Research

By Evie Theodore

Footer bar.This gives more information and highlights key points. The placing is effective because of the rules of eye flow as people will naturally read from top to bottom

Masthead. This helps the magazine become identifiable to both frequent readers and new readers because of the sense of consistency in the style.

Main Cover LineMatches the Main image as it relates to the camera.

Main ImageThis is a mid shot image of the singer Oli Sykes (as displayed in the model credit). He is holding a camera which reflects what the main story is about.

Barcode and PriceThis stands out and is a convenient place to put the price as it is easy to find.

Secondary imagesThese help to intrigue the reader as they are able to see who else will feature in the magazine. The reader will see the text advertising the posters and if they like a particular band within the magazine they will buy it for them.

CoverlinesThese are telling the reader more about what will be inside. The use of the word ‘Starring’ gives it a sense of exclusivity as these acts will only be seen inside this magazine.

Model CreditThis is telling readers who the model is, in case people are unaware perhaps because they may not follow his band or read this magazine

LIAAR• Language:• This magazine is written in a casual register as there is a use of colloquialisms and swearing inside. • Institution:• It is published by the Bauer Media Group.• It operates in over 16 countries worldwide• It sells over 38 million of its magazine titles per week• Ideology:• Kerrang is a rock music magazine which promotes current and past artists, bands, concerts and

festivals.• Audience:• This magazine is targeted towards men and women from around the age of 12 and upwards.

Although the magazine can be read by anyone who enjoys this genre of music, there is swearing in it which could be inappropriate for younger consumers.

• Representation:• The model Oli Sykes is looking directly into the camera, almost as if he is looking at the

reader/audience. He is wearing a plain vest which highlights is tattoos which could appeal to those who are interested in them or have them as it is a common stereotype that the audience that reads about or listens to rock music to have tattoos themselves. The main focus however is the professional camera in his hands. This could also appeal to anyone who is interested in photography as well as music (as the reason behind the camera is the pictures that have been taken inside) or anyone who is just interested in seeing the pictures.

PlugThe plug is large, in another colour and underneath the Masthead to make sure people can find it. It is promoting the 300th issue which may get people to buy it for sentimental reasons if they are a reoccurring reader or a collector.

CoverlinesThese Coverlines are promoting the other articles of different music artists inside. They are in different colours to stand out from the main focus point which is Adele

Masthead. This helps the magazine become identifiable to both frequent readers and new readers because of the sense of consistency in the style.

Selling Line‘Discover Great Music’ helps identify the genre of the magazine.

Barcode and PriceThis is on the left side of the magazine which is appropriate because of the rules of eye flow and people naturally read from left to right, so they will be able to find the price better

Main CoverlineThe Main Coverline is the models name. This shows how she will be the main topic in the magazine

Main pull quoteThis suggests that there will be more about the model inside the magazine e.g an article. It is positioned on the top of the Main Cover line which is the artists name to show what she has to say. The text is in white to give the magazine ‘breath’ and to match the Main Coverline. It is also all in capitals to stand out and to show that what Adele has to say is important. The use of the ellipses makes the reader intrigued to read more which they can only do if they buy and read the magazine.

Main ImageThis is a medium close up of the singer Adele.

LIIAR• Language:• This magazine is written in a casual register as there is a use of colloquialisms. For example ‘Blows

us away’ sounds very casual and language that someone who is apart of a particular group of people that may read this magazine (especially through the use of the word ‘us’) would understand.

• Institution:• It is published by the Bauer Media Group.• It operates in over 16 countries worldwide• It sells over 38 million of its magazine titles per week• Ideology:• The ideology of the magazine is to promote artists of all genres and their music.• Audience:• This magazine is targeted at both men and women from the age 12 and upwards as some of the

artists may not be known to younger generations and the language may be hard to comprehend.• Representation:• The model is wearing makeup and her hair is being blown slightly behind her to show her face

more. This could be to represent women in particular to show how women of Adele’s age group can look glamorous. Her quote ‘ If you’ve got, it flaunt it…’ can support this as she is talking about her appearance. This could encourage women from her age range, or any women who admires Adele to read to see what she has to say about her image as well as her music.

Skyline/ taglineThis is showing another main article within the magazine. It is positioned at the top above the Masthead as it is of great importance and interest so it must be seen, but not overshadow the main image and Main Coverline which is why it is still the same colour as the other Coverlines and it isn't bigger than the Masthead.

