Teachers Feedback

My teachers feedback was very helpful. The general note was to have a range a different fonts, especially on the front cover as with the rough cut all the fonts are the same. Also to not leave any spaces, try not to be scared to fill the whole front cover and structure it well without making it look messy which is what I was afraid of. They also said to have more of a range of images on the contents page and not to limit myself to only one stereotypical rock magazine contents page like 'Classic Rock' and follow the conventions or 'Kerrang' or 'Q' more. For the double page spread the general feedback was not to have the 3 images on the right hand side as it looks like there are 3 members in the band, and also the legs were over the article therefore you couldn't read it properly, but overall they saw positive in my magazine and with tweaks here and there it could reach it's full potential.

Rough Cut

I finished my rough cut this week. Although it was very stressful I met the deadline and I'm proud of how far my skills have developed from my preliminary task at the start of this project, and hopefully they will continue to grow as I get close to finishing the final product.

Double Page Spread Analysis

The main image is a mid-shot taken at an eye level angle. The mid shot is successful in presenting a clear image of his body language and appearance to the audience when he’s doing the thing he loves the most and is known for, playing at a gig. Having the image at eye level makes the artist look natural and on the same level as the readers/audience. Having the image black and white makes it neutral and appeals to both genders, covering all of the target demographic. The backgrouding of the image is black and gets lighter towards the artist making him stand out, and also the background of the image is blurred out so your focus is all on the artist. The only prop the artist has is a microphone and stand clearly showing that he is at a gig and this isn't a set up photo-shoot. As My Chemical Romance is a band and the main image is of one member, this tells the audience straight away who the lead singer and highest profiled member of the band is. Although there are other anchor images below and to the right of the main image showing the other members of the band, they are much smaller which emphasises the position of the main image and helps frame. Kerrang have kept in with the stereotypical colour scheme of red black and white for a rock magazine throughout the whole double page spread, straight away the audience will know what genre of music to expect and what content from previous rock magazines just by this theme. Also having these colours doesn’t make the magazine gender bias, it keeps in with the target audience of males and females between the ages of 16-28. Having the layout of the double page spread as image dominant will appeal to the younger audience because stereotypically they prefer to see more images and less writing, and the layout is also busy due to the montage of images along the bottom also appealing to the younger audience. The slanty title gives off a cool ‘I don’t care’ attitude that Kerrang is known for, keeping the reputation up throughout the magazine which the audience/readers would expect. There is an adequate amount of text which is further emphasises the target demographic being younger, and next to the text is information about the latest music/news which is what the audience want to head about most, having this key NEW information next to the article text will lead their eyes towards the article after.
From this analysis I have my main image suitable and the body language giving off a message for my audience, I want the main image to be eye level like so for the audience to feel on the same level and make the interview seems more personal. As my target audience are the younger generation (15-28) I also will keep my article to the minimum and have an image dominant double page spread so it’s more appealing. I want my magazine to come across with the same attitude as Kerrang, I will do this by keeping up with the red black and white colour scheme throughout the magazine and having slanty titles, therefore as my audience will recognise these conventions they will understand the message. I will have the main image appropriate to show the audience/readers clearly who the lead singer is of the band, as I’ve seen this is a common convention throughout magazines of the rock genre, therefore my audience will understand. 

As there is only one image on the hole of the double page spread this stands out, the image is a mid-shot and looks very natural, this is effective as it gives off a personal feel straight away. The quote is in very large text which is from a section of the article, as the quote is a question it makes the audience feel obliged to answer, giving also a personal feel as if the artist is talking directly to the audience. It also gives the audience an indication of the artist’s personality before even reading the article to hopefully lure them in straight away. On this double page spread they have used the colour scheme of pink black and white, this may be to capture the female audience more to this article and make the whole double page spread stand out from the rest of the magazine to get the attention of all the readers. The article length is average, attracting to the younger audience as they stereotypically like to seem more and read less, on this double page spread there is an equal balance between image and text. The lights around the framing give off a personal ‘dressing room’ feel to the article, as though it’s a conversation in the artist’s dressing room, not a sit down prepared conversation, therefore the audience can connect on another level. Also the artist in the main image has tattoos on his arms symbolising the unorthodox style of the article quote and the laid back feel of the article, but also having that hint of Kerrang attitude hidden within.
I will take from this analysis having only one image on the double page spread, I want my article to also be personal and for the audience/readers to connect with my artist before even reading the article. I also will take the very larger quote technique, as I thing the readers look at on the double page spread is the image and then second, the quote; It sets the whole of the article and makes the decision for the reader whether the article will be for them or not. Having a hidden attitude appeals to me as although I want the double page spread to have a personal feel, I still want the raw ‘I don’t care’ attitude of Kerrang. 

