of the plugs do not cover the main picture and are placed around it we get to see different sections of the front cover. This is meant that the main picture and the plug that cover it are one plug and the and all the other plugs are smaller stories included in the magazine. The plug that is covering the main picture represents the picture. We see that the word enemy is on a slant to the rest of the text in the plug. This is to show rebelliousness and anger, hence the name of the band "The Enemy". By doing this it gives the reader a clear idea of what the magazine is about and how it is used to tell the reader as much as possible.

The colour and text type of the plugs also sets the genre and the style of the magazine. It tells the reader what type of magazine it is and what we would expect to find in it. For example the text is a sanserif which makes it clearer for the reader to read. It creates a simple, easily understood text that makes it basic for the reader to read. It also shows that the people in the magazine live a simple life compared to most. The colours of the text also shows a side of there life, the different tones of white show that they have a bright successful life. This makes the reader feel that they can trust the magazine to bring in the best artists and songs. The names of different artists tend to be in a different shade of the colour that is used in the plug. This make the reader find it easy to see who the plug is about and who they could expect to find in the magazine. The white colours used also stand out from the background well as its black on white. This makes it a lot easier for the magazine to be read and understood.

The bar code is placed in a spercific place so it is out of the way of the rest of the magazine. It is placed on its side so it uses less space in the magazine. To give it some kind of purpose to the reader as it catches the eye and has information about what is in the magazine. It tells the reader that the magazine has information on 583 gigs. There is more writing below the text saying that the gigs are in the uk but this is not important to the reader as there is more information. So because of this it gives us the 583 gigs a lot bigger then the text below. This takes use of all the space that is avalible to the designer of the magazine.

Front Cover


I have now looked at 3 different magazine fronts and have seen different conventions and designs used. I will be able to use these to make my magazine front cover as effective as possible. First i plan to make a hand written draft so i can get my first ideas down on paper. I will then be able to put this up on publisher so i can change some minor points. After this i will go on to make my final front cover using the template of my draft. By doing this i will be able to change different things that i feel aren't right. This will mean that i can get the most effective result from making a front cover.

Hand Draft



Now that I have completed a hand draft I am able to look at my idea and apply it to DTP. This will allow me to get ideas for the final front cover and develop current ideas. It will also gives me an idea of scale which will allow me to see if different areas of my magazine will fit onto the page itself


DTP Draft



Above you can see that I have complete a draft on DTP. Some changes have been made to the magazine front page as I have had new ideas of how to present it. Now that i have completed this I am able to go on to make my final front cover. I will use my DTP design as a template and just fill in different points where needed. Whilst i am making my front cover i will be able to make other minor adjustments where necessary. This will help me produce a magazine front that suits the genre and is effective to a reader as it stands out to them.


DTP Final Front Cover



I have now completed making my music magazine front cover. I have used different conventions that i have seen in other examples of these. It is set to a rebelious rock 'n' roll genre as this is my prefered music genre, resulting me understanding the magazine easier.

Contents page

Now that I have completed making and designing a magazine front i can move on to creat a contents page. To do this i will have to look at a contents page of a magazine that shares my genre and will include the conventions i need. After i have analyised a contents page i will be able to design my own using the conventions i see. This will make my contents page as effective as possible and allow me to get the best out of my current ideas.

The contents page is key to any magazine, including music magazines. It tells the reader what they can come to expect in the magazine and the type of stories they will be able to read. I am going to find the conventions in the contents page that make reads be drawn into it and write about them so I can go on and use them myself.


In this example of a contents page from NME magazine we can see many different conventions. For example the layout is very clear and easy to read. We can see that there is a vast list if artists to the left hand side in its own separate text box which is titled “Band Index”. The name makes sure that the reader is very clear on what the section is about. This text box is not very big and only covers a small area of the magazine. The box includes artist such as La Roux and Cutting Class who aren’t well known in the music industry. We know this as that there names are out of the way and don’t cover to much space in the page. The colours of this section also represent NME magazine as the numbering is in black and the font is in red which are the two main colours we see in the NME logo. This reminds the reader that the magazine they are reading is NME and that they have own all the information on the page. NME do this so that they seem to be the key providers of music and that they get the latest news / gossip. The follow on effect from this will be that more people will trust and read the magazine as they appear to have a good research department.

At the top we can clearly see the logo of NME and the text “This Week”. This tells the reader that NME is updated weekly and has new news to be told each week. As a result, more people will read the magazine as it shows that NME gets new news updates and releases each week. The colours of this section again match with the logo and colour scheme of NME. The back background in the text box allows the white text and the red and white logo to stand out to the reader.

