Completed Music Magazine Pages

Music magazine page draft 4

I added a smaller image and made it stand out with a drop shadow and caption. I changed some of the text to white so it would stand out and made the black border thicker so the text would stand out.

 I added a double page spread image which contrasted against the brick wall behins the models. I added 'Sound Articles' to make it look professional like other magazines. I added page numbers and a quote from part of the interview.

 I moved the article over to the right of the page and kept it in three columns.

I added images to the contents page and moved captions and page numbers around.

Music magazine page draft 3

 I started on my double page spread and the story I was going to use. I chose to do an interview type article and thought of the headline 'It's time to face the music...', and continued on with the gold theme of the font.
I used a bold font to make the questions stand out and used other magazines to think of answers.

I added a colour of red for the cover star story to make it stand out. It also links with the cover picture with the red American flag, and my other model had a top that said 'I love New York' on it which links with the theme.
I added an editorial and my signature which gives a personal touch from the editor to the reader. 

Music magazine page draft 2

 I added headlines and information about inside stories as a draft to improve later on.

I began on the contents page of the magazine and followed the colour scheme on. I thought of some features for the magazine and added them.

Music magazine page draft 1

I began by starting on the front cover. I chose a colour scheme and an image and worked around that theme. The American flag contains stars to I chose to but a star shaped box on the page to link in.

Photography examples from photoshoot

This image is a close up shot of my cover model. It shows off features but shows he is the subject against the white background. The light suggests that the photo is fun and not serious.                                          

This image also stands out, and the model is looking straight at the camera therefore giving a direct mode of address.
This is a contrast against the last image as it is quite dark and menacing.

The model also stands out in this photo against the plain white background, and this suggests that the model has a role of importance, such as a band member would have their fans.

This photo is closer up and is simple and shows the model clearly, rather than having lots of props.

This image is fun and connotes that the model in the photo might just want to have fun. The flower shows the feminine side of the model and is a fun prop to use. She is also using direct mode of address.

This image has a contrast between the graffiti and the brick wall and the two models who are smartly dressed. This shows two different worlds and makes the models stand out.

This image uses a bird cage as a prop. I used this because I thought it was different to what other people would use and creates an individual feel to the image. The model is looking at the cage, suggesting that the cage is the centre of attention and has some significance in the shot. The lighting from the sun and the shadow from the trees is a natural effect.

The model is looking off camera which makes the audience wonder what she is looking at or thinking. The guitar shows an interest in music (the magazine is a music magazine) and the model stands out against the background.

The model is using direct mode of address which connects the reader to the photo. The crossed arms suggests casual or relaxed and the use of an american flag as a prop suggests a patriarchal power and strength.

The model here is wearing sunglasses and a cross necklace portraying a casual image. The looking off camera suggests relaxed and the lighting links with the sunglasses off a nice day.

Examples of photography

Magazine Conventions

6B - Magazine Conventions (Students))

Investigating Professional Photography

6A - Professional Photography Students)

College Magazine Evaluation

Photography

The photography aspect didn't go so well, as noone wanted to be the focus of the photo. We found it quite awkward getting our photo taken in front of people we knew, and as we all didn't know each other that well, it wasn't something we wanted to do. Also, we didn't take a lot of the correct kind of shot, but photographed more images for our contents page, and the medium shots we did take weren't very professional looking. All the images were more about showing the person than the building, leading to no variety of where the pictures were taken which was outside in the courtyard, not showing the full college building.

 This image shows two students having fun throwing leaves around - great for the autumn edition, but it couldn't be the front cover shot. Also, there are people in the background, showing college life, but also distracting from the image.

This image has a good use of framing, but as you can see there is a person in the background who shouldn't be there, therefore the image doesn't look professional enough.

This image is a medium close up, but it is just a random photo taken infront of one of the college buildings, but it doesn't show the college building in full, therefore people might not know what it is. There is also alot of space between the head and the edge of the photo, so the proportions are not quite right.



Software - Photoshop and InDesign

In photoshop, I learnt how to use the magic eraser, which removes any unwanted background. This is useful if I wanted to remove the background on the image, so I could just focus on the person in the image. I would like to improve parts of this, to make sure I remove all unwanted background so the images look professional.
I also learnt how to use the spot healing brush tool and the clone stamp tool together, which removed unwanted blemishes, spots and dark circles from the person in the image. The clone tool helped to copy the skin tone and make the skin an even colour, making the appearance natural before I placed the photo into InDesign to make my magazine.
In InDesign, I learnt how to use the rectangle tool to make a stamp which stood out on my magazine cover and the text tool to add text to my cover for the headlines, stories and kickers.
I also learnt how to make my magazine look professional, making sure I proportionally dragged my photo out so it didn't go pixelated.

What do I think of what was produced?

Overall I think my magazine cover and contents page came out very strongly. I used the correct type of image on my front cover (medium close up) which filled the whole of the cover space, with the magazine name on top of it. I think I could improve the quality of this image which has pixelated as it doesn't look as professional or clear as it was if I had just placed the image, rather than photoshopping it first. I also think that the colour scheme was consistant throughout, using autumn tones for an autumn issue. I think I could find a better background for my main image and try not to get my contents page images pixelated, although I had to put it in photoshop to cut it.

This example of a magazine cover includes a background specific to the magazine edition, and its stories and features are about wider issues, rather than like mine which are just specific to the college.







My Final College Magazine

Questionnaire and results

1) Gender:          Male - 2            Female - 5

2) Do you read magazines?   Yes - 3                  No - 4


3) If yes, which one? Company, Heat, OK!, GQ


4) What is your limit on how much you would pay for a magazine? £2 - 2, £3 - 1, £4 - 3, £3.50 - 1


5) How often do you buy magazines? Once a month - 2, Rarely - 2, Now and again - 1, Never - 2

6) What bands have you seen live? My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds to Mars, JLS, Pussycat Dolls, Frankie and the Heartstrings, Leeds 2011, Evolution 2009/2010, Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, The Vaccines
None - 2

7) Age: Below 15   

              16-24 - 7          

              25-35           

         35-54               

         55+  

8) What music genre do you mostly listen to?

              Pop - 6

              Rock - 1

 Rnb - 3

 Indie - 5

 Rap - 3

 Other -1 - Northern Soul

9) What could I include in my magazine that will make you more likely to buy it?
Fashion - 1
Music - 2
Horoscopes - 1
Free Gifts - 1
Advice - 1
Pictures - 1

10) Is fashion important to you? Yes - 7

11) What is you ethnicity? White British - 7


12) How many pages do you think we should devote to:

University information? 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 0

College information? 2, 2, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0

Music and film reviews? 5, 4, 2, 3, 2, 1, 12

13) Do you feel like you belong at college? Yes - 7

14) Do you and your friends have similar music tastes? Yes - 5       Some - 2


15) What are you parent’s professions?
Works for the NHS, Drives cars
Carpet Specialist
Carer, Plater
Fraud Inspector, Probation Officer
Cleaner
Electrician, Director of Travel Company
Diesel Company

16) What class do you think you are?

Upper middle class

Middle class - 1

Lower middle class - 1

Skilled working class - 4

Working class - 1

17) Do you buy the same brand of products after you’ve bought them once? Yes - 7


18) Which is more important to you?

Popularity

Wealth - 4

Being environmentally friendly

Being successful - 2

Making the world a better place - 1

Being impulsive

19) Describe your personality in three words?

Evaluation of results

The results show that people believe their friends have similar music tastes, yet when asked what bands they had seen live, there was a range of genres, suggesting a difference in tastes.
Within the people I asked, 4/7 said they didn't read magazines, but when asked how often they read them, only 2 said never, suggesting that that was not true.
Overall, more people said they listened to pop than any other genre of music, however with the increase in people listening to indie music, 5/7 said they listened to that genre.
All the people asked were white british and aged 16 - 24, and as they were all friends, lead me to believe they might have a similar music taste, however when asked which music genre they listened to, there was a wide variety of results, some listening to more than one genre such as rap and rnb.
Question 15 was designed to find out people's social grades, and question 16 was where I asked them what social grade they thought they were, and it was interesting to see what people thought they were, as some people didn't know or were way off. Below is the link I used to make these questions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRS_social_grade
Also, using psychographics I determined what type of person each participant in my questionnaire was. The majority would rather have wealth, which shows that they were the achiever type.
http://www.northcrossing.com/PsychographicMarketing.html

College Magazine

I have come up with some ideas for my college magazine:

Names
-Prior News
-College Life
-Prior Pursglove
-Pursglove Times

Edition
-Winter
-Autumn
-New Students
-Summer
-Performing Arts
-English

Colour Scheme (Depending on the edition)
-Winter - Warm colours such as red, orange, green
-Autumn - Autumnal colours such as red, orange, brown
-New Students - Something bright which will attract their attention
-Summer - Yellow, blue, green
-Performing arts - Black, pink
-English - any colours

Headlines/Kickers
-20 hot college outfits for 2011
-Entertaining Enrichments - come try them out
-Grease the Musical - singing, dancing, acting! Get involved today
-NEW Resource Centre - many more facilities at your fingertips
-Kelly Rowland visits college!!! who could be the newest star

Contents
-Cover Stories(go into more detail)
-Subject Features
-Reviews
-Important News
-Fashion
-Music

Photography
-Image relating to autumn (leaves being thrown)

Some examples of what I may go on to produce:

Glog

Photoshop Introduction

This was my introduction to photoshop. I learnt how to layer each image so that it was the way I wanted it. I also learnt how to use the magic eraser tool, which help remove unwanted white background from my image of Florence.

Research of music scene

NME

This example of NME represents a milestone in music, 10 years of The Strokes, a HUGE indie band who have performed at reading, leeds and other huge summer festivals.
The black and white photo connotes a classic look which makes it feel nostalgic because they've been together for a long amount of time. It shows that they are a close knit band and hope to make music for a lot of years to come.
The colour pink is an ongoing theme throughout the cover, which stands out against the image. The pink is a contradiction to the type of band The Strokes are as they are an indie band, and not a pop band associated with the colour pink.
The badge to the left shows '10 years' showing this is a huge thing and they are maybe surprised they have come this far. It also shows the bands logo in the 0 of the 10 which shows the commitment of the band.

