Initial Ideas.

Intial Ideas

After researching into different types of genres and I have decided that my magazine is going to be based on Alternaitve/Indie genre. I have chosen this genre as it appeals to me, and i listen to the genre  frequently and read magazines such as NME, in my free time. I know alot about this genre and the types of bands and artists associated with in it. This means that i am able to create the magazine to my best ability.
 The genre appeals to a niche target audience audience, and is slowly becoming more popular with in the music industry. I have already annotated indie magazines previously and I understand the conventions of a magazine, and i have researched the main publishing companies of indie magazines, the most famous including NME.
After researching various amounts of music magazines, I have discovered that the indie music culture is dominated by male artists, and that females are rarely seen on the front cover of indie/rock music magazines, and there are very few women in the indie scene. I would like to challenge the conventions and use a female model, instead of a male. Women are usually seen as pop icons, however I am going to challenge this by creating a female indie/alternative icon.

Possible Name

Digital
Interzone
Reflektor
Transmission

Genre

1. Indie/Alternative Music
I have chosen this genre as it is popular and current. I feel that i am able to create my magazine to the best of my ability as I already have a few photoshoot ideas, and have an outstanding knowledge of artists and culture from this genre. I also read magazines of this genre frequently, and have already researched many magazines such as NME. I have also studied the conventions, and regulations of similar brands such as NME and Rolling Stone.

House Style

House style is when a magazine uses a consistent layout and structure, including colour schemes and logos. House style is used to give a specific look and layout. I will be using a constitent colour scheme, using colours that are subtle, and convey the genre of my magazine. Most indie magazines use colours such as red, black and grey. Where as other genres such as POP, may use bright neon colours such as pink and green. The masthead is always placed in the same position on all issues, so each issue looks similiar and the audience are able to identify new issues.

Mode of Address

The mode of address my magazine will convey will be colloquial chatty language. I will use sarcastic language, which follows other indie magazines. The chatty language will make the magazine easier to read for the reader, and they will be more enticed to read more of the magazine. The colloquial language used, will create a calm atmoshpere for the reader. After discovering that most indie/alternative music fans are students, aged 17 and above, I have decided that the use of sarcasm will attract this certain type of audience, as they will find the content more comical and informal.

Star Image

For my magazine front cover, i will be using a female model. I will turn my model into an indie/alternative icon by dressing her, in laid back clothing with minimal colours. I will also be including props such as sunglasses and instruments to fufill the indie/alternative image. When creating my artist I must consider that the image of the artist should fit to the theme of the genre of the magazine.

How frequently will my magazine be published ?  

I will be releasing my magazine monthly, to ensure that all content and issues are up to a high and professional standard, this will also ensure that spelling errors are less likely to occur. The content of the magazine will not be rushed, but sophisticated and clean. By releasing my magazine monthly, the editing process of images and visual layout will look neat, and will appeal to the audience. The more sophisticated and professional the magazine appears the more successful my magazine will be,  my magazine will be printed on glossy paper, therefor my magazine price range will range from 3 to 6 pounds due to the high quality paper, and content.

What next...

Before I come to terms with final ideas, I am going to create a questionnaire to find out how my target audience's opinions effect my initial ideas. As I am currently unable to decipher what name or colour scheme I would like to have for my magazine, creating a questionnaire will help me to decide on final outcomes. I may feel that the feedback from the questionnaire may change some of my initial ideas.

Intitial Ideas Brainstorm

MY GENRE

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1980s.Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include indie pop, jangle pop, C86, and lo-fi, among others.
The genre influences, not only music, but fashion and style. Indie is popular because it is unique and different, popular indie bands include, the Stone Roses, Vampire Weekend, Kasabian, The Cribs and Arcade Fire. 
Indie music varies and mostly every single band or artist produces something unique and different, where as genres such as Pop and Hip-Hop, tend to sound similar because it is manufactured and handled by big production companies. 

Audience

What is an Audience ?

Audiences can be difined by the Gender, Ethnicity, Age, and Nationality. There are niche audiences
when it comes to music magazine. As music magazines are based on genre this already determines the type of audience that the magazine is appoonted to.

 

Product Analysis

I have chosen to research an NME magazine and run a product analysis. Once i have gathered this information I will then discuss why the statistics are the way they are, and what can affect the defined target audience.

 

Genre	Indie/Alternative Genre
Age	17 – 25 years of age
Publishing company	IPC MEDIA
Gender	27% Females and 73% Males
Price	£2.20
Income/Education Level	52% claimed to be studying music as a career/qualification. 18% claim to be working part time 26% are full time students 36% working full time

The genre that I will be basing my magazine on is Alternative/Indie, I have researched other indie magazine companies such as NME, and studied the statistics of their target audience.
New Musical Express, is magzine that belongs to the company IPC Media. The demopraphic profile of NME target audience would be aged bewteen 17 and 30. NME is a unisex magazine, and can appeal to both genders. However statistics show that only 27% of the audience are female, which leaves 73% of the audience male. The magazine uses languge that would appeal to the age range. Colourful language is used, to convey a relaxed atmosphere through out the magazine, this is mainly aimed at those who are young and are still in education such as college or university.
The magazine is published weekly so that everyweek it gives the readers the most current and exciting coverage of contemporary music culture, priced at £2.20, the magazine is affordable for all classes. Supporting earlier research, the magazine is cheap to appeal to students at university, who are music enthusiasts. It can also be aimed at working class music fanatics, 80% of NME readers agreed that music is a big part of their life, and 52% claimed to be studying music as a career/qualification. From this 18% are working part time, 26% are full time students, 36% are working full time, showing that the audience is well educated and passionate about what they read.
The audience are intouch with current technology, and are likely to posses a smart phone or mobile device, and can regularly download music.
As a result of this research, the core audience of the magazine, are males aged between 17 and 30, who are well educated, and have an interest in contepmorary indie music. NME audience depend highly on this magazine because it has an indepth and knowledge of the music and film industry, reader may look for advertisements, that promote upcoming gigs and festivals.

