AS Foundation PortfolioMusic Magazine

By Angus Hirst

Market Research• To decide what genre of music I should base my magazine on I constructed a questionnaire to

survey a sample of my peers to collect data from my target market• This will give me an insight into who my target market is and what they are looking for in a

magazine and therefore what I need to include in my project• I surveyed 28 people in my local area, they separately filled out an anonymous questionnaire

each.• I collected the data by making a tally chart, I then used Microsoft Word to present my data in

graphs:

Market Research – Questionnaire Results

Market Research – Questionnaire Results

Market Research – Questionnaire Results

Market Research – Questionnaire Results

From the data I collected from my survey I now know • My target market appears to be mainly men, though the difference between gender isn’t much from a survey of this size.• My magazine should be aimed at students between the ages of 15-22.• My target market mainly buy Electro, Rock and Indie music magazines already.• They mainly buy these magazines from a shop or newsagents either weekly or fortnightly.• My magazine should be priced around £2.50-£4.• Many of my target market have a high interest in Electro and Alternative music though there are few alternative music

magazines available.• Out of the six images, my target market preferred images 4 and 6. • My audience appreciate band interviews, album reviews, new artists and photography.

From this I can see that my magazine should be aimed at students in their late teens/early 20s,it will be an Electro/Alternative music magazine: I have chosen this because the mostpopular favourite genres were Electro and Alternative, there aren’t many Alternative music magazines available so I decided to fuse the two to create a product with a wider audience. The price will be around the lower end of my price range (as they are students) and it will be available to buy in shops and newsagents every fortnight. It’s regular features will be: bandinterviews, album reviews, new artists and artistic photography.

Conventions of a MagazineMagazines covers generally follow standard conventions that identifythem as magazines:• Masthead – Large and uniform throughout most issues.• Photo – There is always a cover image, usually striking and of a

celebrity to draw attention to the magazine. Smaller images are also used, but do not obstruct the cover image.

• Colour – Strong and bright colours used, this draws attention to the magazine.

• Sub Headings/Text – Short and coloured so it stands out from the cover image and is easily read, enticing people to buy and read the magazine. The text also does not obstruct parts of the image that are important (such as the faces of the models). The larger text is read first by the reader then the smaller text.

• Banners – Not used in all layouts, they stretch across the page usually with text on them, often to advertise special offers or a slogan.

• Bar Codes – These are on all magazines, usually out of the way in the corner of the magazine. This is so the magazine can be scanned and tracked.

• Price – Small and out of the way, often with the bar code. This can be seen as a negative thing and isn’t made to stand out unless it’s reduced.

Conventions of a Magazine

Magazine contents pages also follow general conventions:• Colours – Usually following the colour scheme used on the front

cover. This helps the reader identify with the cover whilst reading the contents page.

• Text – Brief descriptions and page numbers in the magazine sectioned off into categories with subheadings, this clearly groups the text making it easier to read so the layout flows better.

• Photos – Various sizes usually accompanied with text explaining the image. Contents pages often have a small copy of the front cover so the reader can identify with it without having to flick back and forth.

• Background – This is a plain colour (white in these cases) that is a very different colour to the text on the page. The background is sometimes a photo, as long as the text is not a similar colour or it will merge with the photo.

Proposal

I propose I design and produce an Electro/Alternative Music Magazine for students between the ages of 15-22 called “OUTPUT”.

My magazine will represent teenagers as social, creative individuals with strong musical interest.

My magazine will cost £2.49, this is actually lower than my market research suggested I should price it, but it is close and a lower price means more students are likely to buy it.

My project will use the standard conventions of a magazine as I described earlier but will maintain an informal, psychedelic reputation to target the niche market I am aiming for.

I will use a well planned colour scheme and striking images to draw my readers attention.

My magazine will have 18 pages and will be A4 sized.The unique selling point of my magazine will be the psychedelic photography and

detailed band interviews.

Ideas for my layout

I will design a layout bearing all these conventions in mind, however because my genre is Electro/Alternative I want to make my magazine different by using dark images to reflect the mysterious andpsychedelic nature of Alternative and experimental music. The imagesto the right were the two favourites in my survey, I will use these as inspiration for my layout and photo shoot. Both images use dark colours, I like the use of lighting in the top image and will try to use lighting in a similar way. I will experiment with different colour schemes in my layout till I

findone that I think works well and compliments the layout. As I want my magazine to have a darker tone to it, I will probably use a dark background with light text so it stands out. My double page spread will be built on a distance shot of my Models because my market research revealed my audienceappreciate the photography of a magazine.

Ideas for my layout (cover)

My market research revealed that my target audience like band interviews so I am basing the front cover on a photo of a band. Using the favoured images from my survey as inspiration I will use a dark setting, and I will illuminate my models with white light. I also want to bring a bright light into the image somehow, this will make the image more psychedelic and interesting.

I will use light colours for the text so it stands out from the darkened image, the text will not overlap important parts of the image, such as the faces of the models. The text will be short and eye-catching.

I will use a colourful psychedelic font for my masthead, this can then act as a brand name and logo for my magazine.

