Flat Plans

This is a flat plan of my front cover. I chose to use only one image, and have it as a close up of my model looking up and away. I think it will look good if I use heavy black eyeshadow which matches her black hair and will contrast from the light I will try to fill the rest of the image with. As in my research people said they would prefer to see photos taken on location, I will try and fill the space that looks empty with the sky. I'm not yet sure whether to keep the image grey scale or faintly coloured. I have used colours that can be seen in my mood board; pale greens and pinks. They aren't really visible on this image however, as the scanner didn't detect them as well as I would've liked. Pale pink is used in the masthead and article title, which soften the image and make it look feminine, which will reflect that the magazine is primarily targeted at females. I have used sell lines such as "indie's biggest new comer" and "Exclusive!" as they contain buzzwords and will make the magazine seem appealing. Also, all the text is written in capitals to make it seem bolder, and there are sell-lines along the bottom of the cover to show what other artists are included in the magazine, and make a reader want to buy it. "Heart & Soul" is my magazine title and the date is underneath. The font looks handwritten, giving it a rough and edgy image. In the bottom right hand corner is a bar code and price.

This is a flat plan of my contents page and I think I struggled to make one that I was pleased with. It has a white background and the same black, white, pale green and pale pink colour scheme from the front cover. I have separated the contents in to "features" and "regulars" with page numbers and headers in pale green and the other text and title in pale pink, which I think gives the idea of consistency. It also coheres with my audience's preference of a simple colour scheme. I have taken influence from "Clash" magazine's personalised titles and abbreviated my magazine name to "H&S" which I put above contents. There are two images on the right hand side of my models, who will be placed in square images on the page. In the top picture she is pictured smiling, looking away off the page, which gives her a friendly and safe image. She is dressed in jeans and a feminine floral top. I'm still not sure on the outfit she should be wearing, though. The image below will be edited to be in grey scale before being inserted into the contents page and will contain my two models who are "Robert's Roses", looking off the page and not at the camera. They will be dressed in indie clothes (shirts, polo shirts and jeans), and one will be wearing sunglasses as he leans against the railings whilst the other sits on them. As they won't be smiling, I think they will have quite a serious and tough image, which I hope will contribute to the edgy image of the band and magazine.


This is a flat plan of my double page spread. There is a main image of my artist in an overgrown field, which again complies with my audience's preference for images taken on location. She will look as though she is naturally walking through it. I hope this makes my artist look quite cool and indie artists are often pictured at run-down places, so this should fit in with that look. The image spans over two pages, with my artist reasonably small, which should hopefully make her look free. The title "Ruby Tuesday" (my artist's name) will be at the top in a pale pink, flowing and old-fashioned text, to make her look feminine. On the right page will be what looks like a ripped up piece of paper with my article written on in a type writer font. This fits in with the "rough and ready" image and some of the grass from the image could overlap this to make it look more overgrown and natural. There will be an introductory paragraph and 3 columns of text, with a quote in the middle. I took the idea of an enlarged quote and introductory paragraph from my textual analysis as I thought it looked really effective. The article will be in black text and the quote will be in the corresponding colours of pale pink and/or green.

Institutional Context

My magazine will be made with a very low budget compared to large, known music magazines like "NME" or "Clash" that are made by large publishing company, as they already have large amounts of capital and links to other companies in different sectors at their disposal. Therefore I will have to take on many roles when making my magazine, including editor, photographer and journalist. Also, I don't have a large amount of time to complete it, nor a huge amount of resources and this will probably restrict me from making a magazine that looks as professional as those that are available on the market today.

Magazines such as "NME" are made by "IPC Publishing", a large publishing company. Smaller magazines that I have looked at like "ArtRocker" magazine are made by smaller publishers such as "Volcano Publishing". "Volcano Publishing" also publish other small magazines such as "Shindig!". I think, due to the scale and image that I would like my magazine to have, this is the kind of publishers that would suit it most. A smaller, independent publisher could also give more "street credibility", perhaps in the same way that independent record labels have more "street credibility" than large conglomerates. The size/scale of the publishers would mean that my magazine wouldn't be glossy, it would have a rough and ready image. Also, smaller publishers might not have the connections to get large acts into their feature articles. This may not matter though, as smaller bands would probably be more suitable.

However, "Clash" magazine is a part of the Clash brand, which includes the magazine, website and events (such as gigs and other live events). This means journalists, photographers and other staff have access to events and places because of their connections, and can use this for material to contribute to the magazine. This could loosely be considered an example of vertical integration. If my magazine were to be created properly, I think it would be good to hold a brand similar to "Clash"'s where live events are hosted under it's name.

The process of making a magazine has a specific process. There is an initial idea or concept which is then designed. Journalists write articles and photographers take photos to put in the magazine. These journalists and photographers could have been placed in different areas or at different gigs by a sub-editor. An editor decides what will go in the magazine before-hand and can arrange the order and look of the magazine, which is then published and printed. After being printed, the magazine is distributed to shops or retailers.

In the distribution of magazines, companies such WWMD (WorldWide Magazine Distribution) distribute magazines to outlets and stores. They have warehouses situated near motorways and airports so that the distribution of magazines can be quicker and easier. They distribute magazines such as "Rolling Stone", "NME" and "ArtRocker".

