2. The main image used of the rapper Travis Scott shows him in a confident and poesy manor. This has been done
because it is showing and implying that Travis Scott is a main artist. The main image of the artist has also been
put forward this is possibly because he is more important and the editor wants all eyes on him. The main image
covers the masthead of the magazine (XXL) , this is because the majority of the customs are most likely repeat
customers. This is because they know what the magazine will typically look like and they no that snippet of the
masthead. This could also be because this is a world famous magazine and people are expected to know the
masthead. The main image of the artist also includes a close up of him. This has been done so that the audience
can easily see his conventional features. These features shown are those which are conventions of rappers. These
are his chain which is clearly showing , his stature which is quite laid back and also like he doesn't’t care. The final
conventional feature showing is the tattoo. These are often included on every rapper. The eye contact which is
created by the rapper also shows his power and shows that he is important. This is because he is looking down to
the reader. This shows power as it could be interpreted as himself looking down on his audience. This usually
means that someone thinks they are better than someone else. The main image also has been edited. This has
been done In a way so that the main image creates a contrast against the background. This is something I plan to
include as I feel that it really makes the magazine cover look more aesthetically pleasing.
The masthead included is very appealing. This is because of the bright red color they have used along with the
large capital font. The masthead blends in with the background and links the whole cover together. The font
has been used in capital letters as it stands out more. This is a key feature of a magazine as they want their
magazine to stand out. The big red box around the text.
The main colors included upon this magazine are pink and red. These are featured on the masthead and the
background. The pink background is an unconventional color of magazine covers. This is because they are
often either white or grey. This is also more so the case with it being a music magazine. The colors used stand
out on this magazine and will be easily seen from a distance by the audience. the white text on the cover
makes the headings visible and also readable. The colors on the background make the artist stand out. This is
because the artist is a darker color therefore this creates a contrast. The main colors on this magazine also
suggest the target audience. This is because pink is usually associated with children. Although this isn't a kids
magazine it suggests that it has an informal and younger target audience. This demographic being 14-19..
The fonts and the language used are quite appealing and again convey to their target audience. This Is because the language is quite informal. This has been
shown as for example it says 'race against machine’ this is quite informal as this is language you would associate with lower and middle class people. This sort
of language is also childish. This is because an adult would’t refer as someone as a machine usually. This implies that they have a younger target audience.
The font used looks like something you would see on a magazine however this specific font looks not too urban but something u would see on a music
magazine. The font included on the masthead ‘XXL’ is written in an appealing and an urban font. This could be because crosses such a an ‘x’ are often used in
graffiti. Graffiti has urban connotations which are those that are associated with rap and hip hop.
The black font has been used because it
links to the colors included on the main
image., the black font and the black
stroke create a color scheme and make
the magazine cover look more organized.
This then makes it look more
professional. This is a convention of
magazine covers as they often have
elements and features all lined up. They
also include the same colors and link
them together. This is because it looks
better to the audience.
3. The main image included on this magazine is of the rapper Kendrick Lamar.
The main image shows the artist to be posing in a way similar to a peacock.
This pose has been carried out to show the rapper as someone who likes to be
noticed and also looks like he puts a lot of time into his music. this is from his
concentration. The main image of the artist also shows the rappers chain
although this isn't the most noticeable feature it is still visible to the audience.
This is commonly. used in or on a magazine cover. This is because rappers
conventionally wear chains or some jewelry. This implies to the audience that
he is rich. The pose also could be implied as himself looking down on people.
This could be his audience or other rappers. This could be because he wants to
be known as the best. The tram lines which are in the artists hair suggest have
urban and street vibes. These also have connotations as hip hop, urban and
also gangster. A deeper meaning could be interpreted form this. This meaning
being that these connotations have links and are also normally associated with
people or a poorer class. This could imply that he came from a poor
background. The main image also links in with the color scheme of the
magazine. The color scheme being black and white. This is quite a simple and
basic color scheme however I personally think that it does look astatically
pleasing. the white background makes the main image stand out this is
because the rapper Kendrick Lamar is the main attraction on this double page
spread.
