My Music Magazine

Evaluation

For my project I had to create a music magazine based on a genre of my choice. But before I did that I had to produce a quick front cover for a college magazine, this would help me get used to the tools that I would need to use for my music magazine. I felt that I spent too much time on the college magazine’s logo that I didn’t have enough time to make the rest of the cover look good. I am disappointed with the outcome, however it has taught me not to spend to long on one section.

The music genre I decided to focus on was heavy rock and heavy metal as I like that type of music. The first thing I had to do was analysis 2 existing magazine covers of magazines that deal with the same genre I have chosen. I also had to analysis one contents page and one double page spread. The first cover I analysed was Kerrang! this is very much like the style I wanted to have, therefore most of my inspiration came from them. I also analysed their contents page and one of their double page spreads. I looked at NME’s front cover too. From this research, it gave me ideas on what style and features my magazine will include, I created a flat plan detailing how my magazine will look and what the layout will be like. Now it was time to get to work.

I started off by creating the front cover, I did spend a long time on creating the logo, however because we had more time this time round it didn’t effect my time management too much. I wanted the font for my logo to be a typical distorted/eroded style. I went on www.dafont.com and got the “The Great Thunder” font, this was near enough what I was looking for. I put in the common features such as barcode, price, issue number; features inside etc then went about getting a picture. For our project we weren’t allowed to get a picture from the internet, we had to take the pictures ourselves. I managed to take a photo of a street performer in Brighton; I edited it in Photoshop to remove the background then put him on the cover and created a logo for him. The front cover did take me the longest out of all the tasks in this project, however I am pleased with the outcome.

Next I had to do a contents page, I created a basic one but it had no pictures. Since I was running out of time when I made the contents page, I decided to stick a picture on which I had taken a long while ago (as you will see it’s a picture of me which was taken using my phone then edited). This picture doesn’t really have any point unfortunately, but I thought it added a bit of unique style to the otherwise bland contents page. If I had more time I would have put thumbnails on each of lines and chose a better picture for the background.

The double page spread was the hardest to do because it was the most complex to layout, it needed more pictures and I had to write an article for it. I decided to create a quick layout using the shape tool and the line tool, then I went on to write the article. The article was hard because I wasn’t sure what to write about, when I did know though, I realised I had to write it in the style of the magazine. Since mine was going to be like Kerrang!, it needed to be in slang and have swearing in (or at least sarcasm). I did my best and I’m satisfied with the article. I put it into my double page spread (I had to adjust it into the columns which were a pain). Now all I had to do was get some pictures, I decided to use pictures stored on my computer of me and my friends (I don’t know why I didn’t think of that in the first place!), luckily there were some half decent ones so I used them. I am quite happy with the turn out of this double page spread.

Before I started creating my music magazine, I had to decide whom my target audience was going to be so that I knew what I should put in my magazine. I decided that gender and nationality wouldn’t matter as it would be aimed at both genders and anyone in the world, but the age range I chose was mid teens to young adults (16 – 25). I made sure to include the relevant artists, colours and features of a typical rock/metal magazine but changed the overall style so that it was unique and hopefully more appealing then any other similar magazines on the market. I made sure that it fitted in with the social groups of my audience (C1 – E).
I feel that I have progressed a lot since the preliminary task, I managed my time better and my skills with InDesign have drastically improved. I would love to do this again (but with no deadlines please!!).

Kerrang! Double Page Spread Analysis

Layout – The whole double page spread has one big image as its background. The article is on the right hand side and is organised into two neat rows with a big headline at the top. It’s simple but really effective, it really stands out and it makes a change from the usual black and white style.

Imagery – The main image is a background, a terrain (quite rocky), the main band is pictured on the left page, they look like a typical rock band with all their tattoos, black clothing and hard look attitudes etc. I think the imagery is fantastic and really suits it. This is probably the strongest element of the whole two pages.

Typography – The font used for the main articles is hard to see, but it will probably be a simple sans-serif font so that it is easily readable. The font used for the main headline is a very typical rock style font as it is eroded and looks really rough. Again although this is common, it is still very effective.

Colour – The three main colours are black, blue and brown. The blue sky, the brown ground (rocks) and the black clothing that the band is wearing. The text is black and is on a white semi transparent background. The transparency surprisingly stands out well and makes the page look good. The colours are good choices, they all go well together.

Use of Language – The main headline has a swear word in, so from this I can tell that there will be a lot of informal casual talk which will include swearing and slang (this is Kerrang!’s style). This isn’t something to be read by children, it sticks to its target audience well.