Main CoverlineThis is in white to match the Masthead. The colour white makes it both stand out and gives it breath. The word ‘that’ is in italics to give a sense of informality as it appears to be casual text that may be sent as a message in the form of how someone would speak as if they were shocked.The models name is in capitals to make it stand out to both show who the model is and to further support the fact that the speaker/ reader is and should be surprised

Main ImageThis is a mid shot of Chris Brown.

Masthead. This helps the magazine become identifiable to both frequent readers and new readers because of the sense of consistency in the style.

CoverlinesThese inform the reader of what else will be included inside the magazine and encourage them to buy it if there is something of particular interest inside

Main pull quoteThis is a quote of something Chris Brown has said, which may encourage people to buy the magazine if they think there will be more interesting information within the article inside the magazine.

Barcode and PriceThis is on the left side of the magazine which is appropriate because of the rules of eye flow and people naturally read from left to right, so they will be able to find the price better

PlugThis is promoting a special issue that Vibe is selling in order to attract people to buy it.

LIIAR• Language:• This magazine is written in a casual register. For example in one of the Coverlines it says ‘Usher’s Exes’ and

‘How girl rappers fell off’. The format is also very casual with the use of the italic and bold words, the kind of texts that would be seen in informal messages to express opinions

• Institution:• Time INC originally owned it then it was bought by InterMedia Partners.• Ideology:• The ideology of this magazine is to promote R&B, hip hop and rap artists.• Audience:• This magazine is targeted at both men and women from the age 12 and upwards as some of the artists may

not be known to younger generations and the language may be hard to comprehend and there is reference to drugs which could be inappropriate young children.

• Representation:• Chris Brown is wearing casual clothing. The only bright thing that seems to stand out is his orange t-shirt. This

specific coloured t-shirt could have been selected as the colour means determination and success which could reflect Brown’s career which is why he is on the front cover. He is also wearing a Yankee baseball cap which could also attract fans in America who support them to buy the magazine as they could feel a sense of alliance. His attitude and approach is also very casual as he is leaning against a wall which shows he is at ease and perhaps just a normal person like the readers are, which helps to connect and represent those who read the magazine and will get them to buy it if they believe that they can associate with the model.

DPS-(Double Page Spread)

Main Image.This is a mid shot. The singer, Gerard Way, is in dark clothing which has been made darker through the use of the black and white effect. He is gripping the microphone and his head is turned away with his hair falling in his eyes as he looks down. This could reflect a struggle or a problem, especially related to the title.

Quote from the band members from the article. The sentence ‘The Best MCR’ is bigger from the rest of the text and in white instead of read in order to stand out and highlight the main point of the article. The text is slightly faded to match the Kerrang Masthead.

The text is very plain and simple in white so that it can be read and to match the other texts. At the start of the article the letter ‘M’ is in bold and in red which is an appropriate convention used in articles

These a sub images, placed to show the band performing in the recording studio as the article says. The last picture on the right is of the lead singer in the recording booth. Although he is singing it appears he is screaming with an emotional facial expression which could also reflect the title and the sense of a struggle.

DPS-(Double Page Spread)The text is very plain and simple in blue so that it can be read and to match the other texts. Because it is blue and the other colour are red and white, they make up the British flag which reflects the Big Ben landmark in the background. At the start of the article the letter ‘I’ is in bold and in white in a red box to match the Q House style. This is an appropriate convention used in articles

His guitar is next to him which shows he is a musician

The word ‘Ginger’ stands out in red to match the connotation

The main image is of the singer Ed Sheeran. He appears to be casual in a dark hoodie and jeans . His hands are in his pockets and he is looking in the distance somewhere, making the image appear natural. Because he is in front of popular land marks in London alone with his back turned to them, he seems as though he isn't doing anything important.

This Q’S ‘The Lowdown’ column, which is separate from the article, but still relates to it. This is promoting Ed Sheeran’s album

This is the official Q magazine logo, which reminds people of the magazines identity when going through the magazine

These are sub headings which divide up the table into different content sections that the articles would fall under to make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for They are in a coloured box so that they can stand out to the reader

Table of contents

The title is the same colour as the subheadings. It informs the readers of what the purpose of this page is. It is bold and bright to stand out

These are secondary images used to give a visual aid to show reader what will be in the magazine on the specific pages so that much reading is not required and readers can find articles of interest faster.

