Initial Draft Double Page Spread

This is the initial draft for the double page spread of my magazine.

I will attempt to follow similar codes and conventions as the double page spread on the ‘Q’ magazine which I analysed.

On one half of my double page spread, I will include the prominent image of the subject of the article, the heading and the sub-heading. On the other half of the double page spread I will incorporate the main body of the text of the article along with one smaller image of the subject.

I will include a quotation within the article written in a larger, bolder font in order to split up large sections of text. My target audience is relatively young and will not, stereotypically, be appealed by large pieces of text so this will appeal to my target market. It will also provide a personal feel as they are reading a direct quote from the artist personally.

For the main body of text for the article, I will use a serif font. This will add an element of sophistication to portray a classy genre of magazine. I will also present the first letter of the article as a capital letter in a larger, bolder font than the remainder of the text.

The article will be laid out in a 3-column format to allow a lot of writing to fit on to one page without appearing daunting and essay-like. This will make it easier to read and appeal more to my target audience as it will look less boring.

The colour scheme will also be similar to the contents and cover to add consistency to the house style of the magazine. The more important and enticing pieces of text will be presented in the brightest colour to allow them to stand out on the page to allow the audience to immediately notice them and be intrigued to continue reading. Also, the entirety of the article will be written in a colour which evidently stands out making it easier to read.

The logo of my magazine will be placed in the bottom corners of the pages to present the consistent house style on each page. This will also allow the reader to become familiar with the magazine and recognise it to identify that it is the official version.

The page number will be placed on the bottom corner of each page to allow it to easily be found according to the contents page to eliminate confusion amongst the audience.

Initial Draft contents

This is the initial draft for the contents of my magazine.

For the contents page of my magazine, I will attempt to follow similar codes and conventions as the ‘Vibe’ magazine which I analysed.

My contents page will be image dominated. On the drawing of my draft, I included an image of popular artist, ‘Jessie J’ in a girly pose while blowing a bubble from her bubble gum. This image will take over the majority of the page to entice her fans to continue reading to discover more about her. It will be superimposed over the heading of the page to represent its importance and the subject of the image will be looking directly towards the camera to act as a personal pronoun by enticing the audience personally.

The title will state ‘Contents’ in large, bold letters to allow it to stand out on the page in a simple sans serif font to appeal to the younger target audience. It will also be written in a colour which stands out in contrast to the background colour for added noticeability.

I will also incorporate the obvious feature of a column down the left-hand side of the page including the title of each page linked to the corresponding page number to allow the reader to immediately realise where they can find their desired content to eliminate confusion. Beneath each page title I will include a short description of what the reader can expect to find on the page with intriguing language to entice the reader to discover more.

I will split the pages into different categories depending on the content allowing the reader to find specific pages more easily. The title of each section will be written in a font which will stand out on the page so the reader can easily notice it.

The colour scheme will match the front cover for consistency. Furthermore, all fonts will be in colours which stand out in contrast to the background. The majority of fonts on the contents will be sans serif fonts for simplicity for the younger intended market.

Initial Draft Cover

Initial Drafts

These are my initial ideas for the creation of my magazine. I attempted to use all of the successful codes and conventions from the pages which I analysed to influence my creations for inspiration. Once I produced these rough cuts, I received feedback from my classmates and teacher to allow me to develop my pages further in order to make them better and, overall, more successful while still appealing to my target market.

This is the initial draft for the cover of my magazine.

I will use a close-up image of the prominent artist who is the subject of the mainarticle. I chose Adele; however, this could change as I develop my ideas further. The photograph will be positioned in the centre of the page to further suggest it is the prominent feature. It will be superimposed over the masthead as my magazine will be recognisable to the audience. In terms of mise en scene, she will be photographed on a beach allowing her to appear pure and natural which will be further emphasised by minimal make-up to appeal to the younger audience. However, I may change this as the magazines I analysed incorporated photographs with a one colour background. The subject of the photograph will be looking directly towards the camera to act as a personal pronoun as it appears like they are looking directly at the reader.