In the centre of the page we can see that there is one big plug that advertises the “New Noise 2009”. With this being in the magazine it shows that it is at the height of the music industry and its is heavy involved with it. The colours do not represent NME as it does not belong to the monopoly but it does stand out with the rest of the magazine. The fact it does stand out will have been because of the background. The light blue brings out the rest of the colours clearly so that the article stands out from the rest. It advertises “10 acts for the New Year”, this shows that NME again is strong with its information as it is a reliable source. Also in this article we can see a small plug saying “Get turning to find out who we’re backing”. When the reader reads this they will want to look into the magazine and get a better insight to who NME will be backing. Next to this plug we can see to double page spreads that feature in this section. This gives the reader a sneak preview and makes them feel that they have all the main information at their finger tips.

Below the “New noise 2009” section we can see there is anther plug that is titled “Plus”. By giving it this name it tells the reader that the magazine has yet more information available to give to the readers. Again, this means that the reader is at one of the first people to hear all the available updates. It is a similar layout to the text box on the left apart from the colour scheme has swapped around as the numbering is red and the font is black. This gives more depth into the magazine and prevents the reader from becoming bored of the style of the magazine. As the artists and sections in this plug will be shown more interest to the reader, the text is a lot bigger. This is so that the reader can find the big stories and the big news straight away and so that there is not to much time being used up on reading the contents page.

To the right of the magazine we can see that there is a section involving who the stars are voting for. Again this tells the read that NMW magazine has all the up to date information and that they can get most information from artists. This keeps the trust from the reader in the magazine. This plug is advertising the “shock waves NME awards 2009”. To keep with the theme of the event we see a boarder around the side of the plug which clearly represents this category. The result of this is that the reader will be able to read and understand the magazine easier and better. The colour scheme of the text also matches the boarder of the plug showing that the text belongs to the article. We can also see a picture at the top of the plug who is Tom Clarke from The Enemy. This again tells the reader that NME are able to get the top information with top artists. The picture also means that he can be clearly recognised by the reader so that less time has to be spent understanding the magazine.


Now that i have looked at an example of a contents page I will be able to make my own. I will use the conventions i have seen in the example and use some of these to creat my own. To do this i will have to complete a hand draft, DTP draft and a DTP final piece. This will mean that all my ideas can be used and put into the page.

Hand draft





Now that I have completed a hand draft I am able to look at my idea and apply it to DTP. This will allow me to get ideas for the final front cover and develop current ideas. It will also gives me an idea of scale which will allow me to see if different areas of my magazine will fit onto the page itself

DTP draft



Above you can see that I have complete a draft on DTP. Some changes have been made to the contents page as I have had new ideas of how to present it. Now that i have completed this I am able to go on to make my final contents page. I will use my DTP design as a template and just fill in different points where needed. Whilst i am making my contents page i will be able to make other minor adjustments where necessary. This will help me produce a contents page that suits the genre and is effective to a reader as it stands out to them.

DTP final design


Now that i have completed my contents page i will be able to move on to the last stage and make a double page spread.


Double page spread

I have now completed my magazine front cover and contents page. Now i am able to complete a double page spread. To do this i will have to analyis double page sreads. This will allow me to see different conventions that are used in other music magazines. When i have picked up different conventions i will be able to make my double page spread by creating tow drafts and then creating my final piece. By doing this i will get all of my ideas down and presented in an effective way.

Here is an example of a double page spread of NME magazine



In this example of a double page spread of NME magazine we can see different conventions. This makes it easier for the magazine to read and understand. Different parts of the magazine also grab you're attention as you look at he magazine.

An example of this is the main picture that dominates the page. The picture spreads accros the hole of one side of the magazine and partly covers the other side. If it didn't do this it wouldnt have the same effect as you read the magazine as pictures have a big effect on image and perspective of different people. In the picture we see 4 men in a group that are walking away from what seems to a run down development area. Its not typical to see the men dressed in black modern clothes in a bright atmosphere like we see. This could show that the group are moving on and stepping farward to a new level as we see them walkin towards the camera. The crain in the background of the picture also represents the prcoess of development and creation. You could see it as that the group have just been launched and are making a scene in the music industry.

With the plug we get showing the name of the plug we see different conventions used. The text goes accross the the picture and murges onto the first page with the picture. This loses a sence of simple arangement giving the reader more to look at instead of straight lines formating the text. The dark black colour stands out from the white background so the reader can easily see the name of the group. But it also matches the colours of band walking in the picture. This shows again the point of the group coming away from their development stage and coming into he music industry.