Main image. This is posed with a head shot of the singer looking down and away from the camera so it seems as though her doesn’t notice or care about the cameras and that he is in deep thought so it appears natural.

These are the main features that can be found in the magazine. There is a number which is the page reference so the reader can find what they are looking for easily followed by a simple title to tell the reader what is on that page

This is the editors note accompanied by an image of the magazine front cover. This is here to address the reader on the ideas and themes

This is the dateline. This tells the reader which issue this is so they can be up to date with what they are reading.

Here is an offer to promote the past and future editions of NME with a money saving deal.

It also makes the magazine more available to e contacted because it gives a phone number and a website which further promotes the magazine

These are sub headings which divide up the table into different content sections that the articles would fall under to make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for. They are in a coloured box so that they can stand out to the reader

Table of contentsNME Masthead

This is the same as the NME masthead from the front cover. This gives a sense of continuity.

This is the band index which informs the readers of what bands are playing and on which page they can be found to make navigation easier for the reader.

This further illuminates the fact that it is a music magazine

This is the main image of a rock star performing. It matches the kicker. Also shows that this is a rock music genre magazine.

Models Poses

Model: Arlenis Sosa.The camera angle is a long shot as it includes most of her body.The model has her hands on her hips. She is looking directly into the camera.Her facial expression is a mix between smiling and caught off guard to give the illusion that the model is unnerved by the camera and is confident.This pose is effective as she is able to displaying the clothing appropriately.

Model: Jourdan DunnThis is a low angle shot as the model appears slightly higher than the camera. The picture is in black and white which is a good effect as it seems old like its from a different time and helps the masthead stand out.The model is pulling a face with her tongue out which shows by her facial expression that she is having fun and is not being serious. This can be supporsten by her pose as she hold the prop of the iphone as she takes a selfie which shows she is having fun or making a moment.

Model: Rick GenestThis is a head shot. The model is looking away, giving a more natural pose in comparison to looking straight at the camera. This angle and his neutral helps to display his tattoos which is the main focus point which means it is effective. If he were smiling then the tattoos on his lips wouldn’t be visible or perhaps not displayed in the way the photographer wanted.

Model: Cara Delevigne This is another head shot. The model is pulling a face which is supposed to be aggressive but as a joke for readers. This can be supported by her hair style and the prop of the mouse ears and bow as it contrasts with her facial expression. This pose is effective as the reader will naturally focus on her facial expression which matches the tattoo on her hand she has clenched into a fist, of a lion to also support the aggressive look.

Model: TwiggyThis is a model from the 80’s. A high angle shot is used as the camera is higher than the subject. The picture has been changed into colour to make it seem more modern. The pose is effective as it makes her seem casual and displays her entire body and outfit which highlights that she is in typical 80’s fashion. Her facial expression is neutral as it is not happy or sad and she is not smiling or frowning . This helps to give the impression that the pose is natural as she isn't trying hard to be overly happy.

Planned Photoshoot

Model: Kristen BellMise en scene: The location is a room within a house. There are flowers placed around the room, The colours are yellow and pink which help to brighten up the room as the lighting in the background is quite dim. Similarly the white chair has been chosen also for this reason as it brings attention to the model in the room and makes her the focus point. Her purple dress has been chosen as it is purple with a black pattern, making it a blend of a deep purple and a darker colour, helping her stand out against the chair and the flowers next to her. The cupboard in the background supports the other objects, giving the room a vintage/rustic image, making it appear even more like an old home.Angle: It seems as though this is a high angle shot as the camera seems higher than the subject. The level of the floor also makes it appear that the subject is lower than the camera as it looks like it is uneven and slanted.

Item/Model Shot type/angle/ distance

Macro,Flash and Lighting 

Background Positioning on front cover/TOC

Details of editing

The model will be holding an electric guitar and striking a pose, looking straight into the camera.

Long shot.   Two pictures will be taken, one with flash and one without in order to compare which gives the best overall effect. There will be natural lighting from outside 

Background of a graffiti wall with angels wings.

In the centre I will edit any imperfections of the model or background. I will crop out any distractions if necessary.

