Genre: Webzine

http://www.ilikemusic.com/

'I Like Music' is a Southampton based music magazine/webzine. It was set up in 2001 by a group of young people that are interested in music.

It is an extremely professionally set up site and has a lot of features that I would use in a published magazine. The benefits of making a 'webzine' is that you have an endless catalogue of information, the internet can hold the ultimate 'back catalogue' whereas a magazine is limited to a certain number of pages.

'I Like Music', unlike some magazines limited to say 70 pages, it has the opportunity to cover a variety of different genres of music: Pop, Hiphop, Rock, Dance, Indie and Urban. The website still maintains a theme depending on the genre, the section I am specifically interested in is the 'indie' link. The magazine has articles that are created for that specific audience, 'Indie Playlist of the Week' (including links that can direct the reader towards said playlist), 'The Week in Indie' or 'Latest Indie News'.

For a magazine that was set up by a group of young people, it has managed to become an established site for magazine information. Although the interviews are not with A-listed stars they show an establishment with some well-known bands and artists such as the 'White Lies' and 'Eliza Doolittle'.

This webzine shows a variety of different aspects and concepts that could be incorporated into my own music magazine.

Completed Article

Double Page Spread Article for ‘Wolf’ Magazine


Music Interview
Wolf: Breakthrough

Fresh out of the recording studio with his 2011 breakthrough band ‘The Polaroids’, Simon Wicklow talks to ‘Wolf’ about mixtapes, xbox-ing and village life.

When Simon arrived at the ‘Wolf’ offices it was clear from the offset that I was meeting with a very down-to-earth and shy young boy that has been sky-rocketed into the media spotlight. He wanders into our shoot, acid-wash skinnies, boat shoes and a big old granddad cardigan hiding his awkwardness. When asked if he needs anything, he replies ‘a cuppa would be nice, two sugars please’. Sniffling away after recovering from a cold, he retires into one of our squishy armchairs as if settling down for a chat with his mates.

Rose: Hi, it’s lovely to meet you. I’ve been listening to your demo album and it really portrays a group of young lads having fun and living an exciting and spontaneous lifestyle but what makes Simon Wicklow tick?

Simon: Hello, nice to meet you too. Yeah, we’re all in our late teens and early twenties so we’re trying to not get bogged down by all the serious stuff in life, making sure our music is fun and inspiring. ‘The Polaroids’ are becoming popular but I’m still only a lad used to village life, living in a small close-knit community and having a pint up the local pub.

R: You say you’re used to a small community lifestyle, so how do you feel about this new found fame?

S: It is scary! I have never been very good at being the centre of attention; I’m a bit of a social recluse. I’d rather be xbox-ing than out ‘partying’ so this all feels very weird and surreal to me.

R: Your music is alternative, think The Kooks meet Mumford and Son meet Florence and the Machine but who would you have playing on a mixed tape?

S: I like a little bit of everything. I listen to bands such as A Day to Remember or 30 Seconds to Mars. I love dubstep but am happy listening to The Smiths or Bombay Bicycle Club. All of us have completely different tastes in music which I presume is why our songs have such a mix match of styles.

R: You’re playing Camden’s Underworld next month, renowned for performances in the past from the likes of Radiohead and The Smashing Pumpkins. How do you feel about playing such a prestigious venue?

S: Petrified, I am trying not to think about it, just taking each day in my stride but if the fashionable crowd of Camden like you that’s got to mean something!

Quick Fire Questions:

Tea or coffee?
Always tea

What is your telly pleasure?
Has to be two and a half men or any American sitcom. I’m a big fan of scrubs.

Star Sign?
Aquarius

Cider or Beer?
Bleurgh beer is gross, cider all the way preferably a Kopperburg

What would find in your car?
Mess, receipts, shoes, a skateboard, mints, ipod, tapes…

Your scent?
I’m a Lynx Africa kind of man

The Polaroid’s start their new tour at Camden’s Underworld on February 10th and many dates are planned for across the country. Make sure to check them out on tour or at http://www.thepolaroids.com/

(For my double page spread:

The left hand-side page will have an image of the main subject 'Simon Wicklow'.

The right hand-side page will have the title and introduction at the very top and the rest of the interview in columns with a few smaller images dotted within)

Chosen Interview Questions

It is very difficult to plan fully the questions you are going to ask in an interview. You shouldn't really overplan a colloquial and casual interview, some interviews are even conducted over 'twitter' but i have thought about the kind of questions that can trigger off other questions:

- Hello, you've just come off stage, how do you think the audience reacted to your new music?

