My Concept

The Concept of my main artist and double page spread is based on an artist that has gone solo. He has left his band, and started his UK tour in his home town of Liverpool, so my pictures will be of him touring the city he grew up in.
The photo I am using for my front page is of him leaning against a brick wall looking quite depressed, which will represent how it's a difficult time for him as he misses his ex-bandmates.
The main picture on my double page spread is of him preforming to show how he is officially on his own, to express to the audience how he has left his past band behind.
The smaller pictures I have used for my double page spread are of him around Liverpool, actually enjoying his return and embracing his new life; beginning where it all started.
My article will of course be based on the changes he has had to make and how difficult it has been for him, but now that he's back he's better than ever.
I will also be using quite natural pictures as I don't intend to alter the main artist image too much, because I want them to seem more realistic.

My page layouts

Front Page

I have placed the masthead in the top left hand corner of the magazine because this is the typical convention of most music magazines.

I have also put a special addition next to the masthead at the top to symbolise the significance of it.

My main image will cover the whole cover, as this is my unique selling point and I want it to give the page a background for the rest of the writing and images. 

I will put the other artists names on the side in bold writing to make it stand out, as it will be on top of my main image.

The circle shape will have the information of an artists untold story and will be in a different colour to the background.
Near the bottom of the image I will put a quote from the main artist and their name/ title (It will be written over the image itself)

I may also place a banner across the very bottom which will contain more artist that can be found inside; and will also be a different colour like the circle further above.

Also, in the bottom right hand corner I will put my barcode for the magazine.

Contents Page

The title of the contents will be in the top left hand corner, because this is where people tend to read from first.
The biggest image will be on the right and the information for this image will be in the left hand corner of it, making it different to the other images.
The other images will be placed around the page in box shapes, with the information about them in a box next to/ under them so the reader knows what they're about.
In the right hand corner of each small image, there will also be a page number of where the reader can find the story/ article on that artist.
There will also be a magazine subscription advertisement in the bottem left hand corner of the page, which will contain images of other front page magazines that the reader could sign up for.





Double Page


The main/ bigger image that I will use will be inbetween both pages, and have the title and other information ontop of the image at the bottom.
The other smaller images will be placed around the bigger image on a slight angle to make it more interesting.
Two other smaller images will be under the main image and will slightly cover the top of the text box to make it seem more chaotic and exciting.
The text will also be in columns and go across the bottom half of the pages in four seperate columns. I may also add a pull quote in between text in the columns to attract peoples eye more towards that point in the article.

 

Magazine Covers

This front cover is good in the way that the picture is the main attraction; especially because the artist is looking right at the camera, and the black background makes us concentrate more on her. The fact that Cheryl looks quite attractive will attract both male and females as women are very interested in her, whereas males find her good looking; appealing to all audiences. It is also a very simple design as the bottom of the page is highlighting the fact that it's based on Cheryl. However, the rest of the page has very short and simple writing to informs the audience about what else they can find inside. Furthermore, The house design is obvious as only the colours black, red and white have been used all over; even the image keeps in with the colours. For example, Cheryl's red lipstick. There is also a motto at the top of the page stating its 'The UK's biggest music magazine' which is a reason audiences might be attracted to it; as it is stating that it's better than all other music magazine.




The reason that this front cover is good is because it's very simplistic for the reader to read. Most of the attraction is on the image as this takes up the majority of the page; and the fact she is looking at the camera makes it seem more direct. The artist looks quite rough and is smoking, which would more than likely attract a younger audience as they are more interested the party lifestyle. This also has a house style, and the colours red, black and white have been used; even the artist is wearing the colours on her top to keep in with the colours. There is also a quote from the artist and her name 'MIA' in capitals so we know exactly what the artist is like. There is also very minimal writing in the bottom left hand corner of other artists that can be found inside, which implies that they are not as significant as the artist we can physically see.



The thing that attracts the audience to this magazine the most is the name 'Led Zeppelin' which is interesting because it's more defined than the actual name of the magazine, 'Mojo'. The image also attracts the audience as well as all three members are staring at the camera making it seem more direct.  Furthermore, the fact the they are looking down at the camera makes them seem more important and significant; which makes the reader more interested in them. Also, as they are standing in front of the masthead is symbolises how they are dominant. In addition, the house style involves colours such as black, white and orange; which the artists are keeping with by wearing all black. Also, the page seems very simplistic as the image is the biggest thing, with only very little writing surrounding it so we know that that is the most important thing in the magazine. There is also an advertisement for a free CD in the top left hand corner creating a selling point and more attraction towards it.




Kerrang is a very compact magazine, as it seems to have a lot going on. Enter Shikari are the main band, however the image isn't that big so they don't seem as significant as other artists do on other magazines. The colours that have been mainly used on this cover is white, black and yellow; The artist are also wearing black to keep in with this scheme. Also, the side images are quite large, and therefore attract the audience to them and not just the main image; this makes all of the bands seem quite significant. Furthermore, the fact that the masthead is behind the images makes the name seem less dominant than the bands themselves, so all of our concentration are on the artists more than anything. In addition, there is an advertisement for 'Free Stickers' in the bottoms left hand corner which creates a sell line for the magazine, and is therefore more attractive towards the audience.

What I've learned so far

My questionnaire has changed direction from what I was originally going to produce. At first I was going to make a dub step inspired magazine, but after looking at my questionnaire results I concluded that it would be better for myself and my audience if I made an 'Indie' one instead.

I have learned that in order to make a good music magazine, I must consider what the audience expects.
My questionnaire results showed that 'Indie' is the most popular form of music magazines bought, so for that reason mine will be Indie based.

My questionnaire also revealed that aspects such as the headline, colours, images and articles etc. are critical; as these are what attracts the audience. Therefore I will try and make mine as creative as possible in order to attract peoples eye. I will do this my making sure that my text size, colours, font and layout are all to professional standards.

I will also have to ensure that it is aimed for my target audience (13-25yrs) in order to know just what I will need to include, such as types of stories and the tone of the writing.

Looking at other magazines, I have also learned that the house style is very important to connect all the pages together; so things such as a particular phrase in the corner of the page must be continuous throughout the magazine.

I have also learned that using photoshop is quite difficult. In order to present my pages I must know how to edit pictures, and change things around in order to make them into the style that I want. There are many different options that it offers so I can even make my pictures settings change to make them seem more glamorous, which I will definitely take into consideration.

Also, by taking my own pictures and explaining things that are wrong with them, I can see how to and how not to angle them. I must make sure that the image is clear and people know who the artist actually is. It must also be creative in order to set the tone of the whole magazine.

Furthermore, by looking at the NME contents page I have discovered how a good layout is set. I know that I must use a good amount of pictures, and it's not essential to use a lot of writing because this can sometimes make the page seem cluttered. I will also edit the pictures I take to make them seem more professional and different. Looking at this I will use the idea of putting a subscription advertisement in the corner, so that my audience can see they have the chance to purchase each magazine as they come out for possible a % of the original price.

In addition, my articles will include pull quotes in order to try and interact with the audience and make it seem more personal. I will also ensure that my headlines are striking towards my audience to make it seem interesting enough to want to read.

Now that I have completed my first round of research I must consider the name of my magazine, its house style, its images, its topics and its layout. I plan on coming up with these over the half term in order to make sure i'm up to date with all of my work.

Cohens moral panic

A moral panic is an intense feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order; and is when something that could affect society in the wrong way is published like it is nothing.


An example of this is when the artist Chris Brown was put on certain magazines front covers to make people want to read about the situation between him an Rihanna. Some would of seen this as wrong as they don't believe he should be given publicity for what he did.
Also, the fact that it isn't portraying him as doing something wrong can seem insensitive and could offend certain people.

Analysis of double page spread

Kerrang Article

 

NME double page 

 

 

 

NME front page

 

This front page is similar to its double page spread. It has the same house style such as colour and text font, as well as a quite dark lighted image. It also uses a different title and image, in order to maintain variety; because if they were to repeat themselves on the double page spread it wouldn't be as creative or interesting. Furthermore, the image they have used on the front is of only one person, wheresas the double page spread has the whole band so this means that he is obviously the most important band member as he is used to attract the audience. 



