Photographs

I asked three of my friends 2 boys and one girl to be models for my pictures. I chose these three as the boys have a similiar liad back style whilst the girl had a sequined jacket and more of edgeyness to her. I asked the boys to dress how they normally would but asked the girl to wear the flower headband and the sequined jacket which contrast with one another. I chose to do a range of shots with different poses, angles and lengths as i new i needed to get as many as possible in order to get a good choice to choose from.

Target Audience

Through researching different music magazines i have decided to aim my target audience at 16-24. I chose this age as some of the language which may be used in the magazine may be unappropriate for a younger age and people over the age of 24 who are maybe more settledand out of the whole student lifestyle by then may be uninterested. It will be alot easier to aim this as my target audience as music is a dominated thing in the lives of people between these ages.
To ensure that i will aim the magazine at my target audience i will make sure i give them what they want. I will make the magazine looks young and fresh but also to fit in with my genre of indie/rock. I want my magazine to stand out apart from others which is one of the main reasons of the brand name "RBL".

Moodboard

Conventions Of My Music Magazine

After researching various music magazines aswell as fashion/celebrity magazines i have plenty of ideas how i would like my magazine to look and the conventions i would like to include within my own piece of work.

Front Cover;
The main part of a front cover is the image which will feature, all of the characters used i will ensure they are facing the camera which is a continuous theme which i have found within my research. I have also chosen to use a band as the main image rather than a single artist which is what the target audience of my magazine i believe would prefer. I have decided that unlike most magazines i would like to include a background behind the image instead of the magazines i have researched which usually keep it white.
The masthead of my magazine i have decided to follow the continuous trend of other magazines and keep it short, in capitals and red. Red is a very strong, bold colour which has many connotations to anger, violence, blood but also love and passion by the contrast in connotations this could represent how versatile the contents of my magazine is. Although i have followed the conventions of other magazines when referring to the font and style of my masthead i have changed the position. Instead of placing the masthead in the top lefthand corner of the screen i have chosen to put it straight bang in the centre of the front page. By placing it in the middle of the page this signifies domination which is exactly the message i wanted to connotate. The only problem i have recognised with placing my masthead in that position is if my magazine was placed behind other magazines on a shelf, the masthead would not be recognisable.
The characters are all placed ontop of eachother in the centre of the page, two of which are seperated by the masthead, the bottom of the page below one of the characters heads also features a heading which is the name of the band "Cursed Glitter" I chose the name as it is an antagonistic phrase with cursed having no connotations to the word glitter and vice versa. Above the heading which i used Dafonts.com to write is the subheading. The subheading is a quote taken from the interview which is included inside of the magazine.
Down the side of the cover i decided to list the names of some of the artists which feature inside the magazine, instead of the normal conventions which would place the plug at the bottom of the page along the bottom; again i have chosen to break the conventions.
The placing of the barcode, date and issue which have been placed in the top left hand corner are also other examples of how i have broken the usual conventions of a music magazine.

Contents Page;
I started off with re-using the masthead from the front cover as in my research of other music magazines i also realised they did. Although the placement of the masthead could not be in the centre of the page like how it was on the front cover i decided to follow the conventions of on sale music magazines and placed it in the left hand corner.
The heading of the contents page i decided to just use "Contents" this informs my audience what the page is aswell as fitting perfectly overlapping the masthead. The research i did showed that this broke the usual conventions of placement of header as it was usually at the side of the masthead o beneath it. Underneath the heading i used an image of the band which feature on the front page of my magazine this shows that it wasn't just a random act them being on the front and they feature all the way through the magazine. Both the two boys which feature on the outsides are loking towards the camera smiling which shows they are welcoming and not intimidating in any way. The girl which is seated in the middle of the two boys is laughing showing she is carefree and signifies that she doesnt really care of what she looks like to other people as she is confident in herself.
Beside the image is the editors note, i chose to include this as every magazine i researched had one, to keep it personal as a note from the editor to the individual reader i chose to wish them a happy new year which gives off a friendly view. Although i chose not to use an image of myself i did use a signature like font to sign my own name.
The research i did into magazines i found the majority had catagorised the contents of their magazines into features- things that may "feature" on the cover of the magazine aswell as being exclusives that you would not find usually inside, the other catagory "every month" which catagorises the contents of the magazine you could find inside every issue. I decided to follow this convention however usually in magazines a contents page lists the majority of the contents which can be found inside the magazine however a few of the magazines i researched had double contents pages so i decided i would put the top articles under both catagories on this page as it would be the first page the audience would see and list the rest of the contents on another page however i only designed the one page contents page.
I decided to keep the red colour scheme all the way through my magazine so i used it as the font colour for the names of the two catagories aswell as the numbers.
The page numbers i decided to make extra big in order to make them stand out, the bold red colour also contrasts with the black writing.

