last post

This is the last post within my media coursework blog.

evaluation

For my evaluation i have chosen to use a flip video camera because it looks more appealing and is not as boring as writing. Also it shows that i have more developed technological skills. Each question is a seperate clip, however some questions contain more than one video.

Target audience feedback

I would really appreciate it if you could comment on my design ideas so i can have some feedback on them to take into account for my evaluation.

final design of the double page spread

This is my final design for my double page spread, i have changed this design the most out of all of my designs before posting it on my blog. I changed the format of the interview by putting it into columns so that it looks a lot more professional and organised. Also, i have moved the quotation from off the image in the centre because a few of the words would have been lost in the centre fold of the page. However, i chose not to move the image because i have seen this layout in some magazines and feel it looks very effective with the image as the centre piece. It seems to make the page look less intimating to read. I have also put page numbers at the bottom of each page and the date of when the interview was created, plus a copyright sign which indicates who had taken the images on the page.

Final design of contents page

This is my final design of my contents page, i haven't changed much on this before putting it on my blog because it seemed nearly good enough anyway. I have really only changed the of the writing over the picture from red to yellow as some words were hard to read in red beacuse of the red top being warn in the photograph.

final design of front cover

This is the final design for my front cover, i have changed a few little things within this before posting it onto my blog. I have incorporated more of the yellow colour on the front cover as it is a colour that carries on though the other two pages. Also, i repositioned the bar code and price as they are usually on the side they now are on. Finally, i have edited the picture at the top further, and have got rid of some glue like substance that was on the wall, the picture now looks much more aesthetically pleasing.

Third design idea for double page spread

This is the third design idea for my double page spread. I have only made a few little changes within this design idea such as: some grammatical changes eg let's; added some more writing into the questions asked that responds to what Liam has said in the previous answer.

Second draft of double page spread

This is the second draft of my double page spread. I have improved this by making the writing a lot smaller so i can fit a few more questions in and also some more images so the page does not look like it is just full of writing. Also, i have changed where some of the images go so tehy seem to fit better on the page. Finally, i have put another quotation on the page which mentions about his work so it shows that there are a variety of questions asked.

Weekly review

This week i have been designing my contents and double page spread, i have now done the first and second drafts for both. I will now do some mroe drafts of these pages to improve them even more, then i am hoping to get onto the evaluation process.

Second draft of contents page

This is my second draft of my contents page. To improve this i have made the writing a lot smaller, reducing it to size 10. I have also added more images in and a lot more writing so it seems that there is much more inside the magazine so people feel that the magazine is value for money. Another thing that i have done is made the spaces between the letters in "contents" bigger so it takes up the whole text box.

First draft for double page spread

This is the first draft for my double page spread.

First draft of contents page

This is my first draft of my contents page. I will now do my draft for the double page spread and then come back to the contents page.

draft for double page spread interview

Interview with Liam Evans, the new up-and-coming indie star.

1. So, Liam, how is the new album going?
Ummmm, yeah (laughs) it’s going okay actually, very manic and stressful to begin with, but yeah we are pretty much on top of it all now. Just took a while to get going and get sorted.

2. Would you say that there was ever a time that you wanted to give up on it?
(Slight pause) No, I don’t think so; you know it will all be okay in the end.

3. Right then, tell us about your tour then? When does it start?
The tour will start on March the 12th in the O2 arena, and then will go all around the country for about...3 months I think (nervous laugh) I’m not actually that sure yet though.

4. Where are you looking forward to performing the most then?
Oh it’s definitely Manchester because that is where I originate from so it will be nice to go back there and see old friends again. Also, it is one of the biggest crowds, so should be the most banging. (Laughs)

5. Oh that’s really good then, do you have a lot of family living in Manchester?
Yeah, there is a few, my Mum and Dad especially and I haven’t seen them in a long time.

6. Right, now let’s get onto the juicy stuff. (Liam goes slightly blushed and seems a little awkward). There have been a lot of photographs recently of you and a certain female, is there something going on there or not?
I knew this question would come up. Phhhhh, ummmm, I don’t really know what to say to that really, I would prefer to say nothing but i know I won’t be able to do that (awkward laugh)

7. No, I’m afraid the readers of Flux are eager to know more about this mystery woman.
Right, well umm, let’s just say she is a very old and dear friend to me that has been with me a lot recently.... (Smiles and looks down)

8. Does that mean she is becoming more than a friend?
(Scratches his neck) Yeah, okay I suppose you could say that. I am not saying anymore now though, that’s me finished with that topic.

