After reviewing my targets for my front cover, I have changed my draft to make it even more conventional and appropriate for my target audience.

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What’s new? 

I have made numerous changes to this design. I started with focusing on my seven targets that I thought would be good to aim for when completing my first draft. Firstly I made the face brighter to accentuate the facial features. I did this in Photoshop using the dodge tool. This allowed the model to stand out on the page more prominently. After this I decided to have the cover stars name bigger and bolder. I thought for it to stand out as much as I wanted to, I had to place it horizontal rather than diagonal. This will now catch the readers attention much faster. In addition to this, the cover lines on my first draft were difficult to read, therefore meaning that my target audience could reject my issue. I simply fixed this by:

• Adapting the main cover line so that it wraps around the model without it overlapping. I changed the word ‘independent’ to ‘indie’ in order to do this. By doing this. it has made it much more attractive and less crowded for my target audience to read.
• Changing the small cover line from a white font with black outline, to a basic white font. This immediately made the writing stand out more on the page.

Another thing that I changed was the placement of the artists names. They were originally vertical on the right hand side of the page and I eventually saw this as an issue because the reader would have to turn the magazine in order to read what it said. I also think it took up unnecessary space that I could use to make my image bigger. I have now placed and fitted it at the top of my cover. This way you can read it with ease and takes the form of a plug and doesn’t look out of place. A small difference that I made was changing the Bon Iver cover line to making it about Millie instead. I think this makes the cover fit together much better. Furthermore, I also changed the cover line underneath ‘Millie Sutton’ from ‘rising up’ to ‘oh, the places you’ll go’. I think that this slogan-type headline is much better associated with the article that goes with it. I also think it will attract a wider audience because it’s written in a way that almost talks to/is aimed at the reader. As well as acting on my targets I also did a couple of other things that I didn’t mention in my aims. I made the ‘exclusive interview’ text box red so that it would more urgently catch the readers attention as red is a colour that people are generally drawn to. Finally I made the word ‘top’ white with a black outline. This made the word stand out more on the page and the language that I have used will hopefully make the audience want to pick up and continue reading my magazine.

What’s next?

1. Create a drop shadow on the cover star – give her some depth
2. Make cover star less orange in Photoshop – will match rest of magazine better
3. Add in some pugs – competitions etc
4. Include insets – fill the page more
5. another smaller banner centred at the bottom?
6. two coverlines about her…make her the main coverline but change the other one to another artist as it is lacking reference to what else is in the magazine…choose one of the coverlines from the Contents page to hook it to
7. Regulate the line spacing of the main Top Tracks coverline
8. Bit of red at the top somewhere?

Below is my first draft of my double page spread. After recieving feedback on this I will be able to improve it so that my target audience accepts it as a music magazine of the Indie genre.

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Targets

1. Higher page numbers
2. Paragraphs
3. Another quote in article
4. Quotes in italics/different font
5. ‘Avaliable’ typo
6. Make photo bigger
7. ‘Doing it my way’ at the bottom?
8. Standfirst – bolder
9. Caption insert
10. Change font of headline
11. Consider folds and staples and rearrange

Below is a contact sheet of all the photos that I took when we went to town. I have created it using Adobe Bridge and Photoshop. My aim for this photoshoot was to take an image that could be used as a main image for my double page spread of my magazine. I think that I successfully have done this, as well as collected numerous other photos that I could use for different sections of my magazine eg. inserts for the contents page as well as for other stories on my double page spread.

Overall I am very happy with how my photoshoot went. To make my photos have more meaning to them, and make them stand to from others I decided to bring numerous props with me to experiment with such as:

• A mirror
• Dead flowers
• Old books

I tried to use these props as much as I could in my shoot and think that they definitely helped to take my pictures to the next level – without them I don’t think I would have been able to come away with images that can tell a story.