Double Page Spread;
I played around with the double page spread for a while branching out on different ideas but in the end i decided to go for a simple picture of all three characters and overlap it onto the other page. I did this so that the image dominated the article and therefore signifies the characteristics of the band and how well they are doing in the charts at the moment. Most images in magazines are of the people facing towards the camera, i decided to break the conventions and have them facing away looking towards where the sun is shining from, this could signify them looking towards the future.
I also decided to reincorporate the colour red so i used it for the headline "Exclusive", the page number and the name of the person who was speaking therefore all of these things would clearly stand out from everything else.
The masthead which i am using all the way through my magazine has also been placed in the top left hand side of the page.
I used the same font for name of the band "Cursed Glitter" on the double page spread as i did on the front cover and therfore could be seen as the same font on their merchandise. Instead of placing it straight across the page i decided to break the conventions and turn it on a 90 degree angle so it was down the side of the page. I find this really effective as it stands out against the colours in the image aswell as facing the way the characters are.
I decided to use columns to write the interview in as it fitted more of the interview in and it looks more professional.

Planning My Masthead

I came up with various ideas i could use for the title of the mashead of my magazine which included; Lyric, Melody, Cleff (asin the music note), Note, Harmony and mix. I came up with these words by researching musical terminology phrases.

I then decided that i wanted something more original so started to think of words which connotated with the indie/ rock genre of my magazine which is when i thought of the idea that stars which were already related to this genre of music have reputations for being rebellious. I toyed with the idea of calling my magazine Rebel, Rebellion and rebellious however i wasn't satisfied with having a long name for my magazine and i like the idea of having an abbreviated word or just one letter as the title for my music magazine. In the end i decided to shorten the word rebel and came up with "RBL".

I decided then to research different fonts and styles which i could use for my masthead. I used the website http://www.dafont.com/ to research this and chose a selection of my favourite styles which i could choose between.

Prices

Music;
NME-£2.30
Q- £3.90
Kerrang- £2.20
MOJO- £4.50

Fashion/Celebrity;
More!- £1.40

Researching Mastheads

I researched into different mastheads of various genred magazines to help find a style in which i could base my ideas on for my own masthead. I decided that the recurring pattern of the red bold font was a good idea to use however the only thig with this would be that there are already alot of magazines with a red masthead. So i would have to do something different with the style.
I then decided i could use the style that the "kerrang!" masthead has used, it looks very different compared to all of the other mastheads i have seen and also fits perfectly with the genre of its target audience, aswell as i my own. I have also decided that my font will be very bold.

2 More Textual Analysis Of Double Page Spreads

This double page spread very clearly states who this article is about not only by the large clear white font "Noel Gallagher" but also by the left handside page being dominated by a medium shot of the star with his head tilted downwards glancing up, this is done to make Noel look intimidating. Instead of a smile he shows no other facial expressions only those used by his eyes and the tilt of his head. Because the image was taken from a low angle it looks asthough his head is larger and closer to the lens than anyother part of him, this may correspond with the related stigma attatched to Noel as being arrogant or it could be to make him seem like somebody not to be messed with, he is of higher superiority. This can also be backed up by the slightly smaller less bold black writing underneath the stars name saying "The Chief". This term is usually used when talking about somebody of higher authority than everybody else and Noel gives of the impression he feels he is.
Noel is wearing a brown leather jacket which his hands are placed in, this also helps reflect these ideas as he is not giving off the impression he is a trustworthy boy next door who you oculd take home to meet the parents for example. The white aura behind the stencil shape of his body is white which fades into the light blue background colour, this shows connotations of angels and fluffy white clouds in the sky which all have positive connotations how ever the way Noel is positioned is quite the opposite. People are said to also have auras around them when are of higher superiority asthough they are untouchable and unstoppable which may be the representative the magazine is trying to achieve.
The page is spread out so that on the left hand side is the image and the right handside is all of the writing. At the top of the right hand page in the centre is a black box which includes the word "icon" the magaine this aricle featured in was doing a special edition of the iconic artists and bands which is why this was included so the audience could tell it belonged to other pages which where part of this article.
Underneath this is the artists name which is in the largest font, it is also white font which stands out against all of the res tof the font which is black. Underneath this is a heading " The Chief" this font is slightly smaller and then there is a sub-heading underneath this which is slightly smaller font again.
Underneath all of this are 3 columns of black text all of the same size and neatly set out. The whole layout of this spread is very clear and accurate.
The first word of the text in the first of the three columns begins with the capital letter "N" which is of the same size font of the heading, this could be because the artists name starts with the same letter or to emphasise that this is where the article begins.