- Hello, first of all congratulations on your...

- Your reknowned for being...

- Do you have any pre-show rituals?

- Your new album is out next week, what was your inspiration?

Interview Techniques

Obviously interviewing someone for television is entirely different to writing an interview for a magazine but there are some features and skills that are transferable:

Lady Gaga Interviewed on T4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPvwpkU2W9w

Ellie Goulding Interview:



What i have discovered from looking at spoken television interviews is that the majority of modern day interviews are extremely casual and colloquial. Although the questions are scripted it is clear that the people doing the interviews on both ocassions sometimes make the questions up on the spot. I will have to ensure that my magazine interview appears to be conversational and comfortable rather than an interrogation.

How to conduct an interview: Magazine Questions

Types of Interviews:

Informal, conversational interview - no predetermined questions are asked, in order to remain as open and adaptable as possible to the interviewee's nature and priorities; during the interview, the interviewer "goes with the flow".
General interview guide approach - the guide approach is intended to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee; this provides more focus than the conversational approach, but still allows a degree of freedom and adaptability in getting information from the interviewee.
Standardised, open-ended interview - here, the same open-ended questions are asked to all interviewees (an open-ended question is where respondents are free to choose how to answer the question, i.e., they don't select "yes" or "no" or provide a numeric rating, etc.); this approach facilitates faster interviews that can be more easily analyzed and compared.
Closed, fixed-response interview - where all interviewees are asked the same questions and asked to choose answers from among the same set of alternatives. This format is useful for those not practiced in interviewing.


Conducting an Interview:

Make sure everything is recorded or written down
Ask one question at a time.
Attempt to remain as neutral as possible. That is, don't show strong emotional reactions to their responses. Patton suggests to act as if "you've heard it all before."
Encourage responses with occasional nods of the head, "uh huh"s, etc.
Be careful about the appearance when note taking. That is, if you jump to take a note, it may appear as if you're surprised or very pleased about an answer, which may influence answers to future questions.
Provide transition between major topics, e.g., "we've been talking about (some topic) and now I'd like to move on to (another topic)."
Don't lose control of the interview. This can occur when respondents stray to another topic, take so long to answer a question that times begins to run out, or even begin asking questions to the interviewer.

Genre: Fanzine

Fanzine is a blend of fan and magazine (-zine), it is produced by fans and is about a particular cultural phenomenon such as an indie music magazine.

My magazine, although a professional publication, has some aspects of a fanzine style journalised work.

Wolf is 'specialised' to a certain genre but it appeals to a large audience because the genre is popular. My magazine is similar to a fanzine publication due to its almost artistic creation and appearance. I like the idea of a fanzine magazine because clearly the creators haev put a lot of thought into their publication. I want to create some sort of similarities of fanzine publications with my own magazine because it is a really individual and unique style and shows the effort, dedication and care that can go into producing a popular magazine.

Alternative Double Page Spread Ideas

1.Polaroid Interview - Front Man:

My main idea is to conduct an interview between a band or an artist. It is a typical feature within a music

magazine. The public are interested in hearing about their favourite band or artist. Hearing responses to 'nitty-gritty' journalised questions interests the reader and encourages an audience to buy

a magazine that

features something they are interested in.

2.Fashion Meets Music:

Fashion and music coincide with each other. When you see a person on the street dressed

in a certain way you automatically assume that they listen to a certain type of music.

For Example: When looking at the image to the left, you'd presume she listened to a certain genre of music, artists such as 'The Arctic Monkeys' or 'The Smiths'. Fashion and music go hand in hand, magazines such as 'Dazed and Confused' have picked up on this and they publish interviews with bands discussing their music as well as their outfits.

3.Festivals:The Ultimate Review:

Festivals are a huge part in the musical calender and thousands of people each year pay a large sum of money to sleep in a tent in a crowded field. Festival goers are interested to see what is considered to be the best festival, these reviews are like holiday brochures to the regular festival goers. Festivals are a good feature to put into a magazine; they can include information on the artists, festival fashion, pros and cons of certain festivals etc.

4.Real life of Celebrities:

The general public have a fascination with celebrities, as a species we are impulsively nosey and an article that adheres to the public's interest in other people's lives would be popular.

5.CULT living:

An article epitomising 'cult living' - people interested in vintage music and how it applies to there everyday lives. Vintage clothing, antique houses and the idea of living in a different time period.