The layout used on this magazine double page spread is unconventional for
double page spreads especially those of the music genre. This is because they
normally include the main image on the left and then text on the right. This has
been done as the magazine possibly want you to read the text before looking at
the image. This could be because the text may reference the image. The
amount of text in this double page spread could imply that this for a more
advanced reader. This is someone that is keen to learn about what is going on
and also is a good reader. The text has been set out in columns. This has been
done because it separates the larger part of the text to the other part. This
implies that the larger section is possibly more important and will include more
information and detail. Columns are conventionally used within magazine
double page spreads. This shows that they want to make things simple for the
audience and not confuse them. The text is set out small as the editor of the
double page spread wants the audience to read it and gain something form this.
This is different to a picture book which will have a couple of sentences in. this
shows that there target audience again is older.
The heading used at the top of the page to tell the audience and
let them know that this is Kendrick Lamar is clear to see. This is
because they want the audience to know who this artist is
especially if the article is about him. The heading is in a bold font
and includes a drop shadow. This font looks quite classy. This is
also quite different to the magazine cover I looked at. This is in the
sense that this looks less urban to the other. This could be because
all though they are both rappers they may have slightly different
styles of music. the heading also links with the color scheme. This
being black and white. This links in with the color scheme because
it links with his hair. This is a large proportion of the double page
spread.
This double page spread appeals to their target audience. This is
because their target audience will be teenagers who like music. the
most obvious way that this appeals to them is that the magazine
includes a musician and also text which is about music. Another way this
appeals to the audience is that it includes a simple color scheme. This
appeals to the audience as they can easily read the article on Kendrick
Lamar. This is without them being distracted by other unnecessary
colors. This is because their target audience is people who are really
interested in music and want to read about it.
4. This Is thrasher magazines merchandise. This is going to be similar to my merchandise. This is
in the sense that the masthead will be In the middle. Although this is a skating magazine this
can be adapted and changed for any magazine.
The color on this magazine is fairly basic. The basic grey color is a standard color of any t-shirt.
This has been done because this is a normal thing. This magazine will want to have normal
conventional colors of their merchandise as they know that this color is a popular color of t-shirts.
The t-shirt is fairly basic this is because it is just a plain t-shirt with the masthead on it. This
approach is done by the majority of clothing brands. These are brands like supreme and also
palace.
The name on the magazine is the name of the skateboarding magazine. The font on this t-shirt has
been changed form the basic black masthead. This is because black font looks quit basic and lazy. The
font has been adapted. The font which is covered in flames in my opinion looks good and interesting.
This is because it is something different. This is in the sense that you would not see it everyday. The fire
font has been used possibly because of the connotations and because this is streamer and fire is usually
associated as street wear. The connotations of fire are those such as danger and also warmth. The
danger connotation of fire relates to skateboarding. This is because it is dangerous to do as people have
broken bones and you are likely to fall.
The audience want to buy and wear this t-shirt as it has a unique design. People also want to buy and
wear this because of many famous people who wear it. This makes the audience want to wear it
because it makes them feel as wealthy as that famous person. The audience also want to wear this
because it is trendy. This could be because of its popular magazine name or maybe because of its deign.
Brands such as levis and also diesel have adapted and have gone from selling jeans to sell t-shirts with
there logo on. This product is similar to theirs in the sense that it has adapted.
Other brands as well as thrasher have branched out to selling accessories. These could be from socks to things
like a box. Although these things are unique and weird they all also very hyped. This could be because of the
uniqueness of that product. Brands such as supreme and palace sell accessories such as cups and ash trays and
they mostly sell out. If I have spare time I could possibly include some weird accessories.
5. This is a jay z feature article in Q magazine. This is form 2010. From this you can see
that in comparison to the other double page spread it looks at lot different this could
be to do with the time difference mainly. From this I mean that magazine double
page spreads used to often include this layout. this shows that over time double page
spreads layouts have changed. This is because more and more people want to include
different products and make theirs unique.
The color scheme of this is red and black. This magazine double page spread also
includes several other colors. These are colors such as blue white and yellow. The
color scheme else bold and is unique. This attracts the audience as it stands out. The
color scheme compared tot the other one is very different. This could be because this
magazine has a younger audience and wants them to be attracted to the images
more.