Furthermore, to enable me to come out with the images I did, it was essential for my models to look the part. After my progressive research on the Indie genre and music magazines that are targeted at that specific audience, I knew how to pose my models and how to dress them etc. I used Mine En Scene through the planning process and in the shoot itself. I also made a mood board on Pinterest for this shoot and it helped massively when taking my photos. This way I could quickly and efficiently return to this board whenever I was stuck for a pose for example. I tried to get my models to look as natural on the face as possible – with little to no make up, and a straight yet kind facial expression. I wanted them to interact with each other in unique ways, because I believe this reflects on Indie music itself. This genre is very individual and distinctive and I wanted this to be highlighted in their body language – which I think was successfully done. I wanted my shoot to have a vintage authentic feel, so decided to dress my models in basic yet effective clothing. The first costume was a plain white shirt tucked into blue baggy jeans. I think this will give a relaxed and common feel to my audience and allow them to see the stars as more ‘ordinary’ people rather than these ‘extraordinary’ stereotypes of musical stars being wealthy and vain. The second costume was a loose white floral maxi dress. I chose to do images with this dress in the sunken gardens. I thought the soft white of the dress would contrast very well with the bright greenery as surroundings. This again gave a laid back free vibe to the images – engaging the readers to hopefully permit them to feel more free within themselves.

I loved taking these pictures because I went to the shoot knowing exactly what I wanted to achieve.  I particularly like the ones with the mirror in it as I could play around with different angles and think that the low angle that I have on the models conveys a sense of confidence – something that reflects on my genre brilliantly and will attract my target audience. Another collection of images that I liked were the ones on the balcony in the market. In particular when one of my models is sitting on the chair holding flowers. These worked well, especially the landscape ones because there was the fabulous reflection of the buildings shining on the window to the right of my models – this contacted very well with the white walls and shutters.

Although there are many photos that I like and am happy with, there are also ones that I don’t like as much. In my contact sheet there are an obvious few that could not be used for my magazine. There are a couple of my face up close – these were purely just to test the zoom and focus of the camera. In addition to this there are a few darker images. In these, due to my models posing in front of the light, it caused a shadow on them when the picture was taken – meaning that they came out as almost impossible to use images. However, they would be good pictures to use if I was aiming for a more silhouette approach as it has the bright background behind the models. There are also some images that were taken in the sunken gardens that have turned out to be too bright. This is because I did not consider the strength of the sun, therefore did not adjust the exposure on the camera before taking them. I could change this in Photoshop, however the quality of the image would not be quite as good.

To improve this shoot I think I could have experimented with a few more locations. This variety would have allowed me to have a wider range of images to choose from. After I have chosen my favourite images I will need to edit numerous things in Adobe Photoshop. I will most likely need to brighten facial features, add more contrast to them and make the images sharper – as on many of them the lens is very slightly out of focus.

The images that will work best on my double page spread of my magazine will be the landscape ones that have a large space on the right hand side. I tried to get this space in all of my landscape images. I will want to wrap the text of my article or quotes around the star on the left and continue the writing onto the second half of the page. I will also be using numerous other images – that are not landscape – to pose as inserts on both the contents page (to show what will be in the magazine) and on the double page spread itself (to advertise new albums, relate to other smaller articles etc). I will need an image that portrays the star as confident in herself as that is what my article focuses on. Matching the image to the article will help my audience to accept my magazine as one from the genre and associate it with their form of entertainment and interest.

Top 5 Images

I have chosen these 4 images as my favourites as I think they connote the correct feelings for a confident independent music artist, and reflect very well on my genre. The Mise En Scene highlighted in these pictures highlight the relaxed, urban type feel that I was aiming for. I think with these images I can create a double page spread that can connect well with the reader.

Here is a re-do of my draft feature article. I have made improvements after receiving feedback on it, and I feel it is now an article that would fit comfortably in my magazine. It draws in the reader and includes many language techniques that will help to attract my target audience.

Article Plan 

In order to write an article for my magazine I must have a general understanding of the structure of a conventional article. I also need to know what my article is going to be about. This plan below will allow me to easily transfer it so that it can become a flowing article for my double page spread. I have made it so that it fits my genre and relates to my cover star. I have aimed to give a full insight of the star and the language and techniques I have used will attract my target audience.

