Practical Production Task: Music Magazine

Inroduction

Welcome to my media practical production section to my media portfolio blog.

Within this section you will be able to view the journey that I have taken to develop my overall product and text of a music magazine.
I begun my journey by researching into means that are related to the music industry and music magazine. Such as reviewing fanzines and music magazines. I also included an analysis of a NME music magazine that I have purchased.

I have then progressed through exploring my various ideas and reviewing them as I go, and through this process resulting with numerous decisions that will contribute to the end product.

I have then incorporated all of the factors that I have worked towards throughout the practical production to finally create my front cover and double page spread for my music magazine.

Final Double Page Spread

This is a print screen shot of the final product for my music magazines' double page spread. I have incorporated a wide range of medians within this piece of work. I have tried to involve an interesting contrast in colour and theme. On this page I have decided to follow the convention of using black and red throughout the double page. This give the article continuity and differs from the colours that I have followed in the front page and also in the contents page.
I have deliberately decided to use different colour schemes for all three pieces of work to demonstrate the wide range of styles that the magazine can have. I do believe, however, that there should be a continuation in colour and format throughout the magazine, and I have undertaken this through using my magazines' logo "ID" on the front page and on the contents page. Although I have not used the logo for the double page spread, but instead I have decided to extract the same colour of red from my logo and I have used that within my colour scheme.

The text that I have used varies throughout the double page.
Firstly I have used an American Typewriter style font for the sub headings and on the statement "On a mission to entertain!". I decided to use this font because it follows the connotations of the military theme that I have created within the 'Revolutions' appearance. I have applied a soft 'Arial' font to the main body of the article and text, because this is easier for the audience to read. I have then adopted a font for the quotations down the right hand side of the right hand page. This indicates to the reader, that they are all quotations by following one convention. I would then most likely follow the same convention on another double page spread in another magazine volume.
Where I have implicated the newspaper lettering styled font for the word "gossip". I believe that it introduces a unique design. This convention is most widely known for being used on death notes in order for the writer to remain their identity. Therefore bearing this in mind, it follows many of the codes of my magazine and also the codes of the 'Revolutions' too.

Focus Group/ Audience Feedback

I have asked my focus group a number of questions and gathered an opinionated response from them. This helps me to evaluate my product and to assess what issues could be changed in order to improve my magazine further.
Here are some repsonses from the focus group;

It was Suggested;

- That the double page spread was rather dark but suited the music genre, as apposed to bright and vibrant which would suit more of a pop music genre.

- The low angle shot is interesting as it gives an impression of dominance, power and influence.

- The use of buzz words such as 'gossip' and the design in which it is used, is unique, and appealing.
the 'gossip' is catchy
too many buzz word, but does attract audience
simple to get the message from more pictures than words

- The contents page is also rather dark in places but includes some vibrant colours which helps to upllift the piece.
- The layout of the contents is clear and simple, it has a definante order in which it should be read and understood.

- The front cover background image makes the band appear proffessional and important as they are not making eye contact with the reader therefore it appears that they do not have to engage the reader either which creates a certain heir about them.
- The front cover and magazine comes across as proffessional and suitable for its purpose. The style and construction of the magazine would certainly appeal to its target audience of the alternative rock/ pop sub genre.

Contents Page

This is another print screen preview of my contents page nearing its end in completion. All that is left to do is to insert a minimal amount of text.
Here it is clear that I have decided to follow a totally different colour theme than to the other pieces of work. I will explain this further in the description about my double page spread.

On my contents page, I have followed the codes and conventions that apply to construction and building. Within this category I have heavily focused on warning and hazard signs as this ties in with teenage behavior where it is often taken that the age range of my target audience enjoy being rebellious and not following rules.

I have introduced a number of other articles and stories that would feature in my magazine to demonstrate what other types of stories there would be in the 'ID' music magazine and also to represent the layout of the contents page. All of the sideline stories and other articles are relevant to the magazine and to the readers.