The main title ‘Wild Child’ will interest people into reading the article by wondering how she is so while and what her lifestyle consists of, also as it’s the biggest writing on the whole double page spread it’s what the readers eyes will go to first. And the magazine is nearly sticking with the red black and white but have changed it up to pink black and white, they have done this to bring across her sensitive girly side and give the reader hope that there might be some of the same content in the article, therefore again making them read one. The main image of the double page spread spreads across onto the other side. Taylor is dressed in black and wearing heavy dark make up showing her personality and representing herself, but also coming across as mysterious; she’s also making eye contact with the reader making them more involved and having a connection with the reader before they read the article, therefore they can get more engrossed. The quote in the bottom left hand corner stands out as it’s the only colour on that page, showing that he quote means something important linking to the article, encouraging the reader to read on. Also the drop capital was used to make the text look more vibrant and appealing, keeping in with the unique pink black and white; Kerrang also put the band name in the colour scheme writing on a black background in order for it to stand out, so the readers will recognise the band and confirm that she belongs and might have some interesting stories in the article. 
From this analysis I will use the convention of putting subtle hints around the double page spread that will convince the readers they have to read on in the article and to keep it interesting. I also like the unconventional take on the red black and white, pink black and white; this is one of the first conventions that I noiced about this double page spread which interested me and sparked a feel to read along, I want to readers to feel like this when they look at my magazine, so an unconventional but no to drastic colour scheme will attract their attention. I think having the artist looking directly at you in the image is very effective and connects you on a personal level with the artist before even reading the article. 

The audience can clearly see that the large image of Lady Gaga has some significant as it takes up half of the whole double page spread. The photo is black and white making it neutral, showing that the magazine is suitable for the target demographic to be male and female, also the image is very sexual which could attract the male eye but the image also has a classy feel which will appeal to the female audience, and all of this could be hinting towards the content of the article and against the stereotype of Lady Gaga. The colour scheme of the double page spread is red black and white, although Q isn’t as rock as Kerrang there are some elements of rock there and it’s very common that Q have the conventional colour scheme of red black and white to give the rock effect. The drop capital is usually at the start of the article but Q have done something very unconventional and made the drop capital the size of the A4 sized page, so emphasise that the article is about Lady Gaga and having it as a reminder for the reader throughout the whole article. There isn’t a title for the article or a quoted pulled out from the article, just Lady Gaga in the right hand corner, again symbolising the importance that this article is about her and the words Lady Gaga are important enough to be the article title/quote and drop capital all in one. Having the ‘L’ taking up the whole page anchors the ‘Q’ magazine style and logo, reminding the readers that they are reading Q throughout the whole double page spread. 

From this analysis I like there only being one image which is a convention that is common and something I will use, I also like how the image is in black and white appealing to both genders and has a mysterious feel which I want in my magazine. The drop capital is very dramatic and doesn’t have a rock feel, but I will be using the convention of a large drop capital for my double page spread. Having the colour scheme in red back and white is also a feature I will use. 

Photoshop Skills

I have been taking photos for my magazine using different contrasts and lighting's to experiment and see how my Photoshop skills can cope with editing these images. Luckily they have came out looking good and presentable to be featured on my magazine which I'm very pleased about. Getting the combination of light/contrast is hard, but with the help of Photoshop; anything can happen.

This is the photo that I originally took, but with new skills I have developed on Photoshop I've been able to edit the photo taking away all the blemishes, brightening the image up and changing the contrast in order to make the image look more professional. This is the before image from my double page spread.

