Claire Olney - AS Media Studies 'Preliminary Planning and Research' - 1186

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in
Media
Planning & Research
Name: Claire Olney
Candidate Number: 1186
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic
School
Center Number: 64135
Set Brief - Print
Music Magazine – Production
Preliminary Task Progression and
Planning & Research

2. Section 1) –
Preliminary Task

3. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Front Cover
Step-by-step
Here is the
template
that I have
used with a
blue faded
gradient
and a blue
and yellow
border
which is
brand
identity.
I then
inserted
the St
Andrew’s
logo
overlappin
g the
border,
which is
also a form
of brand
identity.

4. Here, I have created the
masthead in my desired font
which fits across the page in
the way I want it to.
After doing this, I inserted my
barcode at the bottom right
corner of the front cover.

5. Underneath the barcode I then
placed in the magazine website link
using the text tool and made it in
my desired font and size.
I then placed in the social media
logos to represent the networks
that the school magazine is
active on.

6. This screenshot shows that I have
created my strapline under my
masthead, and I have inserted a smaller
St Andrew’s logo along with the date and
price of the magazine. I also placed a
smaller version of the masthead down
the side of the barcode.
After this. I put a white box around
the barcode and the content around
it, to separate it from the image etc.
I also inserted my main image after
cropping out the background etc.
and I have made it the right size.

7. After the main image had been
inserted. I placed my main
headline over the top of it in my
desired font. The colours used for
it are another form of brand
identity for the magazine.
I then created my layers for the
puff promotion and put them all
together in the circle. The yellow
stands out and can also be
associated with St Andrew’s.

8. I then made my first smaller
cover line which reflects the
brand identity through the
colours.
I made my second cover line
which fits in line with the first
cover line, using the same
colours again so it is consistent.

9. The third cover line was then
inserted in line with the others
in the same colours. I lined them
all up using the gridlines.
My fourth and final cover line was
inserted onto the other side of the main
image, again in the desired colour. I
placed it here because it fills up the blank
space on the right side of the page.

10. After I had inserted all my cover
lines, I decided to place in some
images that related to some of
the cover lines. This makes the
page look more interesting and it
gives more of an insight to the
reader about what the
article/interview is about and it
may make them more familiar of
what the article is based on,
especially the logo for ‘Safe Drive
Stay Alive’.
Final Design

11. Preliminary Task Progression– Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step
This is the layout
of the page that I
started with for
my contents
page, with the
same border
along the top and
a yellow faded
gradient. I also
inserted some
faint lines to
separate the page
up, which I
replicated from
my magazine of
inspiration (Q).
I then
inserted my
masthead,
strapline and
title
‘CONTENTS’
for my
contents
page, the
layout was
again,
inspired by
Q.

12. Here, I have then inserted the page
number, website link and date along
the bottom. I have also inserted a
smaller version of the magazine logo
and masthead for brand identity.
I then made a blue circle with the
shape tool and inserted the issue
number which was inspired by my
magazine of inspiration (Q).

13. I then made a box and called it
features which is a header for all of
the featured stories in the magazine. I
also created boxes for each of the
page numbers with them inside it.
After this, I placed in the featured
story titles which appear on the front
cover of the magazine. They have
been written in the same style as Q
magazine.

14. Then, I wrote out the sublines and
placed them underneath the titles in a
smaller, lighter font so the titles stand
out more. I also added an ‘A’ for ASPIRE
which is a form of brand identity.
After this, I inserted my editorial
and put it in place using the pen
tool. I also placed my editorial image
of myself in as well as the drop
capital.

15. In my editorial, I inserted my
handwritten signature above my
name, like a typical editorial, and I
placed in a link to contact the editor
as well as social media logos for
contact.
Then, I inserted my images for the
contents page where I wanted
them and in the right size. I made
sure they were all lined up using
the gridlines from the ruler tool.

16. Here, I have placed in boxes for the
page numbers to go in, which link
with the featured stories. They are a
form of brand identity because they
are the St Andrew’s blue.
Inside the boxes, I inserted the page
numbers in the boxes to link the
images to the featured stories.

