My music magazine, Undertone was aimed at both boys and girls within the age group of 17-25. The main music genre included in this magazine was indie/rock and was produced to sell to the fans of this style.
Firstly, the front cover of Undertone is most likely to appeal to the ideal music audience because of the overall style of the magazine. The images, language and artists mentioned will determine whether the audience and the buyers feel it matched their needs. The image on the front page, although it is a female featured, I think it tells the audience that it'll be suitable for both genders along with the colour choices and the features. The left third would immediatley appeal to the particular audience by the skylines and coverlines featuring the bands that are top of this genre. The price is also suitable in comparison to other muic magazines on the market and will determine the type of audience who purchase it, as working young adult who are wholly interested in their music type.
Secondly, the contents page is simple and bold which will appeal to music fans from both genders and these ages, they're more likely to just want to find and get to the articles than spend their time looking over the contents page in search for artistic detail, however a couple of photos are used to create flow and plain black, white and grey colours to represent all genders.
Thirdly, my double page spread represents my target audeince because of the terminology and topics dpoken about in the text, the images shown (the artist is of simular age to the audience and the fashion/clothes she's wearing is simular to the style the consumers would wear or could relate to) and lastly, I made the whole two pages black and white to make them stand out when flicking through a magazine full of colours, and I think this is ideal for the age group who may be in a rush and just want to find the cover artist.
In conclusion, there are many ways in which this magazine could appeal to it's target audience especially via the images, colours and text.
Monday, 27 September 2010
Monday, 6 September 2010
A2 Introduction
50% coursework: music video with Guy
50% exam: theory with Zoe
Critical perspectives in media
Section A: theoretical evaluation of coursework
Section B: contemporary media issues
Postmodern media
-music videos
-sitcoms
Media and collective identity
-British film
Look into Barthes
Mediated experiences are how we learn about things via media and how they portray the subject, this can be very false.
50% exam: theory with Zoe
Critical perspectives in media
Section A: theoretical evaluation of coursework
Section B: contemporary media issues
Postmodern media
-music videos
-sitcoms
Media and collective identity
-British film
Look into Barthes
Mediated experiences are how we learn about things via media and how they portray the subject, this can be very false.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Friday, 12 March 2010
Written Evaluation
My music magazine is called Undertone and is targeted at readers and rock, indie and alternative music fans around the age of sixteen to twenty two. The most important part of the whole magazine project, I thought was the planning. I sketched lots of ideas and looked and many different styles on the internet and from magazines at home to discover the style of my magazine. I knew I wanted to use the genre of music I knew most about, but how to set the cover, contents and double page spread isn’t as simple. I found that once planning a few idea’s and trying lots of different photo shoot scene’s it all flowed quite easily.
Front Cover
For the masthead on the front cover of Undertone, I wanted to create a simply but bold look. I used a basic font from Photoshop and chose to use black as it can be consistent from issue to issue. I didn’t think the magazine cover needed a masthead which was too artistic and colourful because I wanted the photo and the articles to be the most striking features. I used the same font on all three pages because it linked them all together and made it clearer to see they’re all from the same magazine. The font is also quite simple and very easy to read, which I think is essential for the target audience, they want to be able to read this magazine wherever they are and quickly. The colour of the fonts on the front cover were black, white and aubergine which I think worked well because black and white are clear and standard, the aubergine adds a bit of life and autumn feel to the issue, this colour could also be changed every issue and flow with the cover artist and picture. This aubergine colour, which I used on the cover lines and pull quote, links well with the setting of the picture and against the dark parts of the background. And, I kept to the colour scheme of black and white with all the text throughout the magazine pages. This is because I wanted the magazine to appeal to both male and female, and to a mature audience. I didn’t want the cover to look childish or cheesy and I also didn’t want it to attract a certain sex.
