Music Magazine Proposal

My magazine is going to be specifically aimed primarily at girls between the ages of 16 and 19, however it is going to have elements that make it male friendly too. These will be middle class girls, who are also into fashion and taking care of their appearance. They will be well educated, and be fun, outgoing, bubbly and friendly. I feel that many music magazines tend to have a male feel about them, therefore I am creating something that is more feminine to stand out from other magazines.
          The genre of my music magazine is going to be indie. I feel this is a popular music genre at the moment, and I know a lot of people that are into this kind of music. Therefore I can gather first hand evidence and opinions. This is also a genre I am into, and therefore know a lot about, which i can transfer into my magazine. There isn't a magazine that is specifically based on indie music either, therefore it will stand out from other music magaines and appeal to the target audience as it is something specifically for them.
          A large part of my magazine will be about bands and artists, with interviews with them and photoshoots looking at their style. There will also be sections about indie fashion, where the audience can find out where to buy fashions similar to those of their favourite indie artists. The magazine will include reviews of recent concerts, albums, singles, and bands, therefore influencing the reader to go to concerts, buy an album or listen to a new band etc. Question and answer sections like a typical girls magazine, but this time with more of a music 'feel' with questions specifically about bands and their upcoming tours, merchandise etc. Finally, there will be competitions for the readers to enter giving them a chance to meet their favourite indie bands, win free merchandise or tickets, trips etc.
         My ideas for coverlines are as follows: - 'Indie Gig Guide' - this will be a puff/plug making the audience believe they are getting more for their money by having a separate guide. Also, it will appeal to them as they will be people that go to gigs often, and therefore they will be interested in finding out more dates. 'The Kooks Behind The Scenes' - this will appeal to the target audience as The Kooks are a well known indie band, and will therefore appeal to fans of The Kooks. Also, as it is behind the scenes, the audience will believe they are getting something extra for their money. 'Find Your Style' - this will appeal to the target audience as 'style' suggests fashion and look, and it suggests they are going to be given suggestions of clothing.
         I have decided on the title 'IN-D.' This specifically shows the genre of the magazine, while also being clever as it sounds like the word 'indie'. This will straight away make it clear to the reader the type of magazine this is going to be, but also shows that is going to be quite witty and clever, as it has abbreviated the word. It is quite informal, and will make the reader automatically feel relaxed and as if the magazine is for them.  I did consider calling the magaine INDIFFERENT, as this is what 'indie' also is, different music. However, I thought this was too long and didn't have such as good an effect. It also doesn't really sound like a music magazine, and would take up too much space across the top of the magazine. I also considered INDEPENDENT, but this is what indie is short for, but being the name of a newspaper could confuse the reader and also sounds quite formal, which may not appeal to the reader. Finally, I considered calling my magazine RAW, as this is an indie phrase that is often used, and could indicate that the magazine is going to include, fresh, 'raw' music. However, it didn't really indicate what the genre of the magazine was about, and if the reader didn't know that this was an indie term would confuse them.
       The fonts I have decided to use are Gill Sans MT Ext Condensed Bold, as this is a serif font and is quite relaxed and appealing, but is also informal, and will therefore appeal to the reader. It is also clear and easy to read, whilst fitting the the name of the magazine style well. I have also chosen rockwell for some of the coverlines, as this is a bit more formal as it is sans serif, but not so much that it will put the reader off, as the font goes well with the other one.
       Here are some examples of the fonts I have considered.......