Main Sells – The headline doesn’t give much away, but if you recognise the band and you like them then this will make you want to read it.

Target Audience – The double page spread sticks to its intended audience and style and succeeds with flying colours. The layout and look of the page is fantastic, but that doesn’t mean you would want to read it.

Kerrang! Contents Page Analysis

Layout - The Kerrang! contents page is very busy, but it isn’t a bad thing, the layout of it is very good and very clear. Most of the page is filled with images, this is much better than looking at huge blocks of text. The actually list of content is on the right hand side whilst the main stories (represented by an image with a caption) is on the left hand side (because most people read from left to right, so the main stories will get the main attention). I find this layout extremely effective; I feel that they have turned a potential disaster into a master piece.

Imagery – Most of the images are sort of like mini front cover images, by this I mean that they are mostly images of artists looking towards the camera (most are posing although some are live shots). Also most of these photos are either close ups or mid-shots. The images used are all very colourful and all have attitude. The captions are neatly fitted underneath and give you the information needed. All in all this is good.

Typography – There are a range of fonts used here, however all are similar, and most just have different settings such as bold or italic. The contents list is split into categories by highlighted bits of text, this stands out very well, in fact it stands out just as much as the main image. Kerrang! have certainly made the text stand out where it matters, good choice of font, it’s readable, sans-serif but still has attitude.

Colour – There are more colours on this page then there was on the front cover, there is also more emphasis on the white rather than the black; however this makes it better to read and see what is going on. Also white will bring down the costs as less ink will have to be used. The images provide the most colour with all the different artists and their different coloured clothes, the main colour for the actual page is white, with black text (some yellow text with a black highlight). This all seems simple but it works well. I think they chose white as the main colour because it keeps down production costs and it makes it easier on the eyes since there is so much going on, on the page.

Use of Language – Most of the text just tells you what is in the magazine, some of the main content have mini sub titles. There is a quote at the top of the page and the editor has written a little message at the top of the page too. Most of the language used on this page is child friendly (I couldn’t spot any swear words), however it is only the contents page.

Main Sells – The main sells are all the content and artists featured inside, the images with their sub headings do a good job of making you want to look inside.

Target Audience – I think this contents page fits the target audience well, it isn’t too complicated and it isn’t too simple. The style of the page matches the attitude of the magazine and therefore succeeds in pleasing its target audience. Overall this is a great contents page.

NME Front Cover Analysis

NME – NME (New Musical Express) is a weekly music magazine which has been published in the UK since March 1952. The magazine is made by ICP Media (Time Inc.) and has a total circulation of 56,284 (Jan – Jun 08). NME was the first music magazine to feature the singles chart which appeared in the 14th November 1952 edition. NME is one of the most successful music magazines of all time and was the best selling music magazine in the 1970s.

NME mainly focuses on different types of rock such as Classic Rock, Glam Rock, Punk Rock etc. It also features a lot of Indie artists too. In fact over its lifetime it has covered many genres, it has been criticized a lot for doing that as many readers will go off the magazine if it has genres they don’t like in it. Bands of interest are: Oasis, Blur, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers, The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Hear’say and Destiny’s Child.

Title – NME is simply an abbreviation of New Musical Express. This is a fairly simple name and it’s straight to the point. Basically it covers new music and delivers the news quickly, regularly and conveniently as if it were an express train or something similar. I don’t think much of the name, it fits its purpose but I don’t think it’s imaginative enough. However since it has been around for over 50 years now, people have got used to the name so it would be silly to change it.

Font – The font used for NME’s main logo is very bold and brass. The effects used on the logo make it stand out superbly; it has a lot of emphasis on red and white unlike Kerrang!’s black and white effect. The fonts used are all sans-serif which makes them stand out more and less sophisticated looking. Just like Kerrang! I think the fonts make the magazine look less intimidating to read and it won’t be as text heavy like newspapers which tend to use serif fonts. The vocabulary will likely be similar to Kerrang! although maybe not as much swearing. The logo looks very mature and powerful; it stands tightly together and in huge block capitals. There is an indent effect and some shadowing which makes it look more 3D, the black outline also helps to make the logo stand out. I think the logo definitely suits the magazine; it’s hard to know why but I think it’s because the logo looks bold and powerful and the red really helps promote the rock genre of music. The effects used have been well implements and the placement is suitable.

Colour – Since this is more of a rock magazine then anything else, the main colours used are black and white, however it uses a variety of other colours such as red and brown quite frequently, this is so that people will know that it’s not just about hardcore rock like Kerrang! is. On the front cover, there are at least 5 different colours, each part has a different coloured background and different coloured text to go with it. It actually works quite well, they have done it so that it stands out, and the colours used suggest that they are aiming for a more sophisticated rebellious style then Kerrang! What I mean by this, is that rather then having messy pictures of people looking insane and wanting to kill you, they instead have matured people but with an intimidating look on their face.