My cover photo will be a medium close-up of my models, they will each be wearing dark hoodies to darken the figures and is also a stereotype of rebellion.

Ideas for my layout (contents)

For my contents page I will:• Use a similar colour scheme to my cover.• Use small images with text explaining the image.• Group text and images so they do not interfere with each other and so it flows

well.• Give references to page numbers in the text.• Use a copy of the cover of the magazine in the contents layout, this will make my

magazine easier to read.• Highlight text in the contents page that is on the cover of the magazine, this will

help the reader navigate the magazine with greater ease.• Keep the layout as simple as possible, the simpler it is to read, the better it does

it’s job.

Ideas for my layout (Double page)

My double page will be built on a distance shot of my models and an interview with the band will be shaped around them.

My image will be fully dark apart from the illuminated models, my text will be light in colour so I will be sure that no text covers any light part of the image.

My market research revealed that my audience like album reviews as well. I will use a different image from my shoot to make an album cover, place it in my layout and add review beneath it. I will need to make sure this doesn’t blend with the background image, I may put a border round it or something similar so it can be easily distinguished from the rest of the page.

I will also need to design a logo for my band, and incorporate this into the layout as well.

Ideas for my layout

Here is a draft of my front cover, I have decided the magazine will be called “OUTPUT” this is a technical term used by bands and also means the distribution of something (in this case Music).

I will use three models and a single spotlight from above and in front of the models.

Each of my models will wear similar clothes and sunglasses (I explain the sunglasses on the next slide).

I will use the stage area at my school, it has curtains and lights to regulate exactly how I want the light to fall on my models.

Planning my Photo ShootI will use the image below as inspiration for my photo shoot:• The setting will be in a darkened room using a single hand-held spotlight for lighting. This will

allow me to move the spotlight easily • My models will each be wearing large, round, black sunglasses. I will angle the spotlight so it

is reflected in the glasses, the reflection will draw the readers attention to the image and give it a psychedelic effect similar to the photo below.

• My models will be wearing dark, hooded jackets, this will appeal to my target market as a rebellious sign and brings more black into the image.

• For my distance shots I will try to only illuminate the models and as little of the surroundings as possible, this will provide a dark background on which I can construct my double page spread.

• My models will not smile, they will have blank expressions similar to the image here, this will not draw the readers attention away from the sunglasses, removing some of the “humanness” from the image adding to the psychedelic nature of the photo.

• Some of my images will be purposely blurry to experiment with when I make an album cover for my band.

• I will not use flash, as this will interfere with the lighting in the final image.

PhotosI will use these three photo’s for my layout, (from left to right: for

my double page spread, for my album cover, for my front cover)I have chosen these because I can visualise each of these in my

layout and work best for what I need from the photos I took.I will use Photoshop to edit these images so they can be used in my

project.The use of the sunglasses to reflect the spotlight worked just as I

had hoped, adding a psychedelic nature to the images with some of the humanness removed by the large glasses and blank facial expressions.

Photo editing (Cover)• I fit the image to A4 size.• I used the Curves tool to darken the image.• I wanted more colour in the background, so I cut my models from the image using the

lasso tool and saved them in a different document. • I then used the Hue/Saturation tool to add a red/orange colour to the original image.• I then put the cut-out of the models over the coloured image.• I then used the paint brush tool to highlight the hair of my models slightly.

Word“art”After spending a long time trying different fonts for my

masthead I eventually decided to make my own. I am very familiar with Microsoft Word, I am able to manipulate the Autoshapes tool to create my own shapes. As I am far more experienced in Word I built my own Masthead from the Autoshapes tool by laying different shapes on top of one-another.

Once I had the shape of the masthead complete I then print screened the image into Photoshop where I edited it further and experimented with different colours. >>>>

I used the same method to produce the logo for my band, I used light grey horizontal strips of varying lengths and shades to loosely resemble an equaliser screen.

I will remove the black background when I get the image onto Photoshop.

The logo also follows my colour scheme, this will ensure it does not look out of place in my layout.

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Front cover (Draft)

Photo editing (Double page)• I will repeat the steps I used for my front cover, apart from this time I will darken the

background instead of adding colour. I also enhanced the reflection in the girls glasses, and lightly enhanced the colours on each model

• I then cut out the section of the image I wanted for the album cover.• I used the Curves tool to darken the image drastically leaving dark silhouettes of my models.• I also cut the spotlight from the image, copied it twice and changed each one to a different

cover using the Hue/Saturation tool.• I then placed each one in the album cover to add to the psychedelic nature of the image.

Photo editing (Double page)

I placed the wAv logo in the top right corner of my spread and created a purple box for my album review. This separates it from the rest of the image and allows the consumer to read other texts nearby without the review interfering with the layout. This purple box would be used throughout every issue for every album review.

I began to add the interview text, I used a white font which contrasts against the almost black background. I picked out a line of the text and increased the font size adding speech marks around it, this allows the reader to read a tiny part of the interview to interest them into reading the whole interview.

The grey line down the centre of my page indicates where the fold in the page will be. I will avoid crossing this line so the text is not

distorted by the fold.