I named the magazine ‘Replay’ although this could also change as I continue developing my ideas because the results from my survey could prove my audience prefer another name. I will write the masthead in an iconic style which I would use on each  magazine for recognition. It is monolithic as it is just one word so it is simple and memorable. It will also be written in pink to allow it to stand out in contrast to the background colour along with being the largest and boldest piece of text on the page to emphasise its importance.

The colour scheme may consist of white gold and pink and, perhaps black. These are stereotypically feminine colours and should appeal to my intended audience. Yellow and pink are bright colours which stand out on the page and I will, therefore, use them to present more important and intriguing pieces of text.

A smaller image will be included of another famous artist. I used ‘Rita Ora’ although I may construct an original artist for my magazine cover. This will link to the plug feature which presents a quote from the artist herself. Adding smaller images allows a wider audience to be generated as they will have a fan base.

All of the writing on my cover will be a simple sans serif font. This won’t appear too formal and will, therefore, appeal to the younger target market. Moreover, the more vital information will be in a large, bold font allowing it to stand out on the page. In terms of language features, I will include a couple of quotes which are stated directly from the artists themselves to allow the reader to believe that all the information they are reading is accurate and reliable as they are reading exact quotes from the icons personally.

The plugs will present intriguing pieces of text to engage the attention of the reader. Also, the names of the artists will be presented in bold, noticeable fonts to stand out to members of their fan base. I will also include an exclusive quality stating it is a ‘Special Edition’ to intrigue the audience to discover more. A tagline will be included at the bottom of the page stating it is the ‘nation’s favourite’. This is not only memorable but enticing because it suggests it is the best music magazine in the nation making the target audience wish to buy it to discover what makes it so good. It is also written in a banner to make it noticeable to the reader.

Initial Draft Cover Photographs

I used this photograph for the cover of my final magazine

These are pictures of all the photos from my first photoshoot for the images to be placed on the rough cut of my music magazine.














I chose this photograph because the lighting makes sure that the image isn't too over exposed. Moreover, it is completely in focus for a more professional look and to allow for a higher quality image. I also like the pose of my model and the enticing facial expression which she is portraying through use of mise en scene. Furthermore, her outfit presents her in a white floral garment which may possess connotations of purity. This could be intriguing and the audience may wish to read about this artist in order to discover more. Also, she is looking directly at the camera which could act as a personal pronoun as the audience may feel she is looking directly at them and enticing them to purchase the magazine personally.

Double Page Spread Article

This is the main body of the article which i will place on my double page spread. I included features of incorporating slightly more challenging vocabulary to appeal to a middle class market. However, the majority of my target market are generally aged relatively young. Therefore, i couldn't make to the language too difficult to understand as it could cause confusion among my younger audience members. Therefore, I made the register of the text relatively informal and I included colloquial language to make it sound more chatty and appealing to them. Furthermore, the price of my magazine would be affordable for a working class market meaning the informal register would be vastly appropriate.

Topping the charts in 15 countries, Alexis has recently been crowned the biggest pop star on this Earth. When offered to interview the mega star, ANTHEM leaped at the opportunity of an exclusive, once in a life time article. She admits her enemies in the music business and gives the low down about topping the US charts for the fifth time.

Since your debut single ‘Reflection’, you’ve made quite the impact on the music industry.

Thank you! I feel really privileged. Ever since I was a young girl it was always my dream to be a singer and now I feel like I have finally made it.

You certainly have. Reaching number 1 in 15 countries is an astounding achievement.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this would happen to a girl like me. Beneath the entire facade, I am just a normal girl deep down. Things like this don’t happen to people like me.

How does it feel when you can’t even go shopping without causing a scene?

It’s crazy! People are constantly yelling my name and asking for autographs or photos wherever I go. It can be quite scary sometimes, but my fans are so dedicated and I thank them for that.

They are dedicated. That was proven by your UK sell-out tour last year.

Yes, the tour was amazing. The passion in those arenas is incredible. They can sing all the lyrics back to you without fail. Sure it’s tiring; performing shows every night but it is worth it seeing the joy on the faces of my fans. That’s what gets me through it.

And your BRIT award certainly adds to your list of achievement

Of course! I received my BRIT a few months ago now and it is definitely up there with the best. Especially since one of my role models in the music industry, Katy Perry, presented it to me. It was like a dream come true.

