Media powerpoint

Magazine Creation PowerPoint: Main Task

Jack Weedon

Music Magazine

• The initial idea for my music magazine was to do a folk related magazine. Upon doing some research I found that recently the market has a new found youth market for the genre. Bands like Mumford & Sons have popularised the previously ‘dull’ genre into an abstract natural alternative music genre. Upon looking for magazines which have an outlet for this genre I found none. The current alternative music magazines usually have quite a large section on folk/ folk rock/ Americana bands yet there are no popular music magazines or even any decent unpopular magazines aimed at this genre. I will use this gap in the market to my advantage, evaluating similar alternative/indie magazines which feature parts on folk will be my first step to developing my magazine effectively.

Audience Research

Here we can see my questionnaire I developed to decide on the genre (and genre specific bands demanded) of my magazine, its content, the place of retail and there is room for input about any further elements I may have overlooked.

Results Of Research

Similar Products• As I have managed to find

a niche market for my magazine there are no currently established national folk music outlets. This gives me reign to incorporate aspects of magazines that are already popular in the public eye and take the one which is most appropriate to my target audience and then add my own flair of the genre defined through music style and feel.

I have decided to use the popular elements of the magazine Q which is the closest magazine to my target audience and one that covers some established folk artists. I also would like to involve the followers of the ‘folk revival’ by adding elements from the New Musical Express (NME) which tends to cater for the younger end of the market.

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NME Cover Evaluation



The magazine has its title and logo in the top left corner, the colour scheme is fluent through all editions so red tends to have accompanying colours, not for instance blue.

Article featuring a recently deceased musician shows that the magazine cares for the industry and all contributions.

Only two images are shown as to promote the feature artists and not undermine the importance of the other featured memoriam article.

Barcode is shown on the right hand side in the middle which breaks standard conventions of magazine layout.

The page is separated by the artists title and an unusually large amount of sky is featured. Could have possibly heavenly connotations for the deceased artist shown.

Artists displayed at bottom of page are of similar genre or popularity as featured artist. Whereas not at the top.

Eye line is unusually low for a normal magazine, the band is almost squared in the bottom of

the page.

Inclusion of only acoustic instruments infer the style of music shown.

Only 3 type fonts and 3 type colours are shown. Demonstrates simplicity of featured genres.

Music style is similar to what I will feature in my magazine, the large landscape background backs up my earlier decision to feature nature prominently within any folk music outlet.

Q Cover Evaluation



Logo and name is partially obscured, creates depth effect and shows that magazine is well known.

Background is basic and fades to grey towards the edges, this creates a highlight effect in the middle of the pair. This contrasts the natural image of NME cover. Though this is not befitting to my desired genre.

Small circular stamp like image stands out and promotes a special feature.

The feature bands name is squared to the length of the magazine ands cuts off the bottom, drawing attention towards the standing figures.

The red logo, like NME, features in every magazine and all other colours are neighboring. White, black and gold all are relative to red but the inclusion of gold colour infers luxury or exclusivity in its nature. This draws attention.

Artists are featured lining one side with red background to stand out.

The two figures on the cover stand tall and look slightly down on camera with a quizzical look, their clothes are slightly regal and their inclusion to ‘the hot list’ gives the impression they are looking upon ‘mere mortals. This is backed up by the tag line ‘rock’s new royalty’.

Secondary article includes leading quote as to not be eclipsed by the size of the feature band on the cover.

Barcode now follows standard convention to normal magazines.

This cover is more formal than NME, it follows conventional lines and sizes e.g. the right side text is all the same width, even the large ‘&’ symbol.

Theta Magazine (Own Front Cover) EvaluationTaking inspiration from Q magazine I took the squared top image and made it my own, adding a Greek letter (which is a word identified through symbol) to appeal to a more intelligent and worldly audience.

The colour scheme was a diversion from the red, black and white and instead opting for a more natural/ earthy colour of maroon. The yellow contrasts this nicely.

The background embodies the aspect of nature that folk music has, the sunlight bearing down upon the featured artist gives an overall positive feel.

The image is very feminine and bright which is supposed to mirror their youth and music style, yet the colours would not have to be adjusted for a darker feel. The double page spread for this band explains how they have a darker feel and I show that on the spread.

The tagline was own creation as I thought that it carried a friendly vibe.

From a edition of NME I saw that artists could have their logo/names featured on a page. This placed next to my own logo creation makes mine look more professional.

I used the circular sticker/stamp on Q Magazine and used it to place information on any other features in the magazine.

I use 3 different fonts, not including logo’s for simplicity and consistency.

The feature bands name is low down as not to cut off any of the image and instead I put any secondary information above. This cover is more simple and less feature cluttered than Q, borrowing simplicity relevant to the music genre as NME did.

Cover story alluring line and article overview.

Photo shoot images from cover & double page spread

Out of the 30 or so shots I took, in dark shots and in light, these are the 4 I ended up using on my front cover and double page spread. In all of the pictures one of the models had the right look I wanted for the separate moods I wanted to convey in the final copy. It took some editing but I ended up with preliminary images of the right tone. The change in hair colour was important and took an long while to decide on, I wanted light hair for the front to go with the background that I had chosen so I proceeded to change the colour to an auburn and blonde (reminiscent of the colour scheme) which fit with the golden background. For the darker shot I applied a similar colour manipulation for less light and it worked to good effect.

Language

• Looking at my two critical magazines, where they can be quite similar in look they vary greatly in writing style. In Q magazine I found an example spread on Coldplay (band with both young and older appeal, reminiscent of my entire magazine target audience). The language used was descriptive, humorous yet insightful yet it was definitely not concise which can be a problem for younger readers. This is where NME excelled with shorter articles on relevant things yet lacked in detail. Without trying to expand my target audience too much I decided that I would meet halfway, yet swaying towards Q’s approach as their language was more appropriate for my desired target audience. I decided not on a Q&A type interview and instead opted for a cover story, giving more an insight/opinion rather than just answers.

NME Contents Page Evaluation



Large masthead like newspaper title, has individual name rather than ‘contents’. Looks formal with serif font.

Numbers relate to page in corner of every image, prominently featured.

Black and white background and text colour scheme, with the same carried on into the featured article.

Each article, instead of beginning with artists name like Q magazines and my own contents page, has an interesting or amusing quote with an explanatory text underneath, we see the band/bands featured just in this text, not highlighted at all.

Inserted is small list of regular and edition specific extra features.

The images are all formed around one main center image, the focus of this is festival and all the other relative stories around are live music based as opposed to album based.

Contrary to my own and Q magazines contents page NME does not feature their logo or name on the page at all.

Q Contents Page Evaluation



Logo is included in relatively the same position as it was on the cover, consistency of logo placement.

Has a features section that goes into more detail on each topic, evident that there is more time going into these features.

Includes an image of a double page spread that is included in the magazine. This is shown underneath its page number and article summary. I will see to include this in my own contents page as it will give depth to the page, making it look like a full product.

Solitary image that evokes the who, what, when, where and why questions that a reader may ask. This gives them cause to look at the features and peruse the magazines other inclusions.

Bar across has the usual ‘contents’ title and the whole page conforms to the colour scheme given in the cover page (even though it is a different issue, this shows consistency of colour scheme).

Large number draws attention to featured figure of Matt Bellamy, the number links to the page number and also the description on the side.

Theta (Own Contents Page) EvaluationLike Q I feature the logo in the contents bar and also like Q I follow the same colour scheme defined on the cover.

Name of artist and small humorous quote prompts reader to seek article.

Background is most similar to the front cover of the Q magazine I assessed. This background continues on to the double page spread also.

Nature images are still incorporated.

The page spread can be seen just as it can be seen in Q contents page. The numbers on each of the feature images references to a description on the side. (The main feature is exempt from this).

Image featured of an actual live concert, this is an own image of the appropriate band shown. Shows there is a mix between interviews and live reviews.

Issue number, date and website featured.

The contents banner and features column text is calligraphic which contrasts that in both NME and Q, this is one genre appropriate decision.

Underneath artist name and page number is short humorous play on words or short description of article content.

Reviews are shown as well as articles, and it is inferred that this is a regular number of interviews.