6.Real Talent VS. Talent Shows:

There is a lot of controversy that bands and singers that are created on talent shows such as 'The X Factor' have been falsely manufactured and have used a 'lazy' route into become famous. An article that interviews different people's views on 'Real Talent' vs 'Talent Shows' could be a controversial.

▲ Complete articles with ‘delta’ triangle symbol as a full stop, finisher.

Style of Writing in a Music Magazine

The style of writing in a music magazine is colloquial. The majority of people that read a music magazine are of a younger audience, late teens to early twenties, and therefore the type of language reflects this age group. Although magazines purely based around the theme of music tend to have specific genres; rock, indie etc they tend to not use technical jargon or complex structures. Magazines tend to be light-hearted and easy to read, nobody wants to read a complicated magazine.

Example of the type of writing in a music magazine:

'Hello Madonna. Its our seven year anniversary. The last interview we did together for this magazine was in March 2001, of all things. We've spoken since, but our last on-the-record conversation for Interview was before the whole world changed.'

Unlike Jane Austen novels, nobody speaks one-hundred percent of the time in a Recieved Pronunciation, Standard English form.

Double Page Spread Style Model

This is an interview with Beth Ditto of The Gossip featuring in Marie Claire. Having looked at several double page spreads featuring interviews i have noticed that the format tends to stay the same the majority of the time. The title font is large but uses a simple typeface and is only shown in black and white. The font for the main content, again is simple, similar to an arial or calibri and is put into a newspaper style format of columns. This interview goes onto several pages and the first page goes into a lot of detail into the background history of Beth Ditto and her band. The image, i love, the colours in which it is shot are subdued, pastel colours and the details on the face are clear and crisp. It is a really lovely piece of photography.

I think that interview pages for a lot of magazines needed to be more creative and original, they all appear to stick to a certain format. I love the photography used within this double page spread and it has inspired me to be adventurous with camera settings and lighting experiments to create really beautiful photography to compliment the text.

Double Page Spread Style Model

This is an interview from 'Dazed and Confused' magazine. It is an interview with a 'new', unknown pop-punk band called Ariel Pink by Caroline Ryder. The layout of this magazine is unconventional, it appears to be 'all over the place'. It still remains to have a formal layout in the form of a newspaper style format, it uses skinny columns and black and white font and imagery to maintain this appearance. This magazine interview lacks the friendship between the journalist and the subject but still has the informality seen in the interview with 'Madonna'.

I like the way that this interview has been written. The initial paragraph in the first column introduces the artist and tells the reader some of the history of the band. It pressumes that you don't have any prior knowledge of the band and doesn't 'keep you in the dark'. The questions are a mixture of informal irrelevent subjects such as 'do you like blondes?' and more serious questions that relate to the career of the artist 'so, where is music going in your opinion?'. It has that mixture of questions that i hope to portray in my own double page spread.

The image seems to be precariously placed with no real thought. On the one hand it is in keeping with the quirky awkwardness that is the style of Dazed and Confused but on the other hand the image appears slightly messy and the text surrounding has no continuity with the image, the page does not flow as a whole.

I love the style of writing of the journalist, she has the right mix between a formal and informal interview. She asks the quirky and interesting questions alongside the more pressing and important questions that relate to the publicising of the band. I am not keen on the overall format of this double page spread. I think it appears messy and doesn't entice the reader, it is far too clinical for a magazine.

Double Page Spread Style Model

This is a double page spread from 'Interview' Magazine, it is an interview between Madonna and Ingrid Sischy.
It has several features that make it successful both as a double spread in a magazine as well as an interview. Obviously the journalist has had the chance to talk with a world famous artist but the way in which the interview has been produced allows the reader to feel involved in the production. There is a real sense of informality and colloquialism within this interview, this is clear from the off when both subjects start with 'Hi, Ingrid' and 'Hello, Madonna'. The reader can clearly see the connection between these two people and i like the informality of the interview, unlike some magazines, it makes it appear more accessible for the reader.
The magazine set up and layout is simplistic which i like, a complex layout can confuse the reader and make them less likely to be interested in reading about the subject. A large image on the left hand side juxtaposes with the page of text, it means the reader is not overpowered with writing. The name of the artist is in bold, blue lettering, it automatically captures the readers attention, they are not forced to read further into the article to discover what the subject is. The tag line of the interview is also in blue but in a much smaller font, the blue contrasts against the white of the background allowing it to clearly stand out on the page.
The interview itself is in a conversational format:

Ingrid: Tell us more about the film
Madonna: There were so many ways it could have turned out.

