Music Magazine research- double page spread from Q

This double page spread is from Q magazine. It features Dizzee Rascal, who started as an underground rapper so has been around for a few years. However, only recently has he made a name for himself.

The image of Dizzee is mostly represented by the background. The graffiti on the background enhances the title “From Tags To Riches” as tags are a type of graffiti. Also, the other images on the page such as bottles represent a certain culture. Because Dizzee is from an area in East London, which is home to many black musicians and footballers, it shows his past. Because of this, this is stereotypically linked to gang culture and issues such as under-age binge drinking.

The main title of the feature "From Tags To Riches" shows Dizzee's rise to fame.

The way that the text is set out is very easy to read because it is in columns and it is easy to see which column to read first.

Music Magazine research- doube page spread of NME

Since the 1960's NME magazine has championed new British group, from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones. During the 70s and 80s, it moved through rock and punk music. This changed in the 90s as it started reporting about new indie bands. But the audience wnated to know about music from 'over the pond' so it introduced American artists that were new on the scene, such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, also known as grunge acts. During the mid-90s it transitioned to Brtit-pop and the infamous war between Blur and Oasis. Nowadays, it focuses on new UK artists. In reality, it tries to follow the trend of music depending on the era.

This ideology is reflected throughout the magazine's interviews and features. This double-page spread is of Late Of The Pier, who are a relatively unknown British band who are in the dance-punk genre. This fits in with the ideology because NME focuses on new genres such as dance music. Also, the props and lighting used in the shot shows that the band may have an electro feel to them.

Music Magazine research- contents of Kerrang!

Unlike the previous two contents pages, Kerrang! uses several images. This may be because the artists featured may not be that well-known to the public so by using images, if the audience do not know what genres the magazine cover, they will after seeing the pictures. This fits in with the ideology of the magazine.

At the top is a letter from the editor. These are used in some magazines because it s as if the editor is talking directly to the reader and summarising the features in the magazine.

Also, in the top right hand corner underneath the contents slogan, is a quote from an interview featured. This are often controversial as well as eye-catching. This makes the reader want to read the full article to see if it's as controversial as the quote. Often the articles are nothig like the quote; it is just the quote is misleading or taken out of context.

The artists on the main section of the page with images are usually the artists featured on the front cover. This means that they will probably have a few pages on each of these artists.

The contents, like NME, are featured in a list down the right hand side.

Music Magazine research- contents of NME

The first thing the reader will spot is the main feature of the magazine "Albums of 2009 In The Studio". This will probably take up a big chunk of the magazine. Unlike Q, the colour scheme is very colourful. Instead of using just plain colours, there are decorated banckgrounds.

Also, on the left side, there is a band index. If you are interested in a particular band, you can flick straight to the page using this instead of reading the whole magazine.

The masthead is very clear at the top of the magazine. This is the same logo that is used to represent NME on the front cover.

The contents down the right side is split into sections so if you are looking for a particular section, it is easier to find. Also, it tends to be in chronological order so the further down the list, the higher the page number.

In the bottom right hand corner, the red box states "The UK's No.1 Gig Guide starts p58". NME is well-known for reporting on upcoming gigs. Unlike Q, which will only publish the big gigs that are announced months in advance, NME is able to promote gigs during the week due to it being a weekly magazine.

Also, at the bottom is the subscription box. Subscriptions often give a discount than if the reader to buy the magazine from the shops weekly.

Music Magazine research- contents of Q

This is an example of the contents page in Q magazine. The Q logo is right at the top of the page to establish the brand along with the issue, Ocotber 2008. The main image is of The Courteeners, who don't actually feature on the front cover itself. However, it still fits in with the ideology of the magazine. The Courteeners are a relatively new band and Q focuses on old and new music. Also, the image underneath is of Nick Cave who is quite a classic artist. They have seperated the features only in this month's magazine and features that are included every month. This is good for the reader as it establishes what kind of things are included in the magazine. Also, Q are well-known for reviewing lots of material and this is why at the bottom of the page, there is a section dedicated just for review page references.

The cover artist for this edition is Oasis. This is why they have their own column in the features sectio. This implies that Oasis will be featured a lot in this magazine so if the reader doesn't like them, they will not buy the magazine. Q only give special features to classic artists and Oasis fit the bill as Q has been a supporter of the band since they started.

The contents page is simple and well set out. It is easy to read and the colour scheme fits in with the magazine's iconography. Red, white and black are very "Q".

Music Magazine research- Uncut

Uncut magazine is a monthly music magazine based in London that mainly focuses on genres such as Americana, rock and alternative country. They mix having old and new bands/ artists on the cover to bring in a younger audience. This is Uncut’s ideology as it varies as to what artists are featured in the magazine although usually both old and new artists are featured every month.