Music Magazine Front Cover Construction

From looking at the previous image youll be able to notice a difference in the background image. I first had the idea of manipulating the image to become black and white as I believe that this has a dramatic effect and enhances detail from the image. However I then decided that the black and white contrasting was too bland and over powering, therefore I decided to restore the colour of the image and then manipulated the colour contrasting and brightness to create this effect that appears black and white, but has a hint of colour. I believe that this method and design that I have chosen is extremely effective as it appears to create a sense of drama and tension. By reducing the colour, the reader's eye should not be distracted from the important part of the image which is the faces of the band members and by doing this, it creates a greater focus on them.

Music Magazine Front Cover Screen Shots of Construction Process

Photos of Band

Here I have included a small variety of photographs that I have captured to use for my music magazine.
I have incorporated themes and ideas that I have previously progressed and I have then applied them during my photo shoot.

I have included photographs that would not be appropriate to be used for the front cover of my magazine, as I believe that the reader/ audience must make a connection with the bands face through making eye contact. Therefore if I use a photograph with the subject's backs towards the reader, this would disturb the purpose and effectiveness of the magazine.
When a reader or fan purchases the magazine, they want to read about that band and make a connection with them.

Although I believe that the photographs bellow are effective and interesting and I may decide to use them inside the magazine on a double page spread. Or I could use them as sub pictures on my front cover. I will explore this point at a later date.

Costume

Here I have included a brief diagram of an ensemble of images that I have gathered from various sources on the internet. I have then placed them together to give a rough impression of the style in which I would aim to adopt for my band that will feature on my music magazine.
I have decided to contrast a military theme by incorporating the long over coat alongside with a casual appearance by using the jeans, t shit and trainers. I thought that the combination works successfully together and gives a unique style. This fashion style suits the themes of my band, as I have linked them with military conventions. As mentioned, I have involved a military background setting of old military buildings to support and anchor the bands relations to military further.
I believe that by involving this unique theme, the band would become easily recognizable and this would support their fame and attitude in the music industry. I believe that every band must be conveyed as having a unique sense about them to make them stand out above the rest and I have done this with the factors that I have discussed.

Sketches of ideas for Band Names

Ideas of Costume and Setting

As briefly mentioned previously, I have explored a number of ideas for costume that my band would be wearing within my photographs.

These include;

Idea 1)

- I thought that I could have a soloist or lead singer as the only individual on my front cover and dressing him as a clown with runny and faint make up. He would have no location in the background and perhaps use either a white or black backdrop.

I thought that the theme of a clown would be unique and could suit a rock genre.

Idea 2)

- From the previous idea I expanded it further and thought that i could drip paint from the individuals hair and clothes. By using bright, florescent paint, colours and clothes, this could be combined with the music genre of pop with a 80s fashion theme.

Idea 3)

- I thought that I could take one photograph of my individual with a clear backdrop and then take a separate photograph of a room. I would then rotate the photograph of the room and turn it upside down, I would then manipulate my individual by using photoshop and place him in a position in the room. This would then give the impression that either he or the room is upside down. I thought that this unusual and interesting.

Idea 4)

- I involved the theme of military clothing for my band members and incorporated the theme of military with local locations of abandoned military buildings. I thought that this could be an excellent opportunity for a location for my photographs. The two concepts would link together effectively.

I did consider my band having half their faces painted to give the effect of clowns. This along with the theme of military and war is unusual.

I then thought that I could manipulate my photographs to be black and white. I am considering one of my band members holding a balloon in the shot, and this could be the only object within the shot that has colour and could also contrast well.

Developing Ideas

I believe that important codes and conventions that help to convey a professional band and their artwork is to place some emphasis on creating interesting and effective costume and fashion to express their genre and personal style.

I will involve the costume within my photographs and use these for the front cover and centre page.

I explored a number of ideas that were interesting and unique as I feel that it is important to involve an element of creativity to draw the reader and audience into the magazine.

During times when I have had an idea, I have sketched them onto paper so that I didn't forget, I then expanded my ideas further until I was left with a number of potential options for me to choose from.

NME Double Page Spread Analysis, Music Magazine Research

I will be analyzing a double page spread from within the NME music magazine that I have bought.

I purchased the magazine to give me an insight as to the typical layout, codes and conventions that a magazine of this genre displays.

The NME music magazine targets a particular audience who would most likely prefer the music genres of alternative rock, alternative pop, indie rock and indie pop. There appears to be a variation in genres that are included within this magazine. I believe that NME aims to target a fairly broad spectrum of audience types. The average age range that the magazine would appeal to would fall between the 16 - 25 year groups.

The content on this double page spread mainly consists of an article based on the South Wales Music Festival.

From the representation given through the double page spread, I would say that the target age range would mainly consist of 2o year olds and this would be because of the average age that appears to be presented in the photographs that are used to promote the article.

The producer's intent of creating this article would be to inform the reader of the the latest news and report from "Cardiff's premier indie fest" where a pick of the best new bands would appear.

The article therefore informs the reader of the latest new bands that have recently appeared in the music industry.

The article is also written in a style that incorporates the vocabulary that would be field specific and appeal to the reader. The article adopts almost a diary style of writing and through this it creates a story like feeling.

The producer's intent would also be to inform and entertain to make the magazine and article appear interesting to the reader. The layout of the double page spread consists of the large percentage of photographs to appear on the left hand page. In contrast the main percentage of text is positioned on the right hand page along with two small photographs that are used to anchor the text and also to 'break up' the article to make it appear more visually interesting.

The text has been constructed in a way that follows similar themes and conventions of a formal newspaper article, using columns of text and in a small font. This could imply that the target audience are perhaps well educated or familiar with reading texts of this style. This supports my argument of the age range that this text may appeal to.

A typical code and convention of a double page spread is that the headline or title to the article is positioned across the double page, and this appears here in this double spread. The headline reads "How now is Swan?". Swan appears to be the name of a music festival that incorporates the genre of the magazine which is indie pop and alternative rock. The way in which the magazine, has used the headline, it connotes expectation from the reader that they should know what the festival is?

A sub heading underneath the title explains when the next concert is and where the venue is held, this is an important feature of the music magazine and shows the connection that the magazine makes with its readers.

The article uses pink rectangles that include text over the top to break up the article. The idea of using a pink background is interesting as, red and pink are one of the first colors that the human eye sees. Therefore by highlighting important and key parts to the text, this focuses the eye on those points. By using this technique, it also adds a color theme to the page which is an important feature of any media text.

A large proportion of the text has a highlighted background which is most likely used to deter the text from blending in with the background. This is relevant more so where the text has been used on a layer over the photograph background.

The photographs that have been positioned down the left hand side of the left hand page, are placed in a disposition. This adds a sense of interest and excitement to the text and makes the spread appear visually interesting.

It is also interesting that the photographs have been positioned it this way, as the reader's eye moves from the top left of the page across and down to the bottom right. This is why the large writing "Live!" has been positioned in the top left of the page and highlighted in pink as this would be one of the first elements to the page that the reader would see. The 'L' shape of the photographs down the left hand side, also follows the usually, expected movement of the reader's eye and that is also why they have been placed here.

The language used is field specific, meaning that the vocabulary that the producer/ writer has decided to incorporate is relevant to the average reader of this magazine. The language would include words that may not be found in other means of genre or media and therefore would only be understood in its current context.

Some may believe that media such as this that is relevant to music and genre, would be more effective if it was consumed on another platform. A platform is a form of media that the publishing companies use, such as the internet and the television. A text of this style would most likely receive greater consumption ratings if it was mainly created for the internet. It is evident that the number of audiences that purchase, consume, read and circulate magazines has decreased in numbers over time. By publishing this mode of media online, it would most probably become more popular and consumer ratings would begin to increase. This would give a new perspective over magazines.

Through my analysis I have explored numerous codes and conventions that apply to music magazines. This gives me a better insight and suggests factors that I can follow for my magazine.

Old Music Magazine

I have included an old music magazine to demonstrate the progression that the journey of magazines and fanzines has taken. From analyzing the fanzine previously, this provides a clear understanding of the difference between the two.
It also gives an interesting perspective as I am able to compare music magazines of current day to that of many years ago. By viewing original music magazines, it influences me and also increases my knowledge of how music magazines originally appeared. This demonstrates the development in consumer taste and requirement of time, which could also represent the change in the music industry and how it has progressed.

