Changes made based on rough cut feedback

After gathering the feedback for my rough cut magazine, it occurred to me that there was a lot more to change than I thought.

1 Firstly, the colour scheme: my target audience said that the colours were too plain and boring, and if the magazine was going to catch the reader's attention, they would have to be brighter. In light of this feedback, I did some further research into Q magazine and some of the colours they have used in some of the issues. In this issue with the Foo Fighters, there is a fourth colour in the colour scheme - gold. I decided to try this in my magazine because it wasn't too bright, and I didn't think it would clash with the paler background as much as a bolder colour (such as red) would. Not only did this change make my magazine stand out a lot more, but the gold-yellow is a contrasting colour with the purple colours which are already on the page, which makes the page very pleasing to look at.

2 My target audience also highlighted that I needed more photos on my contents page, which I was planning on doing. The feedback helped me to decide what type of photos I would use, for example I wanted a mix of angles and numbers of models. So, I took two more pictures to fit below the large existing one. One of these photos was a picture of a female, inquisitively looking into the distance; the other was a two-shot of a duo who are looking straight into the camera.

3 As featured in my rough cut feedback video, my double page spread used to look very plain. It was with the aid of my feedback that I changed the colours and fonts of some of the text - such as the artists name - to make the page look individual, instead of blending in with the rest of the magazine. Although, I did ensure that I followed Mojo's double page spreads closely so that I didn't crowd the page.

Contents page photos

The photos below are 3 from a selection that I took for my contents page. I wanted them to be incredibly simple, and that is why the girl in the mise-en-scene is minimal. I asked my model to wear a plain top with a plain skirt, and to have to her hair down. My model was good for this photo because her hair is dark and it stands out from the lighter colours of the sky and the grass. I took my pictures outside on a field so that it looked natural, and fitted with the picture which I had already taken of Reece; also outside. I began with long shots, but soon learned that they made the model look really young and innocent, which was not the look I was going for. The second picture, though the tree outlined it well, looked too busy with the background and didn't really grasp the look I was aiming for. For this reason I zoomed in on the subject when it came to taking the third photo, and it worked quite well. Being closer to the artist means that the reader is more inclined to look at their facial expression - as I found out in my questionnaire - and I found this when I looked back at the photo. My model is almost scowling, her face being blasted by the wind; and her is free flowing nicely over her left shoulder, displaying her face fully to the reader. I like her pose because she is looking out into the distance, almost inquisitively, intrigued by something in the distance. After taking a few more in this pose, I chose one of them to put on to my contents page.

1

2

3

The picture below is the final image after being photoshopped. The floodlight on the left which can be seen against the trees was not shown as the box for the photo wasn't as wide as the original photo.

New colour scheme

After receiving my rough cut analysis, I realised how plain my magazine is. Not just the front cover, but the colours on my contents page and double page spread were all quite similar and nothing really stood out. This led to me trying out numerous colours, but nothing looked good. I tried changing the background to green, but this completely subverted the conventions of my style model, Q. I changed the background back to how it was, and began altering the colours of the text, however, none of the colours went with the purple background. I tried reds, both bright and pale; blue and yellow, but even the primary colours looked odd. After looking through a number of Q magazine issues, I found this one, from 2012.

The colour scheme on this page is black, white, red and gold, and because I vowed to myself not to use red, gold appeared to be the only colour that I could try. After changing the colours of the lines in between the text, and the headline, my front page looked a lot brighter. I used gold on my contents page for continuity, changing the colour bar across the top of the page, page number boxes. This slight change in colour made a big difference to my magazine, making it lighter and immediately more appealing. On my double page spread, however, I realised that I actually needed to change the main title to a different font in a different colour in order for it to stand out. I experimented with some of the colours and decided on a turquoise-blue because it features nowhere else on my magazine. Next, I changed a couple of other features on the page to the same colour so it all tied in, these were: the box for the caption, the quote and the line across the bottom of the article. 

Rough cut feedback

After handing in my rough cut magazine, I gathered 4 members of my target audience to sit down and analyse my front page, contents and double page spread. I know these people well so I asked them to be as critical and specific as they could with their feedback.

Album covers

The album covers below are hand drawn, and they feature on my double page spread in a column down the right hand side.

