Research and Planning - Front Cover Analysis #2

What type of magazine is it?

Kerrang! is a hard rock and metal music magazine.

Who is the target audience for the magazine? What particular age group? What are their interests? How do you know all of this?

The target audience for this magazine would primarily be teenagers (mainly those 16+) and also those in their 20’s. Some of its audience would be around their 30’s (the same age as the people featured in the magazine). You can tell that the target audience is mainly teenagers because the bands featured in this magazine have got mainly teenage fans, and also the title itself appeals to teenagers and people in their late 20’s (the design of it is edgy which appeals to them). From the front cover we can only see that their interests are mainstream rock groups. The front cover has a header listing some mainstream bands; the main image on the front cover is of the lead singer of a mainstream rock group, and on the side they list other mainstream rock groups that are going to be in the magazine and also are advertising that they have posters of yet more mainstream rock groups. If we wanted to find out any more of their interests we would have to look inside the magazine at the table of contents.

What mode of address is the mag using? What does this tell you about the type of relationship it wants with its reader?

The magazine’s mode of address appears to be exclusive to people who either read the magazine or listen to the bands mentioned on the front cover. This tells us that the magazine caters to its audience, and only the audience they regularly get. They aren’t trying to increase their audience by including more articles about wider things; they are just giving their audience what they want.

Who is on the front cover and why?

Ville Valo is on the front cover; from the main cover line “The Amazing Resurrection Of Ville Valo” we can assume that he is making a comeback of some sort. He is the lead singer of the band HIM which is a mainstream rock band who Kerrang!’s readers would like. Their target audience would be interested to read an interview about him and about his comeback.

What does the main cover line say? What does this imply about the artist/band?? What overall message is the artist/band giving?

“The Amazing Resurrection Of Ville Valo”. This implies that the band “HIM” are coming back, seeing as he is the lead singer of the band. The word “resurrection” suggests that they are making a comeback but also the idea that they died first or something like that.

Is there a strapline/selling line/slogan? What does it tell you about the magazine? How does it help to attract readers?

“Life Is Loud” is the strapline for the magazine. This tells you that the magazine definitely does music, the word loud could also imply that they do a LOT of music, thus why it is loud. It also suits the genre of music that is inside kerrang!

What colours are used? Do you find them attractive?

Black and white are the main colours used, I personally do not find them attractive but suits the preferences of the audience who read the magazine.

Research and Planning - Front Cover Analysis #1

What type of magazine is it?

It is an indie/rock magazine. It also features major pop artists (sugababes are on the cover of this one)

What mode of address is the mag using? What does this tell you about the type of relationship it wants with its reader?

The magazine uses a very inclusive mode of address. “The 50 bands you must see before you die!” is addressing the audience and also will be interesting for anyone interested in music not just people who read Q, the same with “199 albums reviewed and rated” will be addressing anyone interested in audience rather than a specific one. Q has a very open relationship with its readers, the articles it features will interest its main audience but will also include anyone else which gives them the chance to increase their audience

Who is on the front cover and why?

The Hives are the main “model” on the front cover. They are features on the front cover possibly because they have an interview inside the magazine, but probably because they feature very high in Q’s chart about bands to see. Have the sugababes on the cover with a bar on the bottom reading the cover line “Sugababes: Sex, Lies And Kidnapping.” ; This will be an article in the magazine thus why they are on the cover. It also features radiohead in the top right hand corner, the picture is them performing at a gig, so they feature an article about them in my magazine.

What does the main cover line say? What does this imply about the artist/band?? What overall message is the artist/band giving?

“THE 50 BANDS YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE!" This implies that the bands mentioned in this chart have amazing gigs, the artists on the front cover “the hives” must be in this chart and very high in it seeing as they are the main model on the front cover. This gives the message that they should be seen performing live while you can because, according to Q, they are good.

Is there a strapline/selling line/slogan? What does it tell you about the magazine? How does it help to attract readers?

“Britain’s Biggest Music Magazine” This tells you that this magazine is a good magazine and the rest of the British public think so, if it is the best in Britain then the audience will trust that what’s inside will probably be very valuable music information to them.

How does the magazine attract the target audience?

The magazine mentions big artists the audience would like, extreme and attention grabbing cover lines to primarily attract its audience. The language used is inclusive so it will include anyone interested in music.

Double Page Spread Analysis #2

How does the choice of band featured in the article suggest who the target audience will be?

The artist mentioned is kid rock; featuring kid rock attracts all his fans. The target audience therefore are people who want to know more about him but also people who are interested in people who have survived in the business for as long as he has.

How is colour used?

The colours are very simplistic. It uses blue and white as its main colours. The picture is a bit darker adding in black. The blue and white give the impression that this is just a normal conversation and pretty standard. The black in the picture is to show that there is a darker side to this seemingly nice interview.

How is the artist/band presented to the audience through the images?