There have been rumours you don’t get along with fellow superstar Katy Perry. Is this true?

That is definitely not true. Katy and I met when she featured in one of my recent singles ‘Forever Together’ and we immediately got on. Her presenting me with the BRIT award was an honour. There has been a huge misunderstanding if anyone blieves otherwise.

Well you shouldn’t let rumours get you down. Your successful career can vouch for your efforts in this industry.

Thank you. It does require a lot of time and effort and i am aware that rumours will be spread; but i have tough skin and it will take more than a few rumours to knock my confidence. I won’t let them ruin what i believe to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

Especially at your young age, it is a tough industry to make your mark upon while remaining in the positive lime light.

Yes, definitely! It can be extremely hectic and crazy. It takes you so far away from the real world. Sometimes I just have to ground myself; have a shopping day out with my friends or go out for a meal with my family to ensure i stay true to myself and completley down to earth.. My friends and family play a huge role in keeping me grounded and they will be sure to tell me if I am out of control.

Thank you very much Alexis. We appreciate your time.

It’s my pleasure!

Her storming career has established her place on the musical hierarchy and positioned her as one of the leading artists in the industry. Alexis’ New single ‘Forever Together’ is on sale from monday 1st April and tickets for her tour are out now.

Target Audience

The target audience of my magazine will consist predominantly of young girls, approximately between the ages of 16 and 25 years old. I chose this group of people to be my target market due to the fact that, when I conducted a survey, my results proved that this is the audience that would be most likely to purchase a music magazine so there will be more appeal.

However, although my target market is primarily girls, I do intend to represented males within my magazine in order to make it slightly more unisex and to appeal to a wider market.

The intended audience of my magazine should also be fans of music to ensure that the genre of my magazine will appeal to them.

Survey Results Graphs

The majority of my target audience consists of females



 

The majority of my target audience are 16 years old

The majority of my target audience favour chart music

 

 My target audience favour the colours pink, black, white and gold

The majority of my target audience favour the name 'Anthem'

The majority of my target audience read 'Q' magazine

The majority of my target audience like to read about Taylor Swift and Adele

The majority of my target audience would be willing to pay between £1 and £2 for a music magazine

 

The majority of my target audience would prefer an image led contents page

 

The majority of my target audience would prefer the first font for the masthead of a music magazine

Survey Results

Survey Results

I gathered all of the information which i received from conduction my questionnaire among 20 members of my target audience and presented the results on individual graphs.

I surveyed 20 members of my target audience and these were the results.

1)      Are you male or female?

·         Male: 5/20 (25%)

·         Female: 15/20 (75%)

2)      How old are you?

·         15 years old: 4/20 (20%)

·         16 years old: 8/20 (40%)

·         17 years old: 3/20 (15%)

·         19 years old: 4/20 (20%)

·         20 years old: 1/20 (5%)

3)      What is your favourite music genre?

·         Pop: 3/20 (15%)

·         Rock: 2/20 (10%)

·         RnB: 1/20 (5%)

·         Alternative: 5/20 (25%)

·         Dance: 0/20 (0%)

·         Chart: 9/20 (45%)

·         Hip Hop: 0/20 (0%)

·         Metal: 0/20 (0%)

4)      What would attract you to a music magazine?

·         Black: 4/20 (20%)

·         White: 4/20 (20%)

·         Red: 2/20 (10%)

·         Blue: 0/20 (0%)

·         Pink: 5/20 (25%)

·         Yellow: 0/20 (0%)

·         Green: 0/20 (0%)

·         Orange: 0/20 (0%)

·         Purple: 1/20 (5%)

·         Gold: 4/20 (20%)

·         Silver: 0/20 (0%)

5)      What name would you prefer for a music magazine?

·         Stars: 0/20 (0%)

·         Melody: 0/20 (0%)

·         Shuffle: 1/20 (5%)

·         Buzz: 0/20 (0%)

·         Live: 0/20 (0%)

·         Fresh: 4/20 (20%)

·         Chart: 1/20 (5%)

·         Voice: 1/20 (5%)

·         Rhythmix: 0/20 (0%)

·         Anthem: 8/20 (40%)

·         Fusion: 3/20 (15%)

·         Volume: 0/20 (0%)

·         Pulse: 2/20 (10%)

·         Harmony: 0/20 (0%)

·         Replay: 0/20 (0%)

6)      What is your favourite magazine and why?