The title for this NME double paged spread is very disjointed and uneven, this is a representation of the artist, Lily Allen as it’s known that she’s been disjointed in the past and this can be an insight to what the article entails. The artist is known for being unconventional, therefore to represent that NME have done an unconventional title. The title takes over half of the double pages spread and goes onto the other page which is also very unconventional for a magazine to do, again giving the readers a knowledge of what the article and artist are about. This double page spread also has the conventional colour scheme of red black and white. The article is only 4 short columns which as the younger generation stereotypically like more images than reading this appeals to them, and also as the quote takes up nearly half of the double page spread that has narrowed the article down. The main image is smaller than the quote from the article, the positioning of the artist is leaning forward looking as if she’s listening gives a personal connection to within the article as if the artist is listening to what you have to say.  Having the wacky text and the artist looking subtle and not outrageous makes it more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to look at. 
I want my quote to represent the artist in my magazine like so, so that the readers get an insight before reading the article as to what the artist is about. However I don’t feel I will have my quote as large as this NME double page spread as it takes up to much of the page and also the main image smaller than normal. My magazine will have a reasonable sized quote and large image on the left hand side, other than smaller image on the right and oversized quote. Although my target audience is of the younger generation the article will be longer than this NME article so cater for my whole target demographic. 

With this Q contents page you can see that it is image dominated but also has a subtle blocky style to keep structure and not look busy. With having the main image all white males in their 203/30s this tells us that for this specific issue the target demographic is white male is 20s/30s.  Also with the band members wearing all black and white tells us what style of music they play could be alternative, this may draw the attention of the readers to see what alternative styles they do. It gives off an indie/rock style so that straight away the audience know what to expect throughout the magazine and the long hair and unusual setting in the image is common for a mainstream band. The image has made clear who the lead singer is as they’ve positioned him at the front and gave him the extra accessories of sunglasses, which connotes coolness and will impress the audience. The magazine has kept the symbol of ‘Q’ noticeable in the corner and the consistency familiarises the readers that they are reading ‘Q’ and keeps repeating the image of the magazine in their heads. The continuous theme of black red and white is the stereotypical colour scheme for an indie/rock magazine, this tells the audience what genre of music to expect throughout the magazine. The heading use continuity of the design and colour scheme as it’s a red background with white writing, and also is the two colours of the magazine logo, reminding the readers that they are reading ‘Q’. The use of vertical columns for page information makes it easy to read for the audience and also helps frame the main image. 
From this analysis for my magazine I will be having an image dominated contents page as it’s very common on rock magazines and I’d like to keep the house style, also having a block effect to keep the structure. I want my main image to give the audience indication of what’s ahead in the magazine and what to expect; I’d also have the positioning of my band this this issue of Q, having the lead singer noticeably ahead of the others to show straight away what the bands all about straight away. As throughout my analyses I’ve noticed the common theme of having a red black and white colour scheme I will also pick up on this convention for my own rock magazine so keep in with the stereotype and house style.  I also think keeping the logo somewhere on the page to remind your readers that they are reading ‘Q’ is another convention I will follow through. 

The actual title of the magazine is on the contents page to keep reminding the audience of the magazine they are reading, also the font saying ‘THIS WEEK’ is like the title font, again reminding you that it’s an NME magazine. They also just within the title sequence stuck to the conventional red black and white which the reader can see straight away before looking into detail. The contents page as a band index which links into the musical genre of the magazine and gives the readers an insight into what acts are featured in the magazine and what to expect throughout the magazine. The contents page is image dominated but framed with a block effect. The main image is of 2 men playing at a gig, the image doesn't look prepared for like a photo shoot, this suggests that there may be behind the scenes/backstage access inside the magazine. Also showing that the artists look their best when they are doing concerts, there may also be concert information inside the magazine. The main cover lines are used to categories different articles and make it easier for the audience to understand quickly the layout of the contents page and where the relevant information for them is placed. At the bottom of the of the page advertising is used to appeal to the readers/audience as they may want to purchase the magazine again knowing there may be a chance to win/get free stuff. Also the colours for the advertising don’t go unnoticed as they are the brightest on the contents page in order to purposely catch the reader’s eye first to lure them in to buying the magazine. 
From this analysis I will use the conventional colour scheme that every rock magazine seems to have, red black and white. I also will have an image dominated contents page and have the blocky text to frame, as it looks very effective and structured. Advertising for free stuff or being able to win something is a convention I will use to persuade readers to purchase my magazine and also have them designed in a bright yellow colour in order for them to stand out and get the buyers attention fast. Hinting on images what the content in the magazine is a good feature to have as it will endure the readers in to find out if there’s any upcoming gigs or the rest of the cover story. 

