This is my draft contents page which follows the house style.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Transparent
If you want to take away the white background of images after importing them onto quark (if it hasn't automatically stayed transparent from photoshop), right click the image > modify > on both the 'runaround' and the 'picture' tabs make sure that 'alpha channel' and 'alpha mask 1' are selected > press apply and ok.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Draft Magazine Cover - FRESH
This is my draft magazine cover, when I create my final magazine the person on the main cover image will be facing forwards, rather than at the side like on this draft.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Generic Elements of Double Page Spread
1: masthead.
2: subheadings (different sections).3: main image that links to cover and splash article.
4: smaller images linking to articles.
5: house style.
6: advertising.
7. issue number.
8. caption.
9. list of contents with page numbers.
10. page number.
11. editorial with picture of editor.
12: date.
13: subscription.
14: section about reviewers, photographers and other key personnel.
15: by-line
2: subheadings (different sections).3: main image that links to cover and splash article.
4: smaller images linking to articles.
5: house style.
6: advertising.
7. issue number.
8. caption.
9. list of contents with page numbers.
10. page number.
11. editorial with picture of editor.
12: date.
13: subscription.
14: section about reviewers, photographers and other key personnel.
15: by-line
Thursday, 12 March 2009
5 Rules of Taking a Successful Cover Image
1. No cluttered back grounds.
2. Focus on lead singer, if taking a photo of a band - single artist medium to close up shot, 3/4 image maybe good not centered if an alternative magazine.
3. Leave room for a masthead.
4. No high angle shots, fine for double page spread.
5. Animate your band, make sure they look at the camera.
2. Focus on lead singer, if taking a photo of a band - single artist medium to close up shot, 3/4 image maybe good not centered if an alternative magazine.
3. Leave room for a masthead.
4. No high angle shots, fine for double page spread.
5. Animate your band, make sure they look at the camera.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Yesterdays Lesson 9/3/09
Yesterday I started to design my cover logo and experimented with diffrent fonts, which I plan to finish by the end of today.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
3 Ideas For My Main Product
In order for me to be able to start designing my music magazine I had to research the key elements of a music magazine, this included target audience, sub-genre, the title of the magazine and connotations, some front cover images including the camera angles, splash articles and come up with some possible ideas for my contents page such as the layout.
The magazines I chose to research due to their different genres were Kerrang, Source and Q, all mainstream magazines as they appeal to a wide audience. I figured due to the genre that the target audiences will differ so the magazines overall layout and advertising will be different. Kerrang magazines main target audience is 16-24 year olds with a 60% male audience and 40% female, the sub-genre of the magazine is heavy metal/rock music. Due to the sub-genre of the magazine the cover images have to connote this and appeal to the audience so they generally have pictures of iconic bands in a sort of rock and roll pose, the main splash articles normally link to the cover band or band member and contain an interview.
Source magazines target audience is different to Kerrang as it appeals to the target audience of R’n’B/Hip-Hop lovers. Sources target audience is 16-24 year olds and is split between male and female readers 50-50. The colours on the magazines front cover such as pink connotes ‘pimp’ and ‘fresh’ which appeal to the target audience. The pose of the group or solo artist on the magazine represent the music genre with stereotypical hand gesture which is seen as ‘cool’ to people who read the magazine, also with their stereotypical image of having a shaved head and gold teeth, where as Kerrangs is more long hair and dark clothing. As with Kerrang, Sources splash articles also relate to the cover image and contain interviews. However the advertisements in Source magazine will differ to Kerrang, as with Kerrang advertisements will include the chance to win a guitar and Sources will include the chance to win a gold chain or some ‘sneakers’. The contents of both magazines will differ considerably due to the target audiences.