My aim in drawing these album covers was to give my magazine an element of explicit content, without being too blatant. The red album is based on Sex, an album by The 1975. Firstly, I drew out the outline of the woman, then I used the bands original logo as a censor across the chest. On photoshop, I used to paint tool to colour the background red, varying the size of the brush so I was able to get as close to the outline as possible. The significance of the red is to be sensuous and alluring. I think the black, white and red contrast well against each other because there is a clean break between where one colour ends and another starts, so it is striking to the viewer.

The second album cover I created was meant to be simple so I could get my message across firmly with no distractions. The name of the album by Andreas Moe is 'Long Time' and I thought a tree would be a good way to present this. The tree is the main focus of the picture, placed in the centre, holding the text up with its branches. In the process of making this cover I printed out the artist's name on a speckly cream background, then began to work the picture around it to ensure that it would be large in comparison to the other things on the page. I placed the 'Long Time' on the cover once I'd scanned in the sketch of the tree.

The final album cover is my favourite because it allowed me to be creative and bring art into my coursework. The album title 'Mistaken' does not actually exist, but I thought it was a typical Indie album name, and it also mean that I could create a cover which was simple, yet makes the point. The way in which the girl's hair is free flowing over her face gives the impression that the artist, or whoever she is singing about, is hiding away from something. I think this is something that my target audience will relate to because they are at an age when there is a lot of pressure on them. For example, school and university. The aim of this cover was for my target audience to be able to escape from reality and become intertwined with Hannah Grace's music.

Aims

By the week ending Sunday 21st April, I would like to:

• have designed and scanned in my new album covers for my double page spread
• have taken at least 2 new photos for my contents page
• decided on a new colour scheme

Rough Cut

[There are still photos to upload onto my contents page]

[There are three album covers still to be uploaded onto the right hand side of the double page spread, and an album cover for the artist to be placed in the bottom right hand corner of the left page]

Colour Scheme

Although still undecided on my colour scheme, I began creating my music magazine front page with an open mind. I wanted my magazine to be unique, and so I thought using red in the colour scheme was a bit predictable, as it is the main colour of Q magazine, which has been my main influence. Once I'd chosen the image for my front page, I realised that I could use the purple of my sitter's shirt as the colour scheme, so everything would tie in on the front page. Though I was a bit apprehensive due to my survey showing that purple was the 1st option for only 3 of the respondents (blue being the first option chosen by 14 people), I am hoping that my target audience will warm to the colour once they have seen the finished product. My decided colour scheme was black, white and purple (with bits of grey due to the colour of the background). I liked this colour scheme because I don't think purple can be stereotyped as a typical girls or boys colour - as it is a mix of both of red and blue - resulting in the appeal of a wider audience.

Photo/Editing Powerpoint

When I was not taking photos in locations outside of school, I was using the studio:

The studio is available for all students to use, equipped with tripod, lights, umbrella, and reflector (which is not in the photo above). When taking my photos, I used all of these pieces of equipment to enhance the quality of my pictures. In particular, I altered the aperture setting on the camera and the intensity of the lights to make sure that the light didn't create any shadows on my model.

Editing from yelrevebeverley

Magazine name

• Decide chosen magazine name and explain why
• Write it in the 3 different fonts
• Upload video of 10 people from target audience deciding which font they prefer and why
• Analyze

Using the wordle I created and with a bit of thought, I have come to the conclusion that my magazine will be called

INTRO

This name has a double meaning. It can be the introduction to a song, or it can be the introduction of new music, which defines the focus and aim of my magazine. I'm proud of the name because although it doesn't sound like a typical music magazine, the reasoning behind it has a lot of thought. Also, the shortening of the word 'Introduction' should appeal to the younger part of my target audience because it's short and easy to say. The word itself is smooth, rolling off your tongue when you say it, and the 'o' sound is powerful and striking, making it memorable.

Target Audience
The target audience for my music magazine will be roughly people between the ages of 15 and 25. My reasons behind this include the results of my questionnaire, when the majority of people to responded were in their late teens, and teaming this with my knowledge of teens being very up to date with new music, I decided this was the right age to aim my magazine at. Also, the fact that I wanted to include some explicit language meant that I couldn't target people of any younger age than 15 because it would be inappropriate. I expect my target audience to be a range of genders and ethnicity who have a range of different interests and hobbies. However, I expect them to be well educated so the slightly more complex language will not be a problem to understand.

Wordle

The wordle below is made up of the words which sprung to mind when I thought of new music and music magazines. I will use the wordle for inspiration when I am deciding on the name of my music magazine.