I also have also experimented with masthead ideas: -

The colour scheme for my magazine will be dark purple, grey, black and white. I have chosen these colours as purple is a more feminie colour, the audience the magazine is primarily for, but isn't too feminine that a male wouldn't pick the magazine up. I have also chosen these colours as they go well together, will stand out against a background, and dark purple is a stereotypical 'indie' colour. Finally, there isn't a music magazine that has these colours as their colour scheme, so will therefore stand out against other magazines.
            My ideas for taglines are 'In-Different' as this could be what 'In-D' stands for. It could also be 'In-Dividual' which could be describing the magazine - that it is different from other magazines, or the type of person that it is aimed for - 'indie.'
            This magazine will be published monthly, at the beginning of each month, full of gig and concert dates for the upcoming month. The theme of the main image will reflect the seasons as well as upcoming events such as Christmas for the December issue, festival theme for June etc.
             The image for my front cover will be of an 'indie girl' posing, but not overly posed, more of a natural effect. I may even have her holding a guitar to add to the 'indie' theme. To get these photos I will use my friend, and get her to dress in 'indie' clothing and pose infront of a plain background for the front cover. I will take further images of her in a more natural environment for use on the double page spread.
             The dimensions for my magazine will be 11" x 17", as this is the size of many other popular magazines such as NME and Q magazine. This is the called 'tabloid size' as it's the size of a tabloid newspaper. Therefore it is larger and easier to read, but also gives the editors the oppurtunity to fit more on each of the pages.

Flatplans

Front Cover

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Initial Ideas

Research: - Conventions of a Music Magazine

Conventions of a Music Magazine on Prezi

Research: - Annotated Magazine Covers

NME is a music magazine of the INDIE/ROCK/ALTERNATIVE genre, and therefore has many connotations that help to convey and create this genre. One of the biggest factors that help to create this genre is the artists and bands used on the front cover, as they will automically appeal to the indie/rock/atlternative genre.

Magazine Cover Annotations - March 2008 Issue - The Last Shadow Puppets

Kerrang is a magazine devoted to ROCK/HEAVY METAL music. The images and coverlines found on many of the magazine covers help to portray this, and appeal to the target audience.

Magaine Cover Annotations - April 2010 - Hayley Williams

Research: - Connotations of Music Genres

Research: - Mindmap of Music Genres & Sub-Genres

Research: - Target Audience

The target audience I am going to aim my magazine at are the Indie sub-culture. Indie used to be a term for the genre of music made from independent record labels, but nowadays is used to describe a specific group of people. Although the term suggests the group should be completely independent, and therefore completely different from anyone else, the modern day indie is instead someone who dresses a specific way, listens to specific music, and likes specific things.
             An indie is someone who wears 'vintage' clothing, often found in charity shops or unpopular clothings stores. It is usually different from the 'mainstream' clothing found on the high street or in magazines. They tend to mix and match from different eras; for example mixing an 80's cardigan with a 50's style floral dress. The music they listen to, although is still fairly independent, or at least originated from independed record labels, is now just often under the genre category of Indie, such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club etc. An indie is also seen to be a very arty person. They are generally involved with some form of art, whether it's drawing, textiles, graphics, photography etc, as they use it as a way to collect memories and express themselves.
            I am primarily going to focus on girls, as I feel there is no music magazine primarily aimed at females of this sub-genre.

Here are some examples of the kind of music my target audience would listen to: -

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor


Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn

Reflective of Student Magazine

I am pleased with my student magazine front cover and contents page. I feel that both are appealing, and that people would buy them. I feel the masthead is the most eye-catching part, as font isn't simple and boring, but interesting and 'young' which therefore relates to the target audience who are 'young' students. The colours of the front cover are also appealing, as the purple and black stand out from each other, but also stand out from the background. They are also generic colours that will appeal to both sexes. I have also included a plug, which are the same colours as the coverlines used on the front cover, which therefore tie everything together, but also makes the plug stand out.
            The coverlines include things like 'Advice and Guidance' and Real Life Stories.' These will appeal to the 'student' audience, as every student could do with advice and guidance on many things about college,   as well as other things, such as friends, relationships and sex. The real life stories will also appeal to them as they could relate to these, but it will also be interesting for them.
           The model on the cover looks like a typical 'student' with simple clothing, minimal make-up and carrying a bag. Therefore the audience will be able to relate to them. The image is also positioned to the right of the page, leaving room for the coverlines around her. She is also making eye contact with the target audience which will attract their attention. The background of the image is a brick wall. I decided to photograph the model against this background rather than a plain white or  plain coloured background, because I feel this makes it more obvious that she is in college, but also would make the magazine stand out from other magazines and booklets more.
            For the contents page I have used the same font as the masthead, showing the audience that the pages relate to each other. I have also stuck to the same colour scheme, so that it is clear to read and stands out. I have used a simple layout which leads the audiences eye down the page, with photos relating to some of the articles mentioned on the contents page.
            Overall, I am extremely pleased with my outcomes, and feel that they look like an actual student magazine that could be published. They follow many conventions of an actual magazine, and therefore will be appealing to the target audience. However, I have made some changes such as the background to make the magazine stand out. If I were to repeat this project, I would have spent more time on the contents page, taking more care over the layout, and probably use boxes to clearly section of areas. I would also have used a different background, as the white is very plain.