Large stores such as WHSmiths commonly stock a lot of magazines, including those made by independent publishers such as "Clash" magazine. More well-known and mainstream music magazines like "NME" are available in most corner shops, supermarkets and retail outlets such as "HMV". I think "WHSmith" or independent record/music shops would be a good place for my magazine to be sold if it were to be actually made.

As previously outlined, I will be making my product with a small budget and limited resources/facilities. Due to this fact, I will take on many roles when producing my magazine. I will take on the role of a journalist as I write my feature article, which would be written in the production of the magazine before it is printed. In a usual professional manner, a journalist could be sent to a gig to report, or to a certain place to carry out an interview with a band or artist. However, I won't have the opportunity to write about a real artist, so it isn't like real life. I will also take on the role of photographer and picture editor. The role of photographer may be hindered in professional senses because I will be photographing my sister, not a real artist who might have a lot of control of what they would like the photos to look like. During production, I will also be taking on the role of editor, magazine feature editor, costume designer and a graphic designer with reference to the logo and text. There will be many skills needed for these roles, such as:

- photoshop skills

- journalism skills

- english skills

- layout/art skills

- editing skills

- typography skills

- judgement skills

Initial sketches

This is a mindmap I made to help me decide on a magazine name. I used either music related phrases, or track names from bands I like which could be related to the "indie" music scene. I narrowed it down to two that I liked best: "Pretty Vacant" and "Heart & Soul". Eventually, I chose "Heart & Soul" as my magazine title because I liked it the best and I asked my friends which they thought was best. Also, I thought it had more relevance because it is the name of a "Joy Division" boxset, and they could be considered to be an original "indie" band as "indie" began in the post-punk movement and the band were very individual.

These are just some initial sketches of plans for shots when I take my photos.

Photography Skills Development

In preparation for the organisation and taking of shots for my magazine, I tried out different camera angles and shots to see what could work well.

I think this shot looks good because the subject seems to be in the right place. Her head isn't too high or too low and her eye line is in the top quarter area. I think this scale would be good for a cover image.

I think this image looks good, as it tilts down on the subject. You don't really get to see of the subject's face or make-up and I think it might look better if you could see more of this. It's different to pictures in most music magazines and I think it looks more as though it's meant for a fashion magazine, as the focal point seems to be the clothes/costume, but I think the fact it is different is appealing and more suited to my magazine.


I like this image and the way it looks a bit as though she didn't realise the photo was being taken, which makes her look a bit more natural. I think this effect can make an image look better and more personal sometimes, unlike images where the subjects flamboyantly pose.
This shot I think is too low, if it was higher up it would look better. I don't think it looks bad, but it doesn't look as good as it could. I like the scale of the face though and I think if her shoulders were lower down, with a bit of space left at the top of the image, it might look quite good.

From taking these photos, I have learnt some good angles that would look good or OK in a music magazine, and some that wouldn't look so good. I can consider these when taking and planning my actual shots.

Proposal of Ideas and Initial Treatment

Proposal of Ideas

I am proposing to design and create a cover, contents page and double-page spread of an "indie" music magazine. I'm intending to make it in paper format, with a size of 27cm long and 20cm wide, because I think to create an A4 magazine would be quite mundane and dull, and other similar texts are often of different and unusual scales.
My intended audience is females between the ages of 15 and 24, specifically targeting "indie-scenesters" in the socio-economic group C1. The intended purpose of my magazine is to entertain my audience with interesting articles containing artists that would appeal to them. I would also like it to inform them and provide information about music, including new releases, gig reviews, album/single reviews and interviews.
There have been lots of music magazines previously produced, but they are usually aimed predominantly at male audiences, rather than female audiences, as I found out in my research. This will make my product interesting and give it a unique selling point. I think a lot of music magazines cover many or a few genres as well and mine will only be dedicated to one, which will make it different.
I'm going to try and make the style of my magazine as a whole quite "arty" in that it will be visually pleasing as I'll focus on the layout and look of it, and I'd like it to look alternative and different to other magazines. I'd like the style of the text in my magazine to be informal and funny/edgy. I think this will make readers want to read it more and create a personal relationship with the reader.
I will take on many roles during the course of the production. I will set up and take the shots, chose fonts and colours, lay-out the pages and construct them. The only thing I will not be doing is appearing in the images I take, my older sister has agreed to be my model and pose as an "indie"/"alternative" artist for my cover and double-page spread. I would like to use another large image of her for my contents page, but I may use a group of friends to pose as another band to give a bit of variety.

Initial Treatment

I would like my cover to be in grey scale or have a minimal colour scheme, with a masthead in the right hand top corner. Underneath the masthead will be a website address and above the masthead I might have sell-lines in a strip going across the top of the cover. There will be one image which spans across the whole page, and I'd like it to be taken on location at somewhere "quirky" like in a field or in somewhere with lots of trees so it looks a bit like a forest. I'd like the image to look as though it's been taken at night-time, being a medium-long shot of an "indie" artist on the front dressed up with lots of bold and colourful make-up. I'd like the artist name and a sell-line underneath and in the bottom right-hand corner there will be a bar code and price, maybe another strip of sell-lines at the bottom. I don't want too much text on the cover so only 1 or 2 secondary articles will be on it, if any.
My contents page will have a different image of my feature artist on the right hand side of the page - maybe a close up of her face, which will contrast from the cover. On the other side there will be a vertical list of the content with corresponding page numbers, in colours which match the cover or the picture on the contents page. At the top of the page there will be a title "Contents". I think the background should be in block colour, with the text in corresponding font and colour to the cover/colour scheme.
My double page spread will have a large picture of my featured artists spanning the width and height of the right hand page, with an enlarged quote pulled out from the text on the opposite page on top of it or amongst the bulk of the text. There will be a small introduction on the right-hand page in a larger font than the rest of the article. The text will be placed on some kind of mock background (maybe brown paper or wallpaper or notepad paper). This mock background may be placed on a slight slant to give a "rough" image. The colour of the text will fit in with the image and the image will have a small caption in the top right hand corner in a colour that corresponds to the colour scheme.