 

My Audiencence

Having a defined target audience, makes it easier for me to publish and edit my magazine. The target audience impacts the house style and mode of address that my magazine will portray. After researching into the statistics of NME, magazines, a popular indie magazine, I have gathered information that can influence my target audience. Therefore the target audience of my magazine will be fairly similiar to NME.

Star Image

STAR IMAGE.

A stars image becomes recognisable to the public eye, the star image involves the appearance, attitudes and behaviour of an artist which makes them recognisable and interesting to the public. An artist must posses a star inage in order to become popular in the media culture. Stars can use the fact that their image has a meaning by allowing it to be used for advertising purposes. Stars are made to appeal to audiences, which will inreturn benefit record label companies. Howver some artists are labelled as manufactured, and displease there audience.
As I am creating an Alternative/Indie magazine, i will be researching artists, and their star image.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 

Red Hot Chili Peppers are an alternative band from Los Angeles in 1983. The red hot chili peppers are easliy noticeable by their famous logo. They use a star shape which recurs throughout their work. The logo appears on there album covers and on their merchandise. This is successful when selling the band and making money for the record label as the public will recognise and become familar with the band logo.
 The attitudes and behavior of the band is highly significant part of their star image. The band are conveyed as typical Californians, they are usually topless, and posses a "dont care" attitude. This creates a "cool" image that the band may portray.  Their musical outlook has always reflected the Southern California milieu, appealing to the hard-partying skateboard and slacker subcultures while also reaching those looking for sunnier, more spiritually uplifting grooves. The attitudes of the band act as a factor to how well the band sells, their audience like the cool attitude the band obtains. The change of hair styles also contributes to the hippy vibe of the band.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers have experienced triumph and tragedy in their 30-year history, scaling the heights of popularity while confronting drug addiction and the death of a founding member along the way.

The Creation of Lana Del Rey

Singer, Lana Del Rey is certainley one of the most controversial psycedelic rock stars in the media. Although Lana Del Rey is favoured by her fans, many critics label her as a fraud . However the controversy of Lana Del Rey has turned her into an international star. Elizabeth was born in New York as Elizabeth Grant, she started to write songs after high school. Grant signed to her first recording contract in 2007 with indie label and released her debut-full length album titled Lana Del Ray (note the different spelling) on iTunes with 5 points, but it received little attention or praise.
Due to her lack of success Grant hired a new mananger, and set off to reinvent herself. After eliminating Lizzy Grants persona, Lana Del Rey dyed her hair brown. Her videos were lavishly produced, over-the-top, and completely eccentric. Her voice got deeper, her lips becam poutier and she added as much confidence as eyeliner.  Her star image has led her to releasing 3 albums successfully. Lana Del Rey has been described as, "self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra", her music has been noted as a certain pop culture relating to the 40s 50s and 60s era.

NME Magazine Analysis

As I am mostly interested in creating an Indie magazine, I have done some more research into the conventions of NME Magazines. I have annotated some front covers of NME magazines, so i am able to gain more knowledge of the house style and mode of address of indie magazines. BY annotating and analysing these magazines i am able to understand more about the genre and why different colour schemes and language features are used.

NME Magazine Analysis

  What is NME Magazine? 

The first magazine that I will be analysing is an issue from NME. Created by Theodore Ingham, NME is a British weekly journalism publication which has been publishing since 1952. The magazine focuses largely on rock, alternative and indie music, the magazines that NME publish appeal to me as I enjoy listening to the certain type of genre associated with the magazine. In the 1970s, NME magazine became the best selling British magazine, and to this present day is still one of the best selling music journalism in the UK.

I recently purchased an issue of NME, to study whether the magazine follows the rules and regualtions of a music magazine. The three main areas that i will be focusing on are the front cover, contents page and double page spread, as these features of a magazine easily present the conventions clearly and are fairly simple to point out and analyse.

