My Evaluation

Link to My Evaluation of my music magazine using Xtranormal:

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14465938/my-evaluation

Preview of my evaluation:

Timeline of my Magazine (sliderocket)

Link to Sliderocket Presentation:

http://portal.sliderocket.com/DINDY/118FA191-C14A-48C1-87E1-267D53D184D8


Preview of Sliderocket Presentation:

My Magazine

The Front Cover Photographs

These are the images I will use in my front cover, contents page and double page spread of my magazine. I have taken these images to show the band that will be represented in the featuring story of my media product.

These images are showing four members in a band, each of different ages. The layout is clear, they are standing in a line against a white wall, this is so they are the main focus of the image.

To develop my photographs I have used Photoshop to change the exposure and colours, making them appear more professional.

have also taken the four images of the band members (close up image of their faces) and have edited them by also using photoshop. These images are for the bands new album, which is the main focus of my double page story. The colours for the album cover 'Uncertain' (the name of the album) is a black/white colour edit and bright blue. I have chosen these colours as they create a strong juxtaposition/contrast.

Another reason why I chose to have black and white photographs is because it    gives the photographs a clear and professional outcome and also shows each band member as equals. The bright blue is to contrast with the photographs and stand out to the target audience of males, blue is also a stereotypical colour for men, which is my main audience for my magazine. The blue also represents something cool and fresh, which is the positive representation I am trying to portray.

The images I plan to uses for my front cover and contents page are of the band posing against a plain background. The lighting is used to show the bands body/faces and is located above the subjects heads. They are each positioned in a line, some in front of others, which can symbolize status and togetherness

I have taken the photographs and have used photoshop to edit each one, To make the image to look better quality, i have changed the exposure and colours of the image.  I have then changed the colour of the image to black and white to use in my magazine, this is so the masthead (yellow colour) etc standout against the image.

Planning Magazine Photoshoot

My magazine photo shoot

To create realistic magazine, I have look at other institutions front cover images, usually of famous celebrities. In music magazines the front cover often consists of a main background photograph of the band/artists in which the magazine will feature.

When taking my photographs I carefully considered the positioning and location in which they were being taken to make it look and professional. My band for my magazine are four males ranging from 20-23 as they are young and can represent the younger generation which are also their target audience.

Setting:

I have taken my photographs against a plain white wall. This is so the band members (Rob, Lewis, Michael and Nicky) standout. The costumes are representative of their personality, By having them dress quite smart however also casual helps to  represent them as down to earth unlike other artists with a more diverse look.

Another reason why I chose to place my models against a plain wall is because I didn't want a crowed image, because having a busy background may distract from the purpose, which is to portray the band members that will feature in my main story.
By positioning the band members/artists next to one another, with some slightly further forward than others gives character and diversity to the magazines background image.

To make sure I planned my magazine photo shoot well, I researched how magazines plan a photo shoot and what aspects to include. I discovered you need to consider who will be your model/models, location (where it is being held) camera angles, lighting, mise en scene.

Representation of men and women

Representation of men and women is portrayed in the media due to stereotypes. Men are typically represented as masculine, this is due to the rise in the media, for men striving to the the ultimate male. Celebrities are under pressure to please their target audience through appearance and talent.

Another representation of men is that the are often shown as attractive. An example if this is footballers as they have a large fan base and men in the media are often compared to them as they are described as better looking. It is common in adverting that only muscly men are seen in magazines, however this is seen as controversial as they are often edited giving a false portrayal of the the male target population. Finally the typically male is stereotyped as strong, muscly and 'babe magnets' due to the generalisation of what women look for in a male.

The representation of women in the media is that they are stereotypically thin and attractive, this is through the rising number of 'good looking' celebrities that feel they have to meet the representing of females, meaning their audience and fans aspire to look like them. In the media women are often seen as sex symbols with their appearance. Make up affects the representation of women. Ie. red lipstick represents lust, romance and danger which it is seen makes desire. Hair colour and style also reflect the representation of women as blonde females are stereotypically seen as dumb, stupid and fun. Hair length also affects this as women with short boyish hair is described as a 'tom boy'

Finally the over all image of a female is described as well groomed and attractive. However nowadays magazines are beginning to show other women not as a size zero to show the true representation of 'real' women.