InDesign plan

Front page

Contents page

Double page spread

Question 10

This question made me consider my own influence on my magazine more - I began to question whether to change my plans to coincide with the responses to my survey, or whether to stick to my plan because I made it with the analysis of my own research. The outstanding response was 72% of the respondents choosing sans serif font as their favourite to read on a music magazine. If I was to ask this question again, I'd add a written answer box so I could discover why this is their favourite. Personally, I prefer serif fonts, but this question has helped me to strike the right balance between the two so it appeals to my target audience.

Question 9

This question was one which the respondents could give more than one answer to. 25 people said that they like finding out about an artist's personal life - so I assume this is their life away from their career including things such as family and partners. It surprised me that only 7 people said that they had an interest in an artist's future career because I thought that this was something which fans wanted to find out before anyone else, and this is the sort of theme which my magazine promotes. The second top answer is musical influences, though I hadn't considered this to be something which people took an interest in - I will now have to incorporate this into my article. I will look back on this question when I come to writing my article and have a look at answers belonging to individuals so I can analyse my target audience's views more closely.

Question 8

As I expected, the most popular response was simple language - which I will definitely use because it clearly appeals to a wide audience, and will be important especially as my target audience can be as young as mid-teens who may not understand language which is too complex. Just slightly more than the number of people who voted for complex language, 17 people voted for explicit language. Although this was part of my original plan, analysing this survey and looking at the ages of the people who have filled it in has led me to change my mind. I have decided to now use mostly simple language, with as few complex words as I can, and no explicit language whatsoever - I just hope this doesn't effect the humorous aspect of my article and its appeal to an older audience.

Question 7

The aim of this question was to help my final decision of the colour scheme for my magazine. The top result was blue, with an outstanding 14 of the respondents choosing it as their favourite colour. However, I have decided not to use this colour because I think it can be stereotyped as more appealing to males rather than females, and it would be wrong to use it if this was what would define the kind of audience which I am aiming my magazine at. The second top rated colour was red with 10 of the votes, and again, I am deciding not to use this colour because it is the main colour used in Q magazine, and I don't want Q to influence my music magazine too much. Instead of using the third most popular colour (pink) I have decided, along with the influence of my front cover photos, to combine the two most popular colours and use purple as my main colour.

Question 6

I didn't expect an outstanding response to this question, so it was interesting to find out how many of my respondents preferred colour photos. This outcome fits well with my plan, though, because  only plan on using a black and white photo for my double page spread, so the majority of my photos will be colour to keep them eye catching. Although I don't agree with the majority of the respondents, I am not going to change my plan and base it on this survey because then my magazine will lose its purpose and that is to follow the codes and conventions of a music magazine.

Question 5

I was surprised to find that 17 of the respondents preferred a mid shot on the front cover of a magazine, though this might be because I, personally, much prefer close ups. Out of the front covers I analysed, a mid shot only appeared once and that was on Mixmag, a dance genre magazine which made me think that this was the kind of genre which most people preferred, though this wasn't the result on question 3. As this was the most popular answer, I have decded to experiment with different angles for my photos, however, I am still drawn to my ideas of a close up, especially due to the positive feedback I got from this survey. I had a feeling that a low angle photo wouldn't be very popular because I know it isn't a very attractive angle and it can be quite intimidating, so it didn't surprise me to see that only 1 person preferred it. This is also the case for the long shot, 12 people voted this as their favourite type of photo, though it contradicts a lot of the feedback from question 3 which revealed that people like close ups because they feel "closer to the artist". Though I will be experimenting with photos in the studio, I doubt I will use any too extreme (such as a low angle) because these tend to be unconventional, especially for an Indie magazine, as well as being my least favourite type of photo. As for a high angle photo (which I've been thinking of using), I will try and achieve this but I am having doubts as to whether it will look as good as I've imagined it to.

