For my final project piece I decided to do a front cover, contents page and three inside pages (a double page spread with the article carrying on over the page). The magazine is aimed at young adults interested in rock and indie music. Its unique selling point is that it is aimed, both for men and women, but more at women (which is unlike any other similar music magazine like NME and Kerrang).
Before beginning the making of my magazine I researched other music magazines in the market, I especially focused on Kerrang and NME as I know these are popular magazines and are aimed at a similar audience to my magazine. I also looked at Rolling stones and Q magazine. I then began to notice the lack of these rock/indie magazines that were directly aimed at females as most of these magazines had quite a masculine theme. I decided I would create a magazine that would fit into this market niche that was not necessarily directed only at females, but that definitely appealed more to female buyers. If my product was to be put out in the market and distributed to be sold, I imagine it would be sold along side these magazines as they fit into the same music genre. Anthem follows the normal structure of magazines in the sense of where things are positioned, colours themes and font size, but the double page spread challenges the usual form used in rock/indie music magazines. As although similarly to these other music magazines, the page has a separate theme to the rest of the magazine they usually have a slightly more gothic, dark masculine theme whereas my magazine’s is lighter and brighter. This means it looks slightly like the articles in fashion magazines and therefore has more appeal to a feminine audience more than all the other similar music magazines. To make sure it didn’t look too much like a fashion magazine, I included boxes and page numbers that incorporate the original rock/indie theme and colours (black, white, pink and yellow) that I used on my contents page and front cover.
My magazine shows that rock/indie music is not just for males. It shows that the social group music magazines like Kerrang, NME and Rolling Stone are aimed at are not as small as first thought; there is a whole female audience who do not have a magazine that fulfils there magazine needs. There is one extreme (girly fashion magazines) to another (masculine music magazines) and I’d like to think mine sits in between.
During my construction process I have learnt how to use Photoshop and Publisher to create a finished media product, and I have learnt how to learn the tools included along the way (the spot healing tool, the magic eraser tool, the polygon lasso tool etc.). I have also learnt how a good camera can really affect the end quality of a picture. I have learnt where I can find different fonts on the internet and how to download and use them (i.e. opening up the font file before opening the programme).
I learnt how different camera angles and zooms can really change how dramatic and eye catching a picture can be, I also realised how lighting and set can completely change the atmosphere and mood of a piece.
Looking back at my preliminary tack I can see that I have clearly improved. In my preliminary task I focused on using new tools and effects I had learnt how to use, rather than creating a product that follows a basic structure and form of a magazine that appeals to the specific target audience. Anthem looks more finished and professionally finished than my preliminary task and follows a more constant flowing theme throughout where as my preliminary task did not really follow any theme at all.