In the main story text we get to see that there is a large S given at the start. this is called a drop cap, it makes the story more interesting to look at and a change from the normal basic text we are often given. This is a typical feature of a text like this as it announces and enfercises the start of the story. All together making it easier and better to read the magazine. The text in the rest of the story is a small sanserif text. This is becasue it makes it a lot easie onthe eye to read as there is a lot of text to be read. If there was different things in the text to flow of the story and effect will be lost.

As we see that the main picture has a sence of development and growth in the band we also get a smaller image in black and white. This resembles their past and things the have done in it. With the picture being a lot smaller we also get again the sence that the picture is not the important feature of the article. In result it pulls out attention to the bigger picture. This is a typical music magazine convention. We also get some text with the picture. This has a grean boarder around each line of text and some of the text is set on a tilt. By seeing this effect we see that again the picture is old and that its there past that wasnt straight and simple. It also shows a sence of rebelious and anger in the text / picture.

All together we have seen that the double page spread has tried to keep the attention of the read and make sure that they do read it.

Here is another example of a double page spread were we can see that there are different conventions that allow the reader to read and understand the magazine easier.




The first thing we see in this double page spread is the picture that fills the full page. In the picture we get to see a women who has her back turned to the camera looking to her right hand side. She is also holding her collar to cover part of her face. This gives the sense of mystery which will make the read try to recognise the artist’s identity. She is wearing a black leather coat with metal studs. By NME doing this it gives us clues to who the person is as it represents her style and age. Also her hair but is not very modern as this again represents her age.

As well as a large image that covers the full page we can see a smaller image of two men. This is a typical convention of a music magazine double page spread as most have this. It gives the reader more to look at and gives more depth and understanding of the main text as there are pictures that can widen the readers image of the story. This means that the reader can get more involved with the magazine which paints a picture in the readers head to give them a bettter understanding. They are also more likely to read the magazine as they feel like they are in the story and as if they are in the a room of information were they are the first poeple to hear it. This keeps the reader interested in the magazine.

The main plug that says “guess who’s back” is key to the double page spread as it again gives clues to the reader of what the picture is about and what the purpose of the document is. With the text being black it stands out well from the yellow background. The plug tells us that the women in the picture is clearly an artist that has come back after stopping there career. Once the reader has read this they will look at the women again and try to work out who she is and to see if they know them. This is a key convention as it keeps the reader thinking about the page as they will want to find out who it is.

By the reader wanting to find out who it is they will read the main text, resulting in the reader being drawn into the magazine. Once the reader does know who the artist is they will then want to find out more about the artist and what they are planning to do with there career.

In the main text we can also see a dropped cap. This is a typical music magazine convention as it gives more depth into the magazine as different aspects of it are different sizes. The dropped cap is also presented in blue as it stands out from the main text. The text itself only takes up a small area as the picture is the main sauce of pulling people into the magazine. But with the text being black with contrasts against the yellow background, we can see the text clearly, so the reader will find it easy to read.

Above the main text we get a small plug that sums up the main block of text below. The reader will be able to read it and see if they are interested in the article. This means that the reader does not get bored of reading each full article, trying to work out if it appeals to them or not. If the magazine did not have this, the reader would not have the patience to read the full magazine as they do not know what each article is about. In the plug we can also see the key words are highlighted in blue. This matches the dropped cap in the main text and shows a strong contrast to the yellow background from the main picture.

In all we can see that this is an effective music magazine double page spread as the use of colours in the background stand out to the reader and draw them into the page.

Now that i have analyised an example of a double page spread i am now able to move on and design my own. First i will have to perform a hand draw draft, then a DTP draft moving on to a DTP final piece to complete my project.

Hand draft



Now that I have completed a hand draft I am able to look at my idea and apply it to DTP. This will allow me to get ideas for the final front cover and develop current ideas. It will also gives me an idea of scale which will allow me to see if different areas of my magazine will fit onto the page itself

DTP draft



Above you can see that I have complete a draft on DTP. Some changes have been made to the hand draft of the double page spread as I have had new ideas of how to present it. Now that i have completed this I am able to go on to make my final double page spread. I will use my DTP design as a template and just fill in different points where needed. Whilst i am making my double page spread i will be able to make other minor adjustments where necessary. This will help me produce a magazine page that suits the genre and is effective to a reader as it stands out to them.

DTP final double page spread



I have now completed my final double page spread.

All together i have now completed a Front page, contents page and a double page spread that has been made by looking at different examples of these in other magazines.

Evaluation

In this evaluation I am going to; show the ways that my media product uses, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products. How my product represent particular social groups. The kind of media institution might distribute my media product. Who would be the audience for my media product. How I attract / address your audience. How I have learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product and looking back at my preliminary task with what I have learnt over the two products.