The main image of the magazine is The Beatles. The image is a play on The Beatles’ classic album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On the cover of the album are various pictures of famous people from when it was made in 1967 so features such famous faces as Fred Astaire, Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe and Laurel & Hardy. However in this version, Jay Z, Eminem, Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, Thom Yorke and Morrissey are included to show the diverse change in music in 2009 compared to 1967. It is effective because it is one of the most recognisable album covers ever so customers will know what it will be about. It also includes a free CD that includes artists that inspired The Beatles.

Near the top left hand corner the coverline “All you need is… The Beatles” is a play on their own song “All You Need Is Love”. By using this, it instantly tells the reader who is on the cover without them having to look down to see the main image as it is one of their most well-known songs.

The other coverlines about all-new interviews and reviews include typical Uncut bands, in other words well-known and classic bands, such as Pearl Jam, Rolling Stones and The Stone Roses. This fits in with the ideology of the magazine of the rock genre as well as representation of its audience.

The masthead is in white to stand out over the colourful front cover. However, it is only partly covered so the reader can understand the name of the magazine. This may be because Uncut is not as widely available as other music magazines.

The dateline and price are across the top of the magazine, above the masthead, and has always been like this. The barcode is right in the far bottom right hand corner so it is not in the way of the main image.

Uncut’s target audience is middle-aged men from 25-45. This is portrayed in the representation because of the bands featured which tend to be older guitar bands, as well as some newer ones.

The institution of Uncut is IPC Media who also publish such magazines as In Style, NME and Now. Again, it produces a variety of magazines as well as specialist magazines. Their purpose is to make money as it is commercial. This means that it contains adverts and the content mostly concentrates on music and movies.

Music Magazine research- Kerrang!

Kerrang! Magazine is traditionally supposed to focus a heavy metal and glam rock although nowadays, it uses bands who have punk, emo, screamo and drum and bass influences. Also, it tends to use current artists on its front cover. For example, when it was first published in 1981, AC/DC were on the cover. Through the 80s and early 90s, it changed to feature glam rock artists, such as Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi and Metallica. Today, it has more contemporary artists such as Slipknot, YouMeAtSix and Paramore that have graced the cover. This is also the ideology of the magazine as this is reflected in the type of artists on the front cover as well as featured in the magazine itself.

The main image of the magazine is of The King Blues, a relatively unknown UK band. The band fits in with the type of ideology which is of heavy metal and rock artists that the readers believe in as although The King Blues are a ska band, they have punk influences. As well as this, the shot is a medium close-up so that the band has full eye-contact with the reader. This shows that they are confident and maybe intimidating and not afraid to speak their minds. This is shown via the main coverline “Finally! A Band With Something To Say…”. Regular readers will know that sometimes the articles featured can be controversial so by using this coverline, it’s as if that compared to other artists to feature on the front cover, they have not fully told their opinions and this is the band that they’ve waited for to finally tell all. Also, the use of the hammer and cracked glass gives an extra effect as if the magazine is made out of glass.

The other coverlines include bands that are regularly featured in the magazine, such as My Chemical Romance, YouMeAtSix as well as a feature on their own tour, K! Relentless tour that is extremely popular amongst readers. However, by placing them in the bottom half of the front cover, it shows that the main image takes priority over the other features.

The masthead on this front cover is partially covered because the title is instantly recognisable anyway. Kerrang! Has been around for quite a while so has already established itself within the market.

The dateline is in the bottom right hand corner along with the price, barcode and issue number. The price is always in small print because the magazine publishers’ are hoping that because if you pick up the magazine and like the look of the front cover, you will pay whatever price just because you want to read it. It is a weekly magazine which is why it costs £2.20, which is cheaper than some of the other music magazines which are monthly issues instead.

The institution of the magazine is Kerrang!. However, it is published by Bauer who also produce Mojo and Q as well as other magazines such as Empire, Heat, More and Match!. Their purpose is to make money as it is commercial. This means it contains adverts and the content is mainly music as well as posters. It sells different types of magazine, some popular and some not so, as well as specialist magazines. Kerrang also has a TV channel, radio statin and a website like Q as well as their own K! Relentless tour once a year.

The target audience are males and females in the 13-17 age group who have a middle income. This is why the bands on the front cover now are more up-to-date and ten to have members in who are just outside of their target market, such as over-20s.

Music Magazine research- Q

Q magazine focuses on popular music. Unlike other music magazines, it has a variety of acts on the front cover, not just focusing on a particular genre. This is the ideology of Q because both old and new is important as well as all genres. The audience expects to see a variety of artists on the front cover, from rock to pop to indie.

