These past few weeks

In these past few weeks I have been researching into conventions. I have found from the lessons I have been taught and from my own research that conventions will be interesting to base my project on. Conventions are a custom or tradition which in media terms means that it is what is the norm, what people expect to see. To break a convention and go against it would mean creating a product that is different to what people would expect to see. I could either go with the conventions and create a magazine that is like other magazines or i could go against it and create an origional magazine that is unique. As my target audiance is people who are into indie music then their style is individual and so the magazine that i create should reflect this.

An Example Background Front Cover...

Here is an example of what i want the background of my front cover to look a bit like. The images are taken from Google images. It is the background so there would be other pictures such as a band or information about what the magazine contains on the cover.

The Band...

On the double page spread of my magazine i will be introducing and interviewing a new indie girl band.

The name of the band will be spirit.

It will consist of 3 band members:
Guitarist
Drummer
Lead Singer

They will each have an individual look and their costumes will be girly but indie at the same time.

The title i have chosen...

After getting feedback from the names i chose to be the final name of my indie magazine, I have decided to use 'Flare' as the title of my music magazine.
This is because i think that this title will be more appealing to the customers and it looks better as a title. Feedback from potential customers also told me that there would be more interest in the name and that it would be more appealing to the target market.

Examle of Desire...

This is an example of what the title will look like ....

I have decided that i want my title writing to be curly this will make it look nicer and more appealing to the customers.

Example of Flare...

This is an example of what the title will look like ....





I have decided that i want my title writing to be curly this will make it look nicer and more appealing to the customers.

Magazine Title...

Here are some ideas i have for the title of my product and what they mean...

Glitter - Brilliance, sparkle
Flare - Erupt, blow
Indie - Distinctive, exclusive
Music - Sounds that are pleasant, harmonized
Punk - Hoodlum
Fashion - Latest style, prevailing taste
Style - Fashion, manner
Craze - Fad, strong interest
Passion - Strong emotion
Spirit - Soul, attitude
Shimmer - Gleam
Lust - Appetite, passion
Desire - Want, longing


The two Titles i like the most are: Desire and Flare

My Main Idea...

For my media studies coursework i will need to complete a music magazine involving a cover, contents page and a double page spread.

The music style i have chosen for my magazine will be indie, punk, original and bright.

The name of my magazine has yet to be decided.

on my double page spread i will introduce a new indie band that i will make. i will be designing their costumes and makeup and hair. They will have instruments in the photos. In the band there will be three members. a lead singer, drum player and a guitar player, i will have to sort out the instruments that will be required to be in the photos. I will also need to have a backdrop to ensure that there is no random things in the background that will look odd on the picture of the band. The name of this band has yet to be decided.

I have also decided that there will be small photos on the front cover and contents page i would like these photos to be on location e.g Blackpool or another place. I already have some photos of locations however i could arrange to make more if necessary.

Research Questionnaire...

This Questionnaire will help with my research...

1. Which magazine cover do you prefer?

_______________ _______________

2. What style of music do you like?

Dance ___

Hip-Hop ___

R'n'B ___

Indie ___
Rock ___

Pop ___

Techno ___

Other (please state)_______________________

3. Whould you buy a new Indie magazine that entered the market?

Yes ___

No ___

4. How much do you spend on magazines a week?

£0 - £2 ___

£2.50 - £5 ___

£5.50 + ___

5. Which Contents page looks better?

_____________ _____________

6. how interested in music are you?

____________________________

7. What colours do you like?

Green and Blue ___

Red and Yellow ___

Orange and Blue ___

Purple and Black ___

Pink and White ___

Other (please state) __________________________

8. what attracts you to a music magazine?

______________________________________

______________________________________

9. What do you look for on a magazine front cover?

______________________________________

______________________________________

10. what style of music would you be interested in seeing in a magazine?

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Preliminary Product Contents Page...

Preliminary Product Front Cover...

Pictures

These are some of the pictures i have taken for my preliminary product...

Preliminary product

for this i will have to produce a school magazine

i will need to consider the following information to put onto the magazine
medium close-up, text and title (font size colour)
contents page... layout

subheadings

Analysis of contents page 3...

This contents page is different from the others as it shows the information of what the magazine will include with pictures and writing. The information in the writing has subheadings and further information about each individual article. These two bits of writing are separated by the subheading being bold and the information being normal. The pictures are presented in a way that makes it easy for the reader to view where in the magazine the information along with those pictures will be. for example the picture with the cakes suggests that information about food will be on the page number that is presented in the corner of the photo. The font on this contents page is very simple this keeps the readers attention on the photos and information so they are not distracted by anything else.

Meis – en – scene…

One night only

this is an indie band. Their style is original and they all look close as a group.



Make up: As they are all male their make up is kept natural. This style can be confused with emo where the lads will sometimes wear make up. These lads are kept natural.
Costume: these lads are dressed smart with shirts however they have changed the ordinary style and updated it with different jackets or jumpers and a small tie. They also wear jeans and belts which does not go with the traditional style of the suit.

Analysis of contents page 2...

This contents page is more traditional with numbered guides to finding the page that the readers want to find. The large title at the top of the page gives the customers a clear view of what they have brought. the picture is of a traditional woman who is dressed in smart clothing. this could show the class of this magazine and how it reflects on the audience. the font and colour of the text is simple and easy to read this can also show tradition and class within this magazine.

Analysis of contents page 1...