Question 4

As seen above, the front cover image received 31 of the number 1 ranks for the feature which most draws someone to a magazine. I already know that the front cover image was the feature which most draws me to buy a magazine due to buying them myself, however I didn't think this many people agreed. This result emphasizes how important the front cover image is and how important it is to take time with to get the right photo. It also made me think about what type of photo I want on the front and the type of message I want my readers to get from viewing it. Ranked second is the stories and plugs featured on the front page, which I have already began to think about: I want the readers to have a personal connection with my magazine; I want them to feel as thought they are the only person who knows this information. This is why I am including features such as "Behind the scenes with..." and "V Fest: who's there?". Ranked third is an amusing headline. Having began making my magazine, I'm finding it difficult than expected to invent the persona of the main artist on the front page (my friend Reece). I need to invent a quirky name for him which stands out, and from there, invent an amusing headline which also ties in with my double page spread. After a while, and looking at a lot of other Q magazines, I have decided against using an amusing headline because I don't think it fits with the style of photo I have planned for the front page: a close up of the artist with a serious facial expression. I will, however, consider using a pun in the quote, instead. Ranked last, as I thought, is the layout. Thinking about it now, I've realised how the layout isn't very important to the reader: because if the magazine follows the conventions of a normal music magazine, then the layout will be appealing anyway, and so the layout is only appealing to the creator of the magazine. I already have an idea in mind for the layout of my magazine and I doubt I will stray very far from this idea due to the simplicity of it.

The second part of question 4 is the written answer which all respondents must complete. I hoped that all the respondents would take the question seriously, however a few didn't, so I have taken their answers out and selected the relevent comments. Below is the answers which the other 34 respondents gave:

It makes it easier to see details

I have seen many magazines like this and think it attracts more attention

Because it gives the reader a proper sense of the genre of magazine due to the clarity of the picture

Long shots feel too far away and close ups are too in your face

Feels closer to the artist, more engaging

Close detail to the artist, more engaging

Closer detail to the person

Because it shows dominance and confidence within the photo

Easier to use/see

I don’t have a preference, it depends upon the story that the picture is promoting

It’s what they mostly have on front covers and I think it looks professional

Focuses on subject’s face and you can see some of the clothing which can match the colour scheme of the magazine

See what people are wearing

It allows you to see their face and clothes without the image looking too crowded

Eye catching

I like to see what the person is wearing

It fits on an A4 page better

Looks better

Usually appealing

Gain more information

I like finding odd details about the artist which I might not have noticed before

I can't, of course, analyse every single answer, because magazines can be subjective and I know my magazine won't appeal to everyone. However, a couple of the answers seemed relevant to me: for example, numerous people said that a close up makes them feel closer to the artist, and it's more engaging - this is partly the reason why I have decided to change my front cover plan [the final result is on my rough cut with I will upload]. Also, comments such as a close up shows 'confidence and dominance' in the photo gives me confidence because using a close up for the front of my magazine brings with it the attitude which I want my main artist to have; I want the readers to have a positive reaction when they see the photo. The fact that 20 people said the layout was the thing which they cared about the least was good because that gives me more space to experiment and work within what I've noticed about the magazines I've analysed. The plugs and an amusing headline were voted joint second (each with 3 votes) as the things which most draws the readers to the magazine. However, as they weren't deemed very important at all, I know that I should concentrate on my front cover image the most. I have decided to use my artist's name (which I haven't chosen yet) as the main headline across the bottom of page, which means I can build the character of the artist by using a quote along the side of the page which will be short and straight to the point.

Question 3

As I expected, the most popular outcome for favourite genre is Indie, with pop as a close second. I'm very happy about this because Indie was always going to be the chosen genre for my magazine, despite the outcome of the survey. As for pop, I knew this genre would be one of the top answers because of it's constant presence on TV and radio stations. Pop also fits into my magazine in places in features such as Bastille's section of the magazine because Bastille have recently made it into the charts, and so are becoming more widely known, making my magazine appeal to a wider audience. In terms of rock and RnB being rated number 5 by 27 of the respondents, I half expected this result. I know RnB music has became less and less popular in recent years due to the increase in new rap and dance artists, but I didn't think that it would come this low down in this question. Despite this, it does not affect how my results will develop my magazine.

Question 2

Clearly shown by the bar chart above, the majority of people who took my survey were aged between 13 and 17. This is an outstanding result, and means that this is definitely the age group I am to target if I want my magazine to be successful. This is the result I will used to define every aspect of my magazine: from photos, to language and layout. The language, in this case, will have to be carefully selected. If I chose to aim my magazine at the higher end of that age group, then I wouldn't hesitate to include rude and explicit language; however, I have to consider the younger end of the age group. Although I do not know this for sure, I have to assume that 13 year olds aren't allowed to use language like that, and so my magazine shouldn't demonstrate examples of it for them. For this reason I have decided to keep all the language in my magazine clean and simple. There will be the odd complicated word to create an interesting read, and also to keep the older end of the age group (and the 18-25 age group) interested, without making it impossible to read for a younger audience. Furthermore, I will try and include features in the contents which will have some appeal to other age groups, for example the 18-25s, the age group where 6 people - the second largest group of people - who responded to my survey belonged to. These will be things such as festivals, assuming they're festival-goers, and competitions whereby you have to be 18 to have a go. Although 2 people who filled in my survey were 41 and over, this is not the age group I will be targeting, and so none of the features I will be including in my magazine will be tweaked and targeted towards these people.