Use of Language – Again just like Kerrang!, there were no signs of any puns, alliteration or numbers, however there are probably quite a few through out the rest of the magazine. It also uses informal language as it is aimed at a young audience (unlike The Independent newspaper for example). Therefore there will be a lot of slang and swear words in the magazine, however Kerrang! will likely have more as it is a more rebellious magazine which focuses on heavy rock and heavy metal. There are a few abbreviations scattered around (the logo is one them), and one quote, however apart from that there is not much else to same about the use of language. The language used is straight to the point but it isn’t assertive unlike in Kerrang!. The bands featured are all similar in their style of music, this suggests that NME know their subject area well.

Target Audience – Now I’ve analyzed most of the NME front cover, I can come to a conclusion about who the target audience is. I believe that this magazine is aimed at late teens and young adults (between 17 and 25 perhaps). This is because the magazine is still rather rebellious, however it has a hint of sophistication in it too since it covers some classic rock etc. I think the magazine does very well in reaching out to its audience, rock and indie artists are very popular in this age range, so they have made the overall style just right. The dress sense, lyrics and attitude of the artists are also slightly more sophisticated then in Kerrang!, however they still manage to look rebellious at the same time. Most of the artists are similar ages to the audience too, some are slightly older. The sex appeal is still there but it is much more subtle, NME prefers to focus on the style of its magazine and how “hip” and “cool” it looks. The front cover features a band made up of four people, one of which is a girl which shows that the magazine is aimed at both genders. The main guy is wearing sunglasses while the others stare seriously into the camera. This makes them look cool and tough. Their clothes are very casual and make the band seem rather laid back. Like I mentioned before, the magazine isn’t gender specific as the music can be enjoyed by anyone. Nationality doesn’t really come into it, however since it’s a British Music Magazine, it mainly features British artists, yet it does features other artists from around the world. As for class types it will most likely be the middle class (C1 & C2) however since it’s a weekly magazine, classes D & E may be able to afford it.

Image – As I said before, the band featured looked laid back due to their casual clothing, they also look cool and tough due to their poses. This is definitely a posed shot because all of the members are looking straight into the camera, they probably posed like this to appeal to younger audiences, the clothing they wear makes them look younger then they actually are. The band mostly consists of men, however there is one woman, so sexuality doesn’t really come into this. I haven’t heard of the band before, but it does say “Britain’s best-loved band” which could suggest that it’s British, however the band name is LasVegas (I think) which is an American city, so therefore it could be an American band. The headline used suggests that the feature is about the band and their history.

Main Sells – Just like in Kerrang!, there aren’t the usual main sells that you would find on other magazines (mostly kids magazines). There are no mentions about competitions, freebies, posters etc, instead it just has many different headlines relating to different bands, and these all read well and are probably the biggest sellers on the front cover. The quote from the band called The Stokes also helps a lot, people love to hear from the band directly, so this will make readers want to buy the magazine. Other than the headlines the only thing that sells it is the list of bands it features in the magazine, so if you like a band mentioned then you are likely to buy it. I don’t think it advertises freebies or competitions because they probably feel that it is too gimmicky (just like Kerrang! feels like) and that there is more important stuff they must feature on the cover. Also NME is aiming for a bit of sophistication so it probably doesn’t want to be cluttered up with things that seem to be inconvenient.

Other Information – Again all the main bits of information such as the barcode, price of the magazine and the issue number/date are all present. This may not be too noticeable on the cover, but it is all vital information for the buyer and the seller. How else would we know we’re up to date with our music? (Well ok admittedly you can use the internet now, but in the past you couldn’t).

How Many Pages – I’m unsure as to how many pages there are, but I would imagine that there would be around the same amount as Kerrang! as they are both published weekly. This would be approximately 70 A4 pages.

Main Flash Story – The main flash for this issue is about a band presumably called LasVegas. The headline given suggests that it is about the history of the band as it mentions the “tears” and “triumphs” of the band (so the highs and lows of the band’s career). It also mentions that it’s “Britain’s best-loved band” (which is total rubbish if you ask me because I’ve never heard of them, however they say this to get readers more interested. They will be thinking that this band must be good and will want to read up on them and listen to their music etc). But seeing as it’s “ Britain’s best-loved band” it means that the band must be very popular so lots of people will be interested in reading about them. All of it works very well.