I like the way that the text is in bold for one person and is normal for the other, it allows the reader to easily differentiate between the two making it much simpler to read. The interview itself is set out almost similar to a play script, a script should be easy to read at a glance and this magazine clearly has a grasp on the ratio of complexity and simplicity.

I like this double page spread, i think that the simplicity would be something similar that i would use in my magazine. I also like the script format because it makes for very easy reading. A magazine is not expected to be a complex piece of reading, it should be light-hearted and fun. If you want to read 'War and Peace' you can but a magazine is not supposed to be difficult to understand.

House Style

A house style is fundamental in the production of a magazine, they are the elements that link the text, the images and the overall context together. They ensure that the magazine fits a certain standard and that there is continuity within the magazines appearance.

The above font is called 'Levis Brush' and is the font i have used throughout as my magazine name. The rest of the text in the magazine is written in courier and i ensure that this same font is used throughout the magazine.

The front cover and contents page, i feel, show continuity and a sense of a house style. The colour, itself, is dark, using blues and greys and this is apparent through both pages. The font 'stands out' against the dark background because i have used white, it is not awkward or difficult for the magazines audience to read.

Proposal for double page spread article

I want to create a double page spread that embodies the theme of my music magazine, it will probably be about the talent that I have used on the front cover of my magazine to ensure some continuity. Music magazines feature a lot of interviews and rarely is a band featured without some contribution from the band themselves in the form of interviewing, so this is what I will probably include within my magazine double page spread.

There are various different ways that an interview can be 'written up', it can be published as it was said, with questions and answers or the journalist can write it up as a collective text and just include quotations from the interviewee.

I will compliment the interview text with images so that the double page spread doesn't appear boring. The kind of questions that I want to ask the talent will be obscure and eclectic because the magazine I have created is quite alternative. I want the questions to be 'different', the kind of questions that you would not usually expect to see in a magazine but they will still go alongside the theme of my music magazine. The questions can alternate between simple questions, facts that the fans would like to know such as 'Tea or Coffee?' and more complex interview style questions that publicise the band such as 'Is there a theme to your new album?' or 'What was it like filming you video for _______?'

Wolf Contents Page Mock Up

This is the initial mock up of my contents page, I have used the same model on the cover on the contents page to create a sense of continuity. I have used the same font on the title for the inside of the magazine but I have used courier for the contents page details. The image I have used I have placed slightly off centre so that I could use the black backdrop as the backdrop for my text, it has made it a lot clearer and easy to read. This photo was created using the same technique as the cover shot but I have not edited the colour contrast or brightness, I have left the photo how it was when it was taken because I was already happy with the colour and detail of the facial features.

To ensure the affect of a proper magazine I think I will have to put more text onto this page, at the moment it feels a bit empty. I am happy with how my magazine is coming together so far because it has turned out relatively professional.

Vogue Contents Page

I decided to analyse other magazines that weren't specifically 'music'. Vogue's contents page is simple and slightly clinical but unlike the 'NME' contents page, it doesn't appear messy. It actually has a lot of similarities with NME magazine, the use of the black, white and red. The title is large and is layered over the top of the imagery. Similarly to NME, the contents page is more of a last minute thought - it doesn't appear to have any particular page layout, the images do not really fit with the rest of the page, they almost look as if they have been put in last minute.

On the contrary to what i have said, i do like this contents page, it is clean and organised. It is easy to read because it is simple which is effective.

Dazed & Confused Contents Page

I love the contents page from this issue of Dazed & Confused magazine, it is creative and imaginative. It relates to the arty feel of the magazine. They have put it over a double page spread placing the picture in the middle of the pages, it makes the content interesting as well as spacious, it doesn't feel as if it has been rushed pre-production. The font used, i love, it gives the effect of a dymo machine embossed black and red tape. It has been used on the titles and page numbers and a different font has been used on the further information. I think that this contents page shows the creativity of the magazine and shows an individuality to the magazines production.

NME Contents Page

The NME magazine contents page is a little clinical and newspaper like which relates to the newspaper form that it used to be printed in. There is not a lot of colour, the red from the title and page numbers and the use of imagery relating to the magazine context.

It is not a particularly interesting contents page which is a continuation within most magazines. The magazine producers tend to spend less time producing a contents page compared to a cover because it is not the first thing the potential buyer will see. I am unimpressed with the almost laziness of NME with the unimaginative contents page but it does the job. I like the white text against the black background for the titles, it stands out and clearly directs the reader to the main interests within the magazine.