Music Magazine Survey

After four weeks of my survey being accessible for everyone, I gathered 37 responses. I was disappointed because I had hoped to receive at least 50 respondents to get a larger group of people in order a wider range of ages, as that would've helped me to get a lot more feedback. However, the results that I did receive were better than I expected due to the feature I put on to my survey which wouldn't let the respondents skip any questions, so their written answers are full and precise (despite a couple of anomaly answers).

Question 1

I was surprised to find that most of the respondents were male, as I think the majority of people which my survey was available to were female (eg twitter followers). However, I think this tells me a lot about the kind of people who buy music magazines, and in turn the type of audience I should be targeting  The fact that boys seem to buy music magazines more means that I need to think about, if I include any, what types of puns I use and where personal pronouns should occur.

Front cover story ideas

• BASTILLE - the next big thing
• DAUGHTER - life on tour
• Behind the scenes with Newton Faulkner
• V FESTIVAL Who's there?
• "I saw Maximo Park at 12 and thought... I wanna do that!"

Double page spread plan

The following picture is my original drawn plan for the double page spread of my magazine.

The plan for my double page spread is one which I have had in mind since the start of my project. Strongly based on Q, but slightly unconventional in how I've placed it, the photo takes up the left hand side, and the article on the right. The picture I have drawn on this plan is a long shot of my artist, facing the camera. However, I think in my final draft I will experiment and consider using the photo which I planned to use on my contents page because the background on that one will be busier and will fit better on the page. Down the right hand side of the double page I have copied a column from Q magazine which offers the readers three new artists which make similar music to the artist whose article they have just read. I have done this because it fits in with my theme of introducing new music to the reader. As with the other two pages, I plan on this page to use a mix of serif and sans serif font to create a balance: usually serif for the longer pieces of writing and sans serif for the main titles, quotes and drop caps.

Contents page plan

The following picture is my original drawn plan for the contents page of my magazine.

I'm aware that my contents page is very similar to that of Q magazine judging by the layout and the features, but I have tried to make it less regulated by putting the smaller photo on a canted angle spanning over the three different sections. Also, I put the website name 'www.intromusic.com' in the top corner of the main photo because I didn't want the top banner to become overcrowded. Furthermore, depending on the results of my survey, I will change and adapt because I can see now that there's a large bit of space in the bottom left hand corner. The picture I first planned to put on the contents page is from the same set of photos which I will use for the front page and the double page spread - just like the Take That and Lady Gaga issues of Q - because I think that reinforces continuity and reflects the magazine's constant delivery of new music. The photo will be of my friend Reece sitting in an old brown chair in a Victorian-style room, as it contrasts with the modern, edgy clothing which he will be wearing. However, now I've looked at my plans, I think this photo will look better on the double page spread, and I think one of my model standing against an exterior wall avoiding eye contact with the audience will fit a lot better, looking at some issues of Q magazine which have similar styles of photos. As for the front page, the colour scheme will be the same: simple, yet eye catching.

Front page plan

The following picture is my original drawn plan for the front page of my magazine.

Taking inspiration from Liam Gallagher's issue of Q magazine, my initial ideas consist of a deep-focus close-up with stories around the main photograph, along with a quote from the artist which is larger in order for it to stand out. I tried to use a balance of serif and sans serif font, which is a feature of Q magazine, and I labelled them to plan where I will use them and for what text. The main headline, which I have placed along the bottom of the front cover, will be witty and include the name of the artist in a clever play on words to entice the reader into buying the magazine to read what the main article is about. Similar to NME magazine, I placed the barcode portrait along the right hand side of the page so it would be out of the way of the stories on the cover - I also like this because it looks slightly different to many other magazines, without looking unconventional. I haven't decided on a colour scheme yet as this will depend on the results of my survey (which I have began to analyse) but I know that the background will be white, accompanied by some black text and another colour such as red - though I will try to stray from red because I don't want my magazine to be a copy of Q. The name 'INTRO' came to me a few days ago and I thought this was a perfect name because it can represent a number of things: first, the intro to a song so that is how it relates to music, and secondly, the aim of my magazine is going to be to bring new, un-charted music to people, so there is an introduction there.

