MUSIC GENRE PREZI

Music Genre on Prezi

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD LIIAR ANALYSIS

A double page spread is conventionally laid out in with the main image located on the left hand side of the 2 pages, with the article located on the right hand page. As shown above.

'THE TEENAGERS' font almost looks as though it is highlighted to emphasise its importance in comparison to other bands such as the others located on the far right hand side of the page, such as 'the rascals' and 'crystal castles'.

The main article features pull quotes, this is possibly one of the more explicit terms in the article. By doing this, NME, lures the readers into reading the article to make sense of the pull quote if it was to catch their eye. Once again, similarly to the contents page, a drop cap is used in the featured article to lure in the readers. This has become an iconic convention for both NME and magazines of this sort.

The 'need to know' box on the left hand corner gives us a bit more of a general insight to who the band are and what they're about, this implies that this band is new on the scene and are needed to be given an introduction. The main image featuring 'the teenagers' is very typical of a teenagers bedroom; quite cluttered & full of posters. The band's style is likely to reflect to both their name, and the music they play, suggesting that their music aimed mainly at teenagers or those similar to that age range.

The band's fashion also links with the genre of the music they play, and the genre of music the magazine promotes – indie/pop rock. Their style is a typical reflection of not only teenagers, but the indie fashion too, with the skinny jeans and plain t-shirts sporting some sort of quote/text.

Underneath the 'RADAR' text, credit is given to the musicians and possibly the stylist too. It may also give some information about the main picture. There are also smaller images featured within the article to show one of the members in action which also includes captions with information about the band/ image.

At the end of the article, the NME website is promoted. This helps fans engage on another level, whether it is to interact with the band and see what they're currently up to, or even to subscribe to the NME website. There is also small text next to the NME website box, this gives credit to the journalist responsible for writing the article.

I decided to create a SlideShare to specifically outline the key aspects of a double page spread that I though were particularly important with regards to understanding industry codes and conventions and what I should conform to when it comes to creating my own product.

Technology used:

• Google Images (www.google.com)
• Microsoft Office - PowerPoint
• SlideShare (www.slideshare.net)

CONTENTS PAGE LIIAR ANALYSIS

This NME contents page once again features the NME logo at the top of the page, this makes it clear to the customer which magazine they are reading due to it being a constant reminder of the institution. A convention of this page is the fact that it has the masthead 'this week' at the top in big, bold letters which makes it clear for readers, it also emphasises the fact that this magazine is released on a weekly basis. The font throughout the contents is also the same and either red, white or black which maintains the magazines house style. Similarly to the front cover, the date is also printed at the top of the page.

The format to this page is very structural which makes it easy for the reader to find the article they desire, the sub-headings of 'news', 'radar', 'reviews' etc. categorize the different sections to make it even more simple. The page numbers vary in size depending on the importance of the article. Those feature in the 'band index' are considered less important in relation to those featured in the main articles of this issue i.e. the 'LIVE!' section.

The target audience for this magazine is specifically aimed at those interested in rock/ indie music, this is clearly shown by the bands which are actually featured in NME magazine e.g. The Cure, Franz Ferdinand...

The main image of this contents page will conventionally link to the front cover image, re-emphasising the main article and the page of which it is featured on, similarly to the main articles within the magazine it begins with a drop cap. This could be done to lure in the viewer to reading the article on the contents page, which will then pull them in further to reading the other articles.

Subscriptions are also available at the bottom of the page to entice loyal customers into paying for an annual package. It also gives access to the main website for extra information or to read into something further. This helps widen the fan-base of NME, making it a lot more popular due to it now having a link with customers through not only paper – but the internet too.

I devised a SlideShare to outline the key areas that I feel are important in creating a conventional, industry standard contents page for a professional magazine.

Technology used:

• Google Images (www.google.com)
• SlideShare (www.SlideShare.net)

FRONT PAGE LIIAR ANALYSIS

NME is a front cover of which I believe the genre of music I’ve chosen will fit into. NME is an institute which caters for a variety of genres, although, the main focus being indie rock / pop rock. Which is the exact genre of my potential magazine.