I added a note from the editor with a picture of myself and just an overview of the magazine in general. These are both incorporated into Q and NME but not always on contents page.

Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs

• The basis of theory of motivation is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be addressed.

• When creating media products (or any type of product for that matter) we need to assess exactly where our product will be placed in this hierarchy.

• Magazines are not a necessity, but they are involved in some of the higher points on the hierarchy. When creating a media product you must do your best to aim it at as many of these points as possible. For example music, counts as creativity… The creation of music can lead to achievement, confidence and respect of others. So on and so forth.

• The vast majority of people would be in the esteem needs category if they buy a magazine. In relation to a music magazine, people in this section would gain confidence in knowing about music in general. Developing their own styles and tastes, this could lead to the next category in the moving up process which is self actualization. This would be were the person is in a way, finding themselves, and feeling self-fulfillment.



Social Grade Definitions

• A

• B

• C1

• C2

• D

• E

= Upper middle class

= Middle class

= Lower middle class

= Skilled working class

= Working class

= Those at the lowest

levels of subsistence

= Higher managerial, administrative or professional.

= Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional.

= Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional.

= Skilled manual workers.

= Semi and unskilled manual workers.

= Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others who depend on the welfare state for their income.

Chief income earner's occupationSocial classGrade

The Social Grade definition needs to be assessed also when looking into distributing a media product. You need to asses which regions are most likely to want and to be able to afford a magazine. The higher the social grade, the more likely a person is to buy a magazine because they have a stable income and therefore, money to buy and magazine in comparison to those at the other end of the scale who don’t have this disposable income available to them.

NME Double Page Spread Evaluation



The first page is 3/4 dominated by an extract from the interview, clearly eye catching and in a cut out style like its has been edited from a newspaper. This is reflected in sub title with reference to headlines.

White background followed, clean yet not befitting for my folk magazine.

Artist dominates whole of second page leans slightly towards camera in an approaching way.

Colour scheme is kept that was defined on the cover, fluent colour scheme even as Q did not follow its colour scheme on its double page spread.

Artists name is only featured in small as she is well recognized.

Q Double Page Spread Evaluation



The second page is dominated by a huge close up of the feature artist and an amusing excerpt from the article, placed beneath his mouth as if he was speaking those very words.

Changing fonts within the text highlights key words and places emphasis on others.

Colour scheme that Q has managed to keep has disappeared as it adopts a different tone more suited to the article.

The starting letter of each part are enlarged to highlight the start of each part.

Theta (Own Double Page Spread) Evaluation

Excerpt from interview acts as first thing seen by reader.

The ‘world exclusive’ makes it seem like the band are hot commodity at the moment.

Quotes that draw reader in are enlarged and coloured.

The band logo features greatly and association between the members and the band becomes stronger.

One model looks straight to camera while the other looks down, pensively.

• I wanted to keep the double page spread very simple as I had drawn that from the other two examples. But the background I decided to take into my own direction, my assessed pieces from established magazines had no or gray backgrounds but I wanted to convey the darker side to the group that they discuss in the interview yet still maintain the link to nature. I chose 3 backgrounds and placed the layers behind my models. Then once I had adjusted the exposure and contrast levels I added 3 separate effects (plastic wrap, watercolour and cutout) to each image, and in turn parts of the models. This added a bit of interest to the otherwise flat backgrounds.

• Also something else that I really paid attention to on these pages were the lines I used and the grid system that I kept. Making sure that al text was in line with the edge of the images and so on.

Theta (Own Double Page Spread) Evaluation Continued…

Audience Evaluation

• Upon displaying my magazine to a range of participants the feedback was generally positive, they believed the colour scheme was good and that it was befitting to the genre, they also commented on how composition was done well and how well I had incorporated aspects of many types of already popular music magazines. The audience was generally receptive of my contents page and described it as “familiar but small changes made it individual”, they also liked the simplicity and how that mirrored the chilled out genre it was representing. The few criticisms were mostly that I had not included enough features placed on the front cover and there was too little in the way of allure on the front cover. Despite this they explained how the writing style I used was identifiable but humorous, and that the Photoshop work on the double page spread was done well.

Education

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