Media Magazine Production (Research, Composition, Evaluation)

Magazine - Evaluation

Looking at my research, which I conducted using the Internet and sample copies, I was able to distinguish what made a music magazine attract its intended audience. Once choosing my Audience (Teenagers) I then conducted further research to see what appealed to this age group. Once this was completed I had an exceptionally good idea of what my audience wanted.

The layout and design represents that of a common music related magazine. The large image illustrates the main story whilst the text orbiting the image aims to attract and inform the audience of what’s in this week’s issue.

The genre of my publication is ‘Indie’, I believe this ties in with the social groups illustrated within the magazine. People buy magazines as they gain an interest in the specific music or themes the magazine portrays – so it could be said that ‘Indie enthusiasts’ would buy my magazine, so in that sense mine represents the Indie/punk social group. Moreover, the publication represents this specific group as they would wish to be presented. The value and attitudes show through the article on the double page spread and the colours and images used also help to interest and represent the individuality of my audience. This is how I attracted my audience.

The media institution which could distribute my product would be either ‘IPC’ or ‘Bauer Media Group’. These two groups distribute the popular ‘NME’ and ‘Kerrang!’ I believe these two magazines mostly represent my publication (Indy and metal).

Here you can see my contents page I believe it also conveys that of a real media product. This is achieved through bright colours, the layout of the page, including relevant signposting, and the design work accomplished using Photoshop.My contents took the least amount of time to complete, (mainly because brushes and an Idea for design was already completed) however an equal amount of effort was put in.

One problem I faced with my contents page was making the text look realistic as it sat around the image. This was hard to achieve as the image didn’t move the text out of the way and people I asked were unsure how to do this. I overcame this problem by moving each line of text manually around the mage until the text sat nicely in place.

My favourite part of the contents page is the title reading ‘CONTENTS PAGE’. This is because the effect created on Photoshop using the brush gives the wording a realistic graffiti look. Overall I am very pleased with my contents page. I feel it suits the other pages incredibly well. If I could change one thing about my contents page, it would be the writing above the image in the middle. I struggled to find a font which reflected an Indie scene, however looking back the font illustrating what’s inside the magazine more than makes up for it.

Feedback

Lian Nuttall

“I love the design work of the whole magazine, it looks like it’s been drawn from a shop shelf. The professional finish only furthers my positive opinion on the overall quality of this product”

Sarah Fox

“My favourite bit is the double paged spread. I like the fact box and the advertisement on the other page looks really good. The colour scheme is attractive and striking, overall, I think it’s excellent.”

Charlie Johnstone

“The magazine looks eye-catching and colourful. I love the use of the brushes and humour created through the syringe in the neck. However I would maybe consider altering the effect on the main model – colours could create more of an impact”.

Overall I am very happy with the feedback on my product. I am pleased with the overall design of my finished product. However, if I were to change one thing, it would be to possibly add a few more pictures to my front page – this could increase the overall interest.

The final stage in the completion of my project was to create a double paged spread. I understood this should take near enough the time it took to complete my front cover. However my time management wasn’t efficient, looking back I would’ve spent a little less time on my cover to compensate for time spent on the double page spread.

The final stage in the completion of my project was to create a double paged spread. I understood this should take near enough the time it took to complete my front cover. However my time management wasn’t efficient, looking back I would’ve spent a little less time on my cover to compensate for time spent on the double page spread.

On the left page of my double page spread I designed an interview with a Solo artist (Sam Brooks). I used images taken at a recent concert and chose the most effective image. The story article consisted of a short story illustrating how this young guitar/singer enthusiast went from club to concert in a couple of months.

The design behind the text uses arrows and American themed brushes to create an authentic classic blues theme.(This fits in with the overall theme of the artist.) The page on the right shows a party that is taking place in the next couple of weeks. I gained an idea for an advertisement after I viewed one published in an issue of the NME. I then designed the ‘PARTY EXTREME WEEK’ logo and chose a colour which I believed fitted appropriately.

If, however if I were to change one thing it would be adding more images on the left page. I am happy with my current image, nevertheless a couple more would defiantly give the article greater impact.