17. Finally, I have screenshotted my front
cover and placed it on the contents
page to represent which issue it is. I
have added a shadow behind it to
help it stand out more. I will need to
update the screenshot if I make any
alterations to my front cover.
Final Design

18. Section 2) – Log Book

19. Music Magazine – Genre Research
• Music magazines are usually dedicated to a particular genre of music. For
example, Kerrang is a rock music magazine. They also celebrate other cultures
of music along with genres.
• Typically, they contain things such as news of new music, interviews with
different artists and bands, photos, reviews of different songs/albums or
concerts.
• In the UK, music magazines used to be very popular to buy, but since the
internet has grown so much, less people buy them in the present day because
people can read up on music news etc. on the internet for free.
• The most popular British music magazines are New Musical Express (NME), Q,
and Kerrang.
• The longest running music magazine of the UK is BMG (Banjo, Mandolin, and
Guitar) which was founded in 1993. The magazine itself is mainly focused on
musical instruments of all kinds and promoting them as opposed to music in
general.
http://www.bmgmagazine.net/
http://www.qthemusic.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu
sic_magazine
Sourced from:

20. Established Magazine for my Research
Masthead
Main Headline
Cover lines
Barcode/Price
/Date/Issue
Main
Image
Convergence
Puff
Promotion
Cover lines
Promotion

21. Magazine Conventions
• Masthead – The masthead is bold and quite large so it stands out quite clearly against the
background and the rest of the magazine conventions. It is also a different colour to the rest of
the text on the front cover which creates an effective contrast.
• Barcode – The barcode is displayed in the bottom left hand corner, making it more discrete;
therefore making the main image stand out even more. Also, the barcode has a website along
side it to allow readers easy access to the website.
• Main Image – The main image is the underlay for all of the cover lines etc. but it overlaps the
masthead and the cover line above it ‘The Stories of the Year’. The fact that the cover lines
overlap and surround the main image makes him stand out even more. Extra emphasis is
added to his face in particular because the cover line on his body written in red stands out and
it leaves a lighter space around for his face.
• Puff Promotion – The puff promotion in a red circle not only adds to the brand identity in
terms of colour scheme, but it ties in well with the masthead because it nearly matches the size
of it and it is white writing on a red background, therefore helping it to stand out more. The
fact that it has been created in the same format as the masthead highlights its importance on
the page.
• Main Headline – The main headline is a bit larger than the other cover lines on the page and it
has also been placed across the main image which puts further emphasis to it. The fact that his
name has been written in red illustrates its importance on the page and it is also another
example of brand identity.
• Cover Lines – The cover lines have been neatly organised around the page. They are written in
white which stands out over the underlapping layers. Also, the white is a form of brand identity
as the masthead is written in white. The names of the featured people in the magazine have
been written in a more bold, large size of text so they stand out more and draw people in to
buy the magazine.

22. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs
I think that the target age for Q magazine is aimed at people aged from about 16-35 because of the advertisements and artists/bands that are
featured inside. The target gender is mainly males because of the layout and the way that it is presented as it looks quite plain compared with a
magazine targeted more to females. According to Katz’ theory, Q magazine attracts an audience through diversion. This means that the readers are
able to immerse themselves within the content of the stories and interviews in the magazine, and Q magazine contains many interviews and stories
to allow the reader to do that with ease. Also, from Katz’ theory, Q magazine will inform and educate the reader within the magazine which will
attract the readers who are always wanting to gain knowledge of the things that they find interesting in the magazine. The audience of Q magazine
could be classed as ‘social climbers’ in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs because these kinds of people care about how they appear to other
people socially so by reading a magazine such as Q magazine, they can boost their social status as it is such a popular magazine. In terms of socio-
economic needs, the readers of Q magazine would probably mainly fall into the category ‘B’ which includes middle management, teachers, creative
and media people e.g. graphic designers etc. I think this because of the fact that Q is a music magazine, music is a creative topic so people who have
creative careers would probably find this kind of magazine very interesting to read. I also think that the students in the ‘E’ category would like this
magazine since it is aimed at younger people. However, I do think that people in the other categories in between (C1, C2, D) would also have an
interest in a casual music magazine like this that covers quite a wide range of genres. Potentially, some people in the ‘A’ category (higher
management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals) may find some interest in this magazine due to the fact that it is quite formal and it
covers such a variety of genres, but I don’t believe that people who fall into this category would be the main focus.
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is the
promotion section which says ‘Essential! 50 Albums of 2014 – Your definitive
must-hear list’. The reason I think this because of the language they have used to
grab the reader’s attention in the first place. By using ‘Essential!’ to describe the
50 albums of 2014 which are listed inside the magazine, it makes reader’s feel like
they need to buy it and read up on them to keep with the musical trends. Also, it is
written in a bold, red circle which is very eye-catching for people looking at the
magazine. I also think that where it says ‘Awards Special Edition’ underneath the
masthead is another USP for this particular copy because it entices people to buy it
since it is a one-of-a-kind edition of the magazine, so it is rare and there are no
others like it.