Q magazines target audience differs to both Kerrang and Source as its target audience ranges from 24-35 year olds and has sub-genres of Indie/Rock and Pop music. Q magazine has a greater number of male readers than female; this may be down to the fact that women of that age have more options in magazine such as OK and Closer etc, which may appeal to them more because of their age range. The cover image on Q magazine could range from a wider range of artists due to it having more sub-genres, so the cover could feature Madonna one week who appeals to a Pop audience and The Killers who appeal to an Indie audience the next. The contents of the magazine also differs as each page goes on, advertisements may include give aways such as a Killers CD and also a Madonna CD to target more than one sub-genre audience.
Having researched the above magazines I have come up with a couple of possible titles for my music magazine. The first was BRAP for a Hip-Hop/R’n’B magazine, I chose BRAP as this is a well recognised term used within the hip-hop scene it also is onomatopoeia as it sounds like a gun shot which is associate with the whole supposed ‘gangster rapper’ scene, the target audience of this magazine will be 16-24 year olds and target a 60-40 male dominating split. The main cover image could feature a medium close up shot of a rapper or R’n’B singer striking one of their notorious thug associated poses, the splash article would also relate to the cover image, also including tour dates and the latest info on the artist(s), contents could also relate to this with a win a ticket for the event competition, the top 10 albums out now, smaller interviews with artists, upcoming releases and some old school magazines.
My idea for an Indie magazine with a target audience of 16-24 year olds with a male and female 60-40 split is called Indie Inside. This connotes that the magazine has a contents of just indie music and the use of alliteration makes it catchy. The main cover image could feature a close up shot of a band or band member, possibly with an instrument, the splash article would also relate to the cover with an interview. I could include a Leeds festival ticket exclusive give away or competition, include V.I.P passes to gigs, feature demo tracks by bands exclusive to my magazine, the top ten indie artists that changed music etc.
My final idea is for an Electro/Dance magazine called Filthy Funky Fresh, yet again I chose this name due to the alliteration but also because it relates to the genre of music which is seen as filthy, funky and fresh. It will target an 18-30 audience with a 50-50 male and female split. The cover image could be of people inside a nightclub ‘raving’ or so to speak. Contents could include tickets to gatecrasher and other big events associate with this genre of music or money off vouchers, interviews with DJ’s, free glow sticks, ministry of sound CD’s or pick of the month venues.
Both Indie Inside and BRAP magazine are going to target a mainstream audience and Filthy Funky Fresh will target a niche audience this is due to the fact that the there is a smaller audience at this moment in time for this genre.
The magazines I chose to research due to their different genres were Kerrang, Source and Q, all mainstream magazines as they appeal to a wide audience. I figured due to the genre that the target audiences will differ so the magazines overall layout and advertising will be different. Kerrang magazines main target audience is 16-24 year olds with a 60% male audience and 40% female, the sub-genre of the magazine is heavy metal/rock music. Due to the sub-genre of the magazine the cover images have to connote this and appeal to the audience so they generally have pictures of iconic bands in a sort of rock and roll pose, the main splash articles normally link to the cover band or band member and contain an interview.
Source magazines target audience is different to Kerrang as it appeals to the target audience of R’n’B/Hip-Hop lovers. Sources target audience is 16-24 year olds and is split between male and female readers 50-50. The colours on the magazines front cover such as pink connotes ‘pimp’ and ‘fresh’ which appeal to the target audience. The pose of the group or solo artist on the magazine represent the music genre with stereotypical hand gesture which is seen as ‘cool’ to people who read the magazine, also with their stereotypical image of having a shaved head and gold teeth, where as Kerrangs is more long hair and dark clothing. As with Kerrang, Sources splash articles also relate to the cover image and contain interviews. However the advertisements in Source magazine will differ to Kerrang, as with Kerrang advertisements will include the chance to win a guitar and Sources will include the chance to win a gold chain or some ‘sneakers’. The contents of both magazines will differ considerably due to the target audiences.
Q magazines target audience differs to both Kerrang and Source as its target audience ranges from 24-35 year olds and has sub-genres of Indie/Rock and Pop music. Q magazine has a greater number of male readers than female; this may be down to the fact that women of that age have more options in magazine such as OK and Closer etc, which may appeal to them more because of their age range. The cover image on Q magazine could range from a wider range of artists due to it having more sub-genres, so the cover could feature Madonna one week who appeals to a Pop audience and The Killers who appeal to an Indie audience the next. The contents of the magazine also differs as each page goes on, advertisements may include give aways such as a Killers CD and also a Madonna CD to target more than one sub-genre audience.
Having researched the above magazines I have come up with a couple of possible titles for my music magazine. The first was BRAP for a Hip-Hop/R’n’B magazine, I chose BRAP as this is a well recognised term used within the hip-hop scene it also is onomatopoeia as it sounds like a gun shot which is associate with the whole supposed ‘gangster rapper’ scene, the target audience of this magazine will be 16-24 year olds and target a 60-40 male dominating split. The main cover image could feature a medium close up shot of a rapper or R’n’B singer striking one of their notorious thug associated poses, the splash article would also relate to the cover image, also including tour dates and the latest info on the artist(s), contents could also relate to this with a win a ticket for the event competition, the top 10 albums out now, smaller interviews with artists, upcoming releases and some old school magazines.
My idea for an Indie magazine with a target audience of 16-24 year olds with a male and female 60-40 split is called Indie Inside. This connotes that the magazine has a contents of just indie music and the use of alliteration makes it catchy. The main cover image could feature a close up shot of a band or band member, possibly with an instrument, the splash article would also relate to the cover with an interview. I could include a Leeds festival ticket exclusive give away or competition, include V.I.P passes to gigs, feature demo tracks by bands exclusive to my magazine, the top ten indie artists that changed music etc.
My final idea is for an Electro/Dance magazine called Filthy Funky Fresh, yet again I chose this name due to the alliteration but also because it relates to the genre of music which is seen as filthy, funky and fresh. It will target an 18-30 audience with a 50-50 male and female split. The cover image could be of people inside a nightclub ‘raving’ or so to speak. Contents could include tickets to gatecrasher and other big events associate with this genre of music or money off vouchers, interviews with DJ’s, free glow sticks, ministry of sound CD’s or pick of the month venues.
Both Indie Inside and BRAP magazine are going to target a mainstream audience and Filthy Funky Fresh will target a niche audience this is due to the fact that the there is a smaller audience at this moment in time for this genre.
Below are a few examples of magazines similar to my ideas.
Genre: Electro Genre: Indie Genre: Hip-Hop/R’n’B
Genre: Electro Genre: Indie Genre: Hip-Hop/R’n’B
I am hoping that my magazine choice will look similar to the above ones, TRAX, NME and SCRATCH. I have decided to make my electro magazine Filthy Funky Fresh because I feel it will be better to target a niche audience and it will differ from anyone else’s ideas.
Defining Mainstream and Niche Products 4/3/09
A target audience is the specific group of people that the media product is aimed at.
A mainstream product is a product that targets an audience on a vast scale thus gaining more overall revenue. A niche product however targets a smaller audience so the revenue figures are lower. A niche product has smaller circulation figures because it sells less units than a mainstream.
A mainstream product is a product that targets an audience on a vast scale thus gaining more overall revenue. A niche product however targets a smaller audience so the revenue figures are lower. A niche product has smaller circulation figures because it sells less units than a mainstream.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Yesterdays Lesson
I uploaded some examples of music magazines owned by Bauer, which relates to the current essay I have in progress.
We also went through a slide show to help us identify the target audience of magazines and there genres, to give us an idea of how to design our magazines.
We also went through a slide show to help us identify the target audience of magazines and there genres, to give us an idea of how to design our magazines.
Monday, 2 March 2009
Last Weeks Work
I completed my front cover and contents page of my college magazine. I have learned how to use both Quark and Photoshop effectively, including importing text and converting a Quark document into Photoshop.
By the end of the week I need to have uploaded my semeotic analysis of a magazine, scan in my draft front cover, finish off my research essay and upload some examples of college magazines.
By the end of the week I need to have uploaded my semeotic analysis of a magazine, scan in my draft front cover, finish off my research essay and upload some examples of college magazines.
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