The model will be playing the guitar but looking to the side to make it appear as if it is a natural pose.

Medium Close up Two pictures will be taken, one with flash and one without in order to compare which gives the best overall effect. There will be natural lighting from outside

Background of a normal red brick wall.

In the centre I will make sure that there are no dark shadows cast by the model through editing in Photoshop to lighten the image.

The model will be sitting down with the electric guitar in their lap, looking up at the camera to make it appear that they have been taken by surprise.

High Angel shot Two pictures will be taken, one with flash and one without in order to compare which gives the best overall effect. There will be natural lighting from outside

The background will be removed.

In the centre The background will be removed and a plain white one will be in place instead

Photoshoot Plan

QuizI designed a quiz on www.surveymonkey.comI then distributed it to ten different people, asking them questions on what they would like out of a standard music magazine. For example the price.

Question 1

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that the majority of the group were willing to pay the maximum fee of £2.01 to £2.50. This is beneficial to my construction of a magazine as I will now be aware of how much an average person would be willing to spend which has now given me an idea of how much money I should charge for my magazine in order to attract readers and make a profit.

Question 2

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that the majority of the group at 80%, were more likely to purchase a magazine if there was some kind of promotion such as a free prize or the chance to win something with the magazine. This has shown me that in order to attract customers there must be something additional involved to get people’s attention and to persuade them to buy the product.

Question 3

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that the majority of the group at 70% liked to receive subscription plans within their magazines along with special plans. This could be beneficial knowledge to me when constructing my own magazine as I will be able to think about additional things to include to make the product seem professional and welcoming to readers when they look at it as it will offer them the chance to become more closely associated with the magazine if they were interested in subscribing. The special offer on subscription may also persuade someone to buy a plan.

Question 4

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that there is no determining result to look at as there was a 50% result of a light colour scheme and a 50% vote for a dark colour scheme.In order to appeal to both groups I will try to make the colour scheme in between light and dark so that everyone will be able to enjoy the colours.

Question 5

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that the majority of the group at 44.4% wanted a mixture of a neat but filled front cover for a magazine. I find that this is probably the best way to appeal to most people’s tastes as a balance should be able to fit in a lot of interesting pictures and coverlines etc. without it becoming cluttered or messy.

Question 6

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that the majority of the group at 88.8% wanted the magazine to be informally written in a casual register. This is perhaps because as the question states, it is a ‘casual, everyday style’ which would be easier for a target audience to understand and relate to. From these results I have decided to write in a Casual register instead of a Formal or Consultative register despite the 11.1% vote in it’s favour, as the majority of people, both from the questionnaire group and a general target audience, will not appreciate the impersonal feel, however a something such as an Intimate register would be too casual and inappropriate.

Question 7

From analysing the data shown on the pie chart from the results of my questionnaire, I am able to see that the majority of the group at 50%, said that they would like a mix of Interviews, Reviews and Quiz’s in a magazine. This will benefit my construction of my own magazine as it will enable me to understand what people would like to get out of a magazine and what they enjoy the most. A mix is the most fair way to enable everyone within a target audience to feel as though they can get what they want when buying the product. However 30% did say that they would like more Interviews and it would be unconventional to include more quiz’s than interviews with musicians as it would defeat the purpose of the product which to inform readers of musical artists and their work. Therefore, although there will be a mix of all three options, there will maybe be more of one thing e.g. interviews than other things.

Decision• What music genre and why?• I have chosen to do a rock music magazine because I would like to use instruments and models to highlight that it is a

music magazine.• Who is your target audience and why?• My target audience will be for anyone who is thirteen and above and enjoys rock music. This is because for younger

children who cant read or be able to understand the content will not benefit from the magazine.• What research have you done to provide evidence of your decision?• I have taken a look at numerous magazine and I have made the decision based on the display of the rock music

magazines that I have seen as they appear to be bright, interesting and full of information. Based on my questionnaire, the overall majority (44%) said that they would like a majority spread of a full and spaced out front cover, which I believe I will be able to produce to a better standard if it is a rock genre music magazine. For example I will be able to include props such as guitars and excessive makeup to create a stereotype of a typical Goth that would listen to rock music. Also the backgrounds that I am thinking about e.g. graffiti wall backdrops, will create and urban/ underground feel.