The iconic 'NME' (New Musical Express) masthead has become the significant logo for the magazine. Conventionally, the name of music magazines are located at the top left hand side of the cover – as seen in the magazine above. The fact that 'NME' is in a bold format, links with the fact that it is a short name and makes it a lot more memorable to both the public and consistent buyers; it becomes incredibly recognisable.

This cover is dominated by an image of The Killers, this allows us to believe that the main feature of this issue will revolve around this particular band. The pull quote 'we've never forgotten where we came from' located over the top of the picture supports this. This font is very big in comparison to the other cover lines on the issue, making it clear that this story is of more importance. This pull quote is located on the front cover to entice customers. Although, this particular pull quote could be considered the most sentimental to fans, resulting in even more purchases to make sense of it. It then proceeds to say The Killers are going to ditch the 'disco sh*t' which is probably one of the more explicit lines in the magazine, indicating they are going back to their old music – where they 'came from'. This cover line also implies The Killers should 'get back to basics' this is portrayed by the simple, all black, neutral outfits the band are seen wearing on the front cover of the magazine. This article is labelled a 'world exclusive' which also lures in customers due to them wanting to discover what is so majorly 'exclusive' about the band.

The left third of this magazine features cover lines of less importance, this is shown due to the font being smaller and not as dominant, it also blends in with the house style colour scheme of white/pink which supports this.

The sell line features another pull quote: 'this ones for Wiggins!' which is features 'inside' which lures in customers further. This is located next to the bright yellow bubble which entice customers to purchase the magazine due to the free items available inside.

The publication details are featured in tiny font, located next to the 'NME' masthead, with the barcode in the bottom right hand corner – all in the conventional place.

The bottom of the magazine features even smaller cover lines which don't to seem to be of as much importance in relation to the main image. These are just considered added extras.

The target audience for this magazine is those interested in the musical genre of rock, although does feature other artists such as Bob Marley and even Plan B. This shows that typically the magazine is aimed at those with an interest which is based around rock; from the ages 18+ with a possible 60% male, and 40% female orientation.

I decided to create a SlideShare to specifically outline the key aspects of a front cover that I though were particularly important with regards to understanding industry codes and conventions and what I should conform to when it comes to creating my own product.

Technology used:

• Google Images (www.google.com)
• SlideShare (www.SlideShare.net)

MARKET RESEARCH - DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

 
 These particular double page spreads are taken from 3 different magazine; NME, Q & SPIN. They each have various similarities and differences.

The top magazine, from NME is similar to the second one down (SPIN) this is due to the fact that they each feature a main image which covers over one full page, leaving space for around 1/3 of the page to be filled with text.

Also, a similarity between the three DPS' is the fact that they each use the convention of a drop-cap at the beginning of the article, this draws attention to the article and lures the customer into reading.

Another similarity between the 3 articles is the fact that they each feature an iconic celebrity. This boosts the sale of the magazine due to the artist it features being well known - if it is your favourite celebrity in the article you are more likely to buy it as opposed to if it features someone of a low importance and less iconic in relation to the music industry.

MARKET RESEARCH - CONTENTS PAGE

Once again, the background of these contents page is particularly plain/blank, this draws attention to the main images that features on the contents. Both 'NME' and 'Q' are similar in relation to their layouts: they include a main image which fills a section of the page, which is then surrounded by text with information about articles. Whereas, 'SPIN' has a different layput in comparison to the other two. This includes a main image which fills a sufficient amount of the page, a scarce amount of text is included with a pull quote in the top corner. This is unconventional of a magazine cover which makes it look individual which could connote that the music the magazine features is also individual in comparison to other tracks in the music industry.

MARKET RESEARCH - FRONT COVERS

After looking at several magazine front covers it is clear to see they each follow a similar layout. Each of these front covers have several similarities. These 3 magazine covers each feature a model/ celebrity of some type with a medium close up camera shot. We also see, in 'Q' and 'NME', the font which announces the celebrity's name is a lot bolder in relation to the other text e.g. the text used on the cover lines.

Another similarity between these music magazines is the fact that the masthead is featured in the top left hand corner of the cover. The background of these magazines is also plain to direct the audience's attention to the main image, in this case - the celebrity.