Though out this project I have looked at many different magazines and looked into them to find conventions that will allow me to create my own effective magazine. Now that I have completed a Front page, Contents page and a Double Page spread, I can see different conventions that I have carried through to use on my magazine. This means that you can see similarities, development and changes to the magazines I have created to the magazines that I have analysed. For example I have used the same kind of layouts as this is a typical conventions of a music magazine but to change the conventions I have also changed colours and added different types of picture to represent different things. This is to show that I have used and elaborated other ideas from other music magazines, changing them into my own. Also I have used a main picture on my front page as this is a typical music magazine convention with other smaller pictures around the main picture. On my contents page we can also see similar conventions in the for of the plugs. For example we can see that I have used the convention of a list artists and events and the pages that they will be situated. This means that the reader will be able to easily find something they want to read. On the double page spread we can also see that I have used a main image that carries from one page to another. This is a typical convention of a music magazine. Next to the main picture we have the main text and a smaller picture with a plug. This is so that the reader can find the information on the page easily. All of these conventions mean that my magazine is similar to other music magazines and carries through the conventions of a real music magazine.

My magazine represents different social and age groups in many different ways. For Example I have clearly approached the area of teenage magazines. This is shown when we can see different conventions in the magazine. The name of my magazine is N.E.W Music. With the name, it tells the audience that it involves new music that. The typical new type of music will be based around teenagers, so the magazine is based towards them. The layout of the magazine appears to be unorganised and scruffy. This represents the typical teenage life as this is stereotypical of them. Also with the magazine examples we can see that there are tears in the front page. This again represents the target audience in the fact that teenagers are shown as scruffy and un organised. I have also represented the target audience in the pictures I have taken. In my front page you can see that the person is laid back and chilled. Also he is wearing everyday casual clothes with sun glasses. This is to show that he is up to date and is confident about the way he is. This is typical of a teenage male of his age. In my contents page we can see again a picture that has been taken that represents the target audience. In the contents page, you can see that he is wearing a shirt and tie but he is wearing it with the top button undone and the tie made lose. This shows rebelliousness and the focus on trying to make the difference from his age group and the older generation. In the Double Page spread we can see that the main picture again represents the target audience of the magazine. The mood is set in the picture by the colours involved. As the picture is bright and the subjects are smiling we can see that the mood is happy. Also with the background being white it gives the happy mood and atmosphere of the page. Unlike in the contents page picture where we see the background and main picture in darkness representing a darker and gloomier mood. These different effects of the magazines means that the reader can understand the magazine easier and shows typical conventions of a music magazine.

The types of media institution might distribute my media product would include a wide rang. For example modern music shops would distribute my magazine as it advertises their type of music and helps the shop and the magazine represent their target audience. With the main stream music store distributing the magazine there will normally some profit in for the store itself. This could be an advertisement or a plug talking about what is new in the shop. You wouldn’t expect to see a classic music magazine in a shop that sells R&B music. So the to music icons represent themselves in the shop and in the magazine. Local news agents would also distribute the magazine as young people would go in to purchase alcohol and cigarettes. This is a key convention as alcohol and cigarettes represents a typical teenagers life. With them being in the shop they may see the magazine that is targeted at their age range which would make them have a look at it. Another similar distributor like this could be a petrol station as a lot of young people now year to drive, there for they will be in the petrol station were they may come across the magazine.

The audience of my media product would be teenagers as they are the main people that listen to the type of music my magazine would cover. You would not expect the magazine to focus on more then one target audience as this could result in people becoming bored of different types of stories covering different age ranges. Also if I would have had more then one target audience it could have brought up a debate about who is the main target audience. This could result in less people wanting to read the magazine as it may not be trusted. This is why I have kept to one age for my target audience. It also helps with the fact that I am a teenager so I understand the market and what the audience want from the magazine itself. They will want to see new modern things that show rebellion to the older generation as teenagers tend to push themselves away from them. This is because they don’t understand their view of music and fashion meaning that teenagers wont want to be associated with them. With this understanding I have tried to make my magazine appeal to teenagers and stress the views that they hold.

To address and attract my target audience I have done many different things. For a start, on my contents and front page I have used the colour black as a background. This represents the age rang as black is the colour of rebellious behaviour, which means that the target audience are drawn to the magazine as they will know that it is their type of magazine. Inside the magazine on a double page spread I have used much litter colours as the mood of the magazine has changed. This is shown as the main story in this is about success and achievement unlike the past two pages which are about murder, drugs and death. Also the way different things overlap though out the magazine give and impression of little organisation and a sense of the magazine being scruffy. This is typical of an everyday teenager as the magazine resembles a teenager allowing it to appeal to the audience targeted. These different conventions address and attract my target audience and are typical of a music magazine. The language that I have used has also represented and addressed the target audience. For example in the contents page we can see that the writing has been cut short and shows some slang with the text being cut down and shortened. You would not expect to see this in an older generation magazine so that it again represents and attracts my target audience of teenagers.

In the making of this music magazine I have learnt many different technologies in the process of making a magazine. For example there has been a vast amount of use done on publisher. This was used to create my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I have used many different skills in the making of these 3 pages. For example I have learnt and used the skill of overlapping different text and pictures. This gives the sense of little organisation and rebellion which reflects the target audience of a teenager. I have also used the idea of putting colour filled boxes behind text so that the text will stand out more to the read. This draws people into the magazine as I have already explained in the analysis of other magazines. With my images I have also used Photoshop. This programme allows me to edit pictures that I have taken to bring the best out of them. On Photoshop I have cropped images so that they can go on my pages with no or little background. I have also been able to change the colour and contrast of the images. For example on my 3 main pictures you can see that I have changed them from normal colours to black and white or a very strong contrast leaving the colours a strong white or black. Once I had edited my pictures I was able to put them onto my pages. I then used the edit warp points tool so that little text and the background would surround the subject I used in the picture. This allowed me to make my magazine as effective as possible, using the typical music magazine convention. This effect also made the magazine seem scruffy and un organised which means that I was able to represent my target audience.

Looking back at my Preliminary project I can see a vast amount of improvement. The main improvement would have to be the skills on publisher as the quality of the final projects has gone up. This will be because I have become used to the programme and learnt a lot more about it by using trial and error. For example I have began to overlap text as before I didn’t do this which gives the magazine a greater sense of depth which is key to drawing people into the magazine. Also I have been able to crop and edit the wrap points of pictures which saw a big increase in the quality of my final piece. Another main example in publisher is the fact that I have used a different coloured background as before I only used a pain white background. As well as skills on publisher, my skills on Photoshop have increased substantially. For example on my front cover I have edited a picture of a subject which saw the image go from natural colour to black and white. This was done because the plug was about somebody coming back from a past career. To add to this effect I also highlighted the face so we got to see some colour come into effect. This created a real sense of age and really made the subject look a lot older then she is. I also feel my analysis of other magazines has improved. This is because I have not just analysed a front page as I have moved onto a contents page and a double page spread. This increases my skills and knowledge of the conventions of music magazines that approach a specific target audience.

So overall I feel that I have successfully created a front page, contents page and a double page spread for a music magazine. I have learnt new skills and techniques as well as the typical conventions that we find in a music magazine. My skills on publisher and Photoshop have increase on a big scale and you can see this in my final front cover, contents page and double page spread.

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

In this project I am going to be:

Framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate.
Using a variety of a shot distance as appropriate.
Shooting material appropriate to the task set.
Selecting mice-en scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting.
Manipulating photographs as appropriate to he context for presentation, including cropping and resizing.
Accurately using language and register.
Appropriately integrating illustration and text.
Showing understanding of conventions of layout and page design.
Showing awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size.
Use ICT appropriately for the task set.

In this project I will be using “LIIAR”. This covers five key areas/concepts that I will need to be able to effectively design and make, my magazine front page, for my college

These five key terms are:

L-anguage - Layout, text, font and arrangement of the masthead and the text.

I-nstitution – The college and people working for the college.

I-deology - The college’s message is to promote the college, and to promote the chance to be educated further at the college itself.

A-udience – The college students are aged around 16-19 so this gives me an idea of my target audience. I could also aim it towards the staff at the college.

R-epresentation - Showing the best of the college and making it look good and an easy place to settle down and learn.


Research and planning

To look deeper into college magazines, I am going to look at other college magazines. This will show me different conventions I can use in making my magazine front page. By doing this it will make my front page more appealing and stand out from other magazines.




In the magazine, ‘Secondary Teachers’ we expect to see the students working hard. When we expect something like this, they are called conventions. For example in a golf magazine you would expect to see somebody playing golf. This is the same in ‘Secondary Teachers’, as we expect to see students in their uniform doing work. As it is a secondary school teachers magazine, you would expect there to be some kind of fun activity involved. In this case as could have been predicted, the magazine is saying football can improve English and Maths skills. This shows the students smiling and having fun with what they do.

Also on the front page the Representation is shown very clearly. This means the target audience/society of the magazine. As there are two young students on the front page, the magazine is targeted for young people or people to do with young people. In this case the target audience/society, is teachers who work with children. The uniforms that the two students are wearing also shows that the magazine is made for teachers. This is because the uniforms associate to schools, which clearly involves teachers. The magazine front page will not have used teachers because it is not always clear to spot teachers as they tend to casually dress which blends in to other working people. Where as two children wearing uniforms clear represents schools.

