Category Archives: Component 1

Mast Head Designs

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Here are some Mastheads for my music magazine that I have created and tested out using In Design:

I have used a range of different fonts including Serif, Sans Serif and Decorative. I personally feel (as well as a peer) that the Serif font does not work very well as it does not fit in with the pop genre very well. This is as it seems too formal and isn’t exciting enough. The Sans Serif fonts are quite good as they are very bold and easy to read. This would be successful for a masthead as that is exactly what you want; so that your customers are attracted to your magazine. However, I believe that the decorative fonts (the ones with lots of lines) are my favourite as although they are interesting, they are still very easy to read. I also like the number 2 being coloured yellow or magenta so that it adds excitement for the audience. This fits in with the genre very well without it being too tacky or too colourful. Other colours I tried were less successful. For example, the blue wasn’t really appropriate for the genre so possibly wouldn’t attract consumers to look at the magazine and the pale pink wasn’t bright enough to catch the attention of readers. I would not use these colours for my final masthead design.

Star Image – theirs and mine

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Star image is the overall idea created about a specific star. It will take into consideration what they like to get up to to the type of magazines they feature in. Star image is important for celebrities as it is what their fans base them off.

Below is the Meta narrative of Ariana Grande (someone who I may include in my Music Magazine). I have looked at the music she writes, her performances, where she appears on, why and where she appears in magazines and newspapers and the media she uses to connect with her fans. I have then stated what type of character this then represents her as to her fans.

Please click on the image to see the full prezi.

Ariana Grande is a very good example of Richard Dyer’s theory. She is a paradox where on one hand she is this extraordinary music artist that travels around the world performing in concerts, however on the other hand, she is just an ordinary person; she is a 26 year old woman who enjoys hanging out with her friends and having a good time.

After looking at Ariana Grande’s star image, I then constructed a mood board with the kind of pop star look I will use in my magazine for my models. I have included the type of person, hair styles, make up, jewellery and the clothing they would wear. I have used connotations to discuss the type of image this would create for my audience.

Using this mood board (and taking into consideration Mise en Scene and photography techniques as well), I will be able to construct my model into the “perfect” pop music star. These images used in my magazine, will then be able to encode the pop genre which my audience will then decode when reading it. This will hopefully lead them into being intrigued in my magazine which will hopefully lead them into buying it.

Communicating my Brand

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On Pinterest, I created a mood board with all of the ideas on pop music. I have added:

  • Music Artists
  • Fonts
  • Colour Swatches
  • Magazine Layouts
  • Makeup
  • Outfits
  • Adverts

When creating my magazine, I will then encode these details which my audience will then decode when reading my media. All of these different components will add to the pop genre and make it unique compared to others; hopefully making my magazine more preferable over other pop magazines.

  • You can click on the mood board below to see it in more detail.

My Audience Profile

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Below is a profile of someone that would typically listen to pop music. It includes their hobbies and interest, their artist, clothing, food, show and brand preferences, and the type of people they actually are. Although this is a profile on a female aged 16, I discovered that the target audience can be either gender of Generation Z’s (teens and young adults) however it will be targeted more towards females.

From this information I have discovered, I will be able to use it to encode specific components that when my audience decode my magazine it will interest them and they will accept it as their preferred reading. (If my media did not meet their needs and likes, they may oppose and reject it, making my magazine unsuccessful.) After catching the interest of my target audience, they will hopefully take action into buying my media. This should then lead them to being entertained, informed, receiving social interaction from their favourite celebrities and being able to receive styles that can mould their personal identity.

To grab their attention, I will need to include things such as:

  • Music artists listed in the profile
  • Clothing being worn from their favourite stores or brands
  • Interviews from their favourite celebrities
  • Adverts on their favourite brands or shows
  • Possibly a competition to their favourite holiday destinations

Branding Ideas + Mission Statement

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I have chosen to create a music magazine based on the genre of “Pop”. I thoroughly enjoy this type of music as it offers an escape from my busy lifestyle. It creates enjoyment and allows me to relax which I hope my magazine will also do.

I have decided to name my magazine “UP2DATE” as it is quite catchy and not too complicated. It allows the audience to know that the magazine will include current and modern trends in music and the use of the number 2 gives the idea of text talk (relating to the target audience of Millennial’s and Generation Z’s).

Below if a word cloud with the connotations relating to Pop Music and the type of things I will include in my magazine.