This is a contents page for an indie magazine as you can see it is not in the traditional style of a magazine with numbered ordered pages, it has an alternate layout to show whats inside the magazine. this is good because it keeps with the indie style of being individual and people can enjoy an alternate way to view things. I think that this type of contents page would be good for my magazine. the photo on this magazine shows the style and fashion side of the magazine and so it would be an example of how indie people are, this is useful to be on the contents page as it shows the readers what the rest of the magazine will be like.

Meis – en – scene ….

The Ting Tings ...

This is an indie group consisting of two people a male and a female.

Male:
Make up – this mans make up is natural he has none on, his face is unshaven with a small neat beard.
Clothing – being indie his clothes need to be original the black jacket with a red print on it is the only item of clothing seen on this photo. The accessories he wears are his sunglasses
Body language – the is facing towards the girl which shows interest although his hand is in one of his pockets and the other is on his zip to show uncomfortable ness.

Female:
Make up – she is wearing a lot of make up including a light blue eye shadow to match her blue top. However her make up is light and natural. But a bit heavier around the eyes as indie style is.
Clothing – her clothing is bright and original red and blue both primary colours that make a bold statement look when put together. Her accessories include a belt that has print of different things on including an eye which again shows originality.
Body language – she is focused on the camera and looking forwards which shows confidence.

Double Page Spread Analysis 2...

Even though this magazine has nothing to do with my theme i have decided to analyse it because i like the layout and how it looks like it is just on one page. Having the pages conjoined with a picture is a good idea as it creates more room and helps the picture to stand out. Like on this magazine the picture looks almost 3D it has obviously been edited and the plain background gives a good affect. the white writing on the red stands out along with being printed over the picture. there is a small amount of writing in the top corner this is only a small amount so that the audiance is focused on the picture and that there only needs to be a small amount so the readers dont get bored.

Double Page Spread Analysis 1...

This magazine double page spread is about music and dancing. it has a big picture on the left hand side and also it has a bit of information on the picture, however it is difficult to read as the print is small. on the right hand side there is another picture however this one is a lot smaller and is situated in the top right hand corner. The rest of this page has writing on with some subheadings to make it easier to read for the audience. It is clear that this magazine is aimed at older people as the writing is smaller and not simple to read.
The shot used in the photo is a long shot as it shows all of the person in the picture. The costume is what this dancer would typically wear. There are no props which helps the viewers focus on the person in the picture. The direction of the dancers arm draws the readers attention to the title of this article.

Analysis Of Magazine Cover 3...

This magazine would appeal more to the female indie group. This can be shown by the pink colouring and female singer on the front. The colours of the font are simple like the other covers, white pink and yellow. This draws more attention to the bold writing and the images on the cover.
The layout of this magazine has writing covering the pictures so that more information can be fitted on. A disadvantage of this is that it can look crowded and this can put the readers off buying the product. The price and barcode is in the bottom right hand corner out of the way of the other information. There is no special offer on this magazine which shows the class of the customers.
At the top of the magazine there is a statement that says “best in music and fashion” this can be appealing to the buyers and potential buyers of this product. There is also a free gift with this magazine, which can help buyers feel more motivated to buy the product. The free gift with this magazine is a CD; this is of “this month’s best music”. For my magazine if I was to promote a free CD it could be a sample of the new band I would be promoting in my magazine.
The make up on the female singer “Duffy” is quite heavy which makes her stand out more on the cover this also shows how glamorous she is and this will reflect on the magazine. For example if there was a picture on the front cover of a girl who looked rough with no make-up, messy hair and tatty clothes then the target audience would be less interested in buying the product.
There are stars and sparkles on the cover of this magazine that appeals to the target audience, which again emphasises that this magazine is targeted at females.

Analysis Of Magazine Cover 2...

This magazine is aimed more at the pop scene. However it is a good contrast to the style of music I will be having for my magazine. Unlike the other magazines I have been analysing this magazine has lots of different colours like white, blue, black and orange. The colours all stand out so it’s difficult for the audience to focus on just one part of information when all the rest are also standing out. This magazine assumes the audience has prior knowledge as most of the title is covered by the photo of the celebrity.
The articles advertised on the front cover of this magazine are all about music and celebrity gossip. It’s a different sort of scene to what my magazine will be about however it still has the same layout of information covering photos on the front page. This brings readers attention to the writing when they see the photo.
The barcode and price is in the bottom left hand corner where it is not obvious to the audience this shows that the target audiance would not be that bothered about the price of this magazine.

My Music Theme

The theme for my music magazine will be indie music.

Examples of indie music are:

one night only
simple plan

lilly allen
the ting tings

These are the types of bands that my magazine will be associated with these covers are bright and simple. They are bold and attractive to the audiance.

Analysis Of Magazine Cover 1…

This image is from Google...
It has the same theme that my magazine will have so i thought i would analyse this magazine.





The title of this magazine is clearly seen as the pictures don't cover it.
The Background colours are black and white which contrast to the colourful writing and this draws the readers attention to the information.





Like the CD covers there is bold statement colours that attract the readers.

The target audience for this magazine is shown by the picture and headlines. the picture is clearly of someone out of a band so he would be easily recognised by the target audience.

the bar code and price are tucked out of the way in the corner there is no big sign that shows a sale on the price which shows that the target audience doesn't need to be persuaded to buy the product by the discounted price.

What I need to do...

Before I start my music magazine project I must first research other magazines to see how different themes show different looks to attract different audiences. The main magazines I will be analysing are Indie, as this will be my audience and theme. However I have a vibe magazine which is not Indie to show the contrast in the magazines and the people who read them.