9. Okay then, thank you for your honesty. I just have one more question to ask you Liam, do you think you are going to be nominated for any of the music awards coming up shortly?
Well, I would certainly like to think I have a good chance of getting an award, but whether I do or not is a completely different story. I should really hope that I have done enough and worked hard enough to get my work noticed.

10. Maybe your new album will be what gets you the award?
(Laughs) Yeah maybe, if it is good enough, fingers crossed eh.

Well thank you very much for your time Liam, and for spilling the beans about the “mystery woman”
No problem, anytime, I suppose.

My final design for the front cover

I now have the final design for my front cover. I have chnaged certain bits of the draft so that it looks more professional and more likely to be sold in shops.

Possible fonts

I would appreciate it if you could post me which font you feel would best suit my masthead for my front cover.

Thank you.

Front cover draft 1

This is my first draft for my front cover. I will however try to upload a more appropriate font for the masthead. The colours will also possibly be worked with as well to make the magazine look more professional.

The Treatment

Target readership: Flux is a new and upcoming magazine created for people who are interested in indie music. It is a magazine with many interesting facts and opinions within it about the genre of music, plus it id full of many pictures and articles that will blow the brains of the readers. The age of the readers of Flux will range from about 15-30, however, we are trying to make the magazine more suited to the younger audience of 15-25, so we will be very specific in the pictures we use and the articles we write. This then means that some of our readers may still depend on their parents for their finances, although some may have a part-time job, so will be able to afford the magazine on their own income. The Flux reader is on average a very confident person that is very passionate about music and will strive in their work, as they are a dedicated and hard working person.

Form and style: Flux is a A4 full coloured magazine which contains celebrity interviews, gossip and debates. It contains many pictures of bands, places and people that would interest its readers. People used on the front cover are usually famous bands or people that the readers of Flux will be able to relate with. The colours used on the magazine are very simple colours, silvers, reds and browns, this is to attract the readers to the images used and the writing. It also adds to the indie theme of the magazine. The coverlines on the magazine are there to help attract possible buyers to the magazine as they show what is contained within the magazine, they will also include details about possible competitions and prizes. The magazine will sell at £3.00 in retail, this is a very affordable amount and is very good value for money as the magazine is always crammed full of articles, photographs, interviews and gossip. Flux is a monthly magazine, so this too will attract people to buying it as it is only £3.00 a month for it.

Themes and typical features: Flux will, obviously, have music as a constant theme in all magazines published, but also, it will give the readers information about possible places to go for a night out and also and live gigs that are coming up. There will always be a competition held in each magazine which will have a prize which is somehow related to the indie genre; tickets to a band playing or band practice with a certain band etc. There will also always be interviews with bands or musicians related to indie music, plus articles about things that will interest the regular Flux reader. The writers of Flux will use language appropriate to the average reader to make the magazine as useful and interesting as possible.

Potential advertisers: A range of adverts will appear in the magazine each month, especially those with an interest in music, such as: NEC, MTV, Animal clothing, mobile phone ringtones, O2, HMV, Etnies etc.

Editorial team: The editorial team for Flux will be made of up a mixture of both sexes so there will always be ideas from both genders as this magazine is designed for both male and female readers. I will try to keep the team of people aged about 26, this is so they have enough experience but they are also of around the target audience age so they know what will be good. We will also always try to get any ideas or thoughts from the readers as it is them that we want to keep happy. The aim of the team is to bring in fresh ideas and not let Flux get to boring or samey, it need to stay upbeat and original so people will carry on buying it each month.

Possible ideas for the "extra bits"

I have now decided that i am going to name my magazine "Flux" because it is a musical related word but also has a slight twist to it which mkaes it very unique. I was hoping to get the similar effect as "Q" does with its title.
Also, i have many more photographs that i will look through to find the best ones suitable to go on the contents page and also the double page spread.
When i have chosen all of my photo's i will then edit them.