Magazine Front Cover Mock Up

This is the initial mock up of the front cover of my magazine.

I have included a title in the font called 'levis brush' from dafont.com. I like the effect of this font, it is artistic and looks like it has been painted. I have used the same font for all the lettering on my magazine cover apart from the band name in which i used the font that the band uses on their CD covers and other media etc.

I have included a bar code, price and a magazine website but have put it small in the bottom right hand corner of the cover, i did not want the details to overpower the cover and most magazines of any genre tend to make this information relatively small.

I could possibly do with making the font size of the title and the other text a bit bigger so that at an initial glance the buyer is able to see what the magazine context is alongside the large image which obviously shows the main subject or the 'interviewed artist' of the magazine.

Costume, Location and Lighting

Costume, location and lighting are all fundamental to the final front cover image. A music magazine has a similar style that appears to be universal throughout the mainstream media world of music magazines.

I have been particular in my choices to ensure that my front cover image is individual but follows the conventions of a music magazine.

Costume: My talent is supposed to be from an indie style band and his clothing reflects this. He is wearing a hoodie, coat and t-shirt which is casual wear and is perfect for the overall feel of my magazine.

Location: It didn't matter where i took this cover photo because i knew that i wanted either a plain black or white backdrop. I decided on a black backdrop. When analysing current magazines such as NME and Q, the majority of cover talents were shot against a plain background to ensure that the subject themselves is the main feature of the magazine and this is the effect i have gone for with my front cover. It gives it a fresh and contemporary feel.

Lighting: To ensure i shot an extremely detailed photo there had to be almost no natural lighting and relied entierly on the flash from the camera. Natural lighting affects the detail of the facial features because it drowns out the colour.

I have edited my front cover but only slightly, changing the colour of the photo and photoshopping some of the facial features blemishes and imperfections but i did not want to use any overly unnatural editing and airbrushed. I did not want my talent to appear 'fake' because it doesnt appeal as much to a target audience, makes the subject appear more 'down to earth'.

Magazine Name and Font

1. Walkway
2. Sketch Block
3. NKOTB Fever
4. Levis Brush
5. Green Piloww
6. Champagne and Limousines

Choosing the right font and title for your magazine is crucial. I used dafonts.com and saved the fonts I preferred and thought would be suitable for the front cover of my magazine. I chose the sketchier fonts because I thought it would give my music magazine more individuality and personality. My personal favourite of all the fonts I have singuled out is 'levis brush' because i feel it is a lot different to the fonts you usually see on the front of a magazine and it again gives it that unusual alternative feel.
At the moment i am undecided on the title of my magazine but am edging towards an animal name because sound and music to them is very different to the way we hear sound. I like the name 'wolf' because it conjures up the imagery of a wolf howling, i also like 'oh deer' as a pun, i think of it as a fun name for a magazine, injecing a bit of humour into the overall concept.

Front Cover: Chosen Image

I have decided to use this image for the front cover of my music magazine, i think this is a great image and i am really pleased with the way that it has come out.
It is an upper body shot taken with an SLR camera on a slow shutter speed. The pictures above are exactly the same but i have been messing around with the contrast and brightness on photoshop and i am not sure yet which colour i am going to use in my final product. I am not going to airbrush the face because i wanted a photo that shows the blemishes and dimples of a normal person, it means that the audience find it easier to relate to the subject used. I think this image epitomises exactly what i wanted my magazine to be like, the image is quirky and alternative and the boy photographed will have an interview inside my magazine as a band member of an indie group. My survey showed that the majority of people want a music magazine to be different and interesting, I want my magazine to appeal to this audience and to contain photography on fashion and art isnpired by music culture as well as all the normal cliche music magazine features such as interviews and top 20's.

Front Cover Image: Possible Choices

I took several photos over several days trying different lighting and different settings. I tried a white backdrop and a black one and found that the black backdrop with all natural light blocked off, only using camera flash created a much clearer and more detailed image. I tried different shots but the majority being upper body or headshots because this is the type of imagery that is typically found on the front of music magazines. I wanted the photos to feel natural and a lot of my photos although professionally taken were spontaneous to ensure that my subject looked comfortable in all of his photos.