The main image used in this double page spread is of Jay Z who is a
musician. This I to be expected within a music magazine. Jay z has
been used as in 2010 he was very popular. This was because he had
released songs such as run this town, empire state of mind and
umbrella. All of which made it into the top 100 of the billboard
charts. This shows that he was very popular around that time. The
main image shows the rapper in a clear manor. The main image
shows the rapper jay z looking serious and also focused. This could be
because of numerous things. One thing it could be is because he is
focused on his music and and is serious about becoming one of the
best rappers in the world. The main image which has been darkened
in order for it to blend in with the color scheme. The half of the face
has been changed to red as well. This could be because red has
connotations of danger and also blood. These connotations could be
implied because Jay z could have possibly gone to prison or have
been in trouble. The main image also shows the rapper jay z wearing
glasses. This could be because they were a convention of rappers
back in 2010.
The article is quite long and involves a lot of smaller text. This
implies that I is quite an in depth. Tis is because there is a lot of
text. This also implies that they are trying to target people who
are strong readers and are really interested in reading a lot
about music. the article which is all about jay z will appeal to a
lot of people especially in that era as that was when he was very
popular. The article also looks quite formal. This is because of
the newspaper like font used. The capital letters have been
used to separate the text. This is so that people don’t loose
track of where they are. This is simple and effective.
The big red jay on the color scheme is to be expected. This is
because the first letter of the artist is normally included in the
middle of the article. The capital J links in with the color scheme of
this double page. This makes this double page look professional
and organized.
6. These are 3 issues of the same magazine. This magazine
is XXL and is a music magazine which focuses on hip
hop. For my FMP I am planning on creating possibly 3
issues which will be part of the same magazine brand.
These magazine are similar to the ones I am going to
include.
The similar elements shown in these magazines are that
they all include a main image of a rapper. This is fairly
obvious as this is a music magazine. All the main images
on the cover are all big names. This has been done
because the audience want to know what is happening
with these artists and would not want to buy the
magazine if it had someone nobody has heard off. In my
magazine this will be the case however I will try and
assume that people know the artist and how famous he
is. This will be done because like I said people want to
read about famous people. This is due to them feeling
apart of their lives almost and also a sense of
involvement. Another similar element which is fairly
obvious is that they all include the same masthead. This
is obviously because they are the same brand. This has
been done to show the audience that this is there
magazine and If they are repeat customers they will
easily recognize the magazine from a distance.
Some more similarities between the 3 different issues is that they all include white as well as
black somewhere on the cover. This is because these colors are natural colors. By this I mean that
they either make a good background as most things stick out on them or they stand out on a
different color background. The layout within all 3 of the magazines are very similar this is in the
sense that they include a main image the mast head in the top left sand headings around the
artist. They also include the artists name in bold font with something below it similar to a quote.
The fonts that have been chose to feature on this magazine are all quite normal and don’t really
have any connotations. The font however stands out and is visible from a distance. This has been
done as these artists are really famous. This has also been done as if you see for example if you
see Drake in a bold font you instantly think that this is a music magazine. The final similarity is
that they always cover the last letter of the masthead. This has been done because this is a world
famous magazine and the audience can already recognize this.
These are conventions of XXL magazine. They also include all the magazine conventions for example a barcode, masthead, main image and headings.
The differences between these 3 magazine issues Is that they all include different headings and cover lines. This is to be expected with any magazine. This is
because the audience are not going to want to read the same thing each week or month. Another difference is that they all include different poses from
different artists. This is because they are all unique in their own way. This could be interrelated as they all have different music styles and perhaps slightly
different audiences.
7. These are 3 separate magazines from 3
different magazine brands.
These magazines all include the conventions
of a magazine. These conventions are a
main image masthead, headings, date and
also cover lines. The similarities of these
magazine covers are that they all include a
masthead which is clearly noticeable. This is
often included because they want people to
know that this is there brand of magazine.
The mastheads in all of these 3 magazines
are slightly covered. This Is because they are
all famous magazines. This has also been
done because most of the buyers of these
magazine are repeat customers. This
masthead to them will be fairly obvious and
the colors will be instantly noticed by the
audience. the mastheads also all includes
bold fonts which are fairly similar. This is
because they are large and clear to see.
All these magazines and the majority of music magazines all contain a main image of a musician. The musician
on all of these magazines are popular artists. This has been done because people want to read about them and
not just random people they have not heard of. This is because the audience want an insight into famous
peoples lives. This may be because they like that artist or are just being nosey. The main images included have
all been exposed by making them lighter. This has been done as then they pop out more to the audience. All
the images also clearly show their faces this has been done because they want the audience to be able to
clearly see them. This links back to the first point where people want to know about them and their lives. The
main images also pull the audience in. by this I mean for example if someone really like Justin Beiber they will
be more attracted to the billboard magazine cover.