It is a quality magazine as it is produced monthly and has a higher standard of photography and printing. This is to set it apart from all of the other music magazines as it shows the quality. Q also heavily relies on reviews for the content of its magazine. It reviews music as well as films, TV and live concert reviews. It also focuses on interviews with artists in depth.

When newer artists are on the cover, it tends to be just the lead singer of the band as they are the one in the band with an instantly recognisable face such as this Kasabian cover. They released their debut album in 2004 so are considered to be a newer name. The two members on the front cover are Tom Meighan and Sergio Pizzorno who are the lead singer and guitarist/ backing vocalist respectively. Only die-hard fans would know the names of the other members of the band as these are the two who tend to do all of the promotion for the band. When older bands are on the cover, it tends to be all members as they have already established themselves within the music world.

The main image is of Tom and Serge. The readers eyes are immediately drawn to the guitar on fire. This could either be an influence of the coverline “the 101 hottest things in music now” or the main coverline “Kasabian: they’re on fire” which is a play on their latest single, Fire; this is for readers to decide. Going against the conventions of a music magazine, the shot is a long shot. This is to show the full effect of the guitar as well as the band members. They have full eye contact with the reader. However, Tom (on the left) is staring directly at the reader as if he has something serious to say and wants to seem powerful whereas Serge (on the right) is pulling a “serious rock face”. This fits in with the ideology of the magazine as readers believe that Q is traditionally about influential music and are always on the look-out for new and upcoming artists to listen to. Also, they tend to like classic guitar music which Kasabian fit in with.

Unlike some other music magazines, they tend to have more than one image on the front cover. This could be to show that their focus is not just of the main image; there are other important features within the magazine.

Q are well known for their lists such as 50 bands to see before you die and the 100 greatest albums. However, they have been criticised for compiling too many of said lists as it is considered lazy journalism. However, these lists are often compiled by readers participating in polls on their website.

The masthead, Q, is instantly recognisable on shop shelves because of its red background with a white Q on top of it. However it hasn’t always looked like this. Only since June 1992 has it been this way. Previously it had been the white Q on a blue, red or yellow background. When it was first published, it was supposed to be called Cue but this was scrapped so it wouldn’t be mistaken for a snooker magazine. It was changed to just the single letter Q as this would look more prominent on newsstands. Also, it is the most successful music magazine so the public

know about it so it can be covered because it has already been established.

The sell line at the top of the magazine is not a typical sell line. Normally, it is a feature in the magazine but this time is just the statement “the UK’s biggest music magazine”. This could be because the main feature of the magazine is the 101 hottest acts so this will take up a big chunk of the magazine.

The dateline, price, barcode and issue number are all in the bottom left hand corner. This is because the makers of the magazine know that if the reader has looked at the magazine and likes the look of the main image and coverlines, they will not be bothered about the price and just buy it anyways.

The institution of Q is Q which also has its own radio and TV channel as well as its Q Awards ceremony and website. However it is published by Bauer Media Group. Their purpose is to make money as it is commercial. This means that it contains adverts and the content is mostly music.

Q magazine targets the music and lifestyle audience. However it doesn’t have a target audience as such because it just targets music lovers.

Conventions of a Magazine

On any magazine, you would find:

• masthead- this is the name of the magazine, usually displayed across the top of the front cover or in the top left hand corner. The masthead has a unique font so that it is instantly recognisable.
• dateline- this is the month and year of the magazine as well as the price and often the issue number.
• main image- this is representaive of the audience and of the magazine's ideology. It is always a single image and is always a medium close-up shot so that the model has the full cover and can make full eye-contact with the reader.
• model credit- this is the coverline, usually to go with the main image. It sometimes includes a quote from the article to grab the reader's attention.
• coverlines- there are usually several coverlines on the front cover, referring to other articles within the magazine but they cannot be too distracting as this will take away the effect of the main image.

In music magazines, the conventions are:

• the main image is always a band or an artist, relating to the target audience and the ideology of the magazine. As well as this, they always have full eye-contact with the reader to portray confidence and often intimidating.
• there are usually several quotes used as coverlines which refer to articles inside.
• there are usually lists of artists featured in the magazine on the front cover as coverlines
• nowadays, they usually give away a free gift such as a CD.
• the masthead is instantly recognisable. Fans of music magazines will be able to recognise them, such as Q magazine uses a white Q on a red background and has done since it was first published.

LIIAR

In order to have a successful media production portfolio, I need to follow the 5 key concepts which are:
Language- Specific terminology for media texts.
Institution- An organisation, anything that produces a media text.
Ideology- System of beliefs we all share and media texts deliver their messages.
Audience- Consumers of media. How the audience consumes it and the target market.
Representation- Represent society back to us and its values.