  Front Cover

The front cover of a magazine is important to address the audience and entice them to read the magazine, as it includes a summary of the magazine, and must be pleasing to the eye. The main image displays an image of Liam Gallagher, an alternative/rock icon. The artist is shown from the shoulder upwards, which follows the normal regulations of a front cover. The artist is shown posing as a "rock star", as they portray the indie rock look, with the use of the glasses and black jacket. The artist is posing with a sincere look, connoting a sense of impudence. The artist has eye contact with the reader, which entices the reader's attention.
However the main image, tests the conventions of a magazine, as the artist on the page is not centred in the middle of the page, this can potentially draw readers away from the magazine, as the magazine may not look professional and real. The artist's head is also covered by the logo of the magazine, and other cover/sell lines. This is very unprofessional, as the magazine appears unstructured and messy. The cover lines are clear and easy to read and distributed to outer thirds of the magazine structure. The cover lines use certain vocabulary to entice the reader, such as 'smash' and 'free posters', this engages the reader and promotes what features are inside the issue. However the cover lines are not aligned properly and are structured poorly on the front page. The mix of different fonts effects the overall image of the front cover and makes the page appear messy and amateur. The cover and sell lines are distributed towards the top half of the page, and most of the magazine is left with out any other images or advertisements of certain features in the magazine. The cover and sell lines promote what is featured in the magazine and advertise popular bands from the certain genre. The main image is promoted by cover lines. "Liam", clearly states to the reader who the male on the front cover is, and is followed by more information on what the article will include. The cover line uses a rhetorical question, 'What now, Our Kid?', which interacts with the reader, and entices the reader to pay more attention to the magazine. The type of the front cover differs, from colour, sizing, and font type. Different sections of font have different sizes of kerning and spacing, again this makes the front cover appear messy and disjointed. However the font colours follow a certain colour scheme, red, black, white and blue. Fonts are high lighted in black, red and white, making fonts easier to read, by creating a contrast.
 The clear colour scheme, makes the front cover seem clear and polished. The colours contrast well together and connote the indie/rock genre that the magazine portrays. The colour scheme follows the purpose of the magazine and is relevant. The colour scheme is also relevant to the logo of the magazine.
The logo/ masthead, is placed at the top left hand corner of the magazine. This is successful at following conventions of a magazine as the location of the logo, relates to the 'Z' rule. The audience reads a magazine in a 'Z' like order. The NME logo, is the same style in every issue, however it may differ in colour depending on the colour scheme of the magazine, but the colour of the logo/masthead usually is red and white. The logo is easy to read and is recognisable to the audience. The magazine must have a similar masthead/logo, so their magazine is recognisable to fans. The logo of this magazine follows the conventions of a magazine as it is structured to the 'Z' rule, ensuring that it will sell efficiently.
At the bottom of the front cover, is the barcode and information that may not be as appealing to the reader. Next to the barcode is usually the date and price of the magazine. This is usually the last thing that the audience will read. The magazine follows the conventions by placing the barcode and other technical information away from the centre and top of the magazine.
However the overall presentation of the magazine, is fairly poor, as it does not entice the reader, as it comes across as dull and disorganised. The front cover's sell/cover lines are fairly boring. The magazine also lacks puffs, and other images featured in the magazine. The front cover' absence of advertisement and promotion of features, makes the magazine seem boring and lifeless. The purpose of a magazine is to persuade the reader that the issue is unique and significant. However this front cover fails to do so, as the front cover lacks puffs and tag lines to feature competitions or certain articles of the magazine.

Contents Page

The contents page is significant, as it shows all articles that are featured in the weekly issue. The contents page is structured into 3 colunms, with different headings such as regulars, features and a band list. The band list is achored with page numbers so the reader is able to navigate through out the magazine. The band index makes the reader able to identify the bands that they are interested in. The contents page is easy to read, as it is structured and layout efficiently. The font of the magazine is highlighted in different colours. The contrast between the font and coloured text box, makes the text stand out and attracts the attention of the reader.
The colour scheme of the contents page, follows the same colour scheme as the front cover. This follows the conventions of a magazine as the magazine presents a fluent colour scheme, which makes the magazine appear professional and real. The colours contrast well together, which makes the page aetestically pleasing to the reader. The page includes the nme logo, which ensures that the reader can identify the type of magazine they are reading. The logo supports the masthead to represent the contents page to the reader. The masthead is clear and easy to read, as it states 'Inside', which implies that the contents page is a summary of what will be featured in the issue. The date of the contentas page is disrubuted below the masthead, as it shows when the issue was published. The contents follows the Z theory which is used on the front cover, the reader will always focus on the top lefthand corner of a magazine when studying a magazine. The contents page follows the Z theory in order for a structured layout and for the page to be easy to read.
However the contents page tests the conventions of a contents page as it lacks a main image. There is only one image which is fairly small and does not capture the audience's attention. The contents page should have some relation with the front cover, howver this contents page doesnot include a picture or any relation with the front image or headline. The contents page also lacks any social media interation links, and appears dull. The colour scheme includes two colours, red and black which makes the page seem outdated and unattractive. The text is small and can not be read from afar. As the contents page lacks images, it repels the reader's attention as the page appears boring and difficult to read, as a contents page should be 50% images the contents page doesnot follow this convention.

 

Double Page Spread

The double page spreads of the magazineis significant, as it is a main artwork of the magazine, and is usually a large artical, that is featured on the contents page. The article follows the significant conventions and regulations of a double page, as it still focuses on a type of music genre, indie/alternative. The page focuses on the band Superfood, the band are current in the indie/alternative music scene. The main image dominates the page, as it is the largest image of the double page spread, and the reader is able to tell what the article features. The double page also features other images, which are smaller and less significant to the main image. The smaller images are featured to make the double page appear aestically pleasing to the reader.
The colour scheme relates to the main image as the main image shows bright and eye catching colours. Therefore the background of the double page spread includes colours from the main image showing a fluent colour scheme, which makes the double page seem proferssional. The green, blue, and pink colour scheme create a calm atmosphere which appeals to the reader. The colours work well together. The pink head line, creates a contrast. The headline is the most important text of the double page spread as it demands the attention of the reader. The headline reads, "We are making it happen", the use of "it", is vague, which should make the reader interested in the article to find out what, "it", is.
The double page posesses a good layout, it provides the main body text in columns and has gutters to show clear division between the columns. This enables the reader to easily study and read the article.
A drop capital is used to grasp the attention of the reader, to the main body text. Pull quotes are also used surrounding the mainbody text to draw the attention of the reader, whilst also breaking up the main body text, so it is easier to read. The image that sits in the middle of the gutter promotes events and adverts to do with the article. the article includes smaller images, to create an artistic element to the double page spread as it has to appeal to the reader.

