Contents Analysis

Contents Page Deconstruction

This was the first contents page that I completed on the program called Canva, I thought its overall look was very unique because of the use of the circle in the middle of the page. After comparing it to other music magazines such as Billboard, I found that the other look of my contents page looked very sparse compared to others. It was lacking a lot of detail due to me only including a small amount of articles that were going to be included in my magazine. I don't think my layout of my contents page was very effective compared to my front page. There wasn't really a continued theme throughout the two pieces of work. The layout of this contents page also didn't allow photos to be seen as well because the circle was very bold. 

This was my second layout of my contents page. At first I wasn't too sure what I should include, and also whether I should include some colour into my issue of the magazine as my front cover was just grey, white and black.

The way that I set out my contents page at first was quite plain and exactly like a typical page spread. I attempted to mix the layout a bit by adding a variety of photos which I had taken in my photo-shoot, this is so then the readers wont get boring as it isn't the same photo that is being used throughout the issue. I felt at first it didn't look right as I hadn't taken any photos relating to the other features included in this issue, then I moved the layout around a little and made the photos of my model the main focus of the page as they were the only photos that I had taken.

I continued the colour scheme of black, white and grey from the front cover to the contents page. I feel like the colour's work well together and give a sense of the 'Indie' fashion magazine that I took some aspects from such as the simplistic layout and the amount of writing used on cover. I've stuck with this idea because I feel it makes the magazine issue as a whole, completely new and unique, as well as trying to stay away from the whole set up and usual conventional idea.

As you can see by this contents page, all the photos are from the same shoot. I want to show a variety of photos, so I am going to do another photo shoot with the same model but in different clothes as well as in different places so then there is a variety of different backgrounds so then my target audience doesn't get bored.

Erasing Background

Before & After Removing Background

I used Pixlr to edit my photos, by erasing the background. This was because I wanted to try and include a plain colour background just like the 'Indie' fashion magazine. I tried to cut the background of the photo on the left but, I felt that it was very hard to cut round all of the shadows, her hair, as well as her clothing.

I felt as if the idea was very hard as cutting out the background took a long time & you needed a very steady hand. As it didn't really work when I added colour, I tried to outline around my model again as it looked very uneven and photo shopped, which wasn't the look that I was looking for. I was very disappointed that it didn't work first time as I really felt that the finished piece would have looked really good & engaged really well with my target audience.

Even though my first idea didn't end the way that I wanted to, this then made me inspired to attempt to make my front cover look more like a magazine. This was because I didn't want my target audience buying my magazine thinking that it is a fashion magazine instead of a music magazine. This is going to be really hard as my photo shoot didn't include any sort of musical instrument.

I wanted to attempt to make a magazine quite like this layout, I removed my background of my photo then added a plain filled colour just like this yellow. I feel like for this to have worked, I needed to use a green screen instead of using the program called Pixlr to remove the background by using the eraser tool. 



After I completed erasing all of the background, I attemped to add some sort of coloured background, the photo looked really photo shopped and just didnt really turn out like the way that I wanted it to look. I thought it was going to work at first but unfortunately it didn't in the end.

After it didn't work out the way that I wanted it to, I had to act quickly and think of a different idea to use instead of my original idea. 
I really liked the use of little amount of text on the front page of this magazine to the left but, after comparing it to music magazines, it doesnt suit the sort of style that is set to identify that it is a music magazine and not a fashion magazine.

Changes to Front Page

This is my front cover of my magazine, I moved the text on the left hand side up more, this was so then I could put in a barcode. The main reason why I did this was because I wanted to make the front cover more realistic and look a lot like a magazine than just a advertisement page or a leaflet. This whole set up of my magazine is unique compared to the typical set up and layout of normal magazines, this is due to the fact that I tried to make it very simple, plain & not too flashy.

The use of the colour theme of black, white and grey. This was because I feel like it looked like the colours worked well together for the front cover. I wanted to make sure that I incorporated the use of the simplistic style of the 'Indie' fashion magazine into this piece.

3 Practise Layouts for Front Cover

Layouts for Front Cover

Due to my first idea of erasing the background not turning out the way that I wanted it too. I decided to create a front cover that would look very unique and different compared to the typical magazine layout. I also tried to make my magazine simplistic so then it would suit my target audience.

Below I used 3 different layouts used on Canva, but I moved around the order of the text and the location where they originally were when I started. This was so then the front cover would be seen as an original design & not an attempted copy of another magazine layout.