There aren’t that many features on the front cover of my magazine, but I still wanted to carry out this idea of being quite simplistic and easy to read. So that the readers knew what type of music to expect, along with hints from the cover artist, fonts and colours used, I used skylines along the top and cover lines at the bottom to talk about the bands which you could hear about inside, such as an interview with Arcade Fire and Gig Reviews from bands like Glasvegas. This will catch music fans’ attention on the shop shelves because they’ll instantly recognise bands and artists they like and see they are featured in the magazine, along with artists similar to them. I created these skylines and cover lines by using the rectangular marquee tool and filling them in with the paint bucket tool, I then used white text to make it bold and readable.
I then used the text tool write the cover line and pull quote for my main feature and cover artist, I kept the aubergine coloured text for both of the cover lines so that it flowed throughout the page and sets a calm tone, it also hints the genre of music, these colours make it clear the magazine isn’t drum and bass or dance orientated, but more rock based.
The image itself was taken of a close friend, Lamia. I chose her because I think she naturally had the look I was going for in this magazine, I think her personal style and image matched how I wanted to represent my magazine and it worked well and connected with the style all the pages. The photograph was taken in quite a casual place which is what I wanted, I didn’t want it to look too photoshopped and fake, so the outside background makes it look more comfortable and not commercialised, the last thing I wanted was for the magazine to look high maintenance and glamorized. The outfit Lamia is wearing fits the genre of the magazine and was chosen by us both; I think it looks fashionable but not typically the same as everyone. We made her hair look quite rough and not too perfect and added dark lipstick so that it stood out. In Photoshop, I changed the shading and lighting in the photograph, mainly using curves.
I think the magazine front cover, overall works quite well. It flows, and although there isn’t much on the front page, it doesn’t look too empty because the picture is so detailed and full of colour.
Contents Page
On the contents page, I put a big masthead across the top and used a border to make it look more bold and simple. I then used smaller headings to separate the exclusive features from the regular ones which appear every month. The features and page numbers are quite spread out which is the look I was going for because the contents page is only really used to quickly skim and find a page number. The two columns of page numbers are separated with two pictures of artists, which are both original images, one of City Of Antics, and another of Lamia, who’s the cover artist, this adds a connection between the pages. Below all of this I added a message from the editor telling them what they’ll find in this issue which makes it more personal and warm to read. And, finally underneath the masthead I added a smaller box which told the readers about the magazine website and details on how to contact the magazine, to make it all look more realistic. As you can tell, the colours are still the same, carrying on from the front cover and image of the magazine.
Double Page Spread
For my double page spread, I used both pages for text and made them full of information and interview. I found this necessary because my target audience have already seen two pictures of the cover artist and they’re not buying the magazine for pictures. It’s aimed at college and university aged readers who want to know details and information of the artists included. I wrote a long and detailed interview for Lamia, including everything that could be thought of and what the readers would want to know, I got ideas on how to present the magazine from existent magazines and previous research. I then added a masthead and an introduction to the first page to introduce the readers to who she was and what she is known for. At the end of the double page spread I added a review of the interview, in which the interviewer wrote a paragraph to tell you what the artist was really like and how they came across, and underneath that a small paragraph promoting her song and album to make it more realistic. Finally, I chose a similar photograph from the shoot which was featured on the cover so that there was an obvious link through the pages and then another photograph which was casual and looked like it was taken while she was being interviewed, which again adds realism to the spread. These photographs, I edited the colour and shading balance and then made black and white, along with the page background colour as grey and a white/grey coloured text, with the same font again, used throughout. I chose this whole double page spread to be in black and white because I imagined, as a reader flicked through the pages it would stand out from all the coloured features. As it is the main article of the magazine, it should be noticed and catches the readers’ eye and intrigue them to read and learn more about that artist if they haven’t yet heard of them.
The comments I got back from my survey told me that the strongest features of my magazine were the images used, and that if there was anything to improve on it would be to have more colour on the double page spread and contents page. The feedback was overall, quite good and most people rated the magazine above 6 out of 10. They thought the magazine included rock music which was my main genre and most people agreed they would buy it.
I used forms and conventions of an original magazine by researching the styles of original and existing ones and the ways the features are positioned, such as the masthead, skylines and cover lines on the front cover. It challenged the conventions of an original magazine because the image is a long shot, whereas they’re usually a close up. I changed it because I wanted the magazine to stand out a bit and be different to everything else in the shop. I don’t think my magazine really develops any form and conventions.