 

MISSION STATEMENT

UP2DATE thrives in promoting pop music through the current trends to those with a passion in pop. Looking at the new artists, fashion, top hits, hot gossip and your favourite celebs, we aim to inform, entertain, and develop readers and keep you up to date and involved with the latest news.

So… I’m ready to make some media!

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So, now I have looked at all the components involved in making my magazine and have tried it out, I am now ready to make it for real.

When making my magazine, I will first need to think about what genre of music it will be based on. From this, I will then be able to look at the conventions of that style which I will include in my magazine. I will need to think about:

My target audience: this will tell me the age range, gender, likes and dislikes of the people my magazine will be aimed at. I will then be able to tailor my magazine to this which will hopefully interest them into buying my magazine.

Mise en Scene: I will need to think about the costume, lighting, acting, makeup and hair, props and settings for the photos that will be included in my magazine. These will need to fit in with my chosen genre otherwise the images will look out of place and will confuse my audience,

Camera: this will need to be considered so that the images are not only of the right thing but also taken at the right angle with the correct lighting.

Layout: this will need to be decided on by looking at the conventions of other music magazines. I will need to include all of the components from the main cover line to the pugs. Although it should be conventional, it will also need to be unique to create interest for my audience.

Typography: I will need to consider not only the genre of my magazine but also how easy the typefaces are to read. I will need to think about whether I use a serif, sans serif, decorative or script font and also the sizing and alignment of it. I will need to decide on what is actually written on/in my magazine as well. The type of language will also be very important as it will be directed at my audience. For example, I would not use slang if I was making an Opera magazine aimed at baby boomers.

AIDA: my magazine will need to be successful in order to attract, interest, desire and make my audience take action into buying my media. I will need to include my target audience’s interests and make my magazine aesthetically pleasing for this to happen.

Blumler and Katz: I will need to take their theory into consideration to know what my music magazine’s purpose is (It is most probably to inform and entertain). I will then be able to think about this when making my magazine so that it can achieve these purposes.

 

My Tour Poster

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Below are example of Indie Music tour posters and the Indie tour poster conventions I have discovered:

AUDIENCE: The audience for Indie music is baby boomers. (50’s plus)

LANGUAGE USED: The language used on the posters is very clear and easy to understand. There isn’t any foul language or slang.

LAYOUT: The layouts are very simple and not too cluttered. The star cover photo  is positioned in the centre of the poster with the dates and places they visit at the bottom. The main cover lines are very large and are either above or below the cover photo.

FONTS: The fonts of the main cover lines are quite unique and represent the individual group or artist. (some are very quirky like the ‘Arctic Monkeys’) The dates and other information about the music is in a smaller font that is clear and easy to read. (The majority are in a sans serif typeface.)

COLOUR: The majority of posters have a black/dark background with not much colour. If colour is used, it is either hint of brown or it is quite washed out and dull.  (for example, even though the Mumford and Sons poster is much more colourful than the other posters, it still isn’t neon or too colourful.)

PHOTOS: The photos used on the posters are a mixture of styles. Most are a mid shot of the artists however some have aerial views of the actual tour or none at all. Quite a few of the images are also not face on to the artists.

From looking at the conventions of Indie tour posters, I have realized the type of components I will need to include when creating my own to catch my audiences attention and interest them. This will hopefully desire them which will lead them to taking action to buying my magazine. However I will need to make sure that my poster is still unique so that is is different and interesting.

After looking at the conventions of an Indie music tour poster, I then created my own. Below is my final design using my favourite image taken on our photo shoot.

click on the poster to see a clearer version

Looking at my poster,  it has many conventional features such as the colour scheme, fonts and cover image. However there are also feature that are less conventional. For example, the layout is a little different compared to some of the others. The image is to the side with the text down the side. This doesn’t quite follow the ‘normal’ for an Indie tour poster as most of the time posters are split into 3 horizontal sections with the information at the bottom. Using components that are not so typically conventional allows my poster to be unique and interest the audience so they would hopefully then buy a ticket. If it was identical to another, then it would not stand out or draw attention of the audience.

As well as being conventional and unique, I have also added extra details in to draw in attention. For example in the photo used, her eyes are targeted towards the information down the side. This also draws the eyes of the audience to that part, making them read the information. The information is also sectioned by simple white lines to add an extra detail. This helps organise the information, making it easier to read. Due to the lack of text, this also helps to intrigue people into reading what is there which will hopefully desire them into taking action into buying a ticket.