Photoshoot- improvements

After taking a few photographs, i then decided to try to make the quality of the photo's of a higher standard. This was therefore the contrast between the original and improved photographs.

photoshoot

These are possible images that could be used for the front cover of the magazine...

Photoshoot

Over the past week, i have been taking pictures for my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I have a few pictures of possible locations...

Music poll

What is your favourite genre of music?
	Pop
	Indie
	RnB
	Drum n base
	Hiphop
	Rock
	Dubstep
	Acoustic
pollcode.com free polls

Ideas for my photoshoot

I have some ideas for possible photos within my magazine, i would really appreciate it if you could look at them and post me which ones you think would look most effective.

Front cover:

Black and white photo of someone sat down playing acoustic guitar.
A group of people on stage with instruments, photo taken from below them.
Band practice, group sat around talking with drums, guitars etc in background.

Contents page:

Montage of photos: drums, people singing, dancing etc.
Photo along top, maybe of big crowd at festival?

Double page spread:

Picture of someone in the middle, interview
Band playing
band members instruments all resting on floor?

Thank you for your time, if you do have any other suggestions, please feel free to post them for me.

Weekly review

I have managed to get a lot done this week, including all of my textual analysises. I have analysed three front covers, two contents pages and one double page spread. I have also put most of the pictures up with the posts aswell, i just have a few more to do. As well as this, i have also created a questionnaire that i have asked people to fill in, this will therefore help me to be aware of what my target audience want from music magazine.

The next thing that i will do is planning for my photoshoot; i want to ask my target audience what sorts of pictures they wich to see in the magazine and also how many. I will then use the rest of this week organising and doing my photoshoot, and if i have time i will then start to edit the photo's.

Textual analysis- front cover of "Q" magazine

Q was first published in 1986, setting itself apart from much of the other music press with monthly production and higher standards of photography and printing. Originally it was to be called Cue, but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine. The publishers of this magazine were two men called Mark Ellen and David Hepworth.

The masthead on "Q" is extremely unique as it is only the one letter long, this is because the publishers felt it would stand out a lot more on magazine stands as no other magazine's meastheads consist of just the one letter. Also, the font used is very basic, as i have noticed on many front covers. I feel this is because it does not take the focus away from the image on the front cover and the information that will be read. Furthermore, "Q" is pasted ontop of a red background and it is written in white writing, this then makes it stand out very clearly and the red background makes the magazine very eye-catching. The red is also the only striking colour on this front colour which also adds a sort of mellow, calm effect to the magazine. Anchored to the masthead is a quotation that states that the magazine is "Britain's Biggest Music Magazine". By having this on the front cover it makes people feel that they will have there value for money with this magazine as it is the "best" out there.

The headline on this "Q" is simply "Coldplay" which is written in gold writing. This almost adds a sense of royalty to the name so making them seem very special. This will therefore make people want to read the magazine to find out about Coldplay. They are also a very famous band so many people will recognise the name. Around the main headline is a little extra information about why Coldplay are in the magazine such as, " One month inside their revolution". This is used to try and tempt readers into buying the magazine because ut shows tehm a sneak preview about what is in it.

There are know coverlines used in this issue of "Q" magazine, this is so the magazine looks very simple and mellow, attracting poeple to read it as it looks like it will be easy reading. "Q" doesd often try to make the front cover very simple and let the image on the front "do the talking" That is therefore exactly what they ahve done woth the image on the fron of this issue. It is a picture of the band Coldplay, which links with the headline, and they are all sat down on a bench looking directly into the camera. As they are sat down, it looks like a long shot however it is most probably a mid shot. The reader is also made to feel very special by this image because they feel that they are getting looked directly in the eyes by the band members, as they are all looking into the camera. The colour of the image is also very effective as it is black and white, however there is an element of almost sepia to it because there are slight hints of brown to the image. This then helps to create a very unique front cover because not many other front covers only use one striking colour like this; the red within the masthead.

Textual analysis- Contents page of "Mixmag"

The content page within this "Mixmag" magazine is very unique as it has the name of the magazine-Mixmag- in small writing in the top left hand side of the page, this is to create an identity for the magazine. As well as this, on the top of the page is the issue date and also the word "contents" which lets the reader know that this is where the information for the magazine will be. The font used for the contents on this page looks a little bit like broken glass, this could therefore suggest that the music being written about inside this magazine can brake glass; as it is played so loudly.