Front Cover Image

I am going to use a Canon EOS 350 Digital SLR camera on a low ISO shutter speed of about 100, similar to the technique used on the front cover of this edition of 'Empire' magazine. I will ensure that my subjects backdrop will be dark (black) to make sure that the figures portrait will be clearer and extremely detailed, white backdrops wash out the features of the portrait. Although this cover is in black and white, i am unsure whether my final cover will be in black and white or colour after the final edit. The fact i will be using a slow shutter speed and a low light intensity means that i will have to use a tripod to prevent camera shake and therefore an unclear image.

I think that a highly detailed picture on the cover of my music magazine will create a very professional and fresh look. These sort of images can be very effective, recently The Sunday Times: Style Magazine printed Robbie Williams using this same camera technique and it created a very emotive response. The majority of music magazines use images of groups or solo artists on their covers but using a style like this is a little bit more alternative and makes the magazine more individual in comparison to mainstream music magazines such as NME or Mojo.

Results from Questionnaire: Target Audience Research

After conducting my music magazine questionnaire, i discovered some quite unusual and useful results.
I was surprised that my research uncovered that the majority of people do not read music magazines and those that do only rarely buy them.
In answer to my first question 'which of the following magazines do you read?' the majority chose option G - none of the above, the reason being that the specific information that they need they can find on the internet and a lot of non-music specific magazines sometimes include music information. Other people said that magazines for a certain genre, be it alternative or soul etc, use specific terminology and are a little 'hard' to read and understand.
Question 3 stated 'what genre of music do you listen to?' and i found this interesting becauses the results were so varied, some singluar people stated several genres as their preferred choice of music. This proved that the majority of people are interested in a variety of music and like to mix and match, listening to something 'a bit different'.
Question 4 and 5 were the most important of this questionnaire investigation because it allowed me to see what my target audience wanted from a music magazine, again these results varied proving that the majority want a variety from their magazine. When asked what they would like from a new music magazine a lot of people answered 'something different', music magazines although about different genres are all very similar in their context and i want to ensure that my magazine provides my target audience with something unique and fresh.

It is always difficult to conduct market research because people don't have the time to fill out questionnaires. I only received a small proportion of responses in comparison to the quantity i sent out but it was enough to come to a conclusion as to what my target audience want from a music magazine.

Questionnaire for Target Audience

To ensure that my magazine adheres perfectly to my target audience's preferences i am going to conduct a questionnaire on facebook that asks the kind of questions that would help me to produce a successful and popular magazinefor my genre.

Questionnaire for a Music Magazine:

1. Which of the following music magazines do you read, if any?

a. NME

b. Kerrang

c. Q Magazine

d. Mojo

e. Rolling Stones

f. Other _____

g. None of the above

2.If you do not read a music magazine, why?

3. What genre of music do you listen to?

a. Indie

b. Pop

c. Rock

d. Hip-hop

e. Jazz

f. Other _____

4. What do you look for in a magazine?

a. Playlists/Top 20's

b. Fashion influenced by music culture

c. Interviews

d. Festival Coverage

e. Reviews

f. Other _____

5. What would you want from a new music magazine?

I intend to send this questionnaire to as many people as possible via facebook.com and i will then tally and graph results in order to see what my target audience are looking for from a magazine.

NME: 10 Special Edition Covers

NME, similarly to other magazines not specific to music, sometimes create 'special edition' covers for collectors or special occasions. These ones were done in celebration the first edition of a new-look NME magazine.

These NME covers use different models and subjects on each 'special edition'. Compared to the normal NME cover, these 'special edition' covers are more contemporary and simply. If the model is holding an object (such as in the Laura Marling shoot, where she is holding a blue mug and the Jack White shoot, where he is sitting on a yellow chair) that is the main subject within the picture, the most noticeable contributing factor, the NME title and font colour then will be put in the same colour as the main colour feature within that photo.

The photographer also uses the same lit background throughout the 10 issues of this magazine, a white background with a hit of grey. It helps to make the artist stand out against the background because it doesn't overpower the main feature model.

In some cases, the picture of the model goes behind the title of the magazine and sometimes it is edited so that it goes over the top of it.

I will create a couple of covers as my final piece; a mix of complex and simplistic to show a variation of my skills. It will also show that i understand that the magazine market sometimes provide their buyers with a variation of magazine covers.

Market Research: Indie Magazine

www.indie-mag.com

Indie Magazine is a prime example of the kind of magazine i wish to produce. Although not a music magazine it is in the style and receives the same readership and market that i would like to tap into.

The link i have provided gives a preview of a couple of pages of the magazine and gives the reader a feel for the type of audience that 'Indie' is trying to entice.