The first thing you notice about the front cover of this Classic Rock issue is the light pink coloured font, pink is rarely used in a rock magazine and goes against the true conventions of a rock magazine. They have used this pink as the main title is ‘Guns and Roses’ the pink complements the roses and will make it stand out for passers by as its unusual to see pink in a rock magazine. Classic Rock isn't like Kerrang! its more laid back and not as ‘in your face’. You can see this by the title, Classic Rock isn’t in all capitals so it doesn't have that shouting effect, but it is in bold so the words haven’t totally lost their power. The stars either side of the ‘classic’ lighten up the magazine and give a friendlier approach than Kerrang! making it easier to read. The masthead is slightly covered by the main image as the magazine is well known and represented by the stars, therefore you know its a Classic Rock magazine. There is a ‘free CD’ feature that will draw in buyers and as its yellow, one of the only bright conventions on the front it is very noticeable, also the free CD may interest away from the target audience bringing in a wider audience. The use of red writing on various articles featured inside the magazine are in red, which is a technique that simplifies everything for the reader as there eyes are drawn to the bright red first, they find out what's featured in the magazine first. As the magazine is light hearted for a rock magazine on the main image half of it is in a shadow, implying that the magazine has a dark side and isn’t all what its displayed on the cover, drawing in readers to see the dark side. Like the Classic Rock magazine I will be using a main colour, like there’s pink but mine a dark red for the theme of the front cover, and to keep consistent throughout the magazine. Also have my title in a bold bright colour, like theres. I’d like my magazine to be more like Classic Rock than Kerrang!, more laided back and have a more welcoming feel than the aggression in Kerrang!. I will also use the conventions of displaying headers saying ‘Free CD’ etc as I know from target audience research that it is appealing to the readers and will sway them more into buying the magazine. I have also noticed that in every magazine I’ve analysed so far that all the band titles are placed in the centre of the rules of thirds, this is to draw the readers eyes straight to the bands title so they can see whos featured in the magazine and what it’ll be about.

As I said in the other analysis the masthead of ‘Kerrang!’ has a smashed glass effect catering to the rock genre. The artists featured on the front covers name has a rock, slightly smashed glass effect in the font too which is suitable for the band and the target audience for this magazine. The colour of ‘Bring Me The Horizon’ is red, which links to the photograph of them as they’re cover in blood and the red represents the blood and goes well with the colour scheme of this issue of Kerrang!. Also the band are covering the masthead, which suggests that Kerrang! are so well known and superior that they don’t need the magazine name to be seen as it’s so well known. There are promotional offers and free posters featured in the magazines to draw in buyers and it is an often occurrence that rock magazines feature many promotional offers. There are also some small images around the main image of Bring Me The Horizon which gives the reader an insight of what else to expect in the magazine which will draw them in as they’ll see the image first, also the writing in and around these images are red, white and black which are the main colours schemes in a typical rock magazine.My colour scheme for my rock magazine will also be red black and white just like this front cover of Kerrang! as its a stereotypical for a rock magazine to have the 3 main colours featured throughout the magazine red black and white. The convention that is featured on nearly every Kerrang! cover of having the band over part of the masthead is what I’ll be featuring on the front cover of my magazine also. As it’s a popular convention for rock magazines I’ll be featuring promotional bands to draw in the readers and they’ll be familiar with this as it’s common in rock magazines. From what I have noticed by looking at rock magazine front covers and what is featured in this one is that from the photo on the front cover the band is usually covered in blood which represents the rock genre and the lifestyle that comes along with it, this would be a suitable convention

for my front cover.

The colour scheme from the Paramore cover is again consistent with this edition of ‘Kerrang!’ On this cover the band demand even more of a presence on the cover as all 4 of the band members are covering the mast head again implying that the magazine is so prestigious the ‘broken glass’ effect is all you need to recognise the brand. Again the target audience are the same being both male and female teens. The band’s name is bold and in bright writing which will attract the target audience as the norm for rock magazines are dark colours. It will also attract a wider audience as even with people passing by, your eyes are attracted to the ‘ALL TIME LOW’ straight away, other viewers that may not be Kerrang!’ readers will become interested if they are fans of All Time Low. The cover is quite busy compared to the other Kerrang one, for example there are a lot of cover stories in order to attract their target audience and make them feel that by buying this magazine will be worth their while.
From this analysis I will be having my bands heads over the masthead to create the prestigious feel for my magazine. The band’s name will be in a bold bright colour placed in the centre of the magazine and have the background black which is the norm for magazines in this genre. I also want to make sure that I keep my magazine appropriate for males and females, and not sway to one or the other.