Final editing (Cover)

Here is the final edit of my front cover, I have added subheadings and text (mainly to the left third of the cover), taking care that no text blends in with the background.

My colour scheme is black, white, yellow and purple.

Text that I want to be noticed first is highlighted in yellow, all other texts are in white or grey. The yellow is a bolder and more striking colour making it stand out from the page.

I coloured and added a shape to masthead to make it look more psychedelic , artistic and professional.

I added a bar code and price, both are in a corner of the cover so they interfere with the layout as little as possible and are not noticed straight away.

Final editing (Contents)

Here is the final edit of my contents page, I have grouped each section of text using white lines which stand out from the background but do not interfere with the flow of the text.

I have highlighted things in the contents that are on the cover in yellow and added an image of the cover to the page. This allows the consumer to navigate the magazine well.

I have also added an editors note and a photo of the editor (I took the photo using a timed camera).

I have stuck to my colour scheme though no purple is used (apart from the image of the cover) this however is not important, adding more colour may make the page confusing to read and make the page look crowded.

Final editing (Double page)

Here is the final edit of my double page spread, I have separated the text into columns leaving a gap in the middle for the fold in the page. I have also added a border which I made on word and Photoshopped into the image editing it with the Opacity tool.

I have made the large text the same colour as the album review box, this is because I only use one shade of both yellow and

purple throughout so I do not confuse the image or make the page look unprofessional .I added a page number to the the right hand side of the page, I did not add one on the left as I thought it was unnecessary and would crowd that corner of the page.

How my Project Portrays and Represents Social Groups

My project portrays men and women as equals, the models in my cover image wear similar clothing and accessories and each have a similar status the layout of the image.

It does however appear to fit a stereotype of teenagers being antisocial and rebellious, due to the darkness of my image. This however is difficult to avoid in this situation and does actually appeal to many young people.

The actual media text however shows a positive side to young people, it is intelligent and in plain English showing that the negative appearance of many teenagers is only skin deep.

It represents young people as individuals and portrays them as creative artists.It has little to do with sex appeal and physique and is more drawn to expressionism

and uniqueness.

Publisher

IPC Media is a British publisher reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men.

It publishes a diverse range of magazines including specialist interest and music magazines.

It is currently the one of the UK’s largest publisher of both magazines and digital publishing.

• I believe IPC Media would publish my magazine as it is a specialist interest magazine with a non-mainstream audience like many of their publications.

Feedback

I distributed copies of my magazine to 25 men and 25 women and asked for their feedback on each page of my layout.

• I asked “who do you think the target audience for my magazine is?” 92% of men said it was aimed at both men and women in their late teens 8% of men said it was aimed at men in their late teens 64% of women said it was aimed at both men and women in their late teens 36% of women said it was aimed at men in their late teens

• I asked “would you buy this magazine?” 56% of men said yes 52% of women said yes 28% of men said maybe 32% of women said maybe 16 % of men said no 16% of women said no

Positive Feedback

I asked what they liked about the magazine:Men:• “The photography is pleasing and unique”• “The layout is flowing and easy to read”• “The colour scheme looks professional”• “The double page is very nicely made”• “The interview is interesting and well laid out”

Women:• “I like the colours, they work well with the pictures”• “The contents page is well laid out and easy to use”• “The photographs are strange, but in a good way”• “The magazine is a good price, I would buy it for that”• “It looks very professional, you can tell each page is part of the same magazine”

Negative Feedback

I asked what could be done to improve the magazine:Men:• “I think the double page could use more items”• “More photography would be nice”• “The people on the cover could fill the page more”• “If it had free music or posters I would be more tempted into buying it”• “The barcode is pretty intrusive”

Women:• “More photos on the contents page”• “If it was released weekly instead of every fortnight”• “More interesting shapes should be used on the front cover”• “The contents page could use more colour”• “More organisation on the cover”

Audience

The target audience for my finished product is mainly student males between the ages of 15-22 who like Electronica and/or Alternative music. There are very few magazines that cater for these genre’s, but their target audience is typically older than mine leaving this niche market open .

My magazine caters for both Electronica and Alternative, these two genres are very popular and often combine in music but there is currently no publication on them both.

My magazine also attracts creative people who will be interested in the photography or those wishing to expand their musical taste.

Technologies

Before AS media I had no knowledge of Photoshop or studio lighting, now I can manipulate both to create professional images. I now know how a photo can be changed on Photoshop, how an image can be edited to give a completely different impression. I can also plan a photoshoot and know how I can create different effects with lighting, camera positioning, exposure, image blur ect.

Photoshop helped change my photographs into interesting images, remove defects and highlight key focus’s of the image.

In the end...

My project turned out very similar to how I imagined it would, things I feel I did well are:• The photography was interesting• The double page spread was pleasing to look at• The contents page was easy to use• The colour scheme was consistent

if I was to do it again though, I would :• Take more photo’s and try make more interesting images• Try make the final product more appealing to women as well as men• Make the models on the front of my magazine fill the cover more• Do a larger survey to collect more data on my target market• Develop my Photoshop skills further so I do not have to use Word for drawing some images