Examples of a male and female representation:

Costumes Research

Costumes Research

When looking into different forms of music magazines I have discovered that bands and artists have their own individual look/costumes.

A clear representation of bold costume is Lady Gaga, and her diverse range of fashion statements, an example of this is the 'meat dress' which gathered lots of attention, both positively and negatively from the media. Common bands such as Paramore, are shown in Kerrang magazine to have simple and down to earth costumes, the three band members are wearing dark coloured shirts and tops of a casual attire that emphasises comfort and personal expression over presentation and uniformity.

Each individual artists have their own appearance to either stand out against others or just to give a true representation of their personalities. Music magazines represent this through main images of well known celebrities, this is usually found on the front cover as the background image, and can also be found in the magazine, often on the pages next to the featured stories.

Costume is important when making a magazine as it give the target audience a feel of what the magazine institution is based around and can also identify the genre of the music magazine. For example the readers would expect to see a brightly coloured magazine for musical artist in the charts as it is aimed at the younger generation, which are known for being interested  in eye catching features.

The costume relates to what the audience expect to see, as it portrays the celebrity. Nowadays artists that release music in the charts are stereotypically described as attractive in the media with desirable looks. Certain audiences look for escapism and aspire to be like the celebrity. Costume is the key aspect of this, because the dress code of celebrities represents who they are and would change if the appearance was altered. (i.e.. Rihanna commonly wears slightly revealing clothes, however, if she changed her look to wearing plan and oversized clothing, like joggers, the representation of her would be different in the media.)

Example of Costume change, and how it has been represented in the media

Amy Winehouse (before and after)

Even though Amy Winehouse appearance changed due to the affects of drugs, her dramatic costume change was portrayed in the media. It went from a positive representation when she was portrayed as young, attractive with a bright future however changed to a strong juxtaposition, where she began to be portrayed as an addict which has always had a negative aspect in the media (in the newspapers and television reports)

This image shows the clear contrast between costumes and how it can effect the interpretation of a person.




These artists represent the Indie/Rock genre. They all have similar costumes, smart casual which give a representative of the genre suggesting they are not necessarily interested in having a bold, and noticeable appearance but are more focused on the music that is being produced. Rock and Indie genre bands are commonly all male, stereotypically shown as masculine i.e.. in comparison to boy bands, that are usually portrayed as sweet (or just as young boys not men)

History of NME (Prezi)

http://prezi.com/vklq5gjukvqq/present/?auth_key=n3zc1ev&follow=jmzpca4hqycj&kw=present-vklq5gjukvqq&rc=ref-1977592

 

 

Print Screen of my Prezi Presentation on the History of NME music Magazine

 

 

My magazine (not finished or in order)

First draft of double page spread article

What is my main story?

My story for my double page spread is about 'State of Mind' which are a band I have created to feature in my magazine. This story features there journey into stardom, their successes, tour dates and a release of a new album 'Uncertain'. I chose to make a story about an album release and other events as it is something in which the audience can be involved in, and have ways of finding out other details of the article/band using different types of media.

My Story

State of Mind are the newest young band around with  the members (4 band members names and something about them ie. age and part in the band) After a year of perfecting their newest album they are ready to reveal all. Are you ready for them? ‘Uncertain’ is the bands latest album, covering their entire song list and brand new singles. The young band became famous by working on various collaborations with large artists such as Ben Howard and Mumford and . Our sources say ‘they have worked so hard to get where are today’ Annie from London says ‘Everyone of them has been talented from the start, its amazing that they found each other, and have become close friends’

An interview with the band discovered the band named the album ‘Uncertain’ due to the fact, they don’t know what will happen next in their careers. The young band are hoping to be well-known artists in the future, and will on tour beginning of July 2013, preforming with acts such as Lawson, Ben Howard and many more artists. This is State of Minds first official album full of their songs either old or new. The band have been signed by one of the top music institutions, Waner Music working with them to release their album, available now.

What I've done and why?

• I have chosen to uses rhetorical questions to address and make audience feel engaged with the magazine.
• By using a bolder font I have managed to make certain parts of the text stand out. which shows the main features in the article.
• I have used quotes from different sources to show how magazine uses interviews in their articles to keep the audiences attention. 

Front Cover Analysis/Research

Audience Research

I have researched into different magazines and locations in which they are distributed to find my target audience. I also have researched into the different demographics and psychographics.

The demographics for my magazine are young adults from the age of 20+ with a fixed income, this is so it is possible for my target audience to purchase my music magazine on a weekly/monthly basis without using other forms of media such as the Internet, which is increasingly popular with the representative younger generation.

I have researched the psychographics of my audience and have found that the most common audience that are interested in rock/indie genres are young uprising artists, that may study or have a hobby of music. I have also discovered that the celebrities in the magazine influence whether the audience purchase the magazine. Ie. a fan of the 'Arctic Monkeys' is more likely to invest in a magazine that focuses on that band, compared to artists they have not heard of or does not represent the main genre

Rough Plan (front cover)

This is my main rough layout for my music magazine. I have decided to place information on the front as it lets my target audience know what the magazine will feature. I have also chosen to have a full background image of my artists/celebrity; by showing a well known artist will also anchor my audience meaning they will be interested in the magazine and main stories.

Magazine Flat plan

I have created a flat plan of my magazine as it is common in music industries. This is to show what will be included in my own music magazine in a clear and structured format.

Music Survey

I have constructed my own survey, using survey monkey. This has helped me to discover who my target audience will be and what they look for in a music magazine. I have sent this survey to a range of different locations to get a good generalization .  write more?

Music Genres 'Volume' Magazine

Identifying the Codes and Conventions

Identifying the Codes and Conventions of a Magazine

   
     Front Cover/Contents/Double page spread
     
     To identify the codes and conventions of a music magazine, I have researched into different formats, layouts and whatappeals to the target audience etc and I’ve done this by gathering information and looking at other magazines front covers, contents page and double page spreads; this is also so I can get a successful outcome when it comes to creating my own music magazine.

  

     Overall I discovered that magazines use different forms of serif and sans serif fonts whether for articles or the masthead. I have also revealed the magazines use fairly formal language, which could be so it appeals to a greater audience as the younger generation often use slang or shortened words, unlike the older generation that are used to a more formal way of writing, therefore, when reading a magazine you could come across formal worded articles however more informal headings to make the article stand out so it appeals to, depending what type of magazine it is. Magazines also use persuasive language so it will anchor their target audience, they achieve this by including exclusive offers, competitions and interviews.

     There are lots of codes and conventions in which a magazine consists of. Firstly, the masthead, this is important in a magazine as it identifies what institution they may be purchasing from, i.e NME, Kerrang, Vibe, etc. Other important factors in a magazine I can identify would be the date, pictures, captions, logos, adverts and lead stories. These are the main codes and conventions in a magazine because they cover what their target audience would expect from a (Front cover/Contents Page/Double Page Spread) music magazine.

  

     To get the magazine to appeal to their audience, they usually include bright colours which appear bold and eye catching and persuasive language to make the audience feel more involved with the stories and events. Which may influence a target audience into purchasing my magazine. 

  

     The layout is key when producing a magazine as you want it to be clear and understandable. Many magazines have a busy front page with lots of images and bold headlines/information so it will stand out from all the other magazines. However, commonly the contents page and double page spreads are neat with columns so it is easily read and easy to follow.

Institution Analysis

Institution Analysis

Research THREE different institutions that are Music related and write a profile of each one. 

Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group is a major American music industry in New york founded in 1953 (as Warner Bros.) WMG is one of the three largest companies in the global music industry and

the company operates some of the most successful recording labels in the world, including Warner Bros. Records and Atlantic Records.

Music artists whose work has been produced by the Warner Music Group include hundreds of successful bands and solo artists of different genres from Soul to Pop such as Aerosmith, Sammy Davis Jr,  Bruno Mars, Fleetwood Mac etc. 

Universal Music Group (UMG)  

Universal Music Group (UMG) is an American major global music company a subsidiary of French-based media conglomerate Vivendi. It was founded in 1934 and UMG originated as Decca Records USA. Universal Music Group’s main headquarters is in Santa Monica, California, US. They support a large amount of successful artists such as, ABBA, The Beatles (for some time), The black eyed peas, Rasorlight, etc.

Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is part of one of the largest music and entertainment companies in the world, founded in 1929 with headquarters in the United States. It has a large selection of local and international artists. Sony Music Entertainment is the second largest global recorded music company. SME support current artists including Leona Lewis, Will Young, Justin Timberlake, and Usher etc.  

Magazine (questions)

What institution owns your magazine?

The institution that represents my magazine would be Warner Music Group. This is because they are one of the biggest

music institutions representing artists like aerosmith, oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more artists with successful

careers which would help with the image of my music magazine. I also think this would be a good institution to own my

magazine as they are part of other chains and are familiar with the music industry.

Let’s discuss the flat plan – what have you learnt about the magazine?
I have learnt that all magazines need to appeal to their target audience. A away in which they can achieve this is by having interesting stories, bold headlines, the target audiences ideal genre and main bands/artists. By having interesting stories about famous artists, anchors the audience into purchasing and reading  their magazine. Another thing I have learnt about magazines is that there is a lot of competition for the best magazine, therefore it needs to stand out over all the other music magazines. Most magazines articles are set in columns, which are neat and easily read, however in comparison, front covers will often be full of headlines, promotions, large images (background picture) and things that will entice the magazines target audience.  I have also learnt that magazines will often accept offers from institutions looking for advertising space. However, the magazine try to link the adverts within the magazine, i.e. a rock band magazine will often have adverts that represent the genre, instead of having adverts that should appear in a pop magazine.

Discuss the mise en scene – what impact does this have on the audience?

Setting/costume/lighting/props/actors 

The mise en scene has a large impact on the audience as it sets the scene of an image. The key features include the

setting, costume, lighting, props and characters.  The setting is important for photographs in a music magazine, and is

dependent on the genre of  music. For example a Rock Band would create a juxtaposition if set in a pink, feminine room.

It would have an impact on the audience as they would probably expect to find young girl band/artist in a pink feminine

room because it is stereotypical. Lighting will also impact the audience, but also relies on the setting and genre because

having a dark light would suggest something sinister and dangerous, however, a bright light could suggest a more

relaxed and joyful setting. Costume, props and the actors/models will impact the audience because they are the details

that set the scene in an image, and also they are what the audience expect to see.

Who is the target audience? How do you know this?

My target audience for my magazine is aimed at young adults and above. This is because they are more, likely to have a 

fixed income and will be able to purchase my magazine. it is also aimed at this age as the younger generation are using

other sources of media, for example the internet and television, making magazines less popular, however a target

audience of 20+ maybe more interested in buying my magazine. I would also research into the demographics and
psychographics of a magazine including statistical characteristics of human populations, such as age and income to find
the ideal target audience and using surveys to discover the target audience interests and hobbies.

What is the tone of the writing?

The tone of the writing will be quite simple, so my readers do not lose interest. Also by having an easy read magazine

keeps it basic, however the stories will be interesting and engaging the audience. Rhetorical questions would be used
in my magazine, to make the audience feel involved.

What do they offer their readership?

Some magazines offer their readers chances to win in competitions etc, they also offer

exclusive information from celebrities, which will entice the audience because its not

information. They also offer  

What elements would you like to ‘borrow’ for your own magazine?

Elements that I would what to borrow for my own magazine would be the language that 

is used, i.e the use of slogans and headlines that will anchor their audience. Another element 

that I would borrow for my own magazine would be the layout because top magazines know 

how to make a good magazine that sells. I would also research into the demographics and psychographics of a magazine

Analyzing a contents page

I have analyzed a contents page of a single and double page spread of a music magazine by making annotations about various contents pages from a range of institutions.  By doing this allows us to identify the key concepts needed to create a successful magazine, which are mainly the images, text, font, layout, genre and colours.

These are Contents pages from top music institutions 'Kerrang' and 'Q'. Contents pages are used to identify what the magazine will include and what pages they are located on. I have discovered that the contents pages do not just include information, however they show images to fit with the articles and page references, commonly of the musicians, institutions, events, etc.

The colour is important when making a magazine contents page as most magazines have a continuous colour scheme therefor must be carried out. I have noticed that the majority of successful magazines make some words stand out from the rest, creating a juxtaposition, whether using different fonts or changing the colours.


The layout for these contents pages are neat and in columns, which suggests something quite formal, simple and easily followed, unlike other magazines, such as mainly Teen magazines which include a various amount of colour and different fonts. (example shown below)
The clear difference between these two magazine contents is that 'Q' is aimed at an older audience, however 'Twist' is aimed at a younger audience, typically girls as it has pink as a stereotypical colour.