The front cover is fresh and modern, simple yet effective. The photo itself uses very sharp colouring juxtaposed against a fresh background and the font type and colour compliments the overall contemporary feel of the magazine.

I love the use of white space, black font and large photographic imagery within this magazine, it gives the feel of a sophisticated art and fashion magazine and it is the kind of style that can be easily altered to fit the theme of a music magazine.

Mood Board

I created a mood board that encommpasses my theme for my music magazine. Instead of using imagery from music magazines that are already out there I have gathered together a collection of images to create the overall theme i am trying to create within my music magazine.
I am creating an 'indie' style magazine that combines fashion, art and music.
I wanted to create something quintessentially british, words and objects such as 'pigeons', 'polaroids' and 'fish and chips' all inspire my theme. Kitsch imagery put alongside the articles and features on indie music will help to create my theme and will appeal to the audience i plan to sell my magazine to.

Market Research: Q and Mojo

Q and Mojo are two music magazines that are made for an older audience.

This month's issue of Q magazine is revolved around the main story of John Lennon at 70 featuring interviews with Yoko Ono and unseen footage on Lennon himself. Although Q magazine does tap into a younger audience featuring more up to date and current artists such as 'Foals' its main audience is maturer music lovers. It contains some features that are seen within some of the magazines aimed at teenage audiences for example features such as track of the day and festival coverage but doesn't include some of the features that i want to include within my 'indie' magazine such as linking fashion and photography with music. My magazine could include a mix of contemporary and vintage music, bridging the gap between the older and younger generations.

Mojo is very similar to Q magazine in its context. The Mojo issue taken from the same month as Q magazine have very similar features and articles, a focus on John Lennon for example. Something that Mojo seems to focus on, that a lot of magazines don't, is actually providing its audience with a sample of music. Most monthly issues of Mojo include a CD that tends to relate to the overall theme of that months magazine. This is a nice feature that magazines for a younger generation tend not to include due to the higher interest in internet downloading. I could include this feature within my magazine, like Mojo, providing my readers with the opportunity to download free music by following a link printed within the magazine.

Zeitgeist: What's hot and what's not?

Music magazines go through different stages of being 'hot' or 'not' and this is purely based on genre. One year a certain genre of music such as 'rock' can be in fashion and another year it'll change to 'indie' or 'rap' and this has a direct effect on the popularity of a magazine.

I think that music magazines will always be doomed to suffer lulls in popularity depending entirely on the 'hot' music genre of that year for example, you will have people that buy NME religiously every week without fail and you will have others that buy it every now and then depending on the genres prominence in todays society.

I think that my magazine will do well in todays society because it will cover indie music as a sub-culture. As it stands, in 2010, indie music is extremely popular and has been for several years. Bands and solo artists such as Mumford & Sons, The Kooks and Florence & the machine have experienced booms in popularity due to the increasing interest in the indie fashion, style and culture.

My magazines target audience is both males and females ranging between the ages of 16 and 25. The type of people that will read my magazine will be a part of the indie culture: wearing vintage clothing, festival goers etc

Main Coursework Task

The main coursework task is to produce the front page, contents page and double paged spread of a new music magazine.

I wanted to produce an indie magazine.

These are the kinds of words and ideas i had, they bring together the overall theme i was hoping to produce within my magazine:

- Polaroids

- Lp's

- Mixed Tapes/Playlists

- Teacups

- Denim jackets
- Vintage clothing

- Awkward People

- Babyshambles, The Smiths, The Maccabees etc

Market Research: NME Magazine

I recently brought a copy of NME (New Musical Express) Magazine to analyse the qualities that go into making a rock/indie music magazine.

NME Facts:
- The magazine costs a very reasonable £2.30
- NME focuses upon popular rock/indie music and tends to be for a target audience of (stereotypically) males in their late teens, Male: 73% and Female: 27%, Target Market: 17-30
- It has been on sale every week since the 7th of March, 1952
- ABC1: 73%

- Circulation: 56,284 and Readership: 411,000

On first appearances, i like the way that this magazine is formated. The front cover is simple, it has an extremely plain colour scheme and simplistic masthead. NME uses one large image to attract its audiences attention and surrounds this main image with several smaller images, all of which show some of the main features within the magazine.

This particular issue claims to be the 'massive review issue' for Reading and Leeds festival, as i attended Reading festival i found it extremely interesting to see how this particular magazine reviewed large scale events and how accurate their accounts were.