Undertone represents certain particular groups who are fans of indie and alternative rock music. They’re also represented through the model, how she dresses and what music she sings, along with the other artists on the cover.
I think the media institution which would distribute Undertone would be Bauer Media, they already produce similar types of magazines like Q and I think they’d be ideal for my magazine. I would sell the magazine in popular supermarkets and newsagents, along with a wide variety of all the other music magazines.
The audience of my music magazine is sixteen to twenty two years old who listen to rock, indie and alternative music. I think this is represented well in my media front cover.
I produced a survey on survey monkey to ask my target audience what they thought of the magazine, the majority of them said they would buy it and praised my images as the best features. Some of them stated that more colours should have been used and that the magazine was more female dominated, so if I was to make the magazine again, I would consider these comments.
During the making of the magazine, I’ve learnt how to use an SLR camera, and what settings and features to use to get the best results. I’ve also learnt how to use Photoshop, as I was new to it this year and I learnt how to use blogger, survey monkey, issuu and slideshare, which were all necessary and useful for my project.
Since making my college magazine, I think I’ve progressed in most areas. My music magazine is more realistic and attractive than the college one. It appeals to the audience I want it to and gives out the messages I was trying to get across.
Front Cover
For the masthead on the front cover of Undertone, I wanted to create a simply but bold look. I used a basic font from Photoshop and chose to use black as it can be consistent from issue to issue. I didn’t think the magazine cover needed a masthead which was too artistic and colourful because I wanted the photo and the articles to be the most striking features. I used the same font on all three pages because it linked them all together and made it clearer to see they’re all from the same magazine. The font is also quite simple and very easy to read, which I think is essential for the target audience, they want to be able to read this magazine wherever they are and quickly. The colour of the fonts on the front cover were black, white and aubergine which I think worked well because black and white are clear and standard, the aubergine adds a bit of life and autumn feel to the issue, this colour could also be changed every issue and flow with the cover artist and picture. This aubergine colour, which I used on the cover lines and pull quote, links well with the setting of the picture and against the dark parts of the background. And, I kept to the colour scheme of black and white with all the text throughout the magazine pages. This is because I wanted the magazine to appeal to both male and female, and to a mature audience. I didn’t want the cover to look childish or cheesy and I also didn’t want it to attract a certain sex.
There aren’t that many features on the front cover of my magazine, but I still wanted to carry out this idea of being quite simplistic and easy to read. So that the readers knew what type of music to expect, along with hints from the cover artist, fonts and colours used, I used skylines along the top and cover lines at the bottom to talk about the bands which you could hear about inside, such as an interview with Arcade Fire and Gig Reviews from bands like Glasvegas. This will catch music fans’ attention on the shop shelves because they’ll instantly recognise bands and artists they like and see they are featured in the magazine, along with artists similar to them. I created these skylines and cover lines by using the rectangular marquee tool and filling them in with the paint bucket tool, I then used white text to make it bold and readable.
I then used the text tool write the cover line and pull quote for my main feature and cover artist, I kept the aubergine coloured text for both of the cover lines so that it flowed throughout the page and sets a calm tone, it also hints the genre of music, these colours make it clear the magazine isn’t drum and bass or dance orientated, but more rock based.
The image itself was taken of a close friend, Lamia. I chose her because I think she naturally had the look I was going for in this magazine, I think her personal style and image matched how I wanted to represent my magazine and it worked well and connected with the style all the pages. The photograph was taken in quite a casual place which is what I wanted, I didn’t want it to look too photoshopped and fake, so the outside background makes it look more comfortable and not commercialised, the last thing I wanted was for the magazine to look high maintenance and glamorized. The outfit Lamia is wearing fits the genre of the magazine and was chosen by us both; I think it looks fashionable but not typically the same as everyone. We made her hair look quite rough and not too perfect and added dark lipstick so that it stood out. In Photoshop, I changed the shading and lighting in the photograph, mainly using curves.