Double Page Spread

The double page spread presents the main feature article of the magazine. The double page purpose is to sell a primary feature of the magazine. The double page spread works together with the front cover as a peice of art and to sell the magazine. In music magazines the double page usually promotes a certain artists or band.

Main Image
The image used is usually direct address, to entices the reader to buy the magazine, as the artist in the magazine is making eye contact with the reader. The main image dominates half of the page on most double page spread, as the page is seen an artwork to sell the magazine. The main image relates to the front image of the magazine. They both will present the same theme and artist, however the pictures should be taken in a different way, whether it be the camera angle or the artist posing differently. Other smaller images usually anchor around the text, to add colour and variation to the page.
Sometimes the image bleeds over the whole page, although this is not in every music magazine, it is relatively common. The picture on the double page spread always relates to the article and the artist and are ascetically pleasing.
The double page spread includes by-lines, which are put under the images to give credit to the photographer and writer.

Headline
The headline grabs the attention of the reader, and entices the reader to study the article. The headline is usually the largest text on the double page spread, the headline states a quote, or slogan that appeals to the reader. The head line is usually catchy and summarises the main story of the article. The head line usually posesses different font types and colours to attract the reader. As the double page spread is seen more as artwork for the magazine, different font sizes and styles are encouraged, as they will make the page seem more ascetically pleasing. The head line is usually placed in the middle or at the top of the page, as this is where the audience's attention will be drawn. The headline will relate to the masthead and some magazines quote a certain artist and use a relevant quote from an interveiw to display as the headline. The headline that is used for the double page spread are always short, this is so it makes the reader intrigued.

Colour Scheme
The colour scheme of the double page spread reflects a certain genre of the article and the whole magazine. The colour scheme of the double page spread attracts the reader to the article. Designers will use colours that contrast well together so that the reader is able to study the magazine with ease. Fonts on the double page spread are usually set in different colours according to the colour scheme, oull quotes are usually set in different colours so that the stand out from the other context text. The colour scheme should relate to the article, and the story. The colour scheme on the double page spread should follow a similiar colour scheme to the main image and contents page, as the magazine should have some fluency, inorder for the magazine to appear professional and official. The magazine will sell efficiently and effectivley.

Pull Quotes
A pull quote brings visual power to the page, it is a display element used to attract the audience, and to break up long sections of text. Pull quotes attract the reader, the quotes that are emphasised are usually the most shocking, exciting, and interesting parts of the article. This effectivley sells the article and the magazine, as it entices the reader to read more of the artcle and study it in more detail.
Pull quotes are used since audience do not read but scan the magazine, pull quotes provide the reader with some focus and fixes their attention to the most important part of the magazine.
Pull quote are set in different font styles and colours, so that they are visible and appeal to the reader. The pull quotes make the double page seem more interesting and adds layout and differentiation to the article. As a visual element, they have to be instantly recognisable and different from the rest of the text on the page. The size, colour and texture of the pull quotes has to be different front the surrounding text.
There is no rule how long or bid pull quotes have to be. It all depends on the other elements on the page. When creating pull quotes they should at least have several words.

Typograhy
The double page spread uses various different font types to appeal to the reader. The header usually constists of different font types and colours as it is the largest text in the article, and as to stand out and grasp the attention of the reader. If a double page spread were to use one font type and a consistent colour through out, it will not be as effective and may not appeal to th reader, causing the article not to sell efficiently.
The text is usually layed out and sorted in a random way, text parins may adjust the page image, and anchor images. This makes the magazine appear proffessional and artistic which may appeal to the reader. Text used for the context of the magazine, usually set in 11 pt, and easy to read for the reader, the font is set in serif, as it is simple and easier for the audience to read.

Stand first
A stand first is the introduction to the article it's self, it is found on the double page spread as it is the introduction before the main body text. It normally states what the article includes, usually talking about the artist/band, or relates to the main body text before the audience read it.

Main body text
The main body text contains the information of the article. The text is usually distrubtuted to one half of the double page spread and set out in columns, so the page appears more structured and organised. Columns are mainly set out into 3 or 4, depending on the contents of the double page spread. The columns are there to separate the main body text so it is not clumped together, it also gives a paragraph or sentence space from the previous. The main body text sometimes flows into columns or justified as paragraphs and pictures are floated from the main body and anchored by text. The main body will relate to the main image and header, and include information that will appear to the reader. Some articles in music magazines include interviews of the artist featured on the double page spread and front page. The main body vocabulary is informal and relates to the reader. Main body text must avoid being boring and tedious, as the reader may lose interest and not finish the article. The body text is usually typeset in serif font, as these are perceived as more readable for text in dense blocks, whilst sans serif is used for the adjacent headings. The article is written in informal mode of address therefore it relaxes the reader.

Drop Capital 
A drop capital is important for introducing the start of the article for the double page. The very first paragraph uses a massive Drop capital, as the introducing letter. They can vary in size, but normally drop down to 8/9 lines.