Although all of the articles and interview questions were written by different journalists, the magazine has a language continuity which means that NME appears to have been completely written by one or several similar styled writers. The writing style especially appeals to the magazines target audience (late teens), it uses a very laid-back, simplistic and sometimes very explicit style of writing making it extremely easy to just pick up and read. An article within the magazine, named 'Paradise Shi**y' about a memorable Axl Rose performance at Reading Festival epitomises the style of writing 'and of course they're late. F**king late. There's boos. People Leave. More boos. People in G N' R shirts start leaving', it is a very relaxed and somewhat male response to a music magazine, the writing almost seems conversational, as if it has been unplanned.

NME includes features such as reviews, interviews with bands and solo artists, numerous adverts for bands, gig guides and fan mail.
Its made me realise that the kind of magazine i wish to produce is a laided back easy to read magazine but i want to make sure that the language is not as explicit as NME and includes relatively intelligent thought waves in relation to music.

Market Research: Dazed & Confused Magazine

http://www.dazeddigital.com/Music/Default.aspx

Dazed & Confused Magazine uses the type of context and layout and focuses upon the same target audience that I was hoping to employ in my own music magazine. Dazed & Confused is a magazine that includes fashion, art and culture, photography, film and music within its pages however it does not hinge its context on mainstream popularity but instead focuses upon the more obscure.The music section of the magazine is more about discovering new artists and bands, 'incoming' bands and'rising' new artists. Another aspect that i wish to employ into my own music magazine is the use of playlists. When amagazine has a certain target audience of the same age group and a similar type of person, then stereotypically the type of music they listen to will be similar. Putting playlist ideas within a magazine, playlists inspired by celebrites or the general public, could be a clever way of promoting new music alongisde well known classics.
Dazed & Confused focuses upon arty/fashionable/indie students and it is this kind of target audience that i wish my music magazine to be aimed for.

Preliminary Task: School Magazine 'Prefect'

I decided that the preliminary task, a school magazine, should appeal to a target audience of sixth form students aged between 16 to 18. It was important that everything included within this magazine was relative to our target audience. This issue of the magazine is from 'June 2010' therefore most of the corresponding articles and editorials had to adhere to what was going on during that time of the year, exams. I also included information on new drivers and ways of tackling holiday boredom because it was this kind of information that needed to be included in a magazine for this age group. I think that the font and images used show a very stereotypical outlook on a school magazine, they are what is expected from this genre of magazine.

The colours chosen, yellow and green, are particularily eye catching against the background image. Ideally, i would have chosen to use the school uniform colours but they did not stand out against the front cover image.

I decided to make the magazine 'free' so that i was more accessable to the target audience of sixth form students who aren't necessarily earning any money.

Personally, i think that the front cover and contents page have been particularily successful because they are a true representation of a school magazine.

Magazine Name and Font

I had to decide on a suitable name and font for a school/college magazine.
Initially, it was difficult to come up with a suitable name: ideas such as 'Prep', 'Varsity', till eventually I decided upon 'Prefect' because it personified the idea of an authorative and a successful student within a school environment. It related to the market of this magazine, successful and intelligent A-Level students.
The font I chose is called Varsity Regular and is from dafonts.com. It was a suitable choice as it represents the font used in American Highschool's on school sports clothing and pep-rally signs.

School Magazine Front Cover Imagery

I needed to make sure that I took photographs that were suitable for a school magazine and adhered to the project brief. The brief said that the magazine cover should feature a student in a medium close-up shot which already whittled down the images I took to a select few.

After deliberation, I chose to use the second image on the top row of this post. It showed a close up of the models face and shows her holding folders like a typical student. The background is of a green field and trees which creates an idyllistic image.

I think that the image chosen fits the brief of the cover of a school/college magazine as it shows a perfect image of student life.

Visit from Gorezone

Recently, our media class recieved a visit from Andrew McQuade, in charge of PR/Marketing at Gorezone Magazine, the worlds number one selling horror magazine.

As my coursework task, i am producing a magazine and it was really interesting to hear from an expert how a professional, best selling magazine is produced.

I learnt the arduous process from initial idea to final printing and the huge costings involved in making a magazine successful.

Andrew also explained how different people with various areas of expertise are involved in producing a magazine, Gorezone has journalists and correspondents all over the world that produce the contents of Gorezone.

It was beneficial to talk to someone who actually had experience with being involved with the production of a successful magazine. It has given me some insight into how to go about planning and producing my own magazine.