Music magazine evaluation
Our brief was to create the front cover; contents page and double page spread of a music magazine of our chosen genre. To understand the objective I researched the conventions of three different music magazines (Q, Kerrang and NME). I decided on these three magazines as they were from different genres and had different unique conventions, this helped me understand how the institions purposely try and target there audience. During my research of the conventions of music magazines I found that all three magazines used, images, mastheads, pull quotes and text that all fitted well within the genre of there magazines. The analysis of the three magazines I researched gave me an idea in to what I wanted to do within my magazine, what conventions needed to be included and which target audience I needed to represent.
I decided that my music magazine would be targeted at students aged from 15-24, as the genre Indie/Rock is very popular within that age group. It was essential that the front cover represented my target audience and also grabbed their attention. I needed to make sure my front cover used all conventions that a real magazine would have such as; mastheads, images and texts. I asked 18 students aged 16-18 if my magazine used all the conventions a real music magazine would 15 from the 18 said yes the other 3 said no, the other 3 thought I needed to put more text in to it. This proves that my magazine follows the conventional ways in which a real magazine does.
On my front cover I included a barcode, the price, the issue number and website address. I gave my splash a unique look to it; I've given it a mature/vintage look, which will be culturally accepted within the indie rock community and appeals to their genre. The house style is also unique and will look the same weekly with all the conventions; so it’s easy for readers to find. The masthead of my magazine is Volume; I named it volume, as volume is a big part of music, as we rely on volume to hear music, Volume connotes music and sound. The font is in a loud, scratchy font like the volume has amplified it. The font gives the masthead a dynamic/edgy feel to it, appealing to the student target audience. I’ve placed the masthead in the top left corner, a music magazine convention. The main image features two members of a popular Indie band I created. The main image is a long shot, so we can see both members clothing and style, this gives the reader a chance to realise their genre. I got both members to look at the camera to create an interaction with the audience. In an exclusive interview the members are holding up the earth backing up the headline "We have the whole world in our hands". The headline is bold and in red to make it stand out and also red connotes energy and determination, things the band are portraying. The sell line is in different colours to make it stand out but not as much as the main headline. I've given the sell line an image to put a name to an image. I’ve given my magazine a banner line stating that volume is "the loudest music magazine around", this relates to the masthead "volume" as Volume allows the music to be loud. At the bottom of the page is banner line suggesting some featured bands inside the magazine, I was trying to draw people in with relevant and new indie bands that may interest the target audience. I have put a puff on my front cover to interest readers as they could win a signed band shirt, this is a promotion of a product. The price is also with them all in the top right hand corner, the price of my magazine would appeal to my target audience as it's only £2.50 and cheap products appeal to students, my target audience. I asked 18 students aged 16-18 what genre they thought my music magazine was and 16 from that 18 though it was an indie/ Rock magazine. This proves that my magazine will appeal to my target audience as it looks like the genre im trying to pursue.
My contents page includes conventions such as regulars, features, images and text; this shows that the contents page is conventional within the music magazine institution. The contents page uses images, features and regulars that signify the magazine and its related genre, in Volumes case indie/rock. Down the right hand side of my contents page is the features and regulars of my magazine, both split up in to two different categories, beside every feature and regular there is a page number, giving the reader a quicker way to find what they want. Underneath some features and regulars is a brief description about them; this gives the reader and insight into the article they want to read. Two images were placed within my contents page, the main image is the main feature of the magazine as it was on the front cover; it's the biggest image on the contents page suggesting it's the biggest story. The second image is smaller suggesting it's a smaller feature. The contents page uses a good use of colour to emphasise the most important factors of the contents page, for example the headlines and mastheads. Its colour scheme brings out the headlines and also brings out the images, also giving it a relaxing feel. The contents page is full of information so the reader can get to there chosen article quickly and easily, it also offers information about articles so the reader knows exactly what they’re reading about. I wanted the images to be the main part of my contents page and for them to stand out the most; I know pictures will appeal more to my target audience than writing. My magazine would be 60 pages long with music information and facts for the audience to consume; I believe this is a valid amount as the audience get their money’s worth.