Aims

By the end of this week (Sunday 17th) I want to:

• Completed analysis of double page spreads
• Scan and upload initial images of magazine
• Analyse survey - decide on colour scheme, layout, type of article, plugs etc so I can begin making my magazine
• Plan photos thoroughly

Analysis - Double page spreads

I have noticed that there are different types of double page spreads: interviews, reviews and articles. In this analysis I will make notes on all types of these features as it will help me to decide which type of article I will write about for my magazine.

Album review

What strikes me on this double page spread is the contrast between the two sides of the page - the left hand side appears to be rather empty in comparison to the really busy and bright right hand side. However, the two sides are brought together through the colour scheme: rich golds, oranges and reds from the main image  have been replicated and used for the text in the article to show how they are linked. Mise en scene in the image is very important and although every single item looks misplaced and odd, they have all been carefully thought out to create a messy - but organised - picture, centred around the main artist which is Florence. I really admire how the two sides have been created so that the brightness and the simplicity contradict each other. Despite this, some of the ideas I have for my photos were that they would be in black and white. The title is situated on the left hand page and is the first thing the reader's will noticed once turning the page. This means that the chosen font is important as it will form the basis of the reader's opinion on the page. The word 'Review' is in italic serif font which looks classy and feminine, however the following words 'New albums' in capital serif font changes the mood: it is bolder and very in-your-face. The change in colour fits in with the redish shades in the photo and the text in the article. Along the left hand side of the spread there is a column which offers the reader alternatives to Florence, inviting them in with 'Like this? Try this...'. The use of ellipsis leaves the reader wondering what the column includes, and intrigues them to read on and find out. Beneath the title there are three different albums, with the name of the artist, a quick summary and review ('A touchstone for British pop individualism), and a star rating, which means it is easy reading for the target audience. I will be using this feature in my magazine because, if I name the magazine 'Intro', I am intending it to reflect how the magazine introduces the readers to so many new and interesting artists who are set for big success. This means that the readers will buy the magazine for the artist they like on the front, but then once finishing the magazine they will hopefully be aware of a more artists who produce similar music in the genre they like, so - essentially - they feel like they are getting more for their money. In terms of the language, Q is infamous for using explicit language which may be unsuitable or offensive for certain audiences. I assume their target audiences are highly educated people in their late teens or early twenties - as that is the age group which is known for keeping up to date with new music. I can tell this because some of the non-explicit language is complex; words such as "androgyny" as well as other non-existent words such as "otherwordly" which can tease the tongue when spoken outloud. I like how the central quote stands out so much between the two columns in the article, and it is written in italics, but in the same colour font as as the article to show that is where it is taken from. The box around the quote makes it stand out a lot more than it would without, but I want my double page spread to be less regulated and separated into sections so I don't think I will use this technique. Lastly, beneath the article, there is a little section which advertises Florence's successful single releases which Q recommends for download. The rather demanding 'Download:' in block capitals commands the reader the download these songs, however if I was going to do something like this in my magazine, I would use some fun and enticing language like 'Why not do this...' because I think it appeals more to the target audience.

New album releases

This double page spread taken from Q magazine is an introduction to Jay-Z's new album American Gangster. Firstly, I think the main image on the left hand page reinforces this idea of 1920's gang culture and crime through the use of props. Jay-Z appears to be smoking a cigar, which are known for being quite expensive, but which were popular many years ago. The shallow focus shot allows for the reader's concentration to fall onto Jay-Z in the foreground so they immediately know what the article is about. It is also very clear that Jay-Z is alone in the room, as the light space on the left hand side of the photo is dominated by overturned stools, as though Jay-Z has authority over other people and is allowed to be there when no one else is. Furthermore, the absence of his eye contact with the reader may make them feel as though they are intruding, and I think it appears to be rather arrogant that he is turning away. This technique is something I will experiment with, however, I don't want my readers to have a similar reaction to the artists in my magazine; I want them to like them. Whilst taking one of my photographs (a long shot of the artist leaning backwards onto a wall with their head turned to the side) I will keep in mind that I don't want the readers to feel this way, but I will try to do this without changing my initial ideas. Next, the title 'New albums', in capital sans serif typography is bold and  catches the attention of the reader. The change in colour from the white 'new' to the red 'albums' makes it seem as though this is a one off feature, though we know that this will most likely not be the case. Although, I do like how the title is folded over the picture on a canted angle because it suggests that there is something unusual about the artist which can only be seen if the reader reads the article. I think this is a good option for me to use because it means my page wouldn't be regulated into sections or columns, and it would have an edge to make it stand out from other music magazines. The bold sans serif font used for the title is replicated for the the first letter article, and the first letter of the second section, titled 'The concept is equally coherent', which suggests that the album being reviewed is informal - which would be expected from the rap genre of music. The article's use of language itself is fun and often uses short, snappy sentences to entice the reader into reading on. "Jay-Z was born with dollars in his eyes" is an example of this, a metaphor which reflects the success - or predicted success - of the artist, which would make the reader want to read because we are in a society where there is competition to be one of the first people to know about the next big breakout act. Despite this, I have decided not to do my double page spread of a high-profile artist because, judging by the people I have spoken to so far, they are more interested in learning about new artists than existing ones. This would also help to tie the idea of my magazine being called 'Intro' together with the features.