Caption
The caption includes information that backs up smaller images on the page. Captions also accompanies the main image on the page to explain to the audience what they are looking at. The captions usually very simple, and tells the reader where the photo was taken, and more information on the certain area and what is happening. Captions with too much information tend to drag the audience away from the main body text, which is meant to be the real focus.

Gutter
The gutter is the space between columns. It usually separates columns using a thin vertical line, to clearly show the divide between the columns.

The Importance of A Contents Page / The Main Conventions

The contents page of a magazine's purpose is to inform the reader on what articles are featured in the magazine, the contents page navigates the reader throughout the magazine, as it lists all of the article titles, with labelled page numbers. The contents page conventions purpose are the same, however some of the conventions differ and some new conventions are added. Thye main focus of a contents

Layout.
The layout of the contents page is set out up to 3 or 4 columns, in order for the audience to read the contents page, the columns should be set out in a clear and an organised layout and structure. If the structure and layout of the magazine is sloppy and messy, it can cause difficulties for the audience to read the magazine. The contents page is a very important page in the magazine and must be clear enough to understand, for the reader.

Main Image / Other Images.
On the contents page there is usually one main image, relating the feature article. The main image is usually the biggest image on the page, and relates to the main image featured on the front cover. The main image is used to frame the contents page, and the text is anchored around the main image, to connote the main image's importance.

The other images are usually smaller than the main image, and again are anchored in and around the text. The images are usually located close to the appropriate text which desribes them, this gives more visual information to the reader before the reader actually reads the article. Images are placed on the contents to add colour and more information. It also makes the page more interesting to read, and more aesthetically pleasing. However designers do not overcrowd the page with images as, the purpose for the contents page is to navigate the reader through out the magazine. The images are used to tease the reader, so the reader wants to read further. These images usually have anchorage text or page numbers on them to show where abouts in the issue they relate to.

Masthead.
The mast head usually states 'CONTENTS', to address to the reader what the page is about. The masthead is the biggest font type on the page, as it the most important title, as the readers are able to understand the purpose of the page. The bold masthead draws the readers attention to the page, therefor causing the reader to study the page in depth. The masthead font type should be large and contrast to the background / background image. The font type should be similiar if not the same as the masthead, to convey the relationship between the two pages and adds fluency through out the magazine, which makes the magazine appear official and sophisticated. The masthead consists of one word, 'CONTENTS', as this is easier for the audience to understand and read. One-worded mastheads are more effective at drawing the audience's attention.

Sublines/Subheadings
Sublines are used to give more specific detail about what the articles are about, these sublines are usually in small font, usually 11pt. They usually categorise the contents page, into sections. The contents page is categorised, into differnt sections to portray is more organised layout, so it is easier for the reader to navigate around the page, and for the reader to find specific articles efficiently. There are usually more than two catergories on the contents pages, such as 'feautures', 'interveiws', and the 'cover story'. This makes it easier for the reader to read the contents page, as it gives the page a sense of order, structure and layout.

Colour Scheme.
The colour scheme is a crucial convention of the magazine as it appeals to the audience. The contents page should be clear to read as it is important page as it navigates the audience through out the magazine. The contents page usually follows the same colour scheme as the front cover, to present fluency, inorder for the magazine to appear official and sophisticated. The more fluent the colour scheme, the more appealing the magazine will appear.

Logo.
The logo is placed next to the masthead. The logo is important as it advertises the brand effectivley and efficiently as the audience will recognise the logo due to its unique design and colour scheme. The logo emphasizes the magazine brand and purpose of the magazine. It is placed next to the masthead as they both present the magazine and its purpose, the masthead is also one of the first things the reader comes across.

Typography.
The typography is important regarding a magazine contents page, as the contents page focus is to inform the reader on the articles of the magazine. The text has to be easy to read, for the audience. In order for the text to be clear and visible, the designer of the magazine has to follow the rules of typography which include kerning, leading and appropriate font type.

The features that are listed on a contents page, categorise the articles so the reader can find certain stories with out delay. The feature headings are set in different font types from the rest of the text. The font size will also be slightly larger than the normal text, to again show the importance of the features, the use of different font colours for the features, draws the readers attention and adds colour to the contents page, making the page more enganging to the audience. The different font and font colours make a contents page thought-provoking and enjoyable for the reader to study. When designing my magazine I will be sure to use an appropriate amount of different fonts and font covers to make my magazine action-packed, and captivating.

The largest font on the contents page is usually the masthead, as it is the most important title of the page. Sans serif is usually the font type used when creating the masthead and larger titles. The font size is very important on contents pages as, the larger the font type the more important it appears to the reader. Larger titles are usually set in bold to exagerate their importance, and to attract the readers attention.

Advertising
Advertising is used and applied to the contents page, as the reader may want to buy the next issue of the magazine, after reading it once. The advert usually promotes the next issue, and gives the audience a preveiw of the front cover of the next issue. The advert may include deals on subscription fees and payments. This is to atrract the reader, so that the company's audience expands and the magazine becomes more popular and successful. The advertising also includes the companies social media sites and contact information, this enables the audience to contact the company for any enquiries that they may have. To attract the reader the colours of the advert must contrast against each other and stand out. However the advert should not take the focus from the rest of the magazine.

Typography

Typography.
Typography is the art of text, and arranging type in order for language to be visible and clear. Typography is a crucial part of the conventions of a magazine. Eye catching font is the one of the first things the audience will notice. The arrangement type involves, font type, font size, line length, leading and kerning. The arrangement of text is extremely important when creating any magazine, as using the correct arrangement can potentially make the magazine appear more official and professional. The font has to be easy to read, most magazines use serif fonts as they are easy to read and eye-catching.

After analysing the conventions of a magazine, i have realised how important the font/typography is, if the typography is poor it can impact the magazine negatively, which leads to the magazine not selling effectively. When creating my music magazine, I shall pay attention to how I structure my typography, including kerning, leading and lining. When researching magazine covers i have come across the difference between Sans and Sans serif, and that most magazines use Sans Serif for big titles and magazines.

When creating my magazine I will be sure to use sans serif font for large titles,as it is clear and easy to read. I will also pay close attention to kerning and alignment. As these too, are very crucial when apply text to my magazine. Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters, so that the font is in proportion, to achieve a visually appealing structure. Improper kerning can also cause great difficulty when reading articles.

When creating my music magazine i will pay close attention to the typography and be sure to achieve proper kerning, leading and font type.

Colour Connotations

The colour wheel was invented in 1666 by Sir Isaac Newton. The colour wheel is a visual diagram showing contrasting colours and a graduation from light to dark tones. It is based on primary colours such as red, yellow and blue. The colour wheel is an easy display of which colours work well with one another and which colours contrast. The colour wheel is based on 3 catergories of colour based on the colour wheel. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colours.

Primary Colours: Red, yellow and blue
Primary colors are the 3 pigment colours that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. Many other colours have the basis of these hues, the 3 colours are the base and start of different tones of the colour wheel.

Secondary Colours: Green, orange and purple
These are the colours formed by mixing the primary colors.

Tertiary Colours: When primary and secoundary colours are mixed, tertiary colours are formed. The colour then usually posseses a two worded name such as, red-orange or blue-green and yellow orange.

Colour Harmony

Colour harmony is pleasing to the eye, as it engages the reader and creates an inner sense of order and a balance in visual experience. When a colour scheme is not harmonious this can cause its either boring or chaotic. If the colour harmony is too bland then it becomes boring and unpleasing for the reader, therefor the reader is not engaged with the text or image. The human brain rejects anything under-stimulating information. If a colour scheme is too random and chaotic the reader will find it difficult to study, and does not engage with the colour. A chaotic colour scheme causes the reader to not look at it. The human brain disconnects from something that it does not understand. CDolour harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order. Extreme unity leads to under-stimulation, extreme complexity leads to over-stimulation.

Anologue colours are any three colurs which are together side by side on a colour wheel such as red- orange, and orange yellow. Isuallyy one of the three colours os more dominant, and has the most pigmnet. A colour analogue shows which colour schemes are appropriate to use when creating an image.

In order for a magazine to appear official and sophisticated, it has to require an appropriate colour scheme. Colour schemes are crucial when dealing with front covers. The colour is the first aspect of the magazine that the audience attention will draw upon. The colour scheme includes the main image and font colour and the overall appearance of a magazine page. When designing a magazine, designers have to come to terms with which colours contrasting well with each other, and what colour schemes will demand the attention of the audience's eye. A colour wheel is useful for a designer as it shows a range of colours for the designer to use. Different colours connote a certain atmosphere.

RED - The colour red connotes a sense of danger and authority. It is also associated with energy and love. Red is a very intense colour and demands the attention of the audience's eye. Many magazine mastheads, font colour is red as it is eye catching and interesing, such as 'NME' magazine. Red is also a key colour for when designing logos, as it is brings texts and images to the foreground. Red is also perfect for stimulating the audience to making quick desicions - this makes red perfect for advertising, and many advertising fonts such as, 'BUY NOW'. Brighter reds and pinks connote a more possitive atmosphere than darker more brown tones.
ORANGE - The colour orange connotes a happy atmosphere, and is usually used in cgildrens magazines, as the colour is associated with happiness, enthusiasm and creativity. The colour stimulates metal activity. Orange is of high visibilty, it is normally used to catch attention ad highlight the most importan aspects of your design.
YELLOW - The colour yellow is a bright colour and is assosiated with joy, and happiness. The colour yellow is used to evoke pleasant and cheerful things. The colour yellow when discussing magazine, stands out against black backgrounds and is usually used to contrast a colour scheme, as it is not a strong, pigment or colour to stand on its own. A magazine which uses the colour yellow is 'Kerrang', the magazine uses the colour to contrast against the darker colours. This demands the attention of the reader, and is highly effective.
GREEN - Green is usually used when advertising medical products. Green is directly related to nature, therefore it is used to advertise 'green' products. Green is a calm colour and is the most restful colour for the human eye.
BLUE - The colour blue symbolises trust, loyalty and wisdom. Blue sets a calm tranquil amosphere. Blue is used to adverise cleanliness, by advertising cleaning products such as alcahol. However blue can also symbolise a very masculine colour, and is used to target males.

Black - The colour black connotes a sense of danger, wisdom, evil and mystery. Black is a very evocative colour however black is used frequently in text as it contrasts against a vast amount of colours on the colour wheel. It is simple and easy to read. Black gives a feeling of perspective and death.

White - The colour white connotes a sense of purity, and simplicity. White is very easy to read against dark colours. It is also a very sophisticated colour to use when advetising products as it is simple and tasteful. 