The cover lines are located away from the main image, mainly in the right third or the left third in an organised manner to avoid covering the artists face. We also see the celebrity's face cover the majority of the cover to emphasise their importance in relation to the main cover line and article within the magazine.

The artist in each of these magazines are female, which could possibly connote the idea that the music industry is female orientated or dominated by females.

MAIN TASK - MUSIC MAGAZINE

The front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine.

-All images and text must be original, produced by the candidate, minuimum of FOUR images.

Final front cover/ Evaluation

This above image is the completed final piece for my college magazine front cover.

I chose the masthead 'WYKE NEWS' as I wanted to specifically base my work around the college I attend. The fact that this magazine is based around Wyke College made it a lot easier to get images. The main image of my front cover is of 2 students; Emily & Jodie. They are located on the conventional left third of the page. The image shows each student smiling, which connotes the idea that they each enjoy college, and are having a good time. Jodie (Left) is shown holding college folders which portrays to the audience that college is a lot of work – but enough to handle! Emily is not holding any folders and looks slightly more casual as a result of this. This overall image connotes an even balance between college life and social life. This relates to the magazine well as inside it gives tips and tricks on how to balance these two aspects, if it is to become too much for a particular student to handle.

The principle is also featured on the right hand side of the cover, with the cover line 'principles blog' next to him. This portrays a light-hearted atmosphere to not only the college, but the magazine too. It also shows that the magazine will be informal as a result of the principle willing to share his blog with the students.

The background to which Jay's picture is located is grey, giving a neutral effect. I used this to block out the clustered background which was there before, in attempt to get the audience to focus more on the cover lines and read more of the articles inside...

The second cover line is 'Students prepare for exams' with 'revision tips inside...' I felt as though this article would be relevant due to the majority of the college participating in examinations, wanting to get the best grade possible. I think including 'revision tips inside...' lures in the audience as these tips could be vital.

I used this particular font as I like the harsh effect it gives, in an almost stamp-like manner. It is big and bold which stands out to the audience and catches their eye. The black font also contributes to this effect due to it too, being a harsh colour. This almost connotes the idea that college is tough- but worth it.

The other cover lines are in a light purple colour, this is to maintain the house style of the magazine. It also fits with the colour scheme of Wyke College due to it having a purple logo - located in the background of the front cover, on the building.

Contents Page Mock Up

This is the mock up I created for my college magazine - 'WYKE NEWS'. I really liked the jumping image located in the left third of the page, so I put it in the contents as opposed to the front cover due to it not being a medium shot. I thought the books were a relevant image as the magazine is based around college and books are a big part of it. The colour's used for the background are purple/green, these were used to maintain the house style - due to the front cover also consisting of purple/green elements.

4 Magazine front cover drafts

These are the 4 drafts I made before deciding on my final front cover design for my college magazine.

This first draft was an experimentation with the different font colours. For example, I used the red font to see if it would add vibrance to the magazine. Although, i concluded that it did not fit well with the initial colour scheme and looked odd.






The font colour of the second draft looks a lot better than the one above due to the black blending in better with the other colours - making the masthead and cover lines a lot more bold. I am happy with this design although I chose a different one as i thought it was slightly more conventional.









This draft was the same format as my final front cover. This design also experimented with different colours such as the grey 'news' and 'tips inside...'. I decided not to use this colour as it doesn't stand out as much as I would have liked.









This final draft is also a different design. I was pleased with this cover, although, I was unable to use it due to the framing not being a medioum shot. I also thought that the brick wall made the cover feel rather clustered and drew the attention away from the cover lines.

Initial Magazine Ideas

This is a Prezi used to outline the initial ideas I had for feature stories within my college magazine. I may not decide to use every single feature. Nonetheless, I will take them into consideration.

Technology used:

• Prezi (www.prezi.com)

Camera Framing Examples

LONG SHOT: This is a conventional long shot, it features Emily's full body. Shots of this sort are usually used to create a wider setting within the image. Long Shots such as this also show the character within the image's fashion sense, it would create the ideology that college includes many different cultures and the different types of fashion which comes with them. Long shots are also used to set the scene on a particular shoot. If the background or location is important then the photographer would use this type of shot to emphasise this.





MEDIUM SHOT: This is a medium shot, it is used to show background but also brings an element of focus to the characters face. It is long enough to show the scenery and background if it is needed. But it is also close enough to show the emotions of the character - if relevant. Shots of this type are conventionally taken from the waist upwards. 





MEDIUM CLOSE UP: This shot is conventionally taken from the chest upwards and creates an effect which focuses mainly on the characters emotion. It gives a good perspective of the clothes they are wearing too - which still gives us an insight into their fashion sense. Part of the background is included, but is not the main focus of the shot. Medium Close Up shots are popular amongst magazines, and is the type of shot i will be using in my Preliminary College magazine task. To enhance the ideology that the character enjoys college, the magazine will portray them in a cheerful way, of which they are smiling and looking happy. They will also be holding stereotypical items related to college such as bags, folders, pens, pencils.etc.

CLOSE UP: Close up shots are mainly used to express the emotions on a characters face. They are used to convey a message to the audience. For example, Emily, in my image is smiling. This portrays the idea that she is happy about something. Close up shots are usually taken from the shoulders up and fill up the whole frame. In comparison to extreme close ups, close ups are used as a way of conveying subtle emotions as opposed to accentuating particular elements of emotions for an intentional response. These particular shots would be used in advertising to sell items such as jewelry in the form of necklaces/earrings or even to sell things such as hats or scarfs along with other products that are often used on the face.

EXTREME CLOSE UP: Extreme close ups such as this one is used to focus on one particular aspect of a person to convey a very specific message. Shots such as this would more commonly be used in adverts to help sell a product. E.g. a extreme up of someone's hand may help sell a piece of jewelry, watch, nail varnish or even gloves. With regards to emotions, extreme close ups are effective, it is easy to read a persons emotions when we are able to see their eyes. If a company wanted to play on the emotions of the audience, they are likely to used extreme close ups to accentuate particular aspects of a scenario to make this more effective.

Technology used:

• Standard Camera
• Standard Tripod

Mood Board/ Inspiration behind my magazine

This is a mood board of different pictures of which I believe a teenager can relate their life to. Teenagers are the main people involved with college so I think including articles and cover lines which relate to some of these aspects will allow the magazine to be successful.

I have included a variety of images including other college magazine front covers/ contents pages to understand the typical conventions related to magazines of this sort.

Images such as music, grades and sports are each things which surround our life as teenagers, which can develop into a stressful environment. Interpreting some of these ideas into my work will help keep the magazine relevant to my target audience.

Technology used:

• Microsoft Office - PowerPoint 

Brief College Magazine Analysis

The main image conveys an educational message to the target audience particularly aged around the 13+ age range of both male and female. The fact that the student is holding books informs the audience that this magazine is based around college life.

The masthead ‘COLLEGE’ reinforces the idea that the main message of the magazine is based around education, and used for giving students an insight into the college life.

The cover lines on this particular magazine relate to the life of a student and various topics which may concern or interest them. The fact that ‘blackberry’ phones are popular amongst adolescences makes this article relevant, and entices the audience into looking into the article or purchasing the magazine.

The black background neutralises the look of the magazine which then accentuates the green and white house style - making it a lot more eye catching in relation to the audience’s preference.

Technology used:

• Blogger (www.blogspot.com)

Magazine Contents Page Analysis

This contents page is also taken from a 'Rolling Stone' magazine. Although not from the same issue.

This particular Rolling Stone magazine, doesn't specify that this particular page is for contents, although the page numbers and article headings allow us to work this out for ourself. The iconic 'RS' initials, indicate the title of the magazine; 'Rolling Stone'. Although, the fact that the full title is not used makes this technique unconventional.

The image covering 2/3's on the right hand side shows 'Johnny Carson' and another man. Their body language connotes a natural, carefree message due to them being in a dancing stance. The image on the left third of the magazine shows Beyonce, in the midst of performing, portraying the image that at this point in time she is not concerned about her appearance. Each of these images suggest that the articles they are promoting will also be of a carefree, light-hearted, natural manner. The two men allocated in the magazine, are portrayed in black and white to emphasise the olden-day effect. The fact that this is unusual, and unconventional to a modern day magazine maximises the focus on the particular image. They each appear to be having a good time, the man on the right connotes more confidence due to it looking as though he is leading the dance. Whereas, the other gentleman appears to be following the dance, looking slightly less confident – but nonetheless enjoying himself.