Front Cover Analysis 1

Instantly when we look as this cover we can tell what genre of music the magazine will contain. Starting with the magazine title ‘KERRANG!’ The black font used for this almost has a ‘smashed’ effect similar to broken glass. This also implies a sense of ‘anarchy’ and corruption, something that is almost ‘breaking the rules’ to own/read, attracting an audience. Kerrang! normally keeps with a colour scheme of black, yellow, white and red as that is their house style, this is stereotypical of a rock magazine. In addition to this Hayley’s head (from the band Paramore) is slightly covering the mast head implying that the magazine is so established there isn’t any need for the reader to see the entire title. Furthermore the use of ‘!’ after the word Kerrang! Indicates the title is almost shouting when saying it, again highlighting the rebellion of the magazine. The main image is the band Paramore and they are all dressed in black again conforming to the house style and colour scheme of the magazine. Hayley is positioned at the front as she is the lead singer, but as well as this she also has orange hair, another implication of anarchy and rebellion. This further implies that the magazine is out of the ordinary and rare even. Again, a technique to attract the target audience as brightness on a rock magazine isn’t the norm. The target audience would be teenagers both male and female, interested in rock music. As this edition of Kerrang! is a souvenir special for Paramore all the cover stories and images are advertising them. However it is a normal convention of Kerrang! To use block cover stories similar to the ones used on this cover. From analysing this front cover I find some of the features could be beneficial for my rock magazine. I will use the convention of having the band’s heads in front of the mast head to show how established my magazine is, similar to this front cover. I will use the same style of font from the mast head and also use the feature of block capitals, as it will be like the magazine is shouting at you and is a useful convention in rock magazines and conforms to the rock genre. Another feature I will take is the minimal text on the front over, I’ll use the images and bold texts to draw my target audience in. As on the cover of rock magazines they aren’t heavily text based.

Photo Planning

I've created this table to help me plan out the days and features of my magazine. I will be filling this out once I'm in the process and have completed my rough cut photographs. The table is to help keep me organised. I already have plans for the time and date, and I know what i want my models to be posing like as you can see from my very rough sketch from a few days ago. As far as the costume goes I'd like to keep up with the stereotypical rock magazine, for mise en scene (hair and makeup)I'll be using striking red features such as lipstick. For the background I'd like it white, therefore you can see the models clearly and your attention will be drawn to them first. 

Target Audience Research

As my target audience are my main priority I've created a questionnaire for them to help me make decisions about what will be featured on and in my media magazine. There opinion is very valid as there the ones who would be buying my magazine and they know the key conventions that are needed for a successful rock magazine.

This is the questionnaire that I've created:

Target Audience Research

I have done some target audience research on what the band featuring in my magazine and on the front cover should be called. I asked around my target demographic and they've came to a verdict.

These were the options:

1. V Society

2. Rose V

3. Rose Blood

4. Thorne Rose 



These are the tally's:

1. V Society - ///

2. Rose v - /

3. Rose Blood - ///////

4. Thorne Rose - //
As you can see from the results 'Rose Blood' was the most popular with my target demographic, therefore this will be the name of the band headlining my magazine.

These are the results:
/10

1. 7 people said they'd prefer an imaged based front cover and 3 said they'd prefer an text based front cover

Image based – 7
Text based 3

2. 4 people said the would like to see inside life stories on double page spreads, 2 people said photo shoots, 1 said gossip, nobody wanted to see reviews inside and 3 wanted to see new releases.

Inside life stories – 4
Photo shoots-  2
Gossip – 1
Reviews – 0
New releases – 3

3. Most common answer -

They always seem to stand out more and have more information than other magazines. 

4. The top 3 out of all the options are -

Capture it
Impact it
Rough Draft

5. The most people would spend for a magazine was -

Up to 4 was the highest