Mood Board and Rationale

This is a mood board that I created. It shows the kind of subtle and simple colour scheme that I would like my magazine to consist of. I chose black, white, pale green and pink and a bright light blue. I like the way the pale colours contrast with the stronger bolder colours and I think they would be interesting to work with in my magazine.
I chose some photos of derelict/old houses that I could think about when choosing my own locations to take photos in. I like these images, especially in grey scale, and I think they look quite good with bold colours like black or the bright turquoise colour layered over the top. The image in the top right hand corner is from the advert for the perfume "Flora" by Gucci. I chose this image because I really like the lighting that is used, and although I probably wouldn't be able to recreate it, I could try and use the same colours and costumes. I also like the way the model is only seen from the waste up, as the rest of her is in flowers, I could maybe take an image like this from above my artist if she were to stand in an overgrown area. Another reason why I chose this image is because it's marketed at females around the same age as my magazine will be, so if it is effective I could take influence from it. There's also a close-up photo of some bricks, which I think look really effective in grey scale, and along with the old houses in black an white, they look as though they are worn-down and rough - cohering with the kind of image I would like my magazine to have.
I picked out some fonts that I liked and tried to choose ones that aren't too simple, but aren't too dull either. I like the handwritten ones and the typewrite ones, and I think these could be used for my magazine.

Action Plan

Target Audience

Secondary Research

This is an audience profile for 'NME', which is one of the magazines I would like my own magazine to take influence from, as I like the style and would like to produce a magazine based around a similar genre of music. It shows that the majority of readers are male and the average age of the reader is 24. The main brands that readers are interested in are 'Fred Perry', 'Jack Daniels', 'H&M', 'Levis', 'Topshop'/'Topman' and 'Converse', making them appear to be quite image conscious. The readers of the magazine could be said to be "Indie-Scenesters". According to http://www.uktribes.com/, "indie-scenesters" are a "mainly middle class tribe" and are described as:

"Broad catch-all Tribe who are passionate about guitar music. A staple of British culture since post-punk and the early 80s, and particularly prevalent since The Strokes arrived and re-awoke Indie kids from their rave-era slumber. It's not hugely snobby - bands are "allowed" widespread critical acclaim and frequently hit the charts. It's a big change from the Indie kids of the 80s who were into then niche-bands like The Smiths, proudly read "NME" and jealousy guarded their bands from the mainstream. There is movement between the Indie kid and Indie Scenester Tribes, but not to a huge degree. Indie kids tend to be younger than their scenester counterparts while they might be at exactly the same gigs, don't aspire to be in each others' groups. A confident, energetic and enthusiastic tribe, which have become one of Britain's most largest and influential."

Tribe "icons" are said to be bands such as "The Libertines", "The Horrors", "The Smiths" and "The Strokes".

The image below is of "indie-scenesters", which shows the kind of image they have. The fact it's been taken at a festival shows their interest in music as a tribe.

From researching "indie-scenesters" as a tribe, who are readers of magazines like "NME" and "Clash" magazine, I think I would like them to be my target audience. However, although magazines like "NME" have a largely male-based readership, I would like my magazine to be aimed at females, because I think there is a niche in the market for an "indie" magazine aimed at females and I think it would be a unique selling point as there aren't really any music magazines targeting females at the moment. I also think it would be more interesting to create and I would like to aim it at females aged between 15 and 24 and in the socio economic group C1 (mainly targeting lower middle class students).

From looking at the reader profile for "NME", I have tried to recreate my own with reference to my own magazine. I included brands, clothing types and hobbies that my readership may have.

Primary Research

Questionnaire

This is a screenshot of a questionnaire that I gave out to 20 girls aged between 15 and 24, who told me they were interested in "indie" music. I handed out 20 because I thought it was a suitable number; not too large to be counted, but not too little to be insignificant. I only handed them out to specific people because then it would only give me relative or necessary data. I asked questions about layout, price and design to find out what would appeal to my target audience.

For the first question I asked which magazine cover they liked best, and the majority (8 people) said Clash magazine. Underneath I had written an open question asking why and the majority of answers related to the fact that they found the cover image most appealing and the way that it was striking, even though it was plain. This would indicate that my target audience would like a simple magazine cover, rather than one packed with sell-lines and images like the "NME" cover.

For the second question, I decided to ask about the type of shot on a cover that would appeal to people. From my results it is apparent that not many people would like to see close-ups in an image on the cover. An equal amount of people would like to see both mid-shots and long-shots. So, when I make my magazine, this will be something to bare in mind when considering shots and whether or not they will appeal to my target audience.

I then asked the same question about shot preference, but with reference to a double page spread, and more people would like to see close-ups, but the majority say they would prefer to see long-shots. This information could again be useful when planning and taking shots for my magazine.