This was my first magazine cover which I made on Canva. I used the magazine layout just to help me set out all the text included in the front cover. I used the font 'League Spartan' as my main master head. This was because I liked the bold and simple look of the font. At first I had the 'i' as an upper case letter, but I thought that the overall look, looked better with the 'i' as a lower case letter. The use of the small amount of detail about what is included in the magazine was based on the 'Indie' fashion magazine that I came across.

  This is the second magazine cover that I made on Canva, I used a completely different layout for this magazine cover. I used a different filter for the photo for the front cover. I like the use of the saturation  used this is because it looks very simplistic, just like the magazines that I was basing my work on the 'Indie' fashion magazines. This is due to the lack of detail and the use of plain and very simple fonts which makes the magazine seem not only very basic but also quite unique as it doesn't look nor show the obvious aspects of a normal layout/style of a typical magazine cover.

 This layout design of this magazine is very different, I set it out just like a normal magazine but didn't put as much detail of what is included inside the issue like most typical magazines do on the front cover. The use of different sizes and different fonts that work well all together took me a while to find as I felt like the set up and also the use of font on the previous 2 practise layouts were too uncomplicated in their form of spread as I only used 2 different font types. I also used the colour grey in this spread, this is due to the fact that I felt that this design was too basic and didn't quite look like a magazine, more like a leaflet.

1st Photo Shoot

Below is a risk assessment sheet that I completed before taking photos to ensure that the environment/place where I was taking photographs in was safe to complete the shoot.

This also allows you as the administrator to make everyone aware of the potential risks or risks that are involved in the activity.

Front Covers Idea & Magazine Genre

Magazine Genre

After looking at different magazines genres, the way that they are set out as well as common colour themes that are used. I have finally decided that I will be producing an indie-pop music magazine. I got this overall idea from the fashion magazine called 'Indie' which included a lot of retro sort of fashion and photos. Within this genre, these types of music magazines are very rare to find therefore I will be aiming to combine the indie type of theme of a hipster look and feel within a pop magazine. By doing this, I will be creating a unique music magazine for a specific genre that is not widely publicised in the world today. This is so then I can attempt to try and engage the general pop magazine lovers as well as the group of which who are interested in retro/indie styles. By attempting to reach an audience which hasn't been entirely targeted before is a massive risk for producers of a magazine that needs to be sold, but by targeting potentially 2 different groups can create a larger target audience who may want to buy my magazine. 

Front Cover Idea

This magazine which is called 'Indie' isn't actually related to music in any way. They represent a different type of layouts compared to the typical front cover of a normal magazine. This really caught my eye because the lack of detail on these magazines has never been introduced to the music magazine industry. I would like to use this sort of natural/non posed photo for my front cover of my magazine. This is because I feel that the use of the natural posed photos, is really striking as its completely different to the normal setup of music magazines, this is because majority of the photos used are very posed and forced. I only got examples of females featuring on the front cover, this is due to the fact that I will be taking photos of a female model for my magazine photos. 

Taking photos in a natural set up for my front cover is my main aim. This is because I don't want my magazine spread to look like a forced typical front cover. My background of my 1st set of practise photos is going to be colourless wall, this is so then I can attempt to use a solid colour like this yellow for my front cover. I want to attempt to try and use this sort of simplistic layout within my work so then my magazine will stand out and look really unique.

The Indie magazine to your right is also another example of a very simplisic layout. Although there is a lot more text included on this issue than the one above, I feel like this is just because it is a celebration of '10 Years of Indie Magazine'. The use of the colour theme just being a block colour like the light blue black ground with black and white text on top is seen to be really boring and simple, but the text actually stands out a lot more due to the fact that the magazine doesnt include a lot of different photos, articles and and overload of different texts/fonts. 

The same sort of photo is also included on this 'Indie' issue which is front on. Even though this model is looking straight at the camera and has her tongue sticking out, the overall look is still sort of natural. Another aspect that is continued throughout every issue is the same placement of the header and the location of the barcode along with the price. This continuity is good because it allows the target audience to easily recognize this magazine.

Billboard Analysis

Analysis of Billboard Magazine's Front Cover




This Billboard magazine has a colour theme of different colour blues and also white. The small amount of writing used on the front cover gives a small amount of information which is included in the issue. The repetitive use of the red, blue and yellow in the master head of Billboard on every issue cover. The picture of Beyoncé is bought in front of the master head to show that this issue is mainly focused on something involving her inside the magazine. 

This issue is very different to normal issues, this is due to the use of patterns surrounding Adele on the front cover. The colours used in the patterns are also the same colours which feature in the main master head of Billboard. These patterns used are surrounding the sub headings linking to Adele in smaller and different fonts which compliment each other well for the front cover.