Student Magazine Contents Page

Student Magazine Cover

Photography

This would be a good photo to use as a background, as the person is facing the camera, has eye contact with the audience, and is smiling. This makes the image welcoming and friendly. Also, the majority of the background is plain (a brick wall) which means it would be good for adding writing on top. The rest of it could be cropped out so that the whole background is plain. The model is also to the right of the image, which means there is space in the left third for coverlines, and space above her head for the masthead.

This photo doesn't have a plain background, as half of the image where the writing would go is busy, therefore the writing would be harder to read. Also, the model isn't looking at the camera, which means it wouldn't attract and grab the readers attention.

This would be a brilliant photo for my magazine front cover, as the background is plain, the model is looking towards the camera, therefore making eye contact with the camera. She is also simply dressed which relates to the audience I am trying to attract. However, there is a light switch on the right hand side of the image, although this could be easily edited out.

This photo wouldn't be as good for use of a magazine cover because the model isn't looking at the camera, and therefore isn't making eye contact with the audience. Apart from that the lighting is good, the background is plain and the model is simply dressed.

Proposal

I am aiming my magazine at college students, aged between 16 and 19, as this is the average age of students at college. They will be both males and females.
        My magazine will be about college life, everything they need to know about classes, revision, places to go out, and tips about getting a job/going to university. This will include advice and guidance pages, questions and answers, quizzes, articles about certain things/places, vouchers and free gifts to help them get through college.
       Some ideas for cover lines are as follows: - 'A-Z of Revision, everything you need to know about revising,' (a list of tips and facts about revision that could come in handy to the students). 'WIN a trip to Paris,' (something to take their mind of lessons, and give them a chance to enter. 'University Encyclopedia' (pages about different universities that they can collect from each copy of the magazine.) 'College was the best time of my life,' (real life story from someone who went to college that the students can relate to and take advice from.
       I had a few ideas for magazine titles. For example, I contemplated using 'Student Life,' as this clearly states what the magazine will be about, the target audience is clear, as it's aimed at students, and clear and to the point. However, I then questioned that as it is too obvious, students will be put off buying it as it sounds too formal. I aslo considered just calling it 'Student' as again it clearly states the target audience, and the kind of thing you can find in the magazine. However, I thought it that because it sounds educational and college related, students will be put off buying it, as it doesn't sound fun or interesting. Therefore, I've decided to call my magazine 'Young,' because it suggests that it's aimed at younger people, and therefore doesn't suggest it's just going to be about college. It also suggests that the magazine is going to be quite 'young' and fun, therefore making the target audience buy it.
       I am unsure as whether to use san serif or serif. San serif will appeal to the target audience as I think this will make the magazine look less serious, and more fun, rather than educational and formal. It will also appeal to the 'young' audience more, as it will be block and eyecatching. However, some serif fonts are more eyecatching, and look more appealing, while also adding a sense of formality to the magazine. As it is partially an educational magazine, having a fun yet formal cover titlemay work best, as this relates to both aspects. Examples of the font I may use are Segoe Script as a Serif font, as in capitals it is clear yet still fun, and in lower case it looks sophisticated and fun. I could also use Haettenschweiler as a Sans Serif font, as it is clear and bold, yet still elegant and fun. I have included examples of these fonts at the bottom of my proposal.
       I have considered using a tagline, as I think this is something that the target audience will remember about the magazine if it's catchy and memorable. However this isn't something I'm going to definitely use. An example of a tagline I have come up with are 'make the most of it.' This would be a good tagline as it links in with the title of being young, and making the most of being young, but also links to the fact it's a college magazine, and is suggesting that they should make the most of their time at collge. Also, it suggests that they should make the most of this magazine, which will persuade them to buy it as it initiates that there will be things worth making the most of (such as tips, offers, vouchers etc). Another tagline I have come up with is 'Live, Laugh, Learn.' These are three elements the target audience should be while they are 'young.' It also relates to the kind of thing that are going to be inside the magazine. Features the will tell them how to live their lives to the full, and advice about what to do with their lives, features that will make them laugh, and features that will teach them things, and help them get the most out of their education.
       The magazine would be published each half term, as I feel this way the student could buy the magazine and it would be equipped with guidance, information and tips that will help them through each half term. For example, an issue would come out in September, giving advice to new students about how to settle into college, use time wisely, let them know about student discount etc, whereas the issue that came out in May would be to do with exams and revision and how to get through the next term of exams.
       I expect to put a midshot of a girl on the front of my magazine, as I think a girl on the cover will appeal to both girls and boys. Also, by having a midshot, it doesn't seem like a glamour magazine, with a headshot, but there is enough space for a bit of background to be shown. To get this image, I will go around college, finding suitable looking girls, or using my friends, and getting them to stand in a particular position with a particular background.
       My magazine would be published every half term, so every 6-7 weeks. Maybe during the break before they go back to college in order for the students to purchase the magazine and equip themselves with tips and advice for the coming weeks. Also this isn't too often for the same things to be repeated in the magazine, but instead will be a good investment for the student, and give enough time for more information and research to be gathered to put in the magazine.
      The dimensions of the cover of my magazine will be 16.4 x 13.2 x 2.2 cm, as this is the size of Glamour Magazine, a compact magazine that can easily fit into bags. This way, students can carry it round with them easily, making it easier to refer. It can then be thicker and not be as heavy as a larger magazine would be.
      On the contents page, I would use the same colours as on the cover of my magazine, although I would also use black, to make sure that the font was easy to read, and that they could defintely understand what was inside the magazine. I am considering using purple and blue as my colour theme, as they are generic colours, with the purple appealing to girls and blue appealing to boys, but as the colours are similar, they'll work together well. Then the black will be bold, so I could use this for the parts of the contents I feel are most interesting, or that are also included on the cover page.

Font Examples: -
Segoe Script:

Hattenschweiler:

Flatplan

Initial Ideas

Task 5: Skills Audit

The following are the things I was unsure how to do in the skills audit. I researched on the internet, and found out how to do them. Here I have given a brief commentary on what I found out.

Cut & Paste text on a Mac
Open the words or images and highlight. Press the command key (propeller shaped key, located beneath the 'x') followed by 'c'. To paste, press the command key followed with 'v'.
Alternatively, right click the mouse simultaneously with the control key. A drop down list should appear, select copy. To paste, do the same, but click paste.

Scan Images into a Mac
Once plugging in the scanner to the Mac, scan the image, using the scan button on the scanner. The Mac should automatically recognise the scanner and show the image.

Upload Photos to a Mac
Insert the device or memory stick with the photos on. An icon for the device should appear in the top right corner. Open the device and find your files. Drag and drop into a folder on your Mac.