Here is a pie chart of results showing what type of image people would prefer; either to be taken on location or in a studio. This shows that the majority of my target audience would prefer images to be taken on location. This could be because it makes them more interesting, or because they like their bands to be more "real" and less "manufactured" and "photo-shopped". So, when taking my photos, I should be looking to take them on location.

This question refers to images and colours. I decided it would be useful to find out whether my audience would find a grey-scale colour scheme, one with few colours, or a colour scheme containing many colours more attractive. People said they would least like a vast colour scheme, and most like a simple colour scheme. I didn't expect so many people to find a grey-scale colour scheme attractive, so maybe a mainly grey-scale colour scheme containing one or two other colours would be appealing to my target audience. I will take this into account when planning and making my magazine.

One question asked people about whether or not they used existing music magazine websites. This pie chart shows the large proportion of people that said they did use magazine websites, indicating that people like to actively interact with magazines as well as just reading them. Also, it shows the Internet habits of my target audience, as the majority must use it a lot in their free time. This could then be something to take into account when making my own magazine, maybe I should include sections that give readers a chance to interact, or include a website address underneath my masthead.

My next question was an open question, and asked people to write down how much they would pay for a new music magazine. I didn't expect people to agree on one certain price, just to get an idea of a price range that my audience would consider acceptable, but 4 people all put £2.20. The price range was between £1.70 and £2.50, but I think seeing as many people put £2.20, that should be more or less the price of it and I don't think that's too expensive.

My last question asked people to rate elements of magazines that are used to attract people in order of which they found the most attractive (6 being the highest and 1 being the lowest). From my results, image/s appeared to be the thing that most attracts people to magazines, with colour scheme being the second most attractive. The least attractive thing appeared to be the sell-lines and feature article, which is surprising, because I thought the feature article would be the most appealing component. This lets me know though, how important image and colour are to my audience and I know that these should be a priority when planning and making my magazine.

I found the results from my questionnaire useful, and I think they will benefit me when it comes to planning and manufacturing, as I now have some points to consider and indications as to what will make my magazine successful and appealing.

Focus Group

In addition to my questionnaire results, I held a focus group containing 4 girls of the ages of 16, 17, 21 and 20, i.e a collection of people who are in my target audience.

I showed them some examples of texts and asked them what they liked about them :-
BECCA: I like the picture on that one. ("NME")
SOPHIE: Yeah, it makes the person look really cool.
BECCA: But I think it's got too much stuff on the page, like it looks really cluttered. Makes it look like too much information in a way.
RUBY: Yeah, but isn't that what you want in a music magazine?
BECCA: Well no. Well yeah, but it makes it look like too much, you know?
RUBY: Mmmm I see where you're coming from.
RACHEL: I like the colours in this one! (pointed to "ArtRocker")
SOPHIE: I like the graphicy lines over the picture.
ME: So if you saw that one, would you buy it because you like the image?
SOPHIE: I think so, it just makes it look really cool and edgy
RUBY: I'd buy it because I like the other bands it says on the side
BECCA: But I think the other one looks better ("NME")
ME: So out of a choice between the two, you'd buy "NME" even though you think it's too cluttered?
BECCA: Yeah, that one is too cluttered but it just looks more professional, like that one just looks like someone's messed about with photo shop, rather than a real music magazine.
RACHEL: It is called "ArtRocker" though.
RUBY: No I think "ArtRocker" looks much better. Much more attractive. From a glance looking at the two, I would pick "ArtRocker", "NME" just doesn't look as nice.
ME: What about this one? ("Clash")
RACHEL: Oh! Now that one looks nicer.
ME: Why?
RACHEL: Looks much more proper, kind of sophisticated
SOPHIE: Yeah, I think it looks good because like Becca said, this one is too cluttered and in this one they've left a bit of space... that looks much better, I'd get that one
RUBY: I like the font
BECCA: But it looks like you don't get as much as "NME"
RACHEL: Yeah but the stuff you do get might be better.
ME: So out of all three, which one do you prefer?
RUBY: This one ("ArtRocker")
SOPHIE: "Clash"
RACHEL: The one with "Oasis" on the front. ("Clash")
BECCA: Probably "NME" but I think "Clash" is good as well yeah.

This gave me a lot of tips for what makes a cover look good when I'm making my own. For example, I know that images are important, and I know that the space makes it look good, but also so does when it's cluttered. 3 out of 4 preferred "Clash" magazine, so this is a magazine I should take a lot of influence from. When planning my magazine, if I'm unsure about fonts or layout, this should be something I should refer back to for help.

I then asked them about some aspects which would more specifically relate to my music magazine:-
ME: So, if I was to make a new "indie" music magazine aimed at females your age, what would you like to see in it?
RUBY: Good pictures.
BECCA: Definitely, girls like pictures better
SOPHIE: I dunno, the writing is important too.
BECCA: Yeah, but admit, it's the cover picture that makes you want to buy it.
SOPHIE: True, it's the first thing you notice.
ME: So pictures, of one artist or a band and would you like to see it big or small?
RACHEL: Definitely big. A small picture on a cover wouldn't look good, you want something that jumps out at you.
RUBY: But subtle can be good. Big though. Big and subtle, is that possible? Yeah, like ArtRocker.
RACHEL: And I think one artist would look better because you don't want it to look too cluttered.
SOPHIE: I think it would be good to take some from different angles. 'Cause most magazines pictures are taken from dead on or below, maybe from slightly above would be good. Just a different angle than normal really.
BECCA: Stuff that's different is good, different always looks attractive.
RUBY: If you're going to do that, one person is probably best for the cover.
RACHEL: But! I didn't mean big for the double page. Maybe a small one with lots of blank space would look good on a double page.
BECCA: Yeah that's a point!
ME: And what do you think of the text in these double page spreads? (Showing three I researched)
RUBY: I like the way it's never written on the image. It's like it's on a piece of paper stuck over the top or next to.
BECCA: Oh! Notepad paper might look good.
SOPHIE: Or some other kind of paper... brown paper?
ME: And you see these contents pages? (showing 3 I researched) Do you think the white background is good?
RUBY: It depends on the colours on the cover.
RACHEL: Yeah you should continue the colours in the cover and contents. Keep it steady and similar: continuity.
SOPHIE: I think a good font is important, you need one that people can read and one that looks interesting and unique at the same time.
RUBY: And it should fit in with the magazine title font.
RACHEL: And the colour of the title and font should fit in too.
BECCA: I like the different sections in them all, you should come up with some personalised one with your magazine name like that one. ("Clash")

From holding a focus group, I have found many things that I can include in my magazine. The advantage of a focus group is getting different perspectives on something that you might not think of, and I really liked the suggestion of taking images from different and unusual angles. I also liked the advice about having a single artist on the cover, and about the text in the double-page spread being on a different background on top of the image. I also appreciated the suggestions for the contents page and I like the idea of making personalised sections. I can use these suggestions and ideas in my magazine to make sure that it meets the needs of my audience.

Textual Analysis

The target audience of the magazine is young, which is indicated by the colour palette of yellows and blues. These vibrant colours hold connotations of youth and happiness and make the cover look very vibrant and new. This, coupled with the actions of the subjects in the picture (jumping and standing in what could be perceived as childish poses), also adds to the mise-en-scene of youth culture and new music. The framing of the image takes up the whole area of the magazine, whilst sometimes being hidden by text. The vastness could suggest the importance of this band that is the main feature. It is just visible that the image has been taken in-front of a white door, maybe suggesting the “ordinary” aspects of the band portraying themselves as ordinary young people, making music about this.
The magazine logo and title "NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS" suggests the magazine's genre and the way it is abbreviated to "NME" makes it seem quite cool and informal. The logo is in red, black, and white. These colours are subtly echoed in the rest of the cover and suggest boldness, passion and purity, all of which can be related to it's mainstream musical genre.
Just beneath the centre of the page is the title “The Wombats” in large, with “The” being placed on a slant overlapping the other half of the title. This suggests a “quirkiness” that again adds to the feeling of fun and youth that the magazine emits. “Why Britain’s gone silly for the lords of the indie dancefloor” is placed underneath the band title, in a smaller font. The use of “why” creates the impression that the reader will be finding out new information that everyone is curious to know.
Round the edge of the image, there are secondary articles and sell-lines, two of which have their own secondary image, encouraging the reader to open the magazine to read other articles. The sell lines are written in white capital letters in blue backgrounds. Often this is done with “slanty” lines which, coupled with the capital letters, give the magazine a “rough and ready” mise-en-scene. The sell lines, such as “MUSE – “I was sick before going onstage at Wembly”, are clearly aimed at music fans and want to personally know about bands and their members. Also, the way the sell line goes from capital letters to lower case reflects the personal element of the statement, after the initial boldness of the capital letters.
Across the top of the cover is a list of bands reported to play at "GLASTO". This is written in black capital letters on a yellow background. The use of black and yellow together connotes urgency and warning. The large contrast in the colours make the words stand out and the use of "GLASTO", and abbreviation of Glastonbury sets an informal tone, creating a "friendly" relationship between the magazine and reader.
There is also a list of bands along the bottom of the cover, this time less vibrant but equally bold. With black, white and the same blue used on the sell lines. "NEW MUSIC" is at the left hand side of this, being the first words the reader will see, and they also make the reader want to buy the magazine because it can make them think they are getting some "new" information that is exclusive.
Above the bar code in the bottom right-hand corner of the cover it says "569 UK GIGS LISTED", again, persuading the reader to open the magazine, as it's aimed at keen music fans who will want to go to gigs. "569" is a large number, making the reader feel as though they are getting their "money's worth".
From looking at the cover of this edition of "NME", I have seen many elements that I would like to include when making my own magazine. I like the way the colour scheme fits in and reflects the nature of the artist on the cover, and the way that it has a sort of "rough and ready" image with the way it lays out the text. I also like the way the central image is structured and made up to make a fun and youthful image. The cover as a whole is attractive to look at and encourages the reader to buy the magazine, which I hope I can also do with my magazine.

The cover of "Clash" magazine is based around the central image of Noel and Liam Gallagher, who are both wearing black against a black background. The shot is taken from below, which makes them look as though they are in a position of power, being imposing/threatening. Similarly, their facial expressions look as though they are assuming a position of power. The shot has been taken using lots of lighting, which creates lots of shadow on and around their faces, moulding into the black background whilst also making them seem mysterious. Set against the black background, they stand out, looking important.
The text is made up of a colour scheme of pale yellows/creams/golds and white. These colours connote a calm or subdued feeling and the gold could connote royalty. All of this, coupled with the font of the main headline "OASIS", create a classic feel around these two classic musicians. Underneath the headline, the buzzword "ULTIMATE" is repeated, making the reader interested and wanting to read the magazine.The text on the cover is quite thin and tall, making it look quite modern and simple.
There is some text in a handwritten font advertising a free CD, which is used as an incentive to make people buy the magazine. There is also "handwritten" text above the main article title saying "exclusive". This buzzword makes the reader feel as though they will be gaining some information that is special. The handwritten font adds a more human and modern touch to the cover.
There is only one secondary image which is placed inside a white frame in the top right-hand corner, above a quote from the subject of the picture. It's placed on a slant, which could suggest the magazine has a certain edge over other music magazines.
At the top of the cover, towards the left hand side is the masthead, written in a modern font, where the "a" is reflected as the "s", almost like the word has clashed in the middle, which could mirror the magazine's name. "Clash" is quite a cool name for a music magazine as it could be reminiscent of the band, or be describing it's genres (music and fashion) coming together. Above the masthead is the strap-line "DEDICATED TO MUSIC AND FASHION", which could convince the reader that it is a worthwhile product.
In the bottom left hand corner of the cover there is a list of artists underneath the word "PLUS", which makes the reader feel as though will be getting an extra amount of information/articles. Artists are listed such as "Bob Dylan", "Psapp", "Arctic Monkeys" and "Fatboy Slim", demonstrating quite a diverse array of articles, meaning that they could appeal to a wider audiences that magazines dedicated to one genre.
Along the bottom of the cover is a list of other things included in the magazine, such as "BEST NEW ALBUM", "COMPETITIONS" and "NEW DVD AND FILM RELEASE". These also encourage readers to buy the magazine.
In my magazine I would like to include a masthead/magazine name as good as "Clash" magazine's. I really like the use of lighting/shadow in the image and I really like the handwritten effect over the top of the computer fonts. I would like to take influence from these things and create my own versions of them in my own magazine. I also like that the article titles and other text does not draw attention away from the dramatic image, which is a feature I would like my magazine to possess.

This is the cover of "ArtRocker" magazine. The centre image is of The Horrors, who consider themselves to be an edgy and alternative band. The image is in greyscale and is of the band member's heads. The use of greyscale could represent the "retro" roots and influences that the band claim to have. The image has some stripey graphics over the top, apart from on the band member's faces. This is different to other music magazine covers as usually there's just a photo without too much obvious alteration or graphics. The colours of the graphics match the colour of the masthead and the whole cover has a main palette of pinks, black, grey and white with other colours in the lines. The way in which the cover is different or alternative suggests the target audience of 16-25 year old "arty" or alternative music fans who consider themselves to be a bit "edgy".
The masthead is in bright pink, which stands out against the greyscale of the background, is above the website address of the magazine. This web address is usually placed near the bar code, and the fact it is placed below the masthead shows it holds importance, as it's target audience is generally young, internet interaction will be a good selling point for the magazine. Also, above the masthead is a sell line "FREE MP3S INSIDE", which is an incentive to get people to buy it. Aside from these, the font is quite traditional and fancy, not a font usually used for magazine covers, again suggesting it's alternative.
The main article is "The Horrors - Leaving behind the hair and living up to the hype". The sell-line underneath makes the article seem appealing and interesting for readers. The text is black, which connotes simplicity and is bold. In the top right-hand corner there is a list of bands included in the magazine. This includes artists such as "Slow Club" and "Lethal Bizzle", who are varied in styles, but still fitting in with the magazine's image of being alternative.
Along the top of the cover in white are different genres of music that the magazine includes, such as "Rock n Roll", "electro" and "indie", showing a varied range of artists/tastes that indicates the kind of music fans who are interested in the magazine and indicates to the reader whether they will like the magazine. This text is in white, which connotes simplicity again and contrasts the black text beneath. This is echoed at the bottom of the cover as more alternative artists such as "Bombay Bicycle Club" and "Nightmare Air" are listed in white text. These sell-lines would attract a reader who likes these artists to read/buy the magazine.
The whole cover does not contain much text or information about other articles, only titles of artists. This leaves the main focus of attention as the image of "The Horrors", who are the main focus in the magazine. This also indicates that the magazine could be as much about the layout and images as the actual musical content.
The thing I like best about the cover of "ArtRocker" magazine is the use of graphics and central image, which I would like to take influence from and use in my magazine. I also like the way it looks a lot different from normal mainstream music magazines and if I saw it on a shelf, I would pick it up just because it looks more interesting and attractive. I also like the simplicity, or the look of simplicity. It may have taken a lot of effort to create it, but it looks like it was simple and effortless to create, giving it a kind of rough and careless image as well as being very careful in the graphics. I would like it if my magazine could have these characteristics.