 

 This Drake issue of Billboard is very different to others, this is because the use of the colour scheme of grey is used all over the front cover. In the master head, the use of the normal yellow, blue and red isn't used in this issue, but the use of small detail of information that is included in the issue is still visible just like the other two above.





Overall, I feel like the continued lack of music aspects on Billboards front page could cause a decrease in buyers due to it not clearly showing that it is a music magazine. I want my magazine to clearly show that it is a music magazine so then I don't loose out on buyers.

Effects Models for Music Magazines & Social Identity Theory

Prefered reading-  This is the thing that you strive for.
Oppositional reading- Not desired of music magazines! & don't alienate your audience.
Negotiated reading- Parts of the message that is accepted and other parts of the message are rejected.
Aberrant reading- Is a concept used in fields such as communication and media studies, semiotics, and journalism about how messages can be interpreted differently from what was intended by their sender.

Effects Models

The Hypodermic Needle Model:
This is a model that is an intended message which is directly received  and wholly accepted by the reader/receiver. This is an outdated view of media effects where every view is absorbed to the brain as if it has been injected in.

Two-Step Flow:
This is the people with most access to the media, the highest media literacy explain and diffuse the content to others. This is the modern version of the Hypodermic Needle Model. This is the effect of which notices how 'cool' people will be the opinion leaders and the 'uncool' people who are the opinion followers of the 'cool' people.

Uses & Gratifications:
People are not helpless victims of mass media, but use the media to get specific gratification which is known as the dominant model.

Reception Theory:
The meaning of 'text' is not fully inherent within a piece of text itself, but relies on the readers cultural competence and media literacy. Also fits with 'Death of the Author' and also the Post-Modern Theory.

Obstinate Audience Theory:
The complication of relationship between the producer and the audience. The audience actively can select what messages to pay most attention to. The media respond to the audience by seeing what they like, and then give them what they 'want'. What ever the audience wants, the audience will give them through media.

Social Identity Theory

Proposed by - Henri Tajfel (1979)

He felt that groups that people belonged to were part of individuals important source of pride and self esteem. Different groups give us a sense of social identity- a way of being engaged/involved in the overall social world.

       

A Music example of social identity was 'Skin Heads'

Skin Heads was known to be a member of a subculture originating amongst the working class youths in London. This then spread to parts of the UK in the 1960's as well as a second working class skinhead movement spreading in the US as well as worldwide in the 1980's. This movement began in the late 1960's and then reached its peak during the early 1980's revival.

Skins were defined by their very close-cropped or completely shaven heads, as well as the typical working class clothing such as big black boots, braces, bleached/ripped jeans along with a smart/casual shirt/top/.

This subculture of skinheads was originally associated with the black genre of music (soul & early reggae). This link between the skinheads and the Jamaican Music then led to the UK popularity groups such as 'The Pioneers'

David Carson

Davis is a well-known American graphic designer, art director and surfer. He is best known for his innovative magazine design, and use of experimental typography

After researching and analysing the work of graphic designer, David Carson. His work is not like any others, the use of creativity & originality behind his artwork. This is due to him having a very creative edge to his work as his pieces are so original & unique. The way that on every single design of his magazine front covers are all individually different, the way that he incorporates text in his designs makes you think whether his work is intentional or even accidental. This is due to the layout and also the use of text and fonts which are combined for the finishing result of the magazine front cover.

 Throughout Carson's designing history, he basically shows his views that designs don't need to be spelt out word by word/ letter by letter.

This magazine front cover to my left is not like any other, the use of the black and white colour scheme is used throughout majority of his work- as you can see above in one of the other examples of his work. You can still identify that the cover on the left is a magazine as it includes a barcode in the bottom right corner. It also includes what will be in the magazine at the bottom, but it is rotated instead which is very different to any other magazine front cover. I like that he doesn't abide by the typical layout of a normal magazine front cover. He uses his own imagination to create a different and very distinctive piece of art.

NRS Readership Estimates

General Magazines

The National Readership Survey was established in 1956 and today provides the most authoritative and valued audience research in use for print and digital advertising trading in Britain.
The survey covers over 250 of Britain’s major newsbrands and magazines, showing the size and nature of the audiences they achieve.
In a dynamic and changing digital media age, NRS PADD was introduced in September 2012 to provide a unique measure of combined print and online audiences. NRS PADD: Mobile was launched in September 2014.

AIR - Latest 12 Months- July 2015- June 2016


                    Total     %     ABC 1    %     C2DE    %   15-34   %     35+    %    Total     %

NME/New M    249      0.5     177      0.6      72       0.3    143    0.9    107   0.3   172    0.7

Kerrang!          217      0.4     102      0.4    115      0.5    145    0.9     71    0.2    126    0.5

Q                     188      0.4     137      0.5      51       0.2     89     0.5     99    0.3    145    0.6 

Mojo                152      0.3        84     0.3     68       0.3      49    0.3    103    0.3   123    0.5


How is this data useful to you in creating a music magazine?

This data in this table is useful for different genres of music magazines as it shows what sort of people their magazines suit & are mostly bought by. It is also a way of which different magazines can compare their success to other magazines because of the larger amount of magazines bought. The use of the age brackets shows which genre of music magazines most suit certain age groups.

What does it tell you that something like the advertising packs do?
They are tailored to the right genre which allows people to become more knowledgeable of what will be included in the magazines that most suit them & what they are interested in.

What more would you like to know?
Whether each customer regularly buys the same magazine or whether majority of the purchases were actually just one off buys.

ABC Figures

The Approximated Social Grade has six categories A, B, C1, C2, D and E. They socio-economic classification which is produced by the ONS (UK Office for National Statistics) and it then applies to every Household Reference Persons (HRP) between the ages 16 to 64.

Social Grade    Description                                             % HRP population (UK)
AB                 Higher & intermediate managerial,
                        administrative, professional occupations                   22.17
C1                 Supervisory, clerical & junior managerial,
                        administrative, professional occupations                   30.84
C2                 Skilled manual occupations                                           20.94
DE                 Semi-skilled & unskilled manual occupations,
                        unemployed and lowest grade occupations                   26.05

It is a discriminatory tool for media consumption and purchasing power in general. It has been used by National Readership Survey to discriminate readers of popular newspapers.

The Bauer Media Group

Bauer

The Bauer Media Group is one of the most successful media companies in the world. More than 570 magazines, over 300 digital products, and 50 radio and TV stations reach millions of people around the globe. The company’s portfolio also includes printing companies, postal services and services in the fields of distribution, marketing and media sales. The Group’s turnover is stable at more than two billion euros. With a new global positioning strategy, the Bauer Media Group underscores its passion for people and brands. The claim „We think popular.“ highlights the Bauer Media Group’s perception of itself as a publisher of popular media and provides inspiration and motivation to its more than 11,000 employees in 16 countries.

-Bauer is a major publisher of Mojo, Q & Kerrang!-

Kerrang!

From looking at the Bauer media pack about Kerrang!, I have noticed that this magazine is based upon a youth culture band which was founded 34 years ago. Which was an event that was as seismic as events within the publishing industry, let alone music. And todaym they are a magazine, also on radio stations, TV channels, tablets, mobile, at awards ceremony and they're a tour. This is where young people go to be thrilled by loud sounds, which is more than likely Kerrang! is there too.

The magazine its self:

Kerrang! is seen as both loud in content and design and roar with excitement.
The magazine is different, and people who read it are too. They are highly intelligent, opinionated, with a lust for life, our readers loyalty to the Kerrang! brand  which defines who they are. The pages of the magazine are inspiring to the readerships which hope to one day grace the pages themselves.

Multi platform offerings:

• Also a record breaking website- the most successful digital launch in Bauer's Media branch which an amazing 8 million page views per month, as well as engaging with its readers via its 740,000 facebook fans, 583,000 twitter followers & 78,000 followers on Instagram.
• Kerrang! TV - is a marking leading, award winning TV channel.They attract over 12K more followers every month than MTV Rock, which equates to a mind blowing 7.9 million viewers in total.

MOJO

 

MOJO is the WORLD’S LARGEST UK MUSIC MAGAZINE, delivering a monthly dose of world class journalism and iconic photography to an audience of extremely passionate music consumers. It is found that if you’re featured in MOJO, you matter. Also MOJO is the brand for those who are truly obsessed with music. They also provide a 'man made' experience in a mass market environment, and as a result is a valued and trusted brand:

• MEAN AGE 41
• ABC1 PROFILE 70%

(ABC Jan - June 2012 NRS April - Sept 2012)

Q

 

Q is the ultimate guide to modern music, they unrivaled access to the biggest names brings musics most exciting characters to life. They filter modern music down to the best and most important record and gigs every month. Also they investigate more music each issue than any other magazine and employ the worlds best music writers.

The Q awards are the most unique awards ceremony in music. No other event brings together such a variety of big-name musical talent under one roof.

Q is also a digital music magazine that brings music alive every month. The digital magazine combines Q's compelling editorial with interactive galleries, videos and music links, which enables you to listen as your read.