This double page spread is unlike a normal interview it is questions from the readers that have been paid to ask the famous musician P!NK questions they would like to know about her music or personal life and recieve money in return. This is a great idea as it gets the reader more involved in the magazine and other readers who may have the same questions they would like to know may read the article in order to get these questins answered. The right hand side of the feature has a close up image of P!NK which would catch the readers attention automatically as in the picture she has a huge warm welcoming smile.
At the top left handside of the pages is a black thick line which goes along the page until halfway through the other page this is just clarifying that this is a main feautured article and will have been advertised on the front cover of the magazine.
The laft handside page which is where the text is is white in colour with 3 columns of black writing halfway down the page after more text including the artists name and what the article is "cash for questions" have been determined in a more spaced out slightly larger font.

2 More Textual Analysis Of Music Magazine Contents Pages

The second contents page I am going to analyse I have taken from the magazine Kerrang! The main function of a contents page is to inform readers what they can find in the rest of the contents of the magazine. Different styles of media language are used on contents pages not just your typical text but also by images. This contents page has more images than it has text. Underneath the images are the anchorages which include the names of the artists featured in the magazine and a brief summary of what they are doing in the magazine.
The colour scheme throughout Kerrang! Is yellow and black and this is continued onto the contents page. The background is white, which allows the important features on the contents page to stand out and not be blurred into the background. The yellow represents a sense of danger as it is an aluminous yellow as well as the black which represents a dirty rebellious image which reflects the music genre of heavy metal.

At the top of the page is the masthead “Contents” this is shown in large, bold bright yellow font which has been placed inside a black box, making the page brighter and more noticeable to the reader; as the yellow stands out and shows them what the page is about, this layout also reminds me of a warning sign. Also inside the black box in a smaller font there is the issue number and issue release date this is to remind the audience however it will also be published on the front cover where it will be looked at more.
The top left hand corner of the page features a note from the Editor. This is placed next to an image of the front cover of the magazine. The note from the editor talks about the week the person has had and the contents of the magazine, which articles they like and add their own personal comments to it. The type of language used is chatty and informal. This is effective as it relates to the target audience and offers a more personal approach to the reader. At the end of the editorial the editor has signed his name to create a friendship between the reader and editor.
On the right hand side of the page there is a long column that highlights the main features included in the week’s issue. The column features small aluminous yellow subheadings placed on top of a black background, repeating the style of the masthead. This is to show each articles importance by making articles easier for the reader to find what they are looking for also by using page numbers. The column is put on this section of the page as it is the first opening page and will be the first thing the reader will see, it almost resembles an introduction.
Beneath the column in the bottom right hand corner there is a bright red box
(which would draw the readers attention automatically) highlighting to the reader that they can subscribe to Kerrang! And get it weekly through their own front door instead of having to go out and buy it, this is also a cheaper option. Underneath this there is a number in which the reader would need to call in order to subscribe to this offer.


The third contents page I am going to analyse is from the magazine ‘Q’.
At the top of the page there is the masthead ‘Contents’ which tells us that this page is obviously the contents page, this masthead is situated in the centre, with the date situated at the top right hand side in a slightly smaller font from the masthead. On the left hand side of the mast head is the ’Q’ logo which is continuously placed in that position through the magazine, as it is the brand name. The font of the masthead and date is just plain black making it very clear and easy to read for the reader against the white background
The majority of the contents page is dominated by the image of James Blunt, a very successful solo artist which automatically states that he will be a massive feature in this issue which is also reinforced by the subheading on the left hand column with his name and a page number. The image of James Blunt is a close-up shot of his face on which we can see his loose, non-styled hair, stubble and rough and ready look. We can tell from this picture he hasn’t been in make-up waiting to be styled for hours before this shoot. This goes well with the connotations of Q magazine. It is very unlikely to see somebody who looks immaculate and air brushed as the main star of the issue as the “boy band look” that is not the image Q magazine likes to give off. As James is shown looking imperfect the audience will also be able to relate to this, not always do people like to open a magazine and find flawlessly, air brushed perfect people inside. He also is giving the image of a puppy dog loveable person by looking straight ahead into the camera
Down the left hand side of the page there are special features of the magazine and regular articles that are featured every month. The pages have been separated into 2 groups with the subheadings ‘FEATURES’ and ‘EVERY MONTH’ with white font in a black box. The white stands out against the black and links into the colour scheme used on the whole page.
In the features section there is a white box highlighting that an article inside of the magazine features on more than one page.
At the bottom on the page there is plug containing the quote “I’m a gardener and hovering house wife” spoken by Nicky Wire on an article on page 102 this is an interesting thing for a male artist in a rock band to say as it goes against all stereotypes of rock band members, this will attract the reader to skip to that page.
At the very bottom right corner of the page there is an image of a red arrow which fits in with the colour scheme, the arrow is telling the reader to turn the page without having to use more writing.