On the front page itself we straight away look at the two students doing some work and having fun at the same time. This also shows that students can have fun whilst learning as the are smiling and in an arsenal dressing room. We can see this as the two students have identical arsenal booklets. This also shows that both students are equal in what they do. This again is shown as they are both wearing the same uniform.

The masthead is one of the main eye catching features of the magazine front page. This is because the colour of the masthead is a light blue colour. By using this colour you tend to make the masthead one of the first things you look at because it stands out from the neutral white background.

Another eye catching feature is the main picture in the centre of the page. Because the picture is big and bright you look and see what is in the picture. Also with having football shirts in the background football fans will also look at the picture. The picture also has some writing attached with it, “playing to learn”. With the writing of this being in yellow it stands out well and is very easy to read whilst being eye catching. By using the masthead and the picture in this way more people will look at the magazine and buy it. The bright colours also make the magazine stand out from other darker magazines.

The layout of the magazine is very simple. This means that the magazine front can be looked at and easily read. By this people will be able to know what is inside the magazine and what it is about without having to spend time reading the front page. This will mean people are not put of picking up the magazine and reading it as they know the contents.


Here is another example of a secondary school magazine.



In this issue of “Secondary Teachers” we can see that the background is the same colour and design is the same. Also the layout and features of the magazine are the same. For example the masthead of the magazine is the same colour and design and it is again below the plugs. By doing this the magazine is clear recognised as it does not change its main front cover. This also helps with the main masthead being in front of a white background which makes it stand out a lot more.

The main focus of this issue of “Secondary Teachers” is if boys and girls learn differently. This is shown in two ways. The first impression of this is the main picture as this is the first thing we look at as a reader. The picture shows that boys and girls learn differently because of many things. For example, the boy is very eager to put his hand up and getting involved into the lesson. Where as the girls is in a relaxed position waiting for the boy to give the answer. This gives the impression that the girl knows the answer but wants the boy to answer and get it wrong. She is also showing that she is more mature as she is sat with a pen in her hand, waiting to learn.

The second way that this is shown is in the plug where it says “Do boys and girls learn differently?”. This makes it a lot clearer to the reader on what the main focus of the issue is about. Also with it being next to the main picture it is one of the first things someone will look at. This is because the writing next to a picture normal is about the picture itself. This is the case with this picture on the magazine front.

So with these two main points, the reader can tell what the main focus of the magazine is going to be on. Also with the plug, which is with the picture, it is a question. This means the reader will read the question and ask themselves if they know the answer or not. In most situations the reader will want to know if they are right with there answer or just wont to know the answer. This will make the reader look into the magazine and find the answer.

Another way the magazine gets people to be look into the magazine is advertising free student cook books. This will again make people look inside to see what it is about. This also is encouraging people to cook for themselves as there is more speculation in the media about how people eat. So this may encourage parents to buy the magazine to get there children cooking healthier food.




Again in this issue of “Secondary Teachers”, can see similar conventions. Straight away when we look at the front page we see a smarty dressed individual that has been baking cookies. These cookies resemble pupils at a school. This tells the reader again that the magazine is aimed at teachers as the magazine resembles pupils. This makes it obvious who the target audience are and who is likely to read the magazine. Also the image has some text included with it. “Cook with me!”, this tells the reader that inside there will be a section on cooking in school. As eating healthy food is in the media a lot just lately parents and teachers would support the idea of pupils cooking in class. This will mean more people will pick up the magazine and look to see what is said about pupils cooking in school as it could give them vital skills in later life.

In the plug there is a clearly stated section about teenage girls not doing enough exercise. “The playground that gets girls moving”, this will have been included in the plug because most teenage girls do not do enough exercise. Because obesity is a main factor in the news, teachers and parents will want to know how they can get their child to do more physical activity at school. This again is a main factor in the media. This is because people are going to read about things they hear other places and will want to find the best ways to avoid current dilemmas like eating healthy and doing exercise.

Again, “Secondary Teachers” magazine is set out in the same way and using the same colour scheme. This is because regular readers will be able to easily recognise the magazine from others. Also with the background being a neutral colour the masthead and plugs stand out. This means that people that don’t normally read the magazine will be drawn to it and will be able to read the magazine front because of the colours.




In this issue of "Secondary teachers" we see, again, very similar conventions that are shown. For example, the layout is easy to understand and recognise. This will encourage people to pick up to magazine and read what it is about. It will also allow regular readers to be able to recognise the magazine easily.