Music Fanzine

I have decided to research into an early form of a way that people displayed and shared their passion for music genres and bands. Fanzines were pieces of paper or booklets that fans had drawn artwork over, captions and stories that would support and promote their preferred music genre or bands. They were very creative and were reasonably cheap to produce. They were extremely cheaper than magazines!. You would most likely find individuals who had created the fanzines selling them and handing them out at music concerts.

Here I have researched and displayed an unusual and unique fanzine that someone who names himself as the "Back Door Man", has produced. It is clearly supporting the Rock 'n' Roll genre and is very creative.
The colouring is in black and white which is most likely because it is then cheaper to produce or the person did not have facilities to print the fanzine in colour. This adds another style to the fanzine and contrasts to the colourful and bright exteriors that music magazines have today.
On this fanzine, the publisher has described that this is Volume. 1 and fanzine number. 1 in March 1975. I would presume that this person anticipated in creating more in the future.

The photograph or image on the front cover is very simplistic and demonstrates that the quality of the illustrations were poor. However the center illustration was most likely drawn, as there was a lack in technology and would have been overwhelmingly expensive to produce photographs in a fanzine. Photographs would have only been found in music magazines.

From the evidence of the text on the front cover, there appears to be a large amount of information and stories within this fanzine and would have taken a tremendous amount of effort to source the information and write up the stories.

Through individuals contributing to creating memorabilia for music such as fanzines, allows them to become a part of that music genre and it's style. Music and genres allow people to create their own identity and establish who they are. This would be the case for most teenagers as concerts were and are usually attended by a younger audience. The concept of teenagers and young people establishing their identity is key to their everyday life.
By connecting with a specific genre, a persons fashion sense and style is often created by following the usual codes and conventions that, that music genre creates.

Practical Production Task: Music Magazine

Inroduction

Media Practical Production Introduction

Friday 14 May 2010

Portfolio Navigation

Blog Archive

Front Cover Work In Progress, Print Preview Shot 5

Final Double Page Spread

Final Double Page Spread

Final Contents Page

Front Page Evaluation

Double Page Spread Evaluation

Contents Page Evaluation

Music Magazine Feedback Interview

Focus Group/ Audience Feedback

Double Page Spread Work In Progress, Print Preview

Double Page Spread Work in Progress

Contents Page

Contents Page Work In Progress, Print Preview 1

Front Cover Work In Progress, Print Preview Shot 4

Front Cover Work In Progress, Print Preview Shot 3

Front Cover Work In Progress, Print Preview Shot 1

Music Magazine Front Cover Construction

Front Cover Work In Progress, Print Preview Shot 2

Music Magazine Front Cover Screen Shots of Construction Process

Flat Plan of Front Cover

Flat Plan of the Music Magazine Front Cover

Contents Page Flat Plan

Contents Page Flat Plan

Little Chris Photograph

Picture of Singer

Picture of Singer

My Photo Shoot

My Photo Shoot

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photo Shoot of Revolutions

Photos of Band

Ideas for my bands costume

Costume

Location of my photo shoot

Location of my photo shoot

Location of my photo shoot

Location of my photo shoot

One Overal Idea

Sketches of ideas for Costume and theme

Sketches of ideas for Band Names

Notes of ideas for my photograph and theme

Notes of ideas for my front cover photograph and theme.

Logo option for Music Magazine

Logo option for Music Magazine

Logo Option

Logo option for Music Magazine

Magazine Logo Sketched Ideas

Ideas of Costume and Setting

Developing Ideas

Rough Sketches of Ideas for my Magazine Front Cover

Sketches of Ideas for my double page spread

Question 6 Pie Chart Analysis

Music Research - Sixth Question

Question 5 Pie Chart Analysis

Music Research - Fith Question

Question 4 Pie Chart Analysis

Music Research - Fourth Question

Question 3 Pie Chart Analysis

Music Research - Third Question

Question 2 Pie Chart Analysis

Music Research - Second Questions

Question 1 Pie Chart Analysis

Music Research - First Question

Music Research

Music Genre Research