There are features that I like and dislike about my poster. I really like the layout. It is simple and easy to read. It is structured well and isn’t too complicated or cluttered. However I am not the biggest fan of the title as although it fits the Indie genre, I think that it may be too simple compared to others. I am also not the biggest fan of the background. Next time I may find a texture or photo to use instead.

Below is a review of my poster including what has been included and why, whether it is conventional or not and the features that could have gone better.

 

My Magazine Front Page Swede

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After deciding on an NME magazine cover to recreate, I then started to build it on ‘Indesign’. I chose the NME cover which included LCD Soundtrack as their main cover star. Below shows the original magazine cover and then the one I recreated underneath. (please click on my version to see it clearer as a pdf)

 

 

Although I was mainly able to recreate the magazine cover, there are still components that I could improve to make it identical.

I think I was quite successful:

  • In making the colours in the magazine match. (especially the oranges on the masthead and main cover line).
  • The cover line fonts compare quite well and I was able to make the spaces between each of the lines match the original. (For example “Florence” and the line below had a smaller gap between them than the others.)
  • I was able to make the plug have the same layout including the lines above and below the text.

However there are also parts that could be improved:

  • I had the same main cover star image however it was slightly more zoomed in on my recreation. This made some of the titles and text seem slightly out of position and proportion.
  • The background is slightly off in that the original had a grey gradient from the top corners whereas mine does not.
  • The Masthead font is a little different to the original. The font is not exactly a perfect match and the “E” in mine does not layer behind his head. In the future, this could be corrected by using Photoshop to cut out my cover star to be able to layer him on top of the background (with the E behind his head).

From this task of recreating a music magazine cover, I have learnt how difficult it is to chose the correct fonts, colours and images, and how they must all be picked out perfectly to fit the intended style. This links back to Mise en Scene; being able to narrate a story through the different components. It has also taught me how layout is very important so that the audience is able to see all the key information without it being too busy and cramped. This piece of media included most of the conventions of a music magazine and so should mine when I create my own. I will also need to think back to Mise en Scene and the colours and language used so that it fits in with the genre and attracts my intended target audience.

Below are 3 Youtube tutorials on Indesign features that will help me when creating my own magazine cover.

 

A Front Cover Analysed

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Below shows a music magazine I have analysed. I have looked at the price, demographics, psychographics, the mission statement, and what is actually on the magazine.

Looking at everything which goes into a music magazine, it has shown me how much I need to research before starting to make my own. I will need to look at the demographics and pyschographics of my target audience to determine what I will need to include to interest them. I will also need to think about Mise en Scene and any photography techniques when taking the pictures used on it. All of this must collaborate perfectly in order for my magazine to be a successful piece of media.

Audience Profiling

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Below displays a music magazine which I have researched about to find the intended target audience.

After looking at Mojo’s website and using YouGov.co.uk, I was able to discover more about the Magazine. I determined that the demographics for Mojo magazine was people aged 35 up (mainly Generation X). Men are more likely to read the magazine (with 73.1 % of readers being male) however it isn’t only advertised at men but women as well. The psychographics of the magazine are “for those truly obsessed with music” but with a lot of interests in classical rock. Over the years, Mojo have featured huge musical artists including Queen and the Beatles. With such big main cover stars and lines, this draws in more customers to look at their magazines, increasing the purchases of their media.

From investigating Mojo magazine, it has shown me how important it is to take an interest in your target audience and research them thoroughly. It allows you to plan out your magazine and cover to what your audience want and what is appropriate for them.

For example, if you were to create a music magazine based on opera, your demographics are most likely to be the older generation (probably baby boomers), with the psychographics of people who love classical opera music. You music magazine would then need to cater for that group of people and represent that genre. The front cover may still be conventional, however the language used may be sophisticated with an elegant font for the main cover line. You will then have a well known opera singer (e.g Andrea Bocelli) as your main cover star to draw in the attention of your target audience and then you may have insets to advertise more opera singers featured inside your magazine. This will all attract the specific target audience (of the older generation who love opera) however if you were to include bad language or a picture of a rapper, this would not draw in that segment of audience.

This shows me why researching your specific target audience is so important as you need to know what their interests and conventions are. If something isn’t what they are interested in, then your magazine will not attract them. When creating my own music magazine, I will need to decide on the target audience I am aiming it at and then research them to discover what I should then use to draw in their attention.