Another way the magazine can be easily recognisable is by the colours of the masthead and the placing of the plugs. This is because they are normally placed in the same place in the same colour. With the colour standing out from the white background, which is again normally used, even the colour can determine which magazine it is. This is done so more people will pick up the magazine and read the front page to see what they are likely to find in it.

The reader can see what is going to be in the magazine in different ways. In this case of this issue of "Secondary Teachers", we can see this by the plugs and the picture. For example, the plugs are easy to read and clearly state what is going to be included in the magazine. The colours stand out from the neutral background which makes it stand out to the reader. Also with each different plug, they have been made in different colours. This is so that the reader again can find it easier to read.

The picture is another way that shows what is included in the magazine. For example, it clearly shows relation to racism as it is showing stereotypes in the form of 'black students'. This is story is about being treated equally. This is a main factor in the media to the current day. For example, "kick it out" is a campaign the football league do to keep racism away form football. This means people will look at the magazine and see what it says about this subject. By using this more people will pick up the magazine and hopefully buy it. The text on the picture also stands out well as it tells us about what the picture is about. With the text being yellow and white on a black background it stands out well to the reader.

Another way the magazine has been made to be appealing to the reader is by them having a chance to win a free I-pod. This will make the reader pay more attention to the magazine and look inside to try and win the I-pod. This will also widen the target audience as young people may want to win the I-pod. This is hoped to increase sales of the magazine and become a much more popular magazine to read.

Analysis

After looking at these front pages of “Secondary Teachers”, I have been able to see different techniques and conventions that are shown in most of the four magazines i have looked at.

For example the masthead is in the same place,and it is also in the same colour. By having the mast head blue, it shows that the magazine has no dramatic or love storeys in it. If this was the case the mast head colour would be more likely to be a dark red. But because the magazine is a bright blue, this shows that the magazine is a calm, easy to read magazine. This makes the magazine easy to recognise to regular readers and appealing to new readers. This will gain readers and which will then instantly recognise the masthead and know it is “Secondary Teachers”.

Another way the colours are used is by. In the four magazines, the colours are mainly blues and purple. This is because they stand out from the magazines white background. In the plug the different colours, being blue and purple break up the text and make each plug stand out and easier to individually read. This means that the reader will look at the text and be easily able to read it. Also with the text having a neutral white background the colours of the text will jump out at the reader and be appealing to them.

Another thing that is the same is that all the magazines have a main picture on the front page. This again makes the reader recognise the magazine easier. But at the same time, in the four cases I have encountered, the main picture is to give information on what is inside the magazine. This tells the reader what the magazine is about and what they should expect to find in the magazine itself. With the picture giving information about what is inside the magazine it also brings more colour to the front of the magazine and breaks down the written text.

In the magazines I have also noticed that the main focus is on aspects that are being included in the media. For example racism, healthy living/eating and including popular football teams. By doing this more people will look at the magazine widening the target audience. This is because there is a lot of talk in the media about these subjects and people will want to learn and read more about the subjects. A lot of time the this main subject is shown within the main image. This means that whilst the main picture appeals to the readers eyes because of the colours used, it will also attach the readers eyes because the story behind the picture is hell known in the current media. This will again increase the amount of people that read the magazine.

Summary of analysis

I have analysed the conventions shown regally in "Secondary Teachers". By doing this i can make my college magazine using similar conventions. This will allow me to make my college magazine as effective as possible by using the different conventions.

Draft

I am now going to make a hand written draft so i can plan the layout and design of my college magazine. This will allow me to work on my ideas and get the best layout to create an effective magazine front.

I have gone for a simple and easy to read magazine front that will appeal to the eyes of the staff and students of the college. I have put my plugs at the top of my page so that people will be able to easily find them as the work there way down the page. Below I will include a main picture that will be eye catching with bright colours and will appeal to most readers.

Now on Microsoft Desktop Publisher, i will now make a copy of my hand written front page. This will allow me to make some fine adjustments and make any changes that need to be made.

Final piece

Now that i have completed my hand drafts, i can now move onto putting my ideas into on final front page. This will be based on what i have found out over looking at different college magazine fronts and my own personal knowledge and opinions.

In my front page of a college magazine article i have used many different conventions.

For example, I have carefully selected the colours used in my magazine. This is because i have tried to get the colour scheme to stand out but at the same time, to match the college's colours. With the background being white, the purples and the blues from the background and surrounding magazines. By doing this my magazine would stand out from other magazines which would increase the amount of people that look at the magazine.

The plugs have also been carefully planned out as i was trying to find the most effective place to put them. By getting the most effective place more people will read about them and want to look at them and hopefully look into the magazine to see the story in more depth. Also with the plugs I have made the writing a slightly bright blue and some a darker blue. This is so when the reader is reading them it is easier to read because they are clearly separated. I have also included a single line so it is even clear to the separation of the plugs.