23. Publisher Research
• Bauer – “We think popular” slogan:
This slogan connotes to pop music. Therefore meaning that people
who like pop music will be drawn in to view the content displayed
on their website as well as other things they have to offer.
• Q Magazine:
Bauer Media are the publishers of Q Magazine. In 2012, readership
surveys estimated that it was read by 369,000 adults, which is
0.7% of the adult population.
• Retail Outlets:
Q Magazine is available in most shops that most other magazines
are sold in, e.g. Supermarkets.
Readership
http://www.slideshare.net/jamiekessel10/media-
publisher-research
http://www.bauer.co.uk/we-think-popular

25. Conventions of a Music Magazine
Masthead
Straplin
e
Promotion/
Competition
Main Image
Main
Headline
Cover Lines
Cover Lines
Barcode/Price
/Date/Issue
Convergenc
e

26. Magazine Conventions
• Masthead – The masthead has been placed in the top left corner which draws attention to it
whilst putting emphasis on the main image. It is in a bold, red font which is brand identity in
terms of the red and it also stands out to the reader.
• Barcode – The barcode is in the bottom right corner of the page in a white box which not only
fits in with the black and white colour scheme (with the red writing), it is sectioned away so it
doesn’t interfere with the main image.
• Main Image – The main image is in black and white which stands out with the red writing but
it is also a balance because it helps the red writing to stand out even more. Also, the cover lines
surround his face and shoulders which put more emphasis on him and make him seem lighter,
so his features stand out, thus making it more engaging for the reader.
• Puff Promotion – The puff promotion is in a yellow circle which is a colour that has not been
used on the page other than that so it stands out and it also adds importance to it because it is
the only thing of that colour on the front cover.
• Main Headline – The main headline has been neatly placed in the bottom left corner so it
doesn’t cover the image to much and it looks very professional. The red over the black in the
photo looks bold and it is a quote from Joe Strummer so it adds importance to it as it is in the
same colour as the masthead.
• Cover Lines – The cover lines have been placed tidily on the right side of the page and none of
them overlap the main image but they stand out over the lighter parts of the background in the
photo. The parts of importance in the cover lines have been written in a bold red font to put
emphasis on them as they are the same colour as the masthead and it is also a form of brand
identity.

27. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs
The target audience of NME magazine can be denoted as predominantly male because of the colours and layout of the
magazine in general, however there will be females who read it. It is difficult to judge the target age by the front cover of this
particular issue due to the fact that the main image is of an artist from a long time ago who is no longer alive, however, NME
magazine’s main target audience is mainly for people in their late teens to mid thirties roughly. From looking at Katz’ Uses &
Gratifications theory, I think that NME magazine attracts a target audience by informing and educating them with the
content inside the magazine in which the reader consumes. Therefore, people who like to learn things from the magazines
that they read will be the target audience for this particular magazine. The audience of NME magazine could be considered
as ‘social climbers’ according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs because they are conscious of their social status judging by
what magazine they read, and NME is a popular magazine so this would be a good magazine for them to read. In terms of
socio-economic needs, I think that NME would aim their magazine at a range of people in the socio-economic needs
categories. I think the main ones would be ‘B’ which includes middle management, teachers, creative and media people e.g.
graphic designers etc. I think this more because of the creative people are more so the type of people to read a magazine like
this, as it is quite a creative magazine. I also think it could focus on people in the ‘E’ category because this includes people
who are unemployed, students, pensioners and casual workers. I don’t think it would be suitable for pensioners but I
definitely think it would be very well-suited to students because it appears to be aimed more for younger people through
the content and layout. I do believe that NME magazine could be aimed for the categories between ‘B’ and ‘E’ (C1, C2, D) but
not really ‘A’ because that category includes higher management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals, so I
don’t really think they would be that interested in this type of magazine personally.
What is the USP of this magazine?
I think that the USP of this magazine is the fact that all of the important
information is written in a bold, red font on the black and white
background so it grabs the attention of the reader immediately. Also, the
competition is on a yellow sticker which also stands out as an important
piece of information.

28. Publisher Research
• IPC Media is the publisher of NME Magazine.
• NME is published under IPC’s ‘INSPIRE’ division.
• They tend to focus on a male audience because it is mainly males
who read NME Magazine as opposed to females.
• 74% of the readers are male and 26% are female. The median
age of readers is 23. The magazine’s readership is 325,000.
• NME Magazine is sold in most shops that magazines are sold in
such as Supermarkets, Newsagents etc.
• IPC Media’s slogan is ‘Thirst for music’. The connotations of this
are almost as if they need music for survival as hydration is a
necessity . An alternative meaning of this slogan is that they are
always open to new music so there is no particular genre that
they are focused on.