• The type of acts that I will be able to create to include in the magazine will be easy to make an image for e.g. Goth. I will make a rock band/ musician to feature in the magazine as it will make it appear more realistic. I will also construct an interview and story to go with the main headline. In my questionnaire 50% of people said that they would like a mix of

• How much will the magazine cost?• Based on the results from my questionnaire (the majority of 40%)and the appropriate price to make a profit from the

magazine, I have decided to set the price at £2.50.• Colour Scheme• From analysing the data on the pie chart in question 4 , I am able to see that there is no determining result to look at

as there was a 50% result of a light colour scheme and a 50% vote for a dark colour scheme. In order to appeal to both groups I will try to make the colour scheme in between light and dark so that everyone

will be able to enjoy the colours. For example I could use primary colours such as red, yellow and blue , but in a darker tone and use black and white to give a neutral blend.

LIAAR• Language• I will chose a casual register to relate to the target audience of people from the age of 13 and over as it will appeal to them and anyone of

a younger age may not understand or relate to the content or style of writing• Institution.• I would chose the Bauer Media Group to publish the magazine as they already own two successful rock magazines such as Kerrang and Q.

In my research I have found that they sell over 38 million of its magazine titles per week and operate in over 16 countries worldwide. This would benefit my magazine as it could launch it globally and attract readers around the world and sell many copies

• Ideology:• The ideology of the magazine will be to promote new and current rock bands and their music and advertise concerts and festivals. There

is not a particular message or moral value reflected within the magazine.• Audience:• The target audience is males and females from the age range of 13 and above as some of the content e.g. certain musicians, will be un-

relatable to anyone of a younger age. Also the themes may not be relevant or comprehendible by a younger audience. The reason the audience is open to both genders is that the content of the magazine and the genre can be enjoyed by both genders so therefore does not need to exclude a certain one.

• Representation:• My magazine will aim to represent both a male and female audience as it is not specifically targeted at either. This will be done by

creating articles that include both genders and representing them within images throughout the magazine. The stereotypes that will probably be represented most will be Goths and Punks through the images of the models and Mise en scene. For example:

• -Clothing: Gothic models will be wearing dark clothing e.g. black with typical footwear e.g. Underground Creeper shoes to represent the stereotype of how Goths dress as they prefer dark clothes that reflect their personalities.

• -Makeup: Gothic models will have heavy eyeliner and mascara to emphasise their eyes in order to emphasise them and the emotionless expression they may have to create the stereotype that Goths don’t have feelings or emotions. Female models will have dark red lipstick to stand out from the black to create some colour in contrast with the make up they will wear to make their faces pale. This will also represent the stereotype that Goths don’t like to be in the sunlight as they prefer darkness.

• -Location: There will be simple backdrops e.g. a plain dark red brick wall which doesn’t take away the focus of the model and doesn’t serve as a distraction but is able to set a scene e.g. an alley way or just a normal street to give the illusion that Goths do are not particularly interesting or exciting because of their lack of emotion. There will be nobody in the background either. This will all highlight the fact that Goths are ‘outcasts’ and do not seek to be in fun situations with the rest of society.

Mood Board

This is an image of my Mood Board. I selected images and texts from music magazines such as Q and Kerrang, as they are similar to what I hope to produce, and put them together in order to see what makes a good magazine. I have found that for the rock music genre magazine uses dark colours such as black but also lighter colours to balance it out. These colours are noticeably the primary colours: red, yellow and blue.Most models pose for main images, however some are taken with a more natural approach. For example the image of the subject pointing in the middle of the left hand side appears as though he isn't even aware of the camera’s presence and it is made to seem as though he is laughing with a friend. Big bold texts are used in order to seize the audience’s attention, particularly if something is of great importance or interest. For example the words in the blue in the centre: ‘Get Social’ could be particularly important as there might be something announced on a social media sight which will be announced. The title is in blue to stand out from the Masthead to make sure people take notice of it.This task will help me when constructing my magazine as I have now been able to see a difference in a variety of styles used across different magazines, for example variations between House Styles, model poses, representation etc.An example of something I have learned from this task is the use of white font (on the Kerrang Masthead in the middle) helps to give the black background ‘breath’ as it makes it appear less cluttered, dark, and easier to read, I will try to incorporate the use of the white colour or font in my own magazine.