How to use InDesign 
Choose new from the File Menu, then Document. Choose your document settings, page size etc. and click OK. Choose the Type Tool (T) from the toolbar, and click the page to create a text box. Add text, and then attributes such as font, size and colour can be altered after. Insert a picture by clicking the Rectangle Tool (M). To add the picture select the rectangle and click File then Place before browsing for your picture. Preview your document by pressing (W). Save the file by navigating to File and Save.
The following website contains all the information I used to find out how to use InDesign.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5065632_use-indesign.html

Task 4: IPC Case Study

Task 4: Magazine Research

In 2008, 1.103 billion magazines were circulated. There are 6 kinds of magazine: -

• Consumer - magazines found in newsagents.
• B2B - magazines related to work and businesses.
• Customer - used for marketing, usually sent through the post.
• Part Works - forms an encyclopedia, which you collect over a period of time.
• Newspaper Supplements - comes free with newspapers.
• Academic journals - published university work and discussions.

The UK boasts around 2,409 consumer magazines, and the combined consumers spend around £1.6 billion a year on the magazines, resulting in the total circulation for consumer magazines in the UK to be 46 million. In the first six months of 2010, 69 new magazines were launched.

            TV Choice is the most popular UK magazine, with a circulation of over 1 million. This is for many reasons, one being the low cost, as the magazine retails for just 45p. Glamour is the most popular women's magazine, with around 489,461 copies sold. It's popular due to it's cheap price  - around £2, and it's small size. However, the circulation figures for NME are dropping, down 14.3% last year to just 29 thousand. 

           Nearly nine out of ten UK adults read consumer magazines, with each consumer reading for an average of 50 minutes. The average UK adult buys 22 magazines a year. However, 18-24 year olds are the most influential on magazines. Around £1.6 billion is spent on advertising in consumer magazines every year. 

Magazine Publishers

1) Bauer Consumer Magazine - Kerrang, Closer, GQ, Closer (most popular)

2) BBC Worldwide - BBC Top Gear Magazine, Top of the Pops, Teletubbies, Radio Times (most popular)

3) Conde Nast - Vanity Fair, GQ, Glamour (most popular)

4) Dennis Publishing - The Week, Custom PC,  Men's Fitness (most popular)

5) Future Publishing - Photo Plus, PC Answers, PC Format

6) H Bauer - Bella, Take A Crossword, Take A Break (most popular)

7) Hearst Magazines UK - Inside Soap, Good Housekeeping, Real People, Reveal (most popular)

8) Haymarket Consumer Media - What Car?, Classic FM Magazine, Autocar (most popular)

9) IPC Media - Soaplife, NME, Woman and Home, Loaded, What's on TV (most popular)

Task 3: Essay About the Ideologies of Teenage Girl's Magazines

To What Extent Should Magazines Be Held Responsible For Social Ramifications Of The Representations They Offer?

In this essay I am going to discuss whether magazines should be held responsible for the social ramifications of the representations they offer or not. I will explore the dominance of some of the ideologies included on magazine covers, and to what extent they are affecting teenage girls.

            One of the main features of any teenage girl’s magazine is the main image of a well known celebrity. They are often of a similar age, or are involved in something the target audience are likely to be interested in, for example films, music, television programmes etc. The celebrities on these covers are always featured looking beautiful and made over. The ramifications of these images are that they suggest to the target audience that if they don’t always look beautiful and made over, then they have no chance of being a celebrity, or that they need to change.  

            On each of the five magazine covers I studied, all of them had cover lines based on 'fashion.' This is a dominant ideology, and suggests that the 'stereotypical' teen girl is going to be very interested in the clothes she wears. However, they mediate this so the girls feel pressured into wearing the clothes advertised, as it is only this way that they will look 'hot,' 'be a style sensation.' Although it is normal for teenage girls to take an interest in fashion, surely pressuring them to dress and look a certain way isn't? Teenage girl’s magazines have a big influence on the way they dress, when surely they should be still be being creative and getting their own inspiration for their styles.

            There were also cover lines on all 5 of the magazines about 'beauty' and their appearance. For example, 'how to get perfect skin,' 'sexy hair.' Firstly, why should young teenagers be concerned about their hair and skin? Also, the word 'perfect' suggests that if they don't have hair or skin like shown in the magazine, then they need to change it. Most of the images in a magazine are airbrushed anyway, so surely no one actually has perfect skin? Similarly, the word 'sexy' connotes all the wrong ideas to a teenage girl. Young girls shouldn't be making themselves look 'sexy,' as this is an adult term, referring to sex; something the target audience shouldn’t be think about. Therefore, it could be argued that these magazines have something to do with the increasing number of teenage pregnancies and under age sex, as some of the features in these magazines tell young girls a bit too much information.

            Each of the magazines advertised 'real life stories,' about other girls of similar ages. This could be a good thing, as they are getting to hear about other people the same age as them. However, all these stories involved some horrific story. For example 'I was almost killed on the way home from school.' These stories can educate teen girls, making them aware that they have to be careful and know how to react in certain situations. However, to have every magazine including some these stories, surely they are frightening and shocking teen girls to a certain extent.

            Boys are also a main feature on teenage girls magazine covers. Whether it’s topless celebrities, or quizzes or specials about finding or keeping the ‘right boy,’ there is plenty about the male species. Teenagers are young adults, and even though love and relationships are going to become a main part of their lives, should girls of about 13 really be worrying about finding the ‘right boy?’ Also ‘4 Steps to Summer Lovin’’ was a cover line on one of the magazines. Surely this is insinuating the wrong thing to teenage girls. The magazines treat boys as an accessory, or a ‘must have,’ telling the girls that have boyfriends, how to keep hold of them, and the girls that don’t, how to get one. However, the magazines also mediate boys in the wrong way too. For example there was a cover line saying ‘crazy ex-boyfriends.’ This implies that some boys are ‘crazy’ once you’ve split up, again either frightening girls, or making them laugh at boys.

            Overall, although teenage magazines work well at appealing to the target audience, when you look closely, they actually are full of unhealthy and unrealistic portrayals of life and relationships. The ramifications for each magazine are all similar, revolving around boys, fashion, looking ‘perfect’ and real life stories.

Task 3: Brief Magazine Descriptions

Task 2: Magazines & Audiences Essay

Task 2: Magazines & Audiences Annotations

Task 2: Magazines & Audiences Glossary

Audience - the people at which the magazine are aimed at.
Composition - the way in which things on a magazine are placed in the frame.
Connotation - images/colours/words that imply or suggest something.
Cover Lines - words/quotes/phrases used to advertise what can be found inside a magazine, catch the audience's attention and appeal to them.
Genre - the catogories or type of a piece of media.
Left Third - the left half of a magazine cover, where most of the cover lines can be found, so that these are seen when the magazine is displayed on a shelf.
Main Cover Line - The main story/article advertised on the front of a magazine, that is probably the feature article, and that will appeal to the target audience.
Masthead - The title/name of a magazine, featured at the top of the magazine.
Puff/Plug - text in a bubble/box used to make a specific cover line stand out and draw in the readers attention.
Representation - Using an image/piece of text to stand for something, that can then be recognised.
San Serif Font - the straight/bold/block style font used on a magazine cover that can make it appear more modern and formal.
Serif Font - the curly/flicky/fancy style font used on a magazine cover, that makes a magazine appear more classy yet dated.
Target Audience - a specific type of people that a magazine is aimed at - for example, a specific gender, age group, class etc.

Task 1: Getting To Know Blogger

'Things You Can Do With Blogger.'
- Create and edit posts, which can be for pubilc viewing (whole of the internet).
- Update posts frequently.
- Upload pictures, videos, links, voice clips etc.
- Personalise your own blog so that is individual.
- Get feedback from your readers


'How I Think Blogger Will Be Useful For My Coursework.'
- Posts can be published for individual, group or class viewing.
- It's easy to use, making it quick to add or create work.
- I can communicate with an audience.
- It is a personalised way of learning and showing work, meaning that it will be individual from everyone esle's.
- My work can be accessed anytime and anywhere, which means that I can continue with my work both inside and outside of lessons.
- Posts are always there, so I can review my work, and it can be assessed whenever needs be.
- My posts can be commented on, meaning the audience can give their opinions and feedback on how I can improve my work.