The Hook

‘A hook’ is a treatment for an article. It is a form of pitch that the journalist or writer uses to give to their editor before being given permission to write and publish the article. It gives the editor an idea of what the journalist writes like and the content that will be included, consisting of entertainment, information and their personal identity. Below is the hook that I have written to encourage the editor to give permission for my article.

Article – DRAFT

Using my planning and the hook, below I have included a draft of my final article. I have made sure to refer to my plan throughout , as well as kept it conventional to my Indie genre – aimed it at my target audience so they accept it as an overall article.

Voice Recording of Draft Article

Inserted below is a voice memo of my draft article. By recording myself reading the article aloud, it will allow me to pick up on any language that doesn’t sound quite right or things that need to be moved around or changed.

To carry out a successful photo shoot I need to be clear on numerous things that will help to convey the star image I am aiming for:

• Make up
• Costume
• Props

Below is my production meeting agenda for my second photo shoot. This will help to give me guidance when completing my shoot.

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Click here to view full article

For my language analysis of a double page spread, I decided to explore the Billboard (June 2015) article ‘Adam Lambert: Don’t Look Back’ by Shirley Halperin. In this article she interviews the singer, songwriter, and actor Adam Lambert. She writes the article about the star trying to find himself and his comfort zone in the music industry.

It is not clear where the journalist wrote it but describes the star as; “Sauntering through a penthouse at the Hollywood landmark Chateau Marmont”. The way that she expresses him as being in a ‘penthouse’ in ‘Hollywood’ clearly highlights the wealth of the Lambert. The article states that it was officially written in 2015 however the contents of the writing refers back to 2012. I believe this article was written for numerous reasons: to teach everyone to be comfortable and confident with who you are, to challenge peoples perceptions, life is about being the best version of yourself and to be excited for the future – what’s the point in being hung up on the past? The journalist engages the reader by referring to other well known artists of that specific genre, allowing the audience to see a wider range of music artists from the genre that they are attracted to. The editor has put these in bold so that it is clearer for the reader.

The journalist has made it clear that this article is an interview as it includes many quotations from the star, and he expresses things that he probably wouldn’t say if he wasn’t asked about them. It has a simple layout (3 columns of text), and the whole article is over a double page spread with one large main image taking up one side – with a small introduction wrapped around the body. There is a smaller image on the main article page with block text wrapped around it. At the bottom of the article there is an additional write-up on Marc Anthony which includes a couple insets.

As a reader I am not that aware of the journalists presence even though it has been written in 3rd person. However, due to the fact that there are also quotes from other stars that are referring to him – “His path has had its bumps and ups and downs” admits Warner CEO Cameron Strang” – it can imply that they have interviewed more than one person – therefore must be a journalist of some sort. These quotations allow the reader to feel as if they know the star on a more personal level. The subheading ‘From Idol to Queen to label-less free agent to EDM’ helps to give a clear introduction to the article and allows the main body of the text to follow on from it fluently. There is also a clear conclusion that summarises what was said in the write-up using of quotes from the star. It also ends with a powerful statement from the star – highlighting that it was all about him and ultimately leaves an impact on the reader.

There are multiple types of words and techniques used throughout the article, including the rule of three. An example of this is, “throwback club-kid platform boots”. This helps to portray his style and connotes a sense of confidence and dominance in the music industry. It could also be attempting to teach the reader that confidence allows you to be happy with who you are. In addition to the rule of three that is used, the journalist has also used similes and metaphors to help create an image of the star. The metaphor “towers over a cadre of assistants” connotes the star as powerful, superior and the main focus for the audience. Quotes from the Lambert himself are used consistently throughout the article and they are used to join together the text and make it flow with much more ease. For example, “A lot of us go through life trying to recreate something that has already happened, and that causes us to run around in circles chasing our tail,” Lambert says softly. “That’s not what life is about”. These quotes were used not only to lead the article onto the next topic, but to also inspire the readers to have a different perspective on how they treat their life. The reader will experience numerous things as a result of reading the article such as:

• Getting to know the star to a ‘personal’ level – now have a better understanding of his life and the struggles that he had to endure to get to where he is now
• Allows readers to be more comfortable with themselves – know they are not alone – even famous people have troubles with ‘ordinary people’ problem
• Teaches the reader to be more aware of other peoples situations
• Become more informed of what other music artists are associated with him – widening the audience profile for this genre

Through the journalists writing, they represent the star as a down to earth, ordinary person, just like any other. He is not portrayed as extraordinary as the aim of this article was to uncover the underlay of his main star image to make the reader become more attached and feel as if they know him more than just what the media communicates him as.