·         Q: 8/20 (40%)

·         Kerrang!: 1/20 (5%)

·         Top of the Pops: 2/20 (10%)

·         Billboard: 6/20 (30%)

·         Vibe: 1/20 (5%)

·         NME: 2/20 (10%)

·         MixMag: 0/20 (0%)

·         Clash: 0/20 (0%)

·         Rolling Stone: 0/20 (0%)

Common responses included:

o   Q because I like the genre of music.

o   Top of the Pops because I like the girly colours.

o   Q because it is very modern and I like chart music.

o   Billboard because it appeals to people my age (16).

7)      Which artists and bands do you like to read about currently? (these are the most common responses)

·         Taylor Swift: 5/20 (25%)

·         Justin Bieber: 3/20 (15%)

·         One Direction: 3/20 (15%)

·         Adele: 5/20 (25%)

·         Rita Ora: 4/20 (20%)

8)      How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?

·         Less than £1: 1/20 (5%)

·         Between £1 and £2: 12/20 (60%)

·         Between £2 and £3: 6/20 (30%)

·         More than £3: 1/20 (5%)

9)      On a contents page, do you prefer and image led or text led style?

·         Image led: 14/20 (70%)

·         Text led: 6/20 (30%)

10) Which font would be your favourite for the title of a music magazine?

 (60%)

(10%)

 (30%)

Audience Questionnaire

Audience Questionnaire

In order to discover what my target audience would be appealed to in a music magazine, i created a survey which i could present to them to understand more.

InDesign

In order to create the page layouts for each page of my magazine, I used the computer software program 'InDesign'.

Double page spread layout

This is the layout for my double page spread

The layout for my double page spread ensures there is space for the text of the article to be placed within a three-column format, the heading of the page, a sub-heading, a large A4 image on one half of the spread, a quote, smaller images and page numbers.

Overall, producing the layouts for each of my pages enabled my to realise how much space I was able to use and the features which I can incorporate on to each page.

Contents layout

This is the layout for my contents page

The contents also includes frames in which various features of my researched magazines will be placed. This includes the heading, a page-dominating image, the names of pages and the numbers of each page, a link to the website and subscription and, again, a quote.

Front cover layout

This is the layout for my front cover

On the layout for my cover I have created frames in which I will place various common aspects of music magazines such as the masthead, plugs along the side, a tag line at the bottom, a large central image which dominates the majority of the page and a quote.

Layout Designs

Layout Designs

I will now create the general layout of the cover, contents page and double page spread of my magazine on the computer software program 'InDesign' in order to allow me to discover how each of my pages will appear when presented on the page. It will also allow my intended plan to remain the same throughout the course of creating my final pages to ensure I continue to abide by the codes and conventions throughout.

Music magazine double page spread - analysis: Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops

The title of the page states ‘Being Bella’ and the name ‘Bella’ is written in a white colour to allow it to stand out in contrast to the black background. Different fonts are used for the masthead of the page. The font is eye-catching and noticeable to the reader as it incorporates stars and a curly style to engage the audience. The celebrity’s character name is used rather than her real name as this is how the target audience will be likely to recognise her.

In the sub-heading, the same technique is used as the actresses name is written in a white-coloured font to stand out in comparison to the black background. Furthermore, it is written in a simple sans serif font for added noticeability. It is also large and bold to allow it to stand out on the page and entice the reader to discover more by reading the article as it is an intriguing statement.

The main image is relatively large and covers the majority of the right-hand page. It presents Kristen Stewart and she is looking directly at the camera. This could act as a personal pronoun as she is looking directly towards the reader and enticing them to personally read the article’s content. Furthermore, the photograph is a mid-long shot to present her attire as some of the text within the article regards this topic.

There are a couple of smaller images used to split up large pieces of text within the article to reduce the amount of text and appeal to the younger audience. There is also a smaller image inserted in the foreground of the page and overlapping the main image to represent its importance. All of the smaller images have captions beneath them to explain to the reader their purpose and relevance to the article.