In one of the plugs I have advertised for a free ipod give away. This is again on a neutral white background with blue text. Also, by using the colour scheme of blue and purple, the ipod advertised is blue. This makes people think about the college and want to look inside the magazine. The hole idea of having an ipod give away is that people will look inside the magazine and try to find how they can win the ipod. This can apply to teachers and staff as more and more older people are buying new technoligy like ipods. This widens the taget audience for my magazine allowing more people to be able to enjoy the magazine.

Another way that I have widened the target audience is in the masthead. This is by including the text "Bringing students and staff closer together". This shows that the magazine is about bring students and staff closer together. By doing this both students and staff will read the magazine so they have an understanding between each. The colours of the masthead also stand out form the white neutral background. This makes the magazine, again, easy to recognise and apealing to new readers.

The main feature on my magazine front is the picture. This is because it is the biggest part of the magazine front and has bright colours that stand out from the neutral background. The shot taken is a mid shot that shows the two subjects holding a Hull City shirt with the Wyke College logo in the background. I have used a Hull City shirt because there is a big interest in football around the country and also Hull City are in the spot light at the moment after their recent run of sucess. This means that more people will want to read about it and want to see how Wyke College is related to Hull City. I have also used a boy and a girl in the picture. This is to show that there is equal opportunities for male and female students to get more involved with sport.

I have also include some text with the the picture. This tells the reader about the picture and what it resembels. This makes the reader aware of what is going to appear in the magazine and what they should expect to find in it. This makes it easyer reader to look at the magazine and be able to read it.

By using all of these conventions I have been able to make a magazine front page that can be easily recognised and stand out from other magazines. I have been able to do this by looking at other magazine fronts and looking at the conventions they use. This allows me to make the most out of my ideas and put them down on my page in the most effective way.

Contents page

Now i am going to make a contents page. This will go with my front page to show more conventions and show what is also included in the magazine. I will try to make a simple layout that will be easy to read and that will also catch the readers attention. This will allow the reader to easily find out the contents of the magazine and will be able to find what they want to read. By doing this the reader will spend more time reading the magazine as they do not have to spend alot of time looking for the artical they are looking to read.

I am now going to make a hand draft of my contents page.

Now that I have made a draft of my contents page, i am now able to make a draft on DTP so i am able to make some fine ajustments to my contents page.

DTP Draft of contents page

Now that I have made a draft on DTP I am now able to make my final contents page. By making a dradt I have been able to find dificuilt areas that are in my contents page which are hard to make or put together. I have also been able to move different parts of the page and make adustments that were needed to be made.

Final contents page

I have now completed my contents page. Again I have used conventios to make the page stand out to the reader.

An example of this is the colours I have used. I have used the same colours that where on my front page which are light and dark blues. This resembles the college as the college's main colours are blue and purples. This keeps the reader knowing that he magazine is from wyke college and everything they read they will resemble with the college. As all of the contents on the contents page are good things people will think that the college is a good college that has little bad points. Also the blue represent calm and peacefulness, this means that the reader will see the college as being a calm and relaxing place to learn. The blue colours also stand out well from the neutral white background there for making the writing standing out to the reader.

The main headline is also purple, this again resembles the magazine to college. This means the reader keeps the focus of the magazine being about the college and not about life outside college. This means that everything good in the magazine will make the reader see wyke college as a good college to go and work at. The main headline is placed centraly at the top of the page. This means that the page is really recognised as a contents page. The reader will then be able to easily turn to the contents page and find a story that relates to them or something they would be interested in.

The layout off the contents page is basic but very effective. This means that the reader will look at the page and read what is in the magazine. The boxes around each topic also break the text up. This gives the reader more to look at but at the same time make it easyer to read and easyer to pick up information about what is in the magazine.

All of the topics that I have used in my contents page have been carfully acounted for. I have tryed to make the topics interesting and well known in the media. This means that people will want to read the magazine and find alot of the topics appeal to a reader. For example i have included a story about Hull City football club signing a contract for sport at wyke college. I have done this because alot of people are interested in sport and there are a vast number of Hull City supporters in the college as it is in the area of Hull. This means that more people will want to read the magazine because it will mean something to them.

Another topic I have used is information on bus travel to college. The 930 is a bus that alot of the students at wyke use. This means people will want to know information about the bus and how its changed. Because alot off people use the bus more people will pick up the magazine to read about something they can relate to.

By using things that the students at the college would be interested in, more people will read the magazine. This is because it will appeal the reader because it is mainly about topics they would be interested in. Widening the rang by using different topics like sport and bus information will mean that more people will be able to relate to atleast one topic in the magazine.