The contents page is then split into three parts: a very large picture, which takes up most of the space; to the right of this there is a column which gives information on what is in the magazine; then along the bottom is another column all abut the free CD that is given to you with this issue of "Mixmag". The picture is very large and is a mid shot of a young girl who appears to be on a night out, she has very bright urban coloured hair, which catches your eye as you look at the page. The girl also appears to be in a night club of some sort, or a rave, as she is wearing very bright clothing, her bra is an example of this. The bright colours used within the picture then are a contrast with the very simple black background used on this page. In my opinion, a black background is used to try and emphasise the "ravers life" as it will usually be very dark except the very bright fluorescent colours worn by people.

The column on the far right is there to give readers a clear idea of where things are in the magazine, this will therefore tempt people into buying the magazine as it is very organised and easy to "use". Within this column it mentions things like, " Clubs of the year" and " David Guetta". These small coverlines are there to try and make the magazine better than its competitors, so they publishers will use the most interested articles or interviews within this part to try and tempt people into buying the magazine. As well as giving additonal information on the contents page, page numbers are given as well so it makes it even easier for readers to find what they were interested in within the magazine.

At the bottom of the contents page there is a small article written by the publisher about the free CD given to customers with this issue of "Mixmag". This then makes readers feel special and wanted because it seems like the publishers have written this especially to you as it says, "Your free CD". There is then a picture of the CD case and the other side of this is what songs are on the CD. This is a very effective way of selling the magazine because people may read the contents page before buying the magazine and notice what songs are on the free CD and so buy it for the CD.

This contents page, like many others i have looked at, is very organised and in neat coloumns displaying clearly all the information you want to know from a contents page. It also is very simple and not too busy. A large picture is also commonly used to fill up room so not much writing has to be used as too much writing can put people off. Finally, at the very bottom of the page their is a website that you can go on to to find out more about "Mixmag" if you wished.

Questionnaire

I would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes just to fill in my questionnire about the music magazine. This will the enable me to make the magazine very much suited to what you want. Thank you!

1. What type of music magazine do you feel is missing from the collection available to us today?

2. How often do you read music magazines?

3. What gender are you?

4. What age are you?

5. What colour scheme do you feel would go well on a magazine front cover?

6. Do you enjoy looking at pictures more than reading articles within your music magazine?

7. Can you think of any possible names for the music magazine?

8. What would interest you most on the double page spread of the magazine?

9. What type of image would you like on the front cover?

10. How much would you pay for the magazine?

11. What genre of music do you listen to?

Thank you very much for your time!

Textual analysis- Mixmag front cover

Textual analysis of "Mixmag" front cover.

The first issue of "Mixmag" was printed on February 1 1983 as a 16-page black and white magazine published by DMC, the DJ mailout service. It is a British dance music and clubbing magazine adn there are claims that it is the "World's biggest dance and clubbing magazine", as it says on the front cover of the issue i am analysing. This claim is put on the top of the magazine like a strap line. This is to allow readers to see it so they are tempted to buy it as they feel it will be value for money.

The masthead- "Mixmag" , is at the top of the front cover and is in a flourescent yellow to symbolise the clubbing feature of the magazine as this colour is used a lot in clubs. By having the masthead at the top of the page it makes it stand out because that is where people expect to see it so they will notice it. Also the colour of it helps it to stand out. The font of the masthead is very simple but unique to the magazine. It is very smooth and flowing, without any sharp edges; a serious contrast to the "Kerrang" analysed. Also, the "I" within the masthead is dotted to look like a DJ's decks, this then adds to the clubbing theme. Anchored to the masthead is a small triangular text box that says, " FREE Best of '09 mix CD". This is then another way the publishers have tempted people to buy the magazine because, if the customers are interested in dance music, this is a very good offer.

This magazine is mainly aimed at 16- 27 year olds because you are unable to go clubbing unless you are over 18, however at 16 you would be interested, and afetr about 27 years old, the interest in clubbing would die down.