I think the magazine front cover, overall works quite well. It flows, and although there isn’t much on the front page, it doesn’t look too empty because the picture is so detailed and full of colour.
Contents Page
On the contents page, I put a big masthead across the top and used a border to make it look more bold and simple. I then used smaller headings to separate the exclusive features from the regular ones which appear every month. The features and page numbers are quite spread out which is the look I was going for because the contents page is only really used to quickly skim and find a page number. The two columns of page numbers are separated with two pictures of artists, which are both original images, one of City Of Antics, and another of Lamia, who’s the cover artist, this adds a connection between the pages. Below all of this I added a message from the editor telling them what they’ll find in this issue which makes it more personal and warm to read. And, finally underneath the masthead I added a smaller box which told the readers about the magazine website and details on how to contact the magazine, to make it all look more realistic. As you can tell, the colours are still the same, carrying on from the front cover and image of the magazine.
Double Page Spread
For my double page spread, I used both pages for text and made them full of information and interview. I found this necessary because my target audience have already seen two pictures of the cover artist and they’re not buying the magazine for pictures. It’s aimed at college and university aged readers who want to know details and information of the artists included. I wrote a long and detailed interview for Lamia, including everything that could be thought of and what the readers would want to know, I got ideas on how to present the magazine from existent magazines and previous research. I then added a masthead and an introduction to the first page to introduce the readers to who she was and what she is known for. At the end of the double page spread I added a review of the interview, in which the interviewer wrote a paragraph to tell you what the artist was really like and how they came across, and underneath that a small paragraph promoting her song and album to make it more realistic. Finally, I chose a similar photograph from the shoot which was featured on the cover so that there was an obvious link through the pages and then another photograph which was casual and looked like it was taken while she was being interviewed, which again adds realism to the spread. These photographs, I edited the colour and shading balance and then made black and white, along with the page background colour as grey and a white/grey coloured text, with the same font again, used throughout. I chose this whole double page spread to be in black and white because I imagined, as a reader flicked through the pages it would stand out from all the coloured features. As it is the main article of the magazine, it should be noticed and catches the readers’ eye and intrigue them to read and learn more about that artist if they haven’t yet heard of them.
The comments I got back from my survey told me that the strongest features of my magazine were the images used, and that if there was anything to improve on it would be to have more colour on the double page spread and contents page. The feedback was overall, quite good and most people rated the magazine above 6 out of 10. They thought the magazine included rock music which was my main genre and most people agreed they would buy it.
I used forms and conventions of an original magazine by researching the styles of original and existing ones and the ways the features are positioned, such as the masthead, skylines and cover lines on the front cover. It challenged the conventions of an original magazine because the image is a long shot, whereas they’re usually a close up. I changed it because I wanted the magazine to stand out a bit and be different to everything else in the shop. I don’t think my magazine really develops any form and conventions.
Undertone represents certain particular groups who are fans of indie and alternative rock music. They’re also represented through the model, how she dresses and what music she sings, along with the other artists on the cover.
I think the media institution which would distribute Undertone would be Bauer Media, they already produce similar types of magazines like Q and I think they’d be ideal for my magazine. I would sell the magazine in popular supermarkets and newsagents, along with a wide variety of all the other music magazines.
The audience of my music magazine is sixteen to twenty two years old who listen to rock, indie and alternative music. I think this is represented well in my media front cover.
I produced a survey on survey monkey to ask my target audience what they thought of the magazine, the majority of them said they would buy it and praised my images as the best features. Some of them stated that more colours should have been used and that the magazine was more female dominated, so if I was to make the magazine again, I would consider these comments.
During the making of the magazine, I’ve learnt how to use an SLR camera, and what settings and features to use to get the best results. I’ve also learnt how to use Photoshop, as I was new to it this year and I learnt how to use blogger, survey monkey, issuu and slideshare, which were all necessary and useful for my project.
Since making my college magazine, I think I’ve progressed in most areas. My music magazine is more realistic and attractive than the college one. It appeals to the audience I want it to and gives out the messages I was trying to get across.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Monday, 11 January 2010
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