Main Task- The Brief

Main task- the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you- minimum of four images.

Evaluation

For the preliminary task, the brief was to produce the front cover and a mock-up of the contents page for a college magazine.

To start with, I decided to research existing college magazines to see which key ingredients of a normal magazine were included. As a result, I found that all of the college magazines I researched all had similar features, such as a masthead, a strong central image and various sell lines.

After this, I made a plan of the features on a magazine front cover and then added details of my own, such as how I wanted the image to look and the sell lines to go on the front cover.

Next, I did an IT draft to see how the layout of the front cover would look.

Then I did a hand drawn draft so that I could add details such as the masthead and the issue of the magazine.

After this, instead of constructing the front cover, I decided to research the contents pages of popular magazines. Of the three I researched (Total Film, Vogue and MOJO), two of them had a contents page that went over two pages. All three had the contents listings as well as images relating to various stories on them.

Next, I produced a mock-up of the contents page on Publisher. On this, I decided to have two images as well as the details of the next issue, the contents listings and an image of the front cover. I thought this would be the most suitable for a magazine as there was a balance between images and words.

Following this, I organised the shoot for my cover photos. I wanted a blank background and for my model to be holding textbooks and folders as this is what a typical student would be carrying.

After taking the photos, I started to compile the front cover of my college magazine. I added most of the key ingredients such as the masthead, date, website address and the main image. I chose the colour scheme as purple and white are unisex colours and enhance the Wyke theme. I also incorporated the Wyke slogan ‘Freedom to achieve’ in as a cover line. Also, the two other cover lines about the fresher party and NUS extra cards as I thought these would be relevant to Wyke students and would draw their attention.

I think that the planning went well as I made sure I did a lot of research before starting the task to get a better understanding of magazine front covers, especially those for college students.

However, I could have managed my time better by starting the project earlier rather than leaving it to do at a later date.

To improve for the music magazine task, I will makes sure that I plan my time better to enable me to have enough time to produce the articles but I will spend a bit more time planning as this will help me to produce a better piece.

I think my front cover does cater for my target audience of college students as they will be able to relate to the main image and cover lines.

Unused Photos

Front Cover

Contents Mock-Up

Planning For Contents

I researched the contents pages of 3 different magazines to get a general idea of what contents pages are like in other magazines.

Draft Front Cover

Planning

The best way for me to plan this project was to draw a spider diagram of all the key ingredients that are usually on the front cover of any magazine then to specify them to my college magazine.

IT Draft

College Magazines

In this college magazine, the masthead is in the top right hand corner (ear) as this would be the first thing you would see if the magazine was on a magazine stand. The image is the campus and is sunny as it is the summer edition. The main coverline 'Athletics Score for University Growth' is to promote to potential students who may find the magazine to tempt them to join the college.

The masthead is simply just the name of the college. The font is a fairly posh font which shows that it is a prestigious place of learning. The main image of the fountain shows that the campus is a place of peace and serenity. It also shows that this is the first thing that you would see when you entered the college. The main coverline 'A Grand Entrance' is the caption that goes with the picture and enhances it too. There are also a couple of smaller coverlines at the bottom to show the less important features in the magazine. This magazine doesn't have a selling line as it will only be available to people who go to that college and they will read it to know about upcoming events happening and the latest articles about the college.

Research on College Magazines

This has all the ingredients of a magazine. Firstly, the masthead 'back to school' tells the reader what the magazine is all about. The main image of the girl is meant to show a typical girl on her first day back at school. This shows that the girl is eager to get to school because she is smiling. In the bottom left corner, it shows that it is the 2009 edition but this isn't really important. This magazine uses lots of cover lines in lots of colours to stand out.

This also has most of the ingredients of a magazine. The masthead is simply the name of the college and is prsented in a posh font. The main image of the fountain signifies peace which could also be a sign of the college. This advert uses only one main coverline 'A Grand Entrance' which represents the image. This will probably be the first thing you see as you enter this college. Instead of coverlines all over the front cover, they are shown at the bottom as if they aren't as important as the main cover line. However, I don't think that this is the best example of a college magazine as it doesn't seem to be targeted at students due to the image.

Key Concepts

In order to have a successful media production portfolio, I need to follow the 5 key concepts which are:

Language- Specific terminology for media texts.

Institution- An organisation, anything that produces a media text.

Ideology- System of beliefs we all share and media texts deliver their messages.

Audience- Consumers of media. How the audience consumes it and the target market.

Representation- Represent society back to us and its values.

The Brief

Preliminary exercise- using DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of DTP.

Main task- the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you- minimum of four images.