My double page spread includes a masthead, image, text and a pull quote, all conventions of a double page spread. My double page spread is to inform, introduce and interview the artist featured. The main headline says "No your not joining the rolling stones" and the image is of one of the artists pulling back the other, suggesting that one member is keeping him from joining the Rolling Stones, I made the subjects pose like that for the pull quote to make any sense. The fonts I've selected give the page a vintage/retro look that I was trying to pursue. Also the band members are wearing clothing that you would relate to the genre such as skinny jeans and bright jumpers. I’ve made the double page spread black and white to make it a little bit different and it really brings out the headline and pull quote included. I’ve given a brief description of the artists to introduce them to the audience and to introduce their interview. It doesn’t include any information about the band’s website on my double page spread but I would include links to there website and where you could buy there album as part of synergy, they do something for my magazine and we help promote them.
My music magazine represents my particular social group as I have included conventions that would appeal to them. On my front cover a puff is used advertising a competition that could lead to gig tickets, competitions appeal to students and the opportunity to win gig tickets and see a favourite band of there’s would attract my social group. The models and bands featured within the images of the magazine are also of the same age and genre of the social group so they can relate to them. The magazines price appeals to all social groups as it’s cheap and everybody can afford it, I asked 18 students aged 16-18 and of different social groups if the magazine was at a reasonable price for a weekly music magazine, 14 of them said yes, the other 4 said no. This proves my magazine isn’t too expensive and is for all social classes and groups.
If I had to choose a media institution to distribute my media product, it would be a mainstream one as they are the most popular. During my research I looked in to a number of media institutions that distribute music magazines. I would personally choose IPC media to distribute my magazine, as they are the UK's leading magazine distribution business. NME is the only music magazine produced within the company, which would leave space for mine, both are similar as both cover the same genre and have the same target audience.
The target audience for my music magazine would be aimed at students aged 15-24; this is would be my demographic. I believe the genre of my magazine, which is Indie/rock, will appeal to my target audience, as the genre is popular within that age range and appeals to them more than any other genre of music. The genre of indie/rock is at its most popular stage in its musical history and it's popular because most indie/rock bands have been featured in the media, in magazines, on television and on the radio. There are many inspirational indie/rock artists around that my target audience will aspire to and this will draw them in to my magazine. My target audience will also appeal to people of all social statuses and will be all about the music instead of the social class, the social class my target audience would fall it to regarding social class would be class E. I want my target audience to be interested in the features of indie/Rock as well as the music. Indie/rock musicians have an individual image and style and I want my audience to recognise that. By looking at the psychographics of my target audience I've been able to recognise the differences that suit my target audience and that will suit my magazine. My target audience are alternative and have individual styles. There is a particular look for an indie rock star; they usually dress in vintage, retro, individual clothing, which represents their genre.
During the process of constructing my media product I have learnt about different uses of technology and how useful they have been towards my final piece. To begin with I had to learn how to properly use a professional camera to get the right image, I borrowed the colleges photography studio and set the lighting up how I wanted it. I experimented with different camera angles to produce the most effective image. To edit the images I had taken I used adobe Photoshop in which I learnt how to edit my images and make them as effective as possible. I learnt how to brighten and darken the images and also put different images in to my image, in my case the front cover in which the subjects are holding the globe. I learnt how to experiment with font designs and how to move objects around the pages. I also learnt how to use the website blogger in which I uploaded all my work, I learnt how to put images and videos on to my blogger to make it more effective. I asked the 18 students if they thought the magazine was produced in Photoshop. All 18 said yes proving how essential the package is to making the magazine. The only things I had trouble with was putting the links and images on to my blogger but found a way round it and got it done.
Looking back at my preliminary task in which we had to produce a college magazine front cover, I believe I have learnt a great deal in the progression from it to the full product. The college magazine was essentially an educational magazine with a target audience of teachers, parents and possibly college students, it didn’t really have a vast following and only had the one genre, we also only needed to research the front covers of other college magazines but had to learn and keep conventional styles for our magazines. In the music magazine task we had to produce a front cover, contents page and double page spread so we had to do research for all three pages from different magazines and find the conventions of all of them. With music magazines each magazine has a different genre and tries to attract a different target audience, unlike the college magazine which could only attract one certain target audience the music magazine has a much wider target audience as everyone of all ages and styles are interested and in to music.
By asking for audience feedback it gives us an insight in to what I need to improve on in the future and what are my strong points within my magazine. It also tells me what my target audience wants within the magazine and that gives me information with my magazine.