Contents Page – DRAFT

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Peer Assessment

It is crucial to assess your work when you have completed it. This peer assessment will help me to improve my contents page so that it is conventional, unique and clear to the readers. My contents page considers all aspects of AIDA however, it is clear that there are improvements to be made. Below this assessment I have included 5 targets to aid me in the right direction of producing the best possible contents page I can. A successful magazine is one that my target audience will be attracted to and gain interest from so that they continue with the music magazine and ultimately purchase it.

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5 Targets for Next Draft

1. Change the typefaces to make it more conventional for the genre
2. Spread out the cover lines so that it is clearer for the reader
3. Try cutting out cover star on Photoshop so show more skill
4. Brighten dress to make it stand out, also brighten facial features to draw more attention to her face
5. Consider including insets to make it more conventional as a contents page

Inspirational Contents Pages

When designing anything it is key to research and evaluate what you are trying to achieve. Below are some examples of contents pages in magazines that I would like to refer to when creating my own one. All of these contents pages are conventional to a music magazine as most of them include:

• Editors hello
• Page numbers
• Short description of each topic
• Hyperbole and superlatives in headlines
• Images and word clues
• Graphic illustrations and designs
• Reminder of the magazine’s name and mission statement

These will be used as inspiration for my designing when I’m making my contents page, and they will help me to produce one that will attract my target audience and consider all aspects of AIDA – making it a successful music magazine contents page.

Hand Drawn Draft Layouts

Catchy Headlines

1. Top 10 Trending Tracks
2. 7 Tips to Feel Free in Your Music
3. Secret to Writing Award-winning Songs
4. The Latest King of Indie
5. Why Being an Independent Artist is the Way Forward
6. Millie Sutton – “Its been tough but I don’t regret anything”
7. The Benefits of Putting Yourself Out There
8. Coldplay – “How we turned out to become the most well known alternative indie music artists in the UK”
9. 3 Quick Tips in Boosting Your Confidence on Stage

Reflection

I would like my contents page to be conventional yet reflect my genre accurately. The contents page is the second most important page in a magazine – after the front cover – so it is necessary for it to attract my target audience within the first few seconds that they look at my magazine. I cannot have an overwhelming number of images or amount of text on the page as readers will not bother with it due to a cramped appearance. In my magazine I will need to include all the aspects of a conventional contents page such as; page numbers,  headlines, short descriptions, images etc – an overview of what is included. An effective contents page instantly gains interest from the reader and with the help of my understanding of AIDA, I feel I can successfully create an index that attracts, entertains and informs my target audience.

Front Page – DRAFT

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Self Assessment

It is incredibly important to self assess whatever work that you carry out, especially when you can see that it needs improvement. The only way to get that improvement is to carefully look at your work and critique it until you can see exactly what needs changing. Self assessing my front page draft will help me when creating my final front cover as I can look back over this and know what to do and what not to do. By doing this I can make a music magazine cover to the best of my ability. Here is my first self assessment for my draft cover page:

Targets for Final Front Cover

1. Make the face brighter to accentuate the facial features – allow model to stand out on the page more
2. Have the cover stars name bigger and bolder to catch readers attention quicker
3. The captions need to be clearer
4. Move the artists names from the right hand side of the cover to the top of the page to act as a plug
5. Attach the quote to the text above it to make it clearer that it is related
6. Change ‘independent’ to ‘indie’ so that it doesn’t overlap on the image so much
7. Think of another phrase than ‘rising up’ – needs to be catchier so it fits with the cover stars name more effectively