The headings used on these magazines
covers are all fairly similar. This is in the
sense they are all bold and stick out on
the backgrounds. The fonts they have also
used in the headings look fairly similar.
The fonts used are large and are quite
slender looking. These are all really
noticeable to the audience which is what
they want to achieve. This is because they
will be able to be seen from a distance.
This will appeal to the audience as they
may read something that they want to
hear for example ‘I am rap’ this appeals to
the audience as they will know what
genre of magazine this is. This will help
them if they are wanting a music
magazine.
The colors used on all the magazines are very different. This could be because of numerous things. One thing
could be that in the XXL magazine they have used red and grey as the main colors. This could be because they
have an older target audience , this could be also because Soulja boy and also on the vibe magazine cover
features Kanye west who swears often. This is different to Justin Beiber who is quite PG. the connotations of
the red color are those such as danger and blood. These things are usually associated with older people. The
color grey has connotations of emotionless and is neutral. This will appeal to slightly older people as the
editors of these magazine covers don’t really want the audience to feel anything whilst looking at this. This is
different to the billboard magazine. The blue color has been used because the magazine editors know that
they have a younger target audience and that the blue color has connotations which are positive such as
calmness.
8. These are double
page spreads from
exiting hip hop
magazines. These are
magazines that my
products are going to
be similar.
These double page spreads all have many similarities as well as differences. One main similarity which is very obvious is the fact that they all included a main
image. This is the case for the majority of magazine double page spreads. The main images on these double pages all have connotations and things that imply
that this is specifically a hip hop double page spread. In the first double page spread they include a trumpet and also a hammer. This is quite a weird mix and
implies that the audience that this artist is becoming a different artist. This is in the sense that he Is moving away from sort of jazz music and maybe becoming
more of an hip hop artist. This is implied as rappers have connotations such as danger and sometimes violent. This could also imply that he is smashing up the
trumpet because they are not as popular In this generation. This picture is a lot different to the other ones though. This one in comparison to the middle one
is completely different this is because the main mage is a close up of the artist. This is because the editors want to show his tattoos. Tattoos are often relates
to rappers and hip hop artists. The main image also shows a side on view this is because the tattoos are the main attraction of this image. This implies that this
is specifically a hip hop music magazine. The last main image is fairly different in the sense that they show the artist stood up and they show him doing a
gangster like pose. This is probably the main image that implies to the audience the most that this is a music magazine.
All of these magazines either include a quotation or a statement. This has been done as it will draw the audiences
attention to the double page spread. This is because they would want to know for example why there is a revenge of
Mark Robson. This makes the audience question who, what, when, where and why. The quotations and statements are c
conventions of magazine double page spreads and are included specifically to appeal to the audience. The font usually
used and is used in these magazines are bold and also stick out. This is obviously because they want the audience to read
that.
The formats of these double
page spreads are not that
much different. This is in the
sense that they all include a
main image at the left and
include text at the side . This
is quite an old fashioned
layout. This has often been
adapted for example the
Kendrick Lamar double page
spread which is a recently
created one includes a main
image at the left side. Usually
for a magazine double page
spread they often include the
artists name. This in these
magazines has not been
included.
The articles in these magazine are all about music. this is because the audience who have bought a music magazine
expect this. The articles from my perspective are going to be about the main image which is beside them. The quotes
included which I looked at will most likely be linked to them for example in the middle page spread the text in some parts
may be about life as a shooting star. This has been done so the audience get a little insight into what they are about to
read.
9. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched products have?
– One common feature that I have seen through out these products is that they mostly include the masthead and the brand of what they are on.
This cant be said for the magazine double page spreads. This is because the masthead does not need to be included due to the audience not
being able to see this until the purchase it. This has been done because people like buying branded products. The brand name has been included
through the magazine covers and also the merchandise. This is because the merchandise links to that product. This has been done as the owner
of that brand name want the audience to recognize that product as part of the magazine. Another common feature I have seen throughout
these existing products is that in the double page spreads I have noticed that they all include similar font within the articles. This is small font
which is black basically. This has been made small to obviously fit all the information onto the double page spread. This indicates to me that my
article will have to be quite detailed and will have to be in smallish font. This also depends on the target audience. For example if the target
audience is older they will probably include a whole page full of text. One more common feature that I have seen through out these products is
that they all include quite natural colours somewhere on that product. These are colours such as white black grey and also a cream colour. These
colours have been included somewhere within these products as other colours easily stand out upon them. These colours also make the
magazine look some what normal. These colours have also been used as the editors would use brighter and colours that stand out more for
important elements such as the artists name and the masthead. These are things that will stick out and blend in with the background.