There are coverlines all down the left and right hand side of the page, which give information on what is in this edition of "Mixmag". This will make the magazine much more user friendly because it makes it easier to see what is in the magazine at first glance. Some of the coverlines are things like: " Our top DJs, tunes, clubs and ablums revealed." and also " The art of vinyl". These are put on the front cover of the magazine to try and tempt people into buying it as people will read them nd take interest into it. There is also a small column at the bottom of the page which shows who is featured within the magazine. There are artists like: " Dizzee Rascal and La roux". These are names that a lot of people can relate to so therefore buy the magazine as they want to find out more about why they are in the it. There is then a main coverline in the middle of the pge, over the main picture, which says, " 2009: F*** me, what a year!" By having this in the centre of the page your eyes re immediately drawn to it, giving teh magazine a slight wow factor as you then wonder why it was such an brilliant year. The last part is also in the very bright yellow, which is used a lot on the front cover, to also help make it stand out.

The colours used within the magazine are very simple, with a very plain brown background, which i think is a door. This simple background then helps to emphasise the fluorescent yellow that is used for the masthead and other peices of writing. The fluorescent yellow is then used as it stands out so much, as yellow is the first colour that the eye see's. White is also used on ths front cover, to make it seem a little more mellow and chilled out, also to add a little more colour, giving the front cover more depth.

There are only two images used on the front cover of this "Mixmag", however one of them is a very large mid shot of a man , situated in the centre of the page. He has purple lines on his top which contrast with the other colours used, and he is wearing sunglasses and looking very relaxed. I feel he is posing as the steroetypical raver that people would recognise. He is doing this because people will relate to him and want to buy the magazine. By using a mid shot for this main image on the front cover, it allows you to see he persons body language and facial expressions. His body langauge shows he is very chilled out, as does his facial expression. The other image used is a very small on of a young blonder haired girl, who looks like she is on a night out, having lots of fun. The image is a close up so you can very clearly see her facial expressions and she seems to be singing or laughing. Anchored to this image there is a caption that says " Don't stay in, Last-minute NYE party guide". This then tells people that if you use this guide you will end up having a lot of fun, like this girl in the picture. She is also very attractive so helps to catch peoples eye.

The price of the magazine and the date it was issued is in the bottom right hand corner, the magazine costs £4.20 and it was issued in January 2010. The reason it is situated where it is, is so you look at everything else before the price, so you will be vey tempted to buy it, also you read from the left to right so it will be the very last thing you see.

Textual analysis- Double page spread in "Kerrang"

Textual analysis- Double page spread of "Kerrang"

The pages within this double page spread of "Kerrang" are seperated into three columns: one column is text; one column is a collage and the last is one big picture. From this you can therefore see that the picture ot text ratio shows that there are more pictures on this page than text. This is because people find too much tetx on a page daunting and would much prefer to look at pictures, as they are visually stimulating which text is not. The images also add colour to the page, making it more eye-catching to readers.

The text is on the far left hand side and is very small, so more text can be written in. The sub-heading is in a green text box, this gives the article a slight sense of darkness and mystery. Within the collage of pictures there are six meduim to large images used and there is the effect that they are joined together by tape. I feel that this is very effective as it makes it seem like a childs "put-up" board.

The large picture on the far right hand side is of a singer who is breathing fire. This catches your eye as you are on the page and makes you look at teh rest of the images. The colour of the fire is also a contrast of the continual green theme within the page.

Through the whole magazine, double page spreads all have a similar layout in that there is always more images than text on the page. Also, if there is an interview on the page, the image of the person being interviewed is always the main part of the page. As well as this, with an interview, it will usually go over more than double page spread. The colours used throughout the magazine are all very similar, such as burnt orange, grey and black, this is to emphasise that the magazine is a rock magazine so would not use very bright, cheeful colours.

Textual analysis- contents page of Kerrang

The contents pge in this "kerrang" magazine is split horizontally in half, this creates a large space in the top half for a large picture, which will ctahc the readers eye. The image is of a singer screaming. The background is a blue light which creates an almost mystical feel, which adds to the Christmas theme. Within this picture, small copies of pages in the magazine are shown, which gives extra information as to what is in the "Kerrang".