The Importance of a Front Cover / The Main Conventions

The front cover of any magazine is the most crucial part to selling a magazine brand. The front cover of a music magazine has to appeal to their audience and follow the type of genre of the previous issues. The front covers usually present an artist from the music industry, different types of genres will show an artist that relates to the genre of the magazine, for example a hip-hop magazine will show an image of a hip-hop artist as the main image of the front cover.
Each new issue of a music magazine has to be different, from the previous, however still recognisable to their audience. The magazine logo will remain exactly the same, in position and size, however the colour scheme may alter due to the featured artist or theme. This occurs to make the magazine seem new and fresh to their audience. So what conventions make a magazine successful and appeal to a certain audience ?

The Main Image.

The main image is the most important image of the whole  magazine, as it attracts and draws the attention of the reader. The main image should be centred, so there is room for tag and sell lines. It is usually and image of an artist, usually from the waist and up. The main image should relate to the main article of the magazine. The image should usually fill up most of the the page and used as a background for the text. The image should follow a colour scheme, as this makes the front cover eye catching and attracts the audience to read the magazine. The quality of the main image should be high as it makes the magazine front cover appear professional and official. The artist will usually be looking into the camera, as it creates eye contact with the audience. The artist is usually very famous and will have a story dedicated to them in the magazine. The artist must be current with in the music scene as it will, offer as better story, which will attract the reader.

The Mast Head.

The mast head is usually located at the top of the magazine, because of the 'Z' rule. As the masthead/title is the main title of the magazine, it is the first thing the audience will read, this is important as the mast head suggests the genre of the magazine and what articles will shall be featured . The masthead needs to be presented in a way that makes it stand out from the other competitors on the shelves. The masthead needs to be unique, and familiar so it is recognisable to the regular audience. Mastheads differ from a range of font styles and colours, to portray the type of magazine they are selling, whether it be a fashion magazine, music magazine, or gossip magazine.
Music magazines differ in font styles as there are different types of genres of music magazine. Where as fashion magazines and gossip magazines have similar font styles, as they convey a certain genre. Fashion magazines use a sleek and sophisticated font style, such as Vogue and Company magazine.

The masthead is the largest font on the front cover to show that it is the main title of the magazine. The masthead must be easy to read and understand. A magazine should have a catchy masthead, in order for the audience to remember and recognise the magazine. Magazines usually have a one-word title/masthead, as it again, is easy to remember, and stands out as it attracts the audience. One-word mastheads are effective as the audience is more likely to remember a single title rather than a long detailed title.



The importance of a Logo.
All music magazines and other magazines types, possess a unique logo. Logos are important as they enable the audience to identify the magazine. Logos ensure that the audience can easily notice the magazine by the logo. The distribution of the logo on the front cover is important and should stay in the same location in new issues, as it makes the magazine more recognisable when in stores. The logo is an extremely important aspect of business branding. As it is the company's statement graphic representation. Essentially the logo is the first thing a reader notices, before reading any further text, this is why the logo should demand the attention of the audience. Logos are used to help the company have identity, as the primary functions of a logo are to inspire recognition of the brand. The logo has to be memorable and timeless, and favoured by the audience in order for the brand to sell effectively.


Typography.
Typography is the art of text, and arranging type in order for language to be visible and clear. Typography is a crucial part of the conventions of a magazine. Eye catching font is the one of the first things the audience will notice. The arrangement type involves, font type, font size, line length, leading and  kerning. The arrangement of text is extremely important when creating any magazine, as using the correct arrangement can potentially make the magazine appear more official and professional. The font has to be easy to read, most magazines use serif fonts as they are easy to read and eye-catching.

Sell/Tag Line.

The sell lines are usually placed above or below the mast head. They describe to the reader what the magazine features and some information on the issue. The purpose of a sell line is to promote the magazine by advertising the exclusive articles the magazine includes. he sell line uses exciting vocabulary, such as "Exclusive", and "Special Edition". The sell line usually addresses the reader by using second person narrative which addresses the reader. This is effective as it draws the audience's attention, and gives a personal sense of urgency, propelling the story—and the reader—forward.

Main Cover Line. 

The main cover line is smaller than the masthead, however bigger than the usual cover line. the main cover line promotes the main story of the magazine and usually relates to the main image's story. The font cover is the same as the cover lines, however the main cover line is the biggest type face, besides the Mast head, on the front cover. The main cover line is meant to be in bold in order to catch the attention of the reader's eye. 

After reading the mast head, the reader's attention will draw to the main cover line as it is the next biggest typeface, and is usually the same colour of the masthead. The main cover line should stand out clearly as it promotes the main story and image of the magazine. 

Cover Lines.

Cover lines are short statements found in the outer thirds on a cover magazine, of a magazine. The cover lines allude or describe the magazine, and promote the articles inside the magazine, to draw the

readers attention, and entice the reader to pick up and buying the magazine. 

Today, for most consumer magazines, cover lines are a crucial part of the conventions, and news-stand sales. Magazine companies often keep track of which cover lines sold more issues and then try to replicate they're success, by either repeating cover lines or adjusting them in order to gain the familiar success. As a designer there is often a constant battle between using the correct elements of a magazine in order to come out with a good design and having to use elements which appeal to news-stand buyers and public audiences. 

Colour Scheme. 