This is a contents page from “NME”. The logo is featured in the top corner and the colours it contains: red, black and white are used as the main palette for the rest of the page. Red could connote the passion for music that the magazine and it's readers demonstrate and white/black could represent simplicity or boldness. On top of a white background is a “band index” in a red box. This is a good idea as it allows readers to go straight to articles with bands they are interested in. On the opposite side of the page are different sections with articles listed underneath, which enable the reader to do the same thing. These sections are under headings such as “NEWS”, “REVIEWS” and “FEATURES”, which are common things to be in a music magazine, but the easy-to-understand layout makes the page seem more appealing and attractive. Each of the headings has a small description of the articles underneath which is useful.
There is also “THIS WEEK” written in large text at the top of the page, which is striking and bold. Not only does it indicate to the reader that the magazine is published weekly, but also the use of black text makes it seem to be even bolder, and the date is placed underneath.There is an advertisement for a subscription at the bottom of the page, and being the first page of the magazine, it is a good place to be placed. Above this is 2 images of the Gallagher brothers with the caption “The moment that…” This is a personal touch and lets readers feel like, despite the fact they may not have been able to witness the musical moment, they can still see it with the help of the magazine. Also, the use of a large, mainstream, Brit pop/rock band infers the musical tastes of the readers.
At the bottom of the page in a red text box, is the text "THE UK'S No1 GIG GUIDE STARTS p58". The use of "No1" makes the reader feel like they will be getting exclusive information. The large amount of text on the page could make the reader believe they are getting a lot of information, whereas if it was sparse they could feel the opposite.
I like the sections in their contents page that "NME" uses, and I especially like the "BAND INDEX", because not only is it useful, but it's very different to what other magazines use in their contents pages and this makes it stand out. I also like the consistency in the fonts and the use of capital letters throughout makes everything seem bold and exciting. Although there are only two images in the contents page, they are good images that look good and show a famous and well-known band, which would be enough to make readers interested. I would like to include good headings and images in my contents page.

This is a contents page from "Clash" magazine. It's very simple and modern, with a classic layout and has a main colour palette of gold, white and black, which all together connote sophistication, class and simplicity. This could suggest the young and modern audience that the magazine has. Also, all these colours are the same as the colours that were included in the cover, showing continuity.It contrasts to the contents page in "NME" because in "NME" every space is filled with text, but in this space is used effectively and looks just as good as "NME".
The page is divided in two. On the right it is dark with two fairly large images placed on a black background. The images are of Oasis and Kaiserchiefs, two large artists who will gather a wide range of readers. The pictures also cohere with the colour scheme as they contain a lot of black and white and the subjects in them look cool and in control as well as in demand. Underneath each image is the page number which the article coheres with and the band names in gold. This part of the text is quite large, which makes it stand out even more and below is some smaller text in white briefly describing the content of the articles.
The left-hand side of the page is white with "Contents" written at the very top is a plain and modern font. Underneath there are three sections: "CLASHFEATURES", "CLASHREGULARS" and "CLASHFASHION". "CLASH" is written in light grey and "FEATURES"/"REGULARS"/"FASHION" is written in black. This makes the headings look more interesting than if they were all simply in one colour and it also promotes the magazine title throughout.
Underneath these headings are two columns of articles listed; page numbers in gold, article titles in large black text with a short description underneath in smaller text. The colours consistently tie in with the palette and could suggest the magazine is consistent in content.
The contents page as whole seems to be quite simple and subtle, which could be why it looks so aesthetically pleasing. I would like to be able to recreate this in my magazine. I also really like the colour scheme that the magazine has and the way the colours fit together nicely. I like the image to text ratio and I think it's well balanced, which makes it successful, and would also be good to replicate in my own magazine.

This is a contents page from "ArtRocker" magazine. Down the left-hand side is a white column, which features the "A" from the magazine logo at the top in black. Below this is a list of contributors,(such as photographers, who have a photo they've taken beneath), to the edition of the magazine, with some names/titles in bold and some in normal font. This gives the magazine a more personal touch and portrays a caring image to the reader where the magazine is grateful for contributions.
The rest of the page is black with the outline of the word "Contents" in white, placed on a slant at the top of the page, giving it a title or meaning. On this black background is a vertical list of page numbers in white, with coherent article titles in red on the right of the numbers. Underneath these is a brief description of the article in white in a smaller font. The main colour scheme for the contents page is white, black and red. Red could suggest passion for music, as it could've for "NME". And the black and white makes the text easy to read, whilst holding connotations of simplicity and boldness. The font that is used seems to be quite classic and thin, unlike the modern and bold text of "Clash" and "NME".
Where the text ends on the contents page, there are images (five in total) which chere with the articles featured. They are quite "arty" images that are well-laid-out and all different from eachother. Because they are all in different styles, it initially looks quite mis-matched, but they all go quite well together and could suggest the mixture in styles/genres of music that the magazine reports on/features.
I like this contents page and I think the initial idea behind it is quite pleasing. I also like the use of multiple images, but I'm not sure it works as well as the small number of images in the other contents pages that I have looked at. I like the idea of contributers down the left hand side of the page and in my own magazine I would like to replicate the way the magazine logo has been cut down from the cover in my magazine (being just an "A" rather than the full title "ArtRocker").

This is a double page spread from "NME", containing an article about The Chapman Family. One whole page is taken up with an image, which places the band in an average looking house, sat or stood near a table, which could be a play on the bands name containing the word "family". The band who see themselves as "alternative indie", and not "lazy indie" as they dub some bands, claim to have a destructive characteristic, which the article explains. Which could be why there are some blindfolded people with slogans written on t-shirts, as the band claim not to be blindly following commercialism or mainstream indie music and say they are different.
This image is quite dark, with a lamp placed in the corner behind the band. This could suggest that the band have new and innivotive ideas, which contrasts to people blindly following commecialism who are placed more in the dark. It contains the main colours of black and the blue and white of the tshirts. These colours fit in with the colour scheme of pink, purple, white, blue and black. All of these are bold and pink, purple, white and blue are bright and vibrant. They also go together nicely, and don't really contrast, making the double page spread look attractive.
Aside from this image, the left page also contains the title "The Chapman Family" in white, bold print, constructed in the magazine's trademark font. It takes up a large proportion of the image, but does not block out or overlap any of the bandmembers. The fact that it is off-centre and so large, in a colour that coheres with the colour scheme, makes the title aesthetically pleasing. To the right of this title is a caption for the image held in a white text box.
The right hand of the page has a white background with three columns of text on it, which is the article. The article is broken up by a quote from a band member that has been picked out of the text. The quote, "I've been shot for the way I look before", makes the band seem edgy and appealing just because they're different. Readers of "NME" like mainstream indie, but like to consider themselves to be different and edgy, so this would appeal to them. The quote is bold, black and large, with the name of the person who said it in a smaller, pink font beneath. This suggests that it's actions that get artists noticed with "NME" rather than who you are, so as this band claims to be different, they will be more likely to be published in a double page spread rather than other, less outspoken or different artists. At the top of the article, there is a small summary of the band which "hypes" them up, to make them more appealing to readers. An indenting "F" is used, in a bigger and purple font to begin the article, which creates awareness as to where the article begins.
In the bottom right hand corner of the right page is four squares joined together, which are block colours; black, purple, blue and pink. This is the colour palette of the double page spread, and by the reitteration that these blocks do, the colour scheme is linked together.
I think this double page spread is very attractive and I like the large image. I think there is the right amount of text for the page aswell, and I especially like the sizing of the title of the band. I would like it if my magazine could have some of these elements in it's double-page spread.

This is a double page spread taken from "Clash" magazine, featuring Kaiser Chiefs as it's subject. The background of this double page spread is a large image of the band walking down an street, which spans both pages. They appear to be in a city, indicating that readers of the magazine mainly live in the city. All band members look suave and well-dressed, suggesting an image-concious audience, or an audience that like to look good and are interested in appearences. Most of the band members are smiling or laughing, representing a fun ethic in the band, making it a very attractive image. The colours used in the image are black, yellows and white. These colours were used in the cover and contents page of the create the feeling of continuity, whilst holding connotations of class, simplicity and sophistication. The use of yellow, makes the image seem quite positive as it connotes happiness.
Running horizontally accross the centre of the two pages is the white outline of the band name. Made up of capital letters, the font is the font that the band uses on the front of it's products. The way it isn't filled in with white and is just an outline allows the reader to still see the image behind, which looks very effective. This title is just below the heads of the band, so these can be seen clearly.
Below the title is an introductory paragraph on the right and to the left of this is the article, which is made up of five columns of a Q&A interview. These are written in a black font which coheres nicely with the magazine title. The first letter of the article is bigger than the rest, creating a distinct indentation similar to the one used in "NME". Breaking up the text in the article is a quote from one of the members of the band that has been taken from the bulk of the article. This quote is probably the most humorous or extreme thing that the band said in the interview, and as one of the first things a reader will look at before reading the whole article, will attract the reader to begin reading. The article is written on a white background, but the background image can still be seen around the edge at the bottom. The way it is placed on a white background makes it seem as though it has been cut out and stuck ontop of the image, giving the article a bit of an "arty" edge.
The thing I like most about this double page spread is the layout. I think it's really different to any other magazine and it looks really, really appealing. The background image is so good and strong that the layout probably couldn't go wrong, and it seems to be the key to this double page spread. I do still like the layout of the text and the largeness of the title, and I think all of these things work together very effectively.
This is a double page spread by "ArtRocker" magazine. There is a patterned background which has text and images over the top. The initial impression from this double page spread is that it's very busy and holds quite a lot of substance. There's alot of text, much more than the other magazines I've looked at. There are four reviews spanning three columns. These are in a black font on a white background and looks as though it has been typed. This is reminiscent of older music magazines in the 1970's such as Sounds, where everything was "rough and ready" and seemed to match the punk "D.I.Y" ethic much more. This style would attract readers who are interested in retro/vintage styles. The other seven columns are about one main gig and are placed on a black background in a white font. The difference/contrast in colours seperate the two different subjects and indicate this seperation to the reader. It also makes it more pleasing to look at than if it were just in one solid colour.
Band names are in bold, which can indicate to the reader whether or not they will be interested in the article. If readers do like the band names they will be more likely to buy the magazine. There are four images placed together to make a square towards the top, right-hand corner of the page. The images are of bands performing live at the "Fandango Club" (hence the title "Do The Fandango" being written over the top of them).They are action shots that overlap eachother and some are placed on slants, which adds to the rough style. Each of the artists in the images are lit up by different coloured lights as they are performing, and these colours are blue/purple, red and yellow. These are active and fun colours, which when mixed with the vibrantly coloured title, contrast greatly against the black and white text and background. This could suggest the vibrancy of the gigs or the music being performed.
The title is written in a vibrant pink and in a font that looks to be handwritten. This also contributes to the "D.I.Y"/"rough and ready" image of the magazine.This is also done by the slanty placing of the words.
I really like the way this double page spread has adapted a rough and raw style that is really effective, it would be good if I could capture this with my magazine. The images are really attractive and I would like my images to be as attractive. I also really like the use of and lack of colour in certain areas and I think this is effective. I would be happy if my magazine could adapt some of these characteristics.

Chosen Brief

Print
Preliminary exercise: using DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate your grasp of DTP.
Main task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine (if done as a group task, each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house style).
All images and text used must be original, produced by the candidate(s).
Minimum of four images per candidate.