What I would expect on a double page spread

Layout

• Interesting design
• Easy to read/ follow
• Type of style that relates to the magazine itself 
• Big headlines
• Photographs/ images
• Columns
• Different fonts/ sizes

Topics

• Reviews
• Q&A's
• News
• Upcoming events
• Reunions/ revivals
• Retrospect

Style

• Punk, indie, Gothic etc.
• House style - typical for that magazine
• Colour scheme
• Style appropriate for the chosen artist

College magazine contents page

College magazine front cover

Contents page analysis

The contents page from NME has a very block idea.

It has quite a lot of pictures along with the page number, and what the story on them will be about. The pictures have all been edited in some way, to give the page a more controversial image as well as expressing the story behind the photos. I like this idea and will therefore use it for my own contents.
This also makes it seem very simplistic, as it doesn't have a lot of words but makes it easier to understand. However, the letters are all in different sizes and font which makes each story/ photo stand out in its own way to make everything seem a lot more interesting.
In the bottom right corner there's an advert for a subscription to the magazine with pictures of other front covers and offers. This is also seen on the Kerrang magazine so I know that this is a popular thing to include in my own.
The fact that the page numbers are easy to see makes it simpler for the reader to find the story they're looking for, so I know that this could be a keen feature for my own.
The title of the contents isn't 'contents' it's more creative saying, 'INSIDE THIS WEEK' which is relevant, as well as in bold capitals making it more striking towards the reader.
Furthermore, under the title of the contents is the date that the magazine leads up to until the next one is released; which is an important factor, to inform the reader when the next issue is available.
In addition, there is also a chance to 'WIN!' a competition to meet a band which is a another attractive factor for the reader as they can get involved with bands that they like. I will use this on my own in order to make mine more exciting for the reader.



An example of a college contents page...

The fact that it says 'Contents' makes it seem very simple and unprofessional as it's not creative or striking towards its reader. The red writing on the coloured background that its on makes it difficult to read, and therefore isn't very good as the reader can't see what's happening inside through a quick glance.The picture isn't interesting as well so it doesn't make the magazine seem very interesting, which wouldn't persuade many people to purchase it based on these factors. The fact that there is only one picture also makes it seem very boring as there isn't much going on even in the single image that they have used. Furthermore, the fact that it looks like a list isn't at all interesting because it has no creative design to it so I wouldn't use this as an inspiration for my own.

Images for college magazine

This picture is a medium shot, however it is quite blurred so I wouldn't use it. Although the mise-en-scene is good as it shows the schools study area.

This is a good clear medium shot with a quite high angle. The mise-en-scene is also quite good as you can see students at desks; and the lighting is really good.

This shot I wouldn't use because the person isn't looking in the right direction. However the lighting is quite good as you can see the room clearly.

This is a good medium shot but the shot is tilted slightly. The mise-en-scene is also effective as you can see the desks and school layout.

This shot is quite blurred so I wouldn't use it, although it is a good medium shot. Also, the lighting isn't very good as the main light is coming from behind the people.

This isn't a medium shot so I wouldn't use this for my front cover. Although, the mise-en-scene is good because you can see the study area and facilities.

This is a close up shot and also, you cannot see the persons face properly. The mise-en-scene and lighting isn't that good either as you can't really see the background.

Using Photoshop

This is how I started a new photoshop.

I then imported my picture.

I then chose to resterized my image

I then picked the magic wand to erase the background

 

This is my original image from google images. (Eminem didn't work)

I then took away the original background and replaced it with an image of a beach which I also got off google images.

I then changed the background again to contrast an opposite setting.

Here I took a picture of a celebrity and airbrushed it to make her skin look better.

And here I made an image black and white but left only her lips red to contrast against the rest  of the image.

In todays lesson I learned how to take a picture and change the background of the image. I also learned how to airbrush a picture to make it look more professional; as well as how to change it into black and white but keep a certain aspect of it in colour. This will help me  by giving me more ideas and options to choose from, when using my own photos.