The artist is portrayed as a ladies man who really likes girls around him and often has girls around him

How does the style of the article match the style of the front cover?

The photo’s are all both professionally taken and have the artist or lead singer as in the centre as the main attraction with their “supporting cast” surrounding them.

Double Page Spread Analysis #1

How does the choice of band featured in the article suggest who the target audience will be?

The band is a rock group who seem to be fairly new and upcoming, their audience would be people looking for a new band or people interested in rock (the people who read the magazine). Their style of clothes also appeals to teens and so do the colours used. This tells us who their target audience will be.

How is colour used?

The colours used are black white and orange. The black is used as it is one of kerrang!’s house colours. It is also an appealing colour to their target audience. The orange is used to make the text stand out. This s used for the interview questions. White is used for their answers which also stand out from the black background. Both white and orange contrast well with black and also contrast well with each other, thus why they are used.

How is the double page spread laid out? How much of the pages are taken up by images and how much by text? How does this reflect the audience? What do they value?

This double page spread is laid out in a series of text boxes, each one linking up to a different member from the band like quotation marks. Each text box has the same questions in it with the band giving their own each individual answer. The image takes up the whole page with the text overlaying it. The audience value the look of the band and their image as much as they value the text because they both are shown and both giving equal priority.

How is the artist/band presented to the audience through the images?

The image shows that they are edgy and rocky as they are jumping in the air and doing their own unique pose. The text also shows the audience their personality as it asks them all the same questions but they all say a different answer.

How does the style of the article match the style of the front cover?

It’s in your face, the colour scheme is quite similar, the pose the band makes it similar and also in your face. It’s extravagant and eccentric.

Music Magazine Photoshoot

Agency Name: ULTRASOUND

Models: Gresa Dardani, Idea Vraniqi, Aurora & Yazzy Yaz

Camera height/angle/distance: Mid-shot

Location: Set up in living room - black background

Lighting: Light on professional camera as well as lighting in the room

Mise-en-scene (incl. props, costume): Funky clothing on models represent the type of clothing worn by electro pop artists

Attempted connotation: Black back drop - High maintenance, celebrity like and represents a professional photo shoot

Planned denotation

Contingency (in case of model absence/weather): Used 4 models so would have had to cut one out of the 'band' if anything

Alternate angle: Low angle mid-shot

Thinking points: Semiotics, Black background shot

Music Magazine

I used Adobe Photoshop to produce my music magazine because it is known for its expertise in producing posters, front covers, designs and many other things. Before I started producing my music magazine I had to decided on all the possible fonts I could use. The website I used to find my fonts was www.dafont.com - I decided to use a font called '28 days' for my main font as I thought it fitted it well with the genre of my music magazine. For one of my main cover lines I was aiming to link it to the main image. The cover line is 'top 50 artists of 2009' - this aim of this was to try and let my audience know that the artist featured on the front cover will fall under one of these top 50 artists. Displayed below is my music magazine cover, double page spread and my contents:

Evaluation

In what ways does your music magazine use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of existing music magazines?

My music magazine 'Ultrasound' uses the obvious conventions that any other music magazine will use for their front cover. These conventions include the Strap line, Masthead, Lure, Cover lines, date, time & bar code and lastly the Mode of address. Before I could start constructing my own music magazine, I had to carry out a lot of research on existing music magazines in order to find out which features they included, so that I could more or less do the same. The research stage of my music magazine consisted of de-constructing all the features which make up a music magazine. After de-constructing theses features, it was easier for me to analyse them in more detail. One of the main features in a music magazine cover is the Masthead. My masthead is mainly used to advertise the name of my magazine (stating the obvious) however it is also used as an objective for what I want to aim in the long-term from my magazine. This is the same for all music magazines. Carrying out secondary research helped the production of my music magazine very much as it all helped form my music magazine. It also gave me an insight on how other music magazines looked and what they featured. This was helpful as it allowed me to make my music magazine look different and unique in order for it to qualify as a competitor in the huge music magazine industry.

My music magazine includes all the generic music convention codes. All the features of my music magazine stand for something and suggest a link with the target audience. The use of new releases and top 50 artists is distraction for the target audience as it pulls them away from the typical events throughout their day. The use of celebrity stories, updates and interviews is a strategic method used to get the audience interested as well as having something they can compare their problems, dilemmas and even everyday life with. The layout and design of my music magazine is used to attract a specific target audience. The main image is a mid-shot attracting the main subject of 'this weeks' magazine. The framing used for the artist on the front cover is symmetrical as she is posing in a placed position however she is looking away from the camera. The fun and laid back artists gives off the idea that she has been 'caught slipping' which is a common phrase used by teenagers who are a percentage of my target audience. The mood the artists creates is a very funky, electro pop look, especially by the clothes she is wearing. The crazy handwriting suggests that the magazine is funky and cool and aimed at teenagers but the use of dark and bold colours suggests the target audience are slightly older. This is because my target audience are 16-24 years old. The use of 'electro pop is the next generation' at the top of my music magazine influences the audience to purchase it as it gives them the idea that the genre is becoming very popular.

The layout and design of my contents page stays consistent with the music magazine. This tends to be the same with most real music magazines. The content page also includes the name of my magazine; 'Ultrasound', the tag line; 'electro pop is the next generation' and lastly the date, which for this addition was; 'November 2009'. The font style and font colour also stays consistent. The only thing that differs on the page is obviously all the things that a contents page would consist of that the masthead wouldn't, for example, a title saying 'contents' which remains in the same font style and colour as well as all the pages and page numbers. My main aim was to make sure my magazine related to my target audience as the main way in which magazines are produced and distributed depends on the audiences life style and spending pattern.

Q.How does your music magazine represent particular social groups?
ULRASOUND represents the social group of young adults aged 16-21 who are interested in electro pop/drum & bass music. My music magazine does this effectively through the mise-un-scene as I have dressed my featured artists in clothes that represent the genre of music which relate to my target audience. By my featured artist wearing funky, trendy and retro clothing style represents that this social group have a trendy, funky and retro mode of address which relate to my target audience (16-21). For example the image taken of my featured artist shows that my intended target audience do not care about all the bad press which criticism their style. As you can see from my artist, she is very confident in what she is wearing and how she looks.

The different font styles and colours used for the font gives my music magazine front cover an artistic, unique look that relates to fun and happy young adults. On my contents page I have picture of my artist on the background which represents my page and keeps the style consistent. In my double page spread, the featured artist is showing her funky, crazy side in many of the pictures with the way she is posing and her appearance. There is one picture on my double page spread where she is facing the backwards with her head tilted towards the camera, this hugely represents youths today as they are all about having fun and enjoying themselves with all these crazy poses. The colours used on the page are all the colours from the background images I have used on featured electro pop artists. This represents the genre of my music magazine.

Q. What Kind of institution might distribute your music magazine and why?

The main institutions that may sell my music magazine would be local newsagents and HMV. I think areas like Central London, Camden Town and West Londonn will find my magazine most appealing which is why I think newsagents in these areas might distribute my magazine. As for HMV, my music magazine might be sold by all their stores throughout London. Other shops which sell magazines such as Borders may also be a good place to distribute my music magazine. This would be a huge advantage for my music magazine as it will be selling with other well known magazines which aren't only sold around the UK but world-wide. This will also be beneficial for my music magazine as I can publish news and artists/bands which aren't just from the UK but all around the world such as America. Having a link with world known magazines like in America could help the success of my music magazine because my audience will see that my magazine doesn't just consist of news and artists based in the UK. This would work extremley well because magazines like 'Vibe' (which is an American magazine) has worked it's way to selling sucessfully in the UK in many sole-traders like newsagents, corner shops etc. The reason for this is because the magazines understand the concept of psycho-graphics and demographics of their target audience.

As for train stations, I don't think my magazine should be distributed there. This is simply because kiosks at train stations maninly distribute free magazines and newpapers which feature reviews about music. So, I don't think my target audience will spend money on a music magazine when they can just find out all the latest reviews in the free magazines/newspapers.

Research & Planning - Evalutaion of my Questionnaire

I created a questionnaire with annotated results for my music magazine. Carrying out research and getting results from my target audience, enabled me to decided on what I should include in my magazine. Below is my questionnaire with the results:

The main reason for the production of my questionnaire was to see exactly what my potential target audience wanted, so that when it came to producing my music magazine I could use all the features which were requested by my target audience. This was a very important research and planning task as music magazines are said to be 'dying out' because customers simply don't purchase them any more but carrying out a questionnaire would help this as you can find out exactly what customers want from the magazine.

Introduction

Welcome to Ultrasound magazine. To introduce the amazing magazine, Ultrasound is a magazine based on the genre Electro Pop. The magazine comes out every two weeks. Customers are welcome to subscribe as well as just purchasing it when it comes out. The Electro Pop magazine provides readers with all the latest, from gossip, news, reviews & interviews and information about all the hottest bands/artists on the charts. Electro Pop is definitiley the essential guide for those who are inspired as well as interested in all the latest music news.

During class time, I had to investigate the different types of artists who fall under the type of genre I chose for my music magazine. I decided to research information about the music magazines NME, Smash Hits and Vibe. These magazines don't particularly aim for the same genres as my magazine but I thought it would be interesting to explore all the different types of music magazines. I also did research on artists such as La Roux and The Pet Shop Boys just to get some insight on the Electro Pop style. This is because I had to take all the photos for my music magazine and I needed some ideas for the style of my artists which helped signify my chosen genre.

To follow on from this, I compared and carried out research about other magazines with different genres in order to help me evaluate ways in which my music magazine has developed and challened forms and conventions of existing music magazines. Overall, this has helped me with ideas for the style, genre, age group and target audience for my music magazine.