The main contents title is within a white text books, which has icicles hanging below it, this adds to the theme of the magazine. This box also gives information of the issue number and date themagazine was released. Each of the photo's in the top half of the page is anchored with a caption giving the page number as to where you will find this in the magazine.

The bottom half of the contents page there is another sunb-heading, in a black text book saying, "KERRANG! THIS WEEK." The font used is unique to "Kerrang" so the readers will find it very recognizable. Besides the sub-heading, there is a small photograph of the editor. Beneath this, we have the editors note, which will welcome the reader into the magazine and make them feel important. It can be argued that the editors note may never be read however, by having it there it shows that the makers of the magazine care for their readers.

The bottom half also consists of four columns which all contain information about what is in the magazine. The main reason of the contents page is therefore, to tempt the person into buying the magazine. Next to all of the information posts, there is a page number so you are aware of where it is. This then helps to create organisation in the "Kerrang" magazine and it will help you to go the the specific page s that you want. In the bottom right hand side of the page there is also a text box with an over-laying image which mentions how you can subscribe for "K" magazine and have it posted to your day for just £6 a month. By having this on the contents page people are likely to see and therefore more likely to do this.

textual analysis- front cover of Kerrang

Textual analysis of “Kerrang”.

“Kerrang” was first published on the 6th June 1981, by Beuer consumer media in the United Kingdom. The magazine’s name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.

The target audience for “Kerrang” is mainly 12-40 year olds who are interested in Rock music; both males and females read it however. This magazine has a very unique Brand identity as the front cover usually consists of more than one person, pus the Masthead uses a very personal font to the magazine; no other magazine uses font similar to this. The font is very simple block capitals; however, through the letters of “Kerrang” there are slashes, which could suggest smashed glass as music can be so load it may do this.

There is a strap line at the top of the magazine which adds extra information about the magazine and will try to tempt the reader to but it, for example it says, “WIN! Over £1000 for xmas presents!” Also, the coverlines are laid out in a very unique way on the front page of this edition of “Kerrang”, they are all down the middle of the page, separating the five people shown on the front cover. This adds an element of difference and excitement to the magazine as most magazines are not laid out like this. The coverlines are all, similarly to the strapline, trying to tempt you into buying it. “Why 2009 Rocked!” is one of the coverlines, above it there are names of Rock bands which the audience of the magazine will relate to.

Furthermore, in a little circle near the top of the page it says, “massive 88 page issue!” this will therefore interest possible buyers as it states this “Kerrang” is full of information and things of their interest.

Many photographs are used on the front cover of “Kerrang”, this is because people mostly relate to photo’s than words. The shots used for the main pictures on the front cover are mid-shots. These are used so you get a clear image of the person’s body language and facial expressions. Also, the two people on either side of the group are holding out a Christmas cracker and a party blower, this makes the reader feel involved within the picture, especially as the cracker looks like it is being passed to you. This also makes the magazine seem very open and fun- filled. Furthermore, one of the person’s is wearing a mask on his head as he is from “Slipknot”. This is effective as it creates a serious contrast between the cheerful moods of the people on the ends. Three of the people are looking directly into the camera which also helps to make the reader feel involved.

As well as the main image there are three small images at the bottom which have a coverline of “photos of 2009 poster special.” The photographs are then snippets of some of the posters you will get; once again tempting the reader into buying the magazine. There are also pictures of both mean and women, so that both sexes will be interested in buying the magazine. The people within the pictures also look very well dressed and the woman has very lovely make-up and hair to make them look more attractive.

Action Plan for music magazine

Action Plan

Week one:
· Analyse front cover of Kerrang.
· Analyse contents of Kerrang.
· Analyse double page spread of Kerrang.

Week Two:
· Analyse front cover and contents page of Q.

Week Three:
· Analyse front cover of mixmag.
· Target audience questionnaire- pie chart of results

Week Four:
· Begin photo shoot.

Week Five:
· Finish photo shoot.
· Edit photo.

Week Six:
· Mock designs of the front cover based on research
· Mock designs of the contents

Week Seven:
· Mock designs of double page spread.
· Begin final draft of front cover

Week Eight and Week Nine:
· Complete all final designs.

Week Ten:
· Check quality of designs.
· Evaluate final designs
· Evaluation