2 More Textual Analysis Of Music Magazine Front Covers

This Rolling stone front cover features Taylor Lautner the brand new “Teen Wolf”. Taylor Lautner plays Jacob in one of the most talked about film sagas of all time “Twilight”. Rolling Stone have chosen to feature him on the front of their magazine basically to sell more magazines. He appeals to males and females in a way that women lust after him and because of this reason males want to be him. Having him feature on the front of their magazine looking as though he has just run into the sea to get the American football he is holding behind his head and throwing it back onto shore makes him seem very desirable as this pose shows off his toned arms as well as his impeccable physique. The medium shot of Taylor also shows he is not taking fame too seriously, he is still the laid back boy next door and hasn’t forgot where his background, and by hanging out on a beach in Malibu playing American football people can relate to. Taylor is wearing a white t-shirt which is wet clinging to his body which also has connotations that support the idea of him being seen as a ‘sex symbol’. The white t-shirt and dark blue jeans also show how laid back he is, like he is effortlessly perfect, the colours of his clothes stand out against the different shades of blue the sea and sky are made up of in the background. By having Taylor stood in the sea with the sky showing made me think of freedom and the motto; ‘ the sky is your limit to success’.

The blue and white pastel colours allow the red of the masthead to stand out against the background. The font style of the masthead is continuously repeated in every issue as it is the brand however the colour sometimes varies however on the whole the colour remains red. The Main headline “ Teen Wolf” is also in the same red as the mast head, this is done as when the audience looks on the shelf of magazines and looks for the brand names they will also be attracted to the main headline because it is the same colour. The main headline is one of the biggest sellers for magazines so this is very important.

The remaining text on the cover is in black font, bolded if it is the heading for the plug and put in italics if it is the sub-heading for the plugs. This is also done to vary the font styles and to draw the readers attention.

The bottom right plug is bordered and is filled in with a cream colour which makes it stand out on the cover as it is a completely different colour to all of the rest used. This shows that this plug is of great importance however when the reader looks at the magazines on the shelf the lower half of the magazine is sometimes covered up and only the top half can be seen.

This Q magazine features Noel Gallagher, the lead singer/songwriter of the record breaking OASIS. OASIS are said to be “the great band of all time” quoted by Noel Gallagher himself, he has a lot of feedback from fans to back this up including many tour dates which have been sold out in less than 24 hours. Having Noel on the front of Q will therefore attract a lot of audience, people respect his honesty and the mark him and his brother Liam have made in the industry. Liam is also one of the singers of OASIS. Liam and Noel don’t always get on which make OASIS different from other bands, people would think they have the best bonds being brothers and being in one of the most successful bands of all time, but that is far from the truth. Both Noel and Liam are very honest in interviews holding back nothing and by the quote in the subheading beside the image “I don’t like Liam” this one is no different. The audience will automatically want to read this magazine especially to read this article as we want to know why he doesn’t like his brother and band member.
The camera has taken the shot of Noel at a low angled, medium profile shot. We can only see half of Noels face and body although we can see he is looking directly at the reader, his fist is clenched stretched out and is the closest to the camera. This type of shot fits in with his Rock and Roll image as well as the sub-heading to the right of the image; ‘Noel: Still pulling no punches’.
Liam is wearing a brown leather jacket and a dark scarf which could mean he has a dark side which would also fit in with the Rock and Roll image.
The background of the magazine is a sky blue colour with a white aura around where the image is, this could be seen as an opposite to his stereotypical connotations of him being a ‘bad boy’ as auras normally are associated with angels.

The Q logo is exactly the same in every issue as it not only sells a magazine it is selling a brand also. The logo is a large red box with an upper case white ‘Q’ in the centre. The red and white theme is repeated on various occasions on the front cover as either background colours of text or for the colours of the text themselves. However black is also introduced on this front cover, this could be because the obvious colour for Rock and Roll would be black. There is a chunky black box at the top of the cover which advertises in white writing that this magazine is ‘The UKS biggest music magazine’. There are also 2 thinner lines towards the bottom of the page in which include names of artists which are covered in this issue as well as other things that can be found inside such as competitions, the use of red and white for the font of this is repeated in a pattern.

This cover differs from most as the barcode is towards the bottom right of the magazine front cover, it also features the issue number and date of issue release which is unusual as this information is usually put beneath the logo as that is one of the major attractions.