Mini biography

Firstly, the tea-stained-look background of the photo gives me the impression that the band are old, however, this contrasts with what the article states in the first line beneath the title: "They've been together for under a year...". Therefore, this leads me to the conclusion that their music must be made with some influences from older music. This idea is supported by the band's clothes - shirts and bomber jackets were popular in the 1980s and are making a comeback over 20 years later, and their hairstyles which aren't a conventional representation of young men in 2013. Although, Justin Young  from the band does claim in a bold blue quote in the middle of the article: "We are a pop band and we want to be a pop band" which makes it unclear what type of music they're trying to create, and which genre they belong to. Personally, I don't think they look like a stereotypical pop band. Despite this, I am going to try and recreate the same edgy and individual style in my magazine. As displayed in my photo ideas, I am wanting my friend to wear a shirt and a Harrington jacket (also popular in the 80s) to give the photo a vintage edge, and maybe go as far as to try and create a figure which will inspire people to want the same look. In terms of camera angles, I think this  particular photo is unconventional of a music magazine: the slight high angle of the camera gives the reader a sense of authority over the artists in which they are using to then go on and read the article. It may make the reader feel as though they are finding out things about the band which not many other people know, which may appeal to them, for the reason which I said above about competition among friends about who knows the most about a celebrity figure. The closeness of the men in a tight four-shot shows their solidity as a band and their fixed eye contact with the reader shows that they are confident with themselves, their music and their possible audiences. This confidence is repeated on the other page, with aid of the bold sans serif typography, and printed 'The Vaccines' in black. Next, the colour scheme on this page is different to that of Q; NME has made the bold decision of using a light blue colour - which may carry the risk of being perceived as strictly a boys' colour - which I think works very well. However, there are squares and lines in the same colour on canted angles placed oddly around the double page which gives me the impression of transient in the band, which I don't think is a good trait to have. 

Mini biography

Unlike the two double page spreads above, this Lady Gaga article from Q uses the natural centreline of the magazine to split the page in two. On the left side is a very explicit and sexual picture of Lady Gaga, with only a metal chain hanging around her neck - any reader who is familiar with Lady Gaga would understand that this shocking behaviour is normal for her, and it may have been questioned if any other artist had done it instead. Regardless of the nudity, I think the black and white effect on the image makes it seem very glamorous, which reflects positively on Lady Gaga as an artist. The article is written as an opinion, claiming "Lady Gaga's appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in December 2009 was one of the most thrilling, audacious and unexpected moments of pop theatre" in the first sentence. Using this claim as the first line of the article appeals to many people, including the typically younger fans of Lady Gaga and the older fans of the Royal Variety Performance. I've decided to use this format of writing for my article because it persuades the readers to read on, portraying the artist in a good light and making them seem like they are set to be - if they aren't already - the most popular person in the music industry. Despite appealing to such a vast audience, the language itself looks to be fairly simple (not including phrases such as "comically pretentious" and "unapologetically cryptic") and immature in how it's written, constantly referring to other celebrities whom the readers will be interested in and enticing them to read on further.

Weekly Features

This issue of Q from February 2013 contains a weekly double page spread of different celebrity's houses, highlighting certain items of interest for the reader. Some of these are humorous and quirky, for example the Barber's pole and the ceramic tiger

Photo ideas brainstorm

 

Survey

I constructed a Music Magazine Survey including 10 multiple choice and ranking questions. I posted the link onto two Social networking websites (Facebook and Twitter) and got 24 responses in the first couple of hours. I am aiming to get 100 responses in order to conduct a detailed and varied set of analysis of the results. By next week I will begin gathering my results, so I would be grateful for any more respondents to use the link below to complete the quick survey. Thank you!

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8658855258391059536#editor/target=post;postID=3096520350103433525

Lady Gaga Observation

Lady Gaga Photos (Q Magazine)

After looking through this issue of Q from 2010, I noticed that the photos of Lady Gaga were taken from the same photoshoot. The slight variation in props (from the gloves to the chain) give each picture a very different mood. For example, the photo on the front cover is very explicit and has been placed there to create a statement, and to catch people's attention - which is what an audience would expect of Lady Gaga's extreme persona. Contrasted with the main image, the photo used in the double page spread is very personal as the mid shot and direct eye contact means that the reader feels a lot closer to her. This image sided with the explicit language and minute details included in the article means that the reader finds out a lot more about Lady Gaga than maybe they were expecting. I think this particular set of photos are ones which a select group of people - Lady Gaga fans - would respect the most because they will have seen their favourite artist in the eyes of the media a lot during appearances at award ceremonies etc, but in this issue of Q magazine, they are in a very different, and more personal, level with her which I think they would prefer. I also noticed this same-photo technique used in the Take That issue of Q magazine, so it appears to be something with the magazine creators think is important to include sometimes. The use not only a colour photograph, but a black and white one (which features in the Take That issue as well) seems to work well because the colour photograph is typical of a photo you'd see in a magazine, but I see the black and white one as though the artist has been stripped of the celebrity-status and their glamorous lifestyle to sit down and have this personal chat with the magazine to open up to them, and the readers have an insight into it. Despite the results of my market research, this is something which I definitely want to do because, for me, it helps the reader to connect better with the magazine. Furthermore, I can vision these types of photo fitting in nicely with the ideas I have for the colour scheme in my magazine as well.

Concerns

At this early stage in my project I find I have many concerns about timing. Firstly, I feel as though I am rushing through the analysis just to get it finished because I know I have lots of work lined up to be completed - I think this is because I have already planned lots of different tasks to do later on in my project, but I can't complete these until I finish the earlier tasks. I also feel myself starting a new blog post/task every time I open my blog because then I know what I have to complete to move forward in my coursework. This has lead to me to start planning out how I'm going to use my time so that I can get my work done by deadlines and finally begin creating my music magazine.

By the end of this week I plan to have these completed and updated onto my blog:

• Begin analysis of 5 double page spreads
• Lady Gaga Observation
• Finish drawing the plans for my own magazine
• Have a varied set of results from the online survey I created and to begin analysing them

Photo planning

I made this table so I could plan in advance the photos I am going to take for my magazine. I will fill it out in preparation for my photos, during the process of taking them and editing them, and when they are completed and put into my project.
  

	Camera?	Colour?	Who?	Where?	When?	Done?
1		Colour	Reece	Studio	18/3	Yes
2	4	Colour	Reece	Brick wall, Whitley Bay	20/3	Yes
3	4	Black and White	Reece	Stairs, Tilda's house, Whitley Bay	20/3	Yes
4
5
6
7
8

Below this is a second table which explains in detail how I will take the picture and what effect it will give me once taken.

	Angle/level	Camera distance	Pose	Where is the sitter looking?	Lighting	Costume	Mise en scene	Colour scheme	Target audience
1	Eyeline	Close up	No facial expression, eyes slightly squinted looking straight at camera	Slightly to the right	Bright, not much shadow	Purple shirt, matching colour scheme	Hair flicked at the front to stand out and overlap magazine name. Looks smart	Purple/grey	Teens/young adults who are Indie fans
2		Long shot	Leaning against a brick wall, hands in pockets	To the left	Dimmed, not as bright as front cover image	Long khaki coat, blue rolled up jeans, Doc Martens	Flat hair with fringe. Looks casual, mysterious	None	Teens/young adults who are Indie fans
3	Eyeline	Longshot	Sitting on stairs with legs bent and apart, arms leaning on knees, staring straight into camera	Straight at the camera	Bright, but not too overexposed as it will be changed into black and white		Flat hair looks casual. Full of attitude, holding of hands looks strong	None, black and white	Teens/young adults who are Indie fans
4
5