In this media assignment I had chosen to create a project in print. I had to create a magazine front cover, contents page and a double page spread of a music magazine using original images and creating textual content which would be relevant or feature in the magazine.
I first of all researched into current media practices for music magazine. I looked at 3 magazines: Kerrang!, Q and NME. I annotated a front page, contents page and a double page spread from each magazine. I broke down each convention of the the magazine describing what they have done and why this might attract the reader. I found that all 3 magazines had similar conventions but have other features that made the magazine unique (for example the style of text or the placement of the logo). I illustrated a breakdown of techniques used and how this affects the reader. These were a basis of my magazine to build up on because by researching into magazine conventions, they showed a correlating pattern of features that are include.
After this I came up with initial ideas, I sketched 3 designs of front covers and 2 designs of contents and double page spread designs. These sketches were just basic ideas of where text, images and different features will be placed. I annotated them to show what my ideas were and how I will develop the sketches. I also created 4 mast head designs because a logo is very important to a magazine, it is a magazines identity. After the designs I had asked a focus group what their opinions were of the designs and the mast heads and got the group to vote and give opinions of what they felt, this can be found here.
I created SMART targets: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based. These were a guideline to the rest of my project, I looked at the project and found that setting myself these targets will improved productivity because I could always refer back to them when I needed and move on to the next set or targets. I set myself 8 targets which made up the stages of my magazine productions, these targets can be found here. This gave my project structure and I could always refer back to them if I felt that I was my project was going astray.
Having to create a music magazine, I felt that it would be convenient to aim it at the ages between 16-19 because I am a college student and I had opportunity to create a focus group easily, the focus group helped me choose what parts I were to include into my magazine and what I had to consider to leave out.
What influenced the construction of my magazine was the photos I had taken, I had been struck by a bass guitar with a Union Jack design and I knew that I would like to use that photograph as my main image on my front cover. This influenced the design of the front cover because it was designed around this image rather designing it from scratch. This is also similar to my double page spread, I had found an image I had taken a long time ago of a music concert I went to and I experimented with it by cropping and resizing it and it fitted with the theme of the magazine, so I also designed that page around this image.
Being a student, I had the opportunity to ask students what they would like to have seen in the magazine, so I sent out a questionnaire and collected the results to give me a general idea of what information I would have liked to include into the magazine, the questionnaire can be found here and the collected results can be found here. I used this information and implemented the ideas that it thought would be relevant into my magazine. The down side to this image is that it already had an effect on it, so that hindered the editing a little but it was the sort of effect I wanted and when I was creating my design sketches, because I wanted a circular image and text around it, it fitted with the design.
I took photos at several different locations around the local town and I had taken many images which gave me a selection to choose from. I had pictures of music related items such as pictures of instruments and of artists. I had to go through the process of filtering out irrelevant and unsuitable photos. I referred back into my current media practices and looked at the professional techniques used I could integrate into my magazine. I looked at different house colours that would suit the theme of the magazine.
I experimented with different fonts of which would suit the magazine, I also referred back that what the magazines in my media practises had used. I had asked opinions of fellow class mates and asked their opinion of they they preferred. Getting feedback from potential readers was a good way to develop my magazine, to keep my magazine targeted at the target audience I asked students to give opinions throughout the project.
The colour scheme of my magazine is quite dark it has a mixture of white, black and red. I used these colours because gave the magazine a dark and mysterious feel to it. I found with these colours that most of the magazines did not expand the variety of colours that featured in the magazine. I found out why the magazine only used a few colors, when experimenting with colours on my magazine I found it was hard to get colours that did not clash with each other, like green and reds. So I kept to the convention of basic colours.
This is the final product for my front cover of my magazine. I decided to put a picture of an instrument rather than a person on the front cover because I felt that it is easier to alienate the target audience, this picture is very in your face and gives the reader the impression that this may be a special edition of the magazine because it has included a union jack in the title and the main image. I excluded a picture I had in the middle of the page because this was taking over the main image and was drawing attention away from the main theme of the magazine. From my research I had found that people are more likely to pick up a magazine if they see a band that they like in it, so I decided to include a list of bands on the right hand side and this may catch the eye of a reader and make them want to pick up the magazine. The font I used for this text looks like it has been written on music notation, because I felt this font was relevant because this is a music magazine and this aims at musicians who may read the magazine. I made the logo have a spray paint effect and look like it had been stenciled on the page, this gives the impression that it is aimed at people in a lower class background, it looks like the magazine is for people on the streets who like “underground” music because people expect new artists come from a poor (or “The Streets”) background into fame.
I kept with continuity with the graffiti effect from the front cover and look like the page has been spayed with pained and have contents written in graffiti font. On the left hand side Included a picture of the presumed editor of the magazine who is featured in a photo with a graffiti sprayed wall, this gives the impression that he is at the same level of the audience, he is look directly out of the page and looking at the reader. Also with the textual content underneath it give the impression he is talking to you (as in the reader), this gives a personal touch to the magazine because it the editor is not hiding behind the magazine and seems like he looks forward to talking to the readers. The section is like an introduction saying what will be in the issue and he finishes it off by signing the bottom of the page.