• What aspects of the research will you include within your own
production work?
• In my production I will include some aspects of my research. One of these aspects of which I will include are the conventions of magazine covers and also
double page spreads. These are elements such as a masthead, cover lines, headings, barcode and also the date. These element will make my magazine
covers look professional. For my double page spread I will include the conventions such as a main image, an article and also a heading/quotation. These
elements will make my magazine product look like it is a real magazine. For my other product which will be merchandise and also possibly advertising if I
have time will also include the conventional features. For my merchandise it will be similar to the thrasher one I analysed. This is in the sense that it will
include a specific design around the masthead used n my magazine. This is because I feel that this would look the best. The final aspect of my research of
which I will include will be the bright colours which have been included on the majority of the products I have included. These are products such as the
magazine covers, double page spreads and also the merchandise. The bright colours which I will include are those such as blue , red and also possibly
purple. All these will be thought about and will be used somewhere within my project.
11. Audience:
The demographic I am trying to appeal is to be the 13-19-age range and my audience will be specifically male.
This will be like an 80% male and 20% female. My project will appeal to this age range because I will include
informal language and also include information they would want to hear. Another reason why the targeted
age will be interested in my magazine is because I will include several images of music artists. The audience
teenagers I am trying to appeal to will also be those who convey to the urban theme. The teenager
demographic I am trying to appeal to will also be those who enjoy listening to music and are more interested
within that than other random people. These will be people with interests like going to gigs, already buy
magazines related to music and also those who buy albums. My audience for my other potential product that
is merchandise will be slightly different. The audience will still be the male demographic and will also be the
same age range. The only slight different will be that they will have slightly different level of interests. One
different level of interest they will have is that for my merchandise they will be very interested in street wear
brands such as supreme and palace. My merchandise I am trying to create will be within this area. My
audience I am trying to target are more interested in this because they are most likely people to buy this. For
my product as a whole the social status I am going to try and target will be those of middle class. This is
because they are going to have to pay for the magazine or the merchandise to read them. The social status
for this is going to be middle class also because higher class people are not usually associated with informal
music magazines and they have connotations such as posh, wealth and also formal. All of these things will not
be included within my magazine. Lower class people will not be targeted as they are usually associated with
connotations such as poor and rough. The psychographic I am trying to target for my magazine and my
merchandise will be those of which are balanced, this is because they are not trying to achieve anything
whilst reading or buying merchandise. The purpose of my project is to entertain the audience whilst looking
good.
12. • Observation: This shows that magazines are still very popular and are read by thousands of people. This
also shows that there website is still very popular. This will be because of the rise in people on the internet. This could also
be because of the other things the website offers such as the official charts weekly.
• What this says about my audience: This says that my audience will be
interested in my magazine. This is because this shows that they are still heavily popular. If i have any additional and spare
time i may chose to include a website for my magazine. This is due to this showing that websites are very popular with
today's demographics.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: my
product will appeal to the audience because it will be a magazine cover. The magazine cover will be a music one which will
be similar to billboard magazine. This is in the sense that they will both be surrounded by music.
Billboard magazine has a print circulation of 17,000 and an online readership of 1.2 million unique monthly views.
The website includes the Billboard Charts, news separated by music genre, videos, and a separate website.
Total circulation: 17,000 magazines per week.
13. • Observation: This again shows that there is an audience for my magazine and that print based media in
general is still popular. This shows that 40% of adults over 15 consume magazines weekly. This is a hge number. Although
this is a statistic for every magazine music magazines are one of the most popular so they may have 10 percent of this
demographic.
• What this says about my audience: this says that my magazine will again
appeal to some people and hopefully a large amount of people. This says this because it says 40 percent of adults over 15
read magazines weekly. From this diagram you can also see that 71 percent consume monthly magazines. This indicates
that my audience may purchase my magazine at least once a month. This is all magazines however the demