Contents page and double page spread ideas (sub photos)

In this task I have taken some pictures that may be included on my double page spread and contents page. I took some pictures of people playing instruments and some of fashionable shoes, this shows that the magazine is a mixture of everything not just one aspect of music. 

Below I have attached the feedback from my target audience regarding the pictures for the contents page and double page spread.
 From recieving this feedback it is clear that the idea of having people playing musical instruments in the pictures is a very good idea as it reinforces the fact that it is a pop music magazine.

The pictures that include the instruments clearly aren't of a very good quality this is due to the fact that I knew they wouldn't be my final images and I was aware of the fact that they would need amendments so I will be taking them again in a different setting, outfits etc and of a better quality which is what my target audience also said that they think I should do.

My target audience said that they like the fact I have included fashionable shoes that typically the artists featured in my magazine and the target audience would wear and have knowledge of. This emphasises the fact that the content of my magazine will include a mixture of everything, not just one aspect of music as that would limit the possibilities that I could explore within my magazine.

Layouts of magazine pages

In this task I have drawn out rough drafts for my front cover, contents page and double page spread so that I have some type of guidance and idea when creating my magazine. I used ruler, pencil and colours when doing these in the images shown below. 

Fonts, colour scheme, house style and feedback

In this task I have shown my ideas for fonts and colour scheme on a prezi so that it is clear for my target audience to see when deciding which ones they like the most.
 

Below I have attached the feedback that I have received from my target audience.



 From this feedback, I have decided to use colour scheme 1 due to the fact that it uses bright and bold colours which makes it eye catching. The colours used are considered to stereotypically be feminine colours which is good considering my primary target audience are females.

The font that I have decided to use in my magazine is Lemon/Milk as it is bold however not too bold and it suits the name of the magazine.

Potential articles and audience feedback

In this task I have come up with three ideas for potential articles and then asked my target audience their opinion on them.

My first article idea was ' ___ vs ___, what artist is better', in this I would include information such as who has released more albums, who has more spottily streams, battle of the fans and quotes from artists.

My second article idea was an 'Exclusive interview from ...', in this I would include an insight to being Beyonce's support act, 10 fire questions of 30 seconds, favourite fashion items at the moment, love life and upcoming albums.

My third article idea was 'V Festival gossip', in this i would include backstage information from the celebrities, line-up and quotes from what the fans thought. Below I have attached a video of my target audiences feedback. I made a mistake in this video by forgetting to insert a title.

From this feedback, I have decided to make my article an 'exclusive interview from...' because that is most popular in my target audience as they want to know more about the artist, their interests and music

Application of Uses and Gratifications to contents page- Prezi

In this task I have applied the aspects of the uses and gratifications theory to a Top of the Pops contents page. By doing this task it has enabled me to gain a clear understanding of where the uses and gratifications theory has been applied, therefore when it comes to creating my magazine I will know what to include to ensure that all the demands of the theory have been met.

Contents Page Analysis x2- Prezi

In this task I have analysed two contents pages from pop music magazines. The first contents page that I have analysed is from Top of the Pops and the second contents page that I have analysed is from Billboard. As I have analysed two contents pages from pop music magazines, it will benefit me when creating my magazine due to the fact that I know what works well in a contents page and I will know what to include in it so that it meets the demands of my target audience.

Cover photo ideas and audience feedback

In this task I have taken some sample pictures for which I could use on my front cover. I have taken pictures a girl, which is a 'famous person' that my target audience would know so it would mean that they are more likely going to buy the magazine. I have only taken pictures with one outfit and one setting, however once I receive feedback from my target audience about the pictures I will make some amendments so that it ends up being the most eye-catching. Below I have attached a collage of some of my pictures that I took for the front cover. I made the collage on an application called BeFunky so it is easier to look at the pictures.




Below is my feedback from my target audience.

 I received feedback from my target audience about my main images through an audio clip. From this feedback, I have decided to have a different setting for my cover photo so that there is a plain white background, I will also change the outfit so that it matches the colour scheme and I will change the facial expression so that it is happy as that is what my target audience said that they would want.

Audience feedback on coverline ideas

In this post I have used final cut pro to create a video which includes feedback regarding my cover line ideas.

 

 I asked four people within my target audience what this opinions on my cover line ideas were. The options of cover lines were:
-X-Factor 2016 results
-Exclusive interview from...
-AMA award winners
-Kanye's breakdown insight
-UK top 40
-Win Glastonbury tickets here
 -Top Twitter Trends

 From conducting this research, I came to the conclusion that the most popular cover lines are 'Exclusive interview from...'and 'Win Glastonbury tickets here' therefore those 2 cover lines will definitely be ones that feature in my magazine along with other popular cover lines that my target audience chose.

The 'Exclusive interview from...' cover line is very popular due to the fact that it gives my target audience an insight into a certain artist and it comes from the artist themselves rather than a journalist so it seems more personal. This means that my target audience are more likely going to have a personal connection with the magazine and would want to buy it because it includes an exclusive interview. The fact that the interview is 'exclusive' makes the reader seem like they know more and seem more knowledgeable.

The 'Win Glastonbury tickets here' cover line is popular within my target audience because it my target audience another additional reason to buy the magazine as there is a chance that they could win tickets to go to a festival where a lot of the artists that are featured in the magazine would be at so they would be interested in it.

Audience Feedback on Treatment

In this task I have asked 4 people from my target audience about what masthead, slogan, price and tone/theme that they like the most is.

 From completing this task I have come up with decisions about what masthead, slogan, price and tone/theme are most popular in my target audiences opinion. I filmed 4 people from my target audience and I asked them what ones they prefer, I then created and edited a video on final cut pro and uploaded it to youtube.

 When deciding on masthead ideas, I came up with many different options so I asked my target audience what ones they prefer. All four of the people that I spoke to said that they like the name 'Jukebox' for my masthead the most. From these results, I have decided to use 'Jukebox' as it was most popular and the name clearly links to music as well being sophisticated and not childish. Initially I had many slogan ideas, some were good and some weren't so good.

When asking my target audience about which one they all prefer, they all said that they like 'Music all day everyday' the most. The reasons that they liked this slogan the most was because it was the most eye-catching and easy to remember which is crucial for a slogan. Due to the fact that my magazine is to be released monthly rather than weekly, my target audience were willing to pay a bit more. The majority of responses said that they would spend either £2.50 or £2.75. The reasons that they chose these prices is because they don't think it is too expensive because it will only be once a month and it is not enough to spend due to the fact that the majority of my target audience won't receive a high income.

 All four people said that they would want the magazine to have a formal tone because an informal tone would be too childish. They also said that they would want the theme of the magazine to include a mixture of everything because they want to know everything that is relevant not just one specific aspect.

Preliminary Task and Evaluation

In this task, I created a front cover and contents page for a school magazine. I used photoshop to create these. By doing this task it has helped me gain further understanding for photoshop. Below I have attached my front cover, contents page and evaluation video.

Conclusion of research

Conclusion 

This research has been very beneficial to me due to the fact that I now have a clear understanding of what I need to do to make my front cover, double page spread and contents page the best that it can be.

The background/context part of my research was needed so that I was able to gain an insight into the history of music magazines as a whole. This stage in my research helped me to decide what genre I wanted to make my magazine due to the fact that I gained information on lots of different genres and looked at all different types of music magazines.

The next section of my research was Genre, this was very important because it was the section where I decided what genre I was going to make my magazine. By carrying out this research, it enabled me to find out even more about the pop music genre which will benefit me when creating my magazine as I now know what necessary for my magazine.

Carrying out the textual analysis research was very useful because it showed me what was important to include in each aspect of my magazine, it also let me know why certain parts of the magazine were included and what the benefit is by including them.