“This Week” looks like it has been written on the page rather than a font, this is more of a fun font and draws away from the seriousness that has been featured in the magazine so far.
I decided to place a picture of guitars to illustrate the text and break up the content I did not want the reader to lose interest while looking through the page by including too much text. The difference with a contents page, it is used more as a referencing page so I made the made the numbers clear and broke it up into sections of Bands, Gear and Reviews. This was so the reader will know what to look for.
I decided to include an interesting feature for the reader, this was the “Gig Calendar” this gave a list of dates of music concert and gigs that are coming up, I felt that this was a good way to promote bands and also the reader may see a band they would like to see in concert. This is similar to the list of bands on the front cover, people are more likely to read the magazine if it includes information on a band that they like and are more likely to read/buy the magazine.
For this page I used an photograph I took a long time ago when I went to see a band live and thought that would be a good photo to use as the main image, it shows a good reaction from the crowd and feels that the reader is in with the atmosphere rather than an on stage shot of the band, the usual convention of the magazine I had researched although this is good because it is an up close shot of the artist. This page also keeps with the graffiti theme with the title but this has been coloured and and seems like it has just been “freshly” painted on the page this gives the impression the band is brand new on the scene and from my research a high percentage of people wanted to hear and read about new band they may like so I felt that this was relevant information to put in.
Looking at my research into media practices I found that gig reviews actually had very little textual content and gave the basic facts about, so I kept the textual content to an average amount. I made a little summary of the gig and more information on the band in the bottom left hand side of the page which I felt illustrated the picture, this is also good for a reader flicking through the magazine looking at this information it and and showing a summary of interesting facts of the band and where you may catch the band next.
I made the colour theme of this page red, white and black. This gives more colour to the magazine because the front cover and contents contained very little colour and felt that this page needed to be more colourful so I included a hint of red in the text which I felt made this page stand out more.
Similar to Kerrang! magazine in my research I gave my own rating system for live gigs, this is another personal touch to the magazine, instead of K! for Kerrang! I decided to use the image of cassette tapes because I felt it was more related to music, readers are usually interested of how a band is rated by a magazine or critic so I felt it was important to include critical textual content on the band.
The closest magazines I can compare my product to is the magazines in my current media practice research, these are Kerrang!, Q and NME which is sold in most magazine retailers, these magazines give information on bands and musical related articles, but all have their own different genres. the genre of my magazine would be aimed at people are into general rock music so it appeals to a wider audience rather than once specific type of music.
My magazine has its own conventions which makes it unique. Rather than a picture of a band or artist on the front cover, I have included an image of an instrument, this could make the magazine unique but not including images of people on the front but could include photographic images of instruments. I have used similar conventions by using a logo which has a noticeable presence and people could instantly recognise.
On the competition of my final product I conducted a small questionnaire on 10 college students (target audience) with open questions to get opinions rather than a closed questionnaire would not allowed me to get such qualitative data. This allowed me to gather beneficial opinions from the view of the target audience and if I were to make another issue of the magazine in the future I would take these opinions into consideration and improve the next issue of the magazine.
I feel that my product has met the target audience adequately by providing relevant text, fonts, colours and visual content that suit the target audience and from the feedback that I had received that the audience think the same too. Doing the project again I would to have liked to have done more research in to convention of magazines, to find out what makes a magazine look professional and the different processes on how items end up in the magazine and I this would enhanced my production.
By doing this project I have extended my skills in PhotoShop by acquiring further knowledge and spending time gaining experience the more I used the program, but also using previous experience to my advantage. I also gained skills and knowledge on how to use the latest Nikon D90 camera, I was shown basic knowledge how to use it and went out and learnt more as I went long and the images turned out really well. By researching and into other magazines it allowed me to see how much thought is put into the productions of a magazine and it is not just simply made. It showed me how small things that can make the difference between someone buying the magazine and putting it back on the shelf. Also I have seen the technology of using Macs, these computers specifically designed for media purposes has made me see how technology is applied and aids the media industry but also how easy it is to alter an image so it can be made into anything you want; deceiving, good, bad or different because images can be changed so well that it is hard to tell from a true original image.
My final production piece turn out better than I expected, I could see where I went wrong in my preliminary task and saw what I had to do to improve the stressfulness of my magazine. I researched into more conventions and looked into how to make my magazine look professional. I think I used page space well on my pages, I did not cramp pages with content but spaced it out and used it efficiently. I liked the images I took using the professional camera I think I used the images to their full advantage.
I could have improved my final products by having several different designs for each page and then pick the best one. I did felt that I built up my page taking into consideration what the readers would like to see and then improved it as I went along, I felt this was a success way of creating a magazine through trial and error.
Overall I feel that the magazine was a success and I am happy with my final piece. If I were to do a project like this again, I would like to planned more effectively, for example having a list of things I have to do and tick them off as I go along, or have a set list of tasks that I set myself and give myself a deadline for each one, I feel that this would make productivity more efficient.
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