Representation of artists from my music scene

 30 Seconds to Mars


This image suggests that lead singer Jared Leto is of significant importance as he is central in the image. He is standing sideways and looking directly at the audience, maybe to entice them to listen to the bands music, but also making fans believe he is making the music for them.
The other two band members seem to be standing slightly behind him, possibly showing that he is the main feature of the band, although he couldn't do it without them.
Shannon Leto is behind his brother, like he looks up to him, but Tomo Miličević is standing behind them, suggesting that he is of least significance, but is still important to the band. 
The setting is some tall buildings, which suggests they are on a roof, showing their power and role in music, like they are very famous and well known. It could be somewhere such as New York which suggests power and wealth.
All three are looking directly at the audience, making you believe they are speaking to you and only you. 
The body language is very casual and relaxed with hands in pockets, connoting that none of this is new to them. It may also mean that they are bored of having there photos taken and just want to make music.
All band members are dressed in black, suggesting their power but could also mean that they take their role in rock and indie music very seriously, and it also stands out against the background, making them the key features in the image. The background is also blurred suggesting nothing else in the image is of any importance, with the camera focusing on them as a band, and as individuals.  The camera is also lighting up the band, making them look almost God-like to their fans who worship them, and also full of power because of their stance and determination. 
The photograph is also just of them as a band, as there isn't anything fancy going on, just them.

Florence and the Machine


This image of Florence Welch is both captivating and engaging. She is looking directly at the camera maybe showing her adoration for her fans, but also her role in the music industry. She has gold sequins on her hands, suggesting importance but also connoting money and wealth, and that maybe she is 'rolling in it' as the sequins are all over her hands. The gold jacket and eyeshadow also bring out these elements by showing her status and most
likely her success in the industry. These elements also show fashion and the running of the theme maybe shows her dedication to fashion or music.
Her hair is a shade of red, following the theme of decadence and elegance. The shade of her lips are also red, standing out and her expression is shocked, maybe meaning that she has never imagined the success she has received and is maybe overwhelmed. The position her hands are in could suggest innocence, like a child who is scared or that she maybe needs to take a step back and relax.
The background in plain, showing that Florence is the subject and there is nothing to distract us from her or the message.

Photography

We have just started focusing on the photography aspect of the course, therefore focusing on key techniques such as long shots, medium shots, juxtaposition, rule of thirds and framing.


This shot uses the rule of thirds, with the subject, the bush and the side of the building. It is a long shot and uses framing.
It shows the college in a positive way by showing some of the historical building, but is juxtaposed as it is an old building with a new student.

This is also a long shot, using the Prior Pursglove sign as framing. It shows some of the outside garden part of the college, possibly enticing people to go to college there and also showing the nice campus.















This image is a medium long shot, showing the campus and some of the nature aspects, but shows a student having fun on campus and enjoying themselves.

 This image shows juxtaposition between the new glass and the old building.

Genre class survey

Only around 2/20 people in the class said they read music magazines on a regular basis and 8/20 occasionally read them because everything is going online, with music and magazines combining and illegal music being downloaded. Music magazines such as NME and Kerrang! are widely read, but only cater to specific genres of music such as indie and rock. Pop magazines such as Smash Hits closed down to become just a website because of online ratings.

Strong music genres these days are pop, which has taken over the charts and indie, which is rising in popularity and is stereotyped to social groups but it is in decline, as people enjoy their individuality. Social groups are stereotyped by the clothes they wear, the music they listen too, their attitude and behaviour (rock and heavy metal are associated with aggressive behaviour), interests and personality which is affected by society.

Some core genres such as jazz, blues, reggae, rap, punk and indie have split into smaller sub genres creating different types of music, such as electro punk, grunge, rnb, death metal and hip hop, which become increasingly popular.

Niche markets are for specific audiences and 'electro' has recently been revived, leading to a possible magazine if the fans became a big enough audience. Other niche markets are developed from core genres, such as christian rock for a specific audience.

Two Door Cinema Club - Indie genre

Beyonce - Pop/RnB genre

The FIRST blog post for my music magazine coursework project. Over the course of this blog, I will show you how I have been building up ideas for my music magazine.

I listen to artists such as 30 seconds to mars, the strokes, my chemical romance and  two door cinema club as well as people from other genres such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Chris Brown etc...

The most natural choice of magazine for me to study is NME as I am interested in music from that genre as well as others. This magazine is for fans of the 'indie' music genre and include lots of information on new music and artists from that genre.

The best-selling magazine is What's on TV which has around 3,289,000 readers whereas the best-selling music magazine is Kerrang! which has 373,000 readers. The magazine I am studying, NME, has around 266,000 readers.
NME Website
Kerrang! 
Spotify