When designing a front cover, paying attention to the colour schemes extremely important.  If a front cover has a certain colour scheme, it can potentially make the magazine appear official and professional. The colour scheme helps add a certain type of atmosphere and genre the magazine is trying to portray, when considering music magazines, a certain colour scheme is used to portray the type of musical genre, and targets a certain type of audience. Colour schemes, determine a certain type target audience, with in all magazines. The audience is categorised into niche audiences that find different genres, and in which case, colour schemes appealing. This is why colour schemes are  important and used carefully, as the type of company want to attract a certain type of audience. 

Colour schemes also fit with a certain theme the magazine is trying to convey. Fonts are a certain colour, as they may fit with the colour of the main image. Colour schemes are also used to create a contrast on the page, the contrast of colours will demand the attention of the reader, as it stands out amongst the other magazines. 

Strips.

The strip is located along the bottoms and the top of the magazine, containing a list of items which feature in the magazine. This conveys that the magazine is full of interesting stories sand the audience is getting the value for their money.

Bar code.

The bar code is usually placed at the bottom of the magazine, as this is the last place where the reader will look. Bar codes do not contribute to the purpose or theme of the design of the magazine, bar codes are just a way of transferring data.  Bar codes provide a a way of tracking and storing information about goods, from individual items to large stocks. They serve an important role and provide advantages compared with manually entering information. When designing my magazine i will place the barcode at the bottom of the magazine, as this follows the 'Z' method, norder for my mgazine to be successful.

The conventions of a front cover should be followed, in order for the magazine to sell effectively. The conventions, structure a magazine and make the front cover appealing and clear to the audience. If a magazine does not follow the conventions or follows the conventions poorly, it can effect they way the audience observes the front cover.

What is a Music Magazine ?

A Music Magazine, is a magazine dedicated to music, and its culture. Different music magazines include interveiws from famous artists, news, photoshoots and concert reveiws. Every music magazine possesses a type of genre, such as indie, rock, mental, pop or hip-hop. The genre will determine the style of the magazine, and the type of audience it will attract.

A music magazine has a niche audience, a select group of audience that would be interested in a certain type of genre. Different people have select tastes in music, this is why music magazines are targeted to a niche audience. For different types of genres attract different groups of people and their ages and personal style and taste.

Genres Compared

Here are two examples of music magazines. I chose to compare the two magazines, as they do not share the same genre, and there are clear differences to why. The first magazine is, NME, a magazine which promotes indie/rock music and artists. The main image shows an indie/rock band, Kasabian, this suggests that themagazine focuses on indie/rock related music cultre. The magazine will attract people who are interested in Kasabian and similiar bands and music. The second magazine shown is slightly different to the first NME magazine, we can tell that they present different genres because of the main images show different artists from different cultures of music, the magazine shows an image of Kanye West a male rapper. This suggests that the magaizne is dedicated to hip-hop music culture, and is aimed at those who are interested in Kanye West and similar artists from the hip-hop/rap music culture. By looking at the two magazines compared, there is a clear difference in the type of audience the magazines are aiming to.



















There are other magaizne genres also, not just indie and hip-hop magazine as shown previously. On the market are a vast range of music magazines offering different things to their target audience. Here are two other genres that i have researched;

POP magazines:

Pop magazines are usually the most popular of all genres as they include mainstream artists and musicians. However pop magazines focus mainly on gossip around mainstream artists lives, this means that the target audience will be aimed at those who have an interest in popular music artists lives and want to keep up with current celebrity gossip.
Pop magazines usually use brightcolours such as pinks, blues, and yellows. This is so the mgaizne connotes a light hearted atmosphere, that will appeal to a vast range of audiences, as it is a mainstream magazine, focusing on the top artists in the present day. The pop magazines will have a simple and catchy heading so it is recognisable, for the audience.


Rock Magazines:

Rock magazines, usually use a dark colour scheme to connote a serious atmosphere, as it is a dark and serious magazine.
The magazines would include alot of information, and appear busy. The target audience would be niche, there would be lots of information as the audience are dedicated to the certain type of music culture. The texts would be layed out in a messy structure to add to the edge of the rock magazine. Rock magazines tend to be busy and include lots of information and images on one page or one double page spread.

Publishing Houses

A publishing house is another name for a company that publishes artists and written work, into pieces such as a magazine. Most books and songs are published through publish houses. They are companies that specifically make the work of an artist official and available for the general public to view, and/or purchase.
There are many different publishing companies, including;

IPC Media

IPC Media own a vast variety of magazines, including the famous indie/rock magazine NME. It is a well known publishing house and is used to publish work on many different platforms. IPC is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the UK, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.

Bauer Media 

Bauer Magazine is famous for publishing well known magazines such as Kerrang, Q and MOJO. Bauer Media Uk reaches over 22 million UK consumers every week through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heart,Kiss, Grazia, Empire, Magic and Absolute Radio. 

Introduction to my Music Magazine.

I am creating this blog, in order to record the progress of my music magazine. From creating my school magazine I used programmes such as Photo-shop and InDesign. I feel that I will be more confident when creating my music magazine, as i can use the programmes effectively, and I am more familiar with the different tools with in the programmes. I can use these tools in order for my magazine to appear realistic and official. This blog will also show how I have progressed my Photoshop skills, from my school magazine. Hopefully I shall see a difference in quality between the two final outcomes. To view my school magazine click here.

To gain more knowledge on music magazines, over the next few weeks I am going to be researching the different genres of music magazines. I am going to be reading the magazines, to gain knowledge of the conventions used. After completing my research I will have a rough idea on what i would like my genre to be, and what conventions I will need to include in order for my magazine to appear official and realistic.