Over the process of constructing my product (from preliminary to final product) I have learnt a vast amount with respect to technology and how media products attract their audiences in order to sell their magazines. Photoshop CS3 Extended was difficult to use at first and my preliminary magazine cover exemplified this. However, once I came to grips with the software and had gained an idea of how my magazine would look – I managed to create some striking pieces. One lesson I have learnt when creating magazines/double paged spreads/ contents is the time limit large companies, such as ‘Total Guitar’, have. Although I am not a full time designer I can gain some understanding of how efficient these companies have to be to deliver the magazine on time. The design work, different stories and pictures shown in the publications aren’t fully appreciated unless you’ve sat down and created something, from nothing.

Music Magazine Production (Research, Composition, Evaluation)

Magazine Composition

Contents Page

Above is my contents page. The contents required a lot of time to ensure it was finished to a high standard and characterized that of a real music magazine. The colour scheme is constant throughout the pieces, however I have chosen to add a little more green to vary the interests of the reader slightly.

The small caption of text next to the image, talks about a DJ’s music. I thought a small article like this would be effective as it captures the curiosity of the reader if they’re to turn to the contents page before buying the magazine.

Again I used a variety of brushes which I downloaded; I also used different fonts and diversify effects to make my contents look appealing.

Throughout the magazine there is information about what’s in this week’s issue. I made this information look as attractive by using varying fonts, images and colours. Overall I believe my contents page has definite characteristics of a real music magazine content. Underneath you can see my double-paged spread. This sums up the process of creating my final piece.

Double-paged spread

My double paged spread consisted of an interview with a famous singer and an advertisement for a party on the right hand page. The article takes an authentic blues theme which I tied in with the music produced by the singer. The graphology of the piece takes the form of a conventional article, using columns and sub-heading (as signposts) to deliver the information.
One problem I uncounted was being unable to see the text on the background which I had designed in Photoshop. This is because, weather the text was black or white, the background showed both light and dark colours meaning some of the text would blend in. I overcame this problem by adding lightly coloured boxes behind the text. By changing the opacity of these boxes, I was able to see both the detail of the page and the text clearly.

Ensuring all the colours stood out on the page was my next task, I chose fairly dim colours for the design as these have connotations of authenticity, again representing the music of the artist, moreover it also allowed me to highlight more important pieces of information, such as the ‘Facts’ box. This box amalgamates both humour and fact; I also think that placing in on an angle creates a laid-back, careless attitude which again represents the character of the interviewee.

Once I had completed the left-hand page, I had decided in advance, to design an advert advertising a festival called ‘Partie Extreme Week’, I also added additional information including websites where the tickets could be purchased from, the date, and the main band the festival features; as this helps to sell the tickets.

I designed the background first, again using Photoshop. I decided on a simple advertisement which gets the message across effectively. The logo, which I also designed in Photoshop, shows bold writing with a white stroke, allowing the text to stand out on the page, I then tilted ‘week’ to create the idea of carelessness, I am very pleased with this overall logo.

Additionally I added hands around the bottom and side of the advertisement to illustrate the demand which the event creates, moreover the circles in the background and top left of the page create the illusion of light. I did this by using first applying the print, then (on another layer) altered the opacity and colour of the print and moved it slightly to the left of the original, thus generating a ‘god-like’ illustration.

Overall I am very happy with the finished result of my pieces. I think that the design work was very effective and all the pieces generated a positive feedback. Moreover I believe that these pieces represent the concepts of media products, through the use of an ideology which the audience can relate themselves too – such as youth/age and the music they are interested in. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole project.

Music Magazine Production (Research, Composition, Evaluation)

Magazine - Composition

As the front cover represents the magazine as a whole, I needed to create distinctive, attractive and stylish looking cover which would appeal to my audience. As my audience interacts with this product and are influenced by its values i had to ensure the images portrayed a realistic environment representative of musical artists. Using the studio available I used a friend to model as my Main Image. I used the brollies to ensure even light distribution to achieve the highest quality image possible.I took in all around 30 photos using a Nikon digital camera; making certain my model stood in different poses and positions guaranteeing a selection of quality images.

Above is the final image i chose to use. It shows my model standing in an up-right position looking with a serious tone into the camera; this creates a professional and authoritative representation. I used a cigarette as a prop.

Using Photoshop CS3 Extended i zoomed into the face of my model and added 'brush' effect - this created much more of an impact when on the cover of my magazine, i also coloured the glasses and cigarette - making them stand out. I finally added a gradient from around 45' on the image before converting it to black and white.

When choosing a costume I decided to dress the model in a long, black indie coat. This was representative of the indie fashion. I then unbuttoned the shirt allowing the t-shirt underneath to show through. The model tilted his head back ensuring all his face was visible, additionally this showed off the large collar attached to the rear of the coat.

I believe that this picture conveys that of a genuine media product.


The next step was to start to design the layout of the magazine cover. I decided (with research) that using bright, distinctive colours was vital to achieve interest. I also noticed that other music magazines such as the popular NME used constant and flowing colour schemes.

Here you can see the first stage in the completion of my magazine cover. The top left hand corner reads ‘INLAY’. This is the chosen name for my magazine. I believe it’s an effective name for my magazine as it represents the neck of a guitar which has numerous inlays down the fret board. However with much consideration I chose not to produce a guitar based magazine – with the name already designed and made I think it would’ve been totally inefficient to create a whole new name.

The logo (title) has a stencil effect around it and the pink lines allow me to separate the logo from the rest of the magazine. Moreover this allows the Logo to stand out and become recognised by the audience. However I was never really satisfied with the logo – I wasn’t entirely sure it achieved the impact I wanted it too.

The next step was to amalgamate the borders and the picture, before adding text to the cover. The image underneath is different to the final image I used; I changed my mind after seeing the results of the questionnaire. The image (designed in Photoshop CS3 Extended) was opened in Photoshop where the magazine started to be constructed. This stage was simple. I had to ensure the picture was positioned correctly on the page in context to the title. Looking at other magazines I gained an idea on how large the logo should be in relation to other items on the page. After adding the pictures to the main page I ensured all the text was clear and could be easily understood by the audience.

Above you can see the image has changed from the one described earlier. I thought it would be more effective if I zoomed out a little to show more of the costume, however, I changed back to the original later on in the construction process. I initially decided to call the main band on the front page ‘The Blazzers’, I then separately cut and rotated every letter to create the effect. I finished the name with a red stroke. However I decided afterwards that the text looked too unrealistic and doesn’t represent that of a typical Music Magazine. The next image illustrates the change once I had conducted my second questionnaire.



Above is the magazine cover once I had removed the text which gained negative feedback. I then replaced it with text reading ‘THE PUDS’, this text achieved a much more positive feedback.

Using the results from the questionnaire I also believed I could create greater impact with the large image of the model. I zoomed into the face, ensuring the quality of the image stayed the same. I then added a gradient on the image going from darker (on the left) to brighter (on the right).

You can also see that the design of the magazine had changed immensely since my last attempt. I added pink borders on the bottom of the page – which can hold text and pictures. Other pictures include one I took at a local band practice shown at the top right of the page.

The largest change of all is the title. I always believed I could create more of an impact and so chose a more minimalistic design. The text is now larger and the background colours were deleted to leave the background running straight through the title. I was now much happier with this and achieved the look I’d always wanted.

The magazine now started to take shape.

Here you can see the magazine with an added border. I wanted the magazine to stand out and appeal to the audience when on the shelf competing with other music magazines. I experimented with different colours including orange and green. However I decided to colour the vast majority of the cover in pink – using only a little bit of dark green. I also found some Photoshop brushes that were downloadable from the internet. I checked with a teacher to ensure I could use brushes on my magazine and he ensured me it was fine. I then downloaded a selection of brushes including Splatter Brushes, Army oriented Brushes and general images.

I added these brushes around the edge of the magazine to create a distinctive, dirty magazine look. The border running down the left hand side of the magazine was later removed as I was not satisfied with the result. I felt I could instead add images to compensate for the loss.


The cover above has now had the downloadable brushes added. Behind the logo is a large bullet, along with a clock added in the left hand corner, the syringe in the neck of the model and the satellite above the ‘Free CD’ text. I believe this design would now attract the intended teenage audience as it created more of a ‘dirty’ theme.

Finally I added more pictures down the left side of the cover. The image which illustrates the drummer was taken at a local band practice and the image displaying the band ‘Sampras’ was taken under a bridge with the graffiti name shown above the band members. The Sampras image was moved from the bottom right of the page to the left where it fitted better – I then added a bar code to replace the image, this also allowed me to add more text which I thought my magazine lacked. Around the images I added more brush effects and attractive text. I also brought in a new colour (Camouflage green), which I dotted around the page.

Over the process of constructing my magazine I used as much feedback as possible from friends and teachers. This was so I could produce a more effective and appealing cover, it also supported efficiency, as, if I would’ve made all the changes at the end of the construction, it’s more possible I would’ve ran out of time as I often attempt to perfect my work.

Music Magazine Production (Research, Composition, Evaluation)

Magazine - Research and Planning 

NME Music Magazine

NME is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition.  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 The design of this issue of the NME magazine uses a variety of signposts, such as Sub-headings, Lists, Bold text and colour

ed sections, to attract the readers. Th

e main colours used are red and yellow – as the background is black, these colours stand out very well.

The image is also very powerful, this is because it focuses directly on the emotions of the persons face allowing those feelings to be projected throughout the front age of the magazine. Additionally language such as ‘Exclusive’, ‘Plus’ and ‘Revealed’ also help in attracting the audience.

 There are also many quotes of people or bands published in the magazine. These quotes allow the reader to believe there has been some kind of interaction between the magazine and these famous stars.

Overall I believe this magazine is a good example of a NME music mag, the colours used are effective, bright and attractive and the representation of the bands appeal to the target audience.

This issue of the NME Magazine is another of my favourites. It is very similar to the issue above, however the main sub-heading ‘THE AUTOMATIC’ really captures my attention as the groovy font is bright and has an element of character.

Moreover there are lots of small stories dotted around the page. For example, in the top right hand corner of the magazine there is a small story on ‘The Killers’, this  also helps to attract the audience as, in most cases, music plays an important part in the lives of the readers.

Overall I believe that this magazine is another well designed piece. The colours used a bright and attractive and the pictures capture the personalities of the band members very well. I would defiantly consider using some of these design features in my work.

This issue of the NME Music Magazine is much more ‘busy’ than any of the others I have annotated. However this adds to the idea that the magazine is packed with information on the up-to-date news and gossip from all the latest bands. The use of colour is also limited to the use of reds and darker colours – I believe this is the desired theme that the designers were trying to create when producing this issue.

I have also noticed that the main band being interviewed or pictured have their name printed in large text towards the centre of the page. This is also the case on the other magazines created by NME designers. Doing this allows the audience to focus on the main story of the magazine and further persuades them to buy.

Overall I believe this series of the NME magazine is less well designed than the previous mags. This is because of the lack of bright, distinctive colours and the lack of design features and signposts. 

Total Guitar Magazine

This is an issue of the Total Guitar magazine and I believe it is the best music related magazine I have seen yet. I love the use of editing to create the lightning effect between the fingers/hands of the band members. I also believe the expression on all of the band members faces really illustrate the personalities of these people; from mad and eccentric to calm and sophisticated.

The ‘craziness’ theme is carried out throughout the magazine – the use of red (which have connotations of blood and madness) really helps to express this theme. I also like the idea of the columned text, down the sides of the magazine. This helps to structure the written text and allows it to be put into categories. i.e. ‘LEARN TO PLAY’.

Overall I think this is a great magazine to base some of my design ideas on. I believe the ideology of the front cover really exemplifies the stereotypical Death Metal bands around and the use of dark colours really demonstrates the theme created by the Total Guitar designers.

Various Music Magazine Contents Pages

When searching the net for certain contents pages, this one automatically captured my attention. There are various reasons why I like the design of this contents page. Firstly the images on the page are very well designed and placed. I love the idea of the dynamite stick – and the theme of explosion and tension.

I also find the top half of the magazine very striking; this is because it seems that nothing is aligned and it all seems very bizarre. Additionally the colours used aren’t colours that I have come across before. The use of creams, orangey yellows and peach really fit nicely and almost conflict with the idea of suspense created by the dynamite.

Overall I think that this contents page is very well designed and I believe I could use some of the features used in this magazine in my own work.

However I would suggest the use of most headlines and pictures, I understand that the designers may want to keep a clean and tidy page, but the use of more images might be enjoyed further by the readers. 

It is fairly hard to find contents pages from the internet using a search engine. However I have managed to find this example of a music magazine contents page.

There are various images used from well know musical artists involved in music, some of the pictures are more serious. Such as ‘Good Charlotte’, however others are more fun and enthusiastic, such as ‘Fall Out Boy’. This is an aspect of the magazine which would really attract the audience as it not only shows the artists on the photos, but personalities associated with each artist.

The design of the magazine is fairly moderate as all the pictures are in columns, as well as the text. This may be the layout the designers desired, however, it is not a layout I would consider.

Overall I believe that this magazine contents isn’t as successful as the above contents page. This is because there is a lack of colours used throughout the page, additionally all the pictures are placed in a column which doesn’t seem as attractive as they could be. 

AS Group 19