Target audience research was very important because I know what to include in my magazine so that it will be able to satisfy the needs of my primary, secondary and tertiary target audiences.

Target Audience profile- emaze

In this task I have looked into my primary, secondary and tertiary target audiences. I also used avachara to create an animation character. This task is very useful because I have a clearer idea of how to design my magazine so it attracts my target audience.

Summary of textual analysis

Summary

In this task I will be writing a summary of what I have learnt whilst completing tasks 14-19.

Completing the textual analysis blog tasks have been very beneficial for me. The analysis of front covers, contents pages and double page spread were helpful as I know what aspects are important to include in these specific areas of a magazine. The analysis of these areas helped me understand specific key terms better so when I include them in my magazine I will be more confident in their effect on the consumer.

The uses and gratifications theory tasks are very affective due to the fact that I will be applying the knowledge on the theory that I gained whilst carrying out the tasks to my front cover. These tasks were very useful because all magazines need to include the theory therefore I will know now if anything else needs to be added to my magazine to meet the demands of the uses and gratifications theory.

Double page spread heard copy analysis

In this task, I have annotated a hard copy of a magazine. I purchased a copy of Billboard magazine to annotate it.

This task has given me more of an insight of what should be included on a double page spread and it had enabled me to look at a double page spread from the readers perspective before creating my own one.

Uses and Gratifications Introduction- Go Animate

In this task I have produced a go animate video which includes information about the Uses and Gratifications theory.

https://goanimate.com/videos/0hISfXqQ2Mho?utm_source=linkshare&utm_medium=linkshare&utm_campaign=usercontent

This task has given me a clear understanding about the uses and gratifications theory and I now feel comfortable about what is meant by the theory and what is included in it and how it is applied to all aspects of media, not just magazines.

Double Page Spread Analysis x2- Prezi

In this task I have analysed two double page spreads from pop music magazines in detail. The first double page spread that I has analysed is from Billboard Magazine and the second is from a Top of the Pops Magazine. This task is very useful because I now know how to lay out a double page spread for a pop music magazine and what is important to include in it for when it comes to creating my magazine.

Front Page Analysis x2- Prezi

In this post I have analysed two front covers of pop music magazines. The first front cover that I have analysed is 'Top of the Pops' and the second front cover that I have analysed is 'Billboard'.  This task is crucial because I know what to include in my front cover in order for it to be like a pop music magazine. This task has shown me what works well on a front cover so I know what is necessary for a magazine of the pop genre.

Electropop- Sub Genre

Sub Genre

In this task, I have looked into sub genres of the pop genre. The sub genre that I have looked into is Electropop and from this, the magazine that I have decided to research further into is MixMag. Electropop is a musical genre which is a mixture of electronic music and pop music. The sub genre became popular during the 1980s and has still remained popular. Various electronic instruments such as synthesizers are used to produce the music, Electropop is characterised by a distinctive low frequency synthesiser.  

There are many different magazines which are specific just to electropop, an example of an electropop music magazine is MixMag. MixMag is a British music magazine which generally focuses on electronic dance and clubbing music. It was initially launched in 1982 and it is published monthly. 

Electropop artists are artists such as: Ladytron- who are a band that formed in 1999, The Ting Tings- an alternative pop duo who were formed in 2004, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga and The Knife. The type of people that listen to electropop music are typically Men ages 18-24. Electropop music would typically be heard in clubs, on the radio and on music applications such as spotify. 

By conducting this research into a pop sub genre, it has allowed me to find out more about the pop genre as a whole due to the fact that I now know that there are many different sub genres in the pop genre which I can base my magazine around. 

Competitor Research- Word Cloud

In this word cloud I have included the names of pop music magazines. In this word cloud I have included names of magazines that will can be found in shops and online. By making this word cloud, it will make it easier for me to remember the names of specific pop music magazines. This task will help me when creating my magazine because it will help me to decide on a name for my magazine.