This particular contents page is very simple, the colours of the photo on the left contrast with the one on the right. Also resulting in a contrast between the different time periods and how the times have changed since each of the photos were taken. The colours are very simple. The scheme of white and black allow the pink elements of the text to stand out, making it look aesthetically pleasing.

The contents page to this particular 'Rolling Stone' issue features the slogan 'all the news that fits'. Which is suggesting that they also have a lot more news to come. It also implies that the audience should continue to buy the product to ensure the news that they want to read about gets full coverage if it isn’t already included in this issue.

The contents page also promotes their website further down the page to encourage the audience to get involved in the social media aspect of the product too.

I devised a PowerPoint enabling me to go into more depth with regards to the analysis of the contents page inside the 'Rolling Stones' magazine. Within this I have identified valid codes, conventions and connotations that relate to the magazine contents page as a whole.

Technology used:

• Google Images (www.google.com)
• SlideShare (www.SlideShare.com)

Magazine Front Cover Analysis

The 'Rolling Stone' font maintains the house style of the magazine due to it being used in each series. This allows the magazine to adopt an iconic look and is recognisable within the target audience, and also becomes recognisable to those who are not that familiar with it - simply due to the maintained style and layout of the magazine.

The main cover line 'Hanging with Leo' allows us to believe that the inside article is going to be a casual, informal interview. The phrase 'hanging' with a particular person is something we relate to our friends. The cover line then goes on to describe Leonardo DiCaprio's life to be 'not so carefree' which is connoted by the facial expression – portraying a serious reflection of his life – linking with the statement.

Leonardo DiCaprio is shown wearing a white T-Shirt with the sunlight beaming on his face, this connotes one aspect of his life- the 'carefree' side. The white portrays a god-like purity, almost presenting him in an angel-like fashion. This then contrasts with the red 'Rolling Stones' writing and the un-amused facial expression portrayed on DiCaprio's face - making the 2 aspects of his life very clear. The red font connotes seriousness and an almost dangerous ethos. Both of these factors added together allow us to believe there is a devil-like element to him. Adding both the angel + devil together give an even balance of character, allowing DiCaprio to remain level-headed; as the interview would suggest.

The colour scheme of this cover is very basic; the house style of red, white and black is maintained. DiCaprio’s white t-shirt contrasts with the red ‘Rolling Stone’ masthead. It also links with the white writing of the cover lines in the right third of the magazine cover. The same font is used throughout each individual issue of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine which also demonstrates the used of house style, it also adds to the iconic look of the magazine. The ‘Rolling Stone’ text has almost adopted the look of a logo, simply due to the consistency of the use – this is another aspect which enables us to recognise the magazine, and its effectiveness.

Rolling Stones are the institution for this magazine; they focus on publishing material which features music, albums and the latest artist news. They also publish movie reviews, political/ economic issues & pop culture commentaries. Their focal point for this magazine is celebrities and the endorsement they have on the product. This supports the fact that the product uses high end models. The target audience for this magazine is typically 60% male and 40% female; which is targeted from the age 18+. This is surprising due to the fact the ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine is typically known to use male models, as a result we are lead to believe the female percentage should be slightly higher. Also the 'Rolling Stones' font is slightly curly. This would connote feminism, another reason why I believe the female percentage of the target audience should be slightly higher. 

Pull quotes are also used on the front of this issue, ‘The Climate Bill Is Dead’ is used to entice the audience into purchasing the magazine. Also those interested in the particular topic may be persuaded to buy the product simply for that reason. Or, for those curious about the topic, may be convinced into buying it anyway.

I devised a PowerPoint enabling me to go into more depth with regards to analysis of the Leonardo DiCaprio issue of 'Rolling Stones'. Within this I have identified valid codes, conventions and connotations that relate to the magazine cover as a whole.

Technology used:

• Google Images (www.google.com)
• SlideShare (www.SlideShare.net)