There is a pull quote to act as a caption for the main image. It is surrounded by a pink coloured text box and large white coloured quotation marks to make it stand out in the foreground of the page. The use of the quotation alongside the main image is persuasive as it adds a personal feel and allows the reader to hear directly from the artist herself.

The masthead and sub-heading are written in larger, bolder fonts to allow them to stand out and entice the reader to continue reading. The entirety of the text throughout the article is written in a sans serif font to add simplicity which will appeal to the younger intended audience and make it easier to read for them. Furthermore, as the article is an interview, a bold font is used to present the questions so they stand out and the reader can easily notice which pieces of the article they are most interested in and wish to read.

The colour scheme consists of pink, black and white. The pink and white colours successfully stand out in comparison to the black background and are, therefore, used to present the more important or intriguing pieces of text to make them more noticeable to the reader. The background is black as she is an actress in a movie about vampires so the black colour relates to the topic. Furthermore, as the article is an interview, the questions are presented in the vibrant pink colour to allow them to stand out and the reader can easily notice which pieces of the article they are most interested in and wish to read. A colour scheme also adds consistency to the magazine as this colour scheme will continue throughout each page.

The page is text dominated as there is a large amount of writing. Therefore, 4 columns of text are incorporated for organisation. However, the text is superimposed around a number of smaller images to reduce the quantity of writing and to appeal to the younger intended audience.

Page numbers are placed in the bottom corner of each page on the double page spread so that the page can easily be found according to the contents to eliminate confusion amongst the audience.

Music magazine double page spread - analysis: Vibe

Vibe

The title isn’t as obvious as most magazine article headings. It is more like a sub-heading but it is the largest and boldest piece of text on the page so it stands out. It states ‘Forget her sister, the outspoken Solange Knowles created one of the year’s best R&B albums’. The name ‘Solange Knowles’ is written in a blue coloured font and the rest of the heading is written in grey to allow her name to stand out in contrast to the white background. This allows the reader to immediately realise who the article regards. Furthermore, the entire heading is written in capital letters so it is noticeable and stands out.

The main image stands out on the page due to the fact Solange Knowles is presented in a vibrant coloured dress and the remainder of the page is primarily dull coloured. The photograph is a long shot to allow her full body to be shown. Furthermore, the image is superimposed so that it is in the foreground to represent its importance. It also has a caption beneath it to explain to the reader the purpose of the image. In terms of mise en scene, her attire appears relatively rebellious as her dress is low cut and her stance suggests she is a confident character.

There is a logo which is iconic to the ‘Vibe’ magazine placed in the top left-hand corner of the page. The logo is on the page to allow the reader to become familiar with the magazine and recognise it to define that it is the official version.

The use of a superlative is included in the heading as it states ‘one of the best’. This is a temptation for the reader to discover more about her and an incentive to find out why she is so good. The use of the quotation alongside the main image is persuasive as it adds a personal feel and allows the reader to hear directly from the artist herself.

The heading and quotation are written in simple sans serif fonts for added noticeability. They are also large and bold to allow them to stand out on the page. In comparison, the font used for the main text within the article is written in a more formal serif font. This font is relatively easy to read and portrays an element of sophistication to link to the classy genre of magazine.

There are a number of smaller images in the top third of the page of Solange Knowles. They have all been edited from colour to grey scale to allow the main image to stand out more in comparison. Each image portrays her posing in a different way to make her seem like a fun and energetic character which also defines the hip-hop genre of the magazine.

The colour scheme consists of white, blue and grey. As the blue is the brightest and most vibrant colour, it is used to present the more important or intriguing pieces of text to make them more noticeable to the reader. The background colour is white so the blue and grey colours are used for the text as they will stand out and be more noticeable for the audience to read. A colour scheme also adds consistency to the magazine as it will continue throughout each page.

The article is evidently text dominated so the article contains 4 columns of writing. The majority of text is placed on the left-hand side of the page for organisation, however, there is one column on the right alongside the image as the image isn’t very large.

The page number is placed in the bottom corner of each page on the double page spread so that the page can easily be found according to the contents to eliminate confusion amongst the audience.