Mood Board- Final Cut Pro

In this task I have created a mood board which consists of current pop music. By doing this task it will enable me to know what artists to include in my magazine as they are the most popular artists.

Genre Research- Prezi

In this prezi, I have looked into the pop music genre into more detail.

The information that I have gathered whilst carrying out this task will be very useful for me when creating my magazine because I have received good information regarding the pop genre which I will need to include when I create my magazine.

Mass VS Niche Publications - PowToon

In this PowToon I have looked at Mass and Niche publications and analysed different magazines.


 

From this task, I have learnt that the main differences between mass and niche publications are that mass publications are aimed at a large target audience which will attract a lot of different people, whereas niche publications are aimed a much smaller target audience who are only interested in that specific topic. Niche publications would be unable to reach a large range of people unlike mass.

Summary of Background/Context

From all the research that I have carried out so far I have received a lot of information regarding the music magazine industry. The background/context section will be crucial for when it comes to my next sections. I have learnt about magazines and the history of magazines, as well as this I learnt about the key concepts of magazines which I will be applying to my magazine when I start to create it and I also looked into various different genres of music such as pop, rock, hiphop, electric and many more. By having a deeper insight into the different genres, it will help me decide what genre I want my music magazine to be. In addition, I have learnt that there is not just one type of music magazines, there are magazines for all different genres of music.

For example, NME is for rock and indie music, Billboard is for the pop genre and XXL is a hip hop magazine.

I have learnt that the magazine industry is very big industry, however the income for magazine companies is decreasing due to the fact that the majority of the information can also be found on the internet. To try and resolve this problem, magazine companies have come up with solutions such as making it able for people to have online magazine subscriptions and also have special editions of magazines which can only be purchased in a physical copy rather than online.

Music Iconography mindmap- Mindomo

In this mind map, I have shown a few examples of different music genres. As well as this I have added the names and images of popular artists within the specific genres.

Comparing Music Magazine Publishers- Prezi

Here I have compared Bauer Media and Anthem Publishers, these are both publishers which publish music magazines.

Wordle on music magazines- Wordle

In this wordle, I have included words that are related to the music genre and words that are applied to magazine conventions.

In my wordle, I have included words such as pug, quotes, webiste, article, barcode etc. I have included these words because they are essential key terms for all magazines, not just music magazines. I have added names of specific music magazines to my wordle such as Top of the Pops, Kerrang, Q etc. The reason I have done this is because specific music magazines are very important for different genres of music so that artists/fans can find out what music is successful and what people want to hear. 

Analysis of music magazines- Piktochart

Here I have analysed 6 front covers of different music magazines and I have written about the similarities and differences.

Key Concepts Applied to a Music Magazine- Slideshare

In this slideshare I have written about the 4 key concepts that are applied to a music magazine, magazine history and magazines compared with newspapers.

Key Concepts Applied to a Music Magazine from arabellashifrin

Completing that task has been very useful due to the fact that it will help me when creating my magazine as I will now know what to include in it in order for it to be successful and to ensure that it will follow the typical codes and conventions. 

My Video Diary on the Magazine Industry

In this video I have spoken about the music industry and popular magazines within the industry.

Introduction To My Coursework

Course Introduction

Introduction to me 

Hi my name is Arabella Shifrin, I am 16 years old and I go to Jcoss. I have chosen to do media AS level and A level because I did media GCSE and I thoroughly enjoyed so I want to further my skills and knowledge. Another reason as to why I have chosen this course is because I would like to go into the media industry once I have left school and university.

AS Coursework

My AS Coursework counts as 50% of my final AS Media grade. I have been asked to research about media magazines and what is currently popular in the music magazine industry. I will be planning and creating my own music magazine which will include a plan, front cover, contents and double page spread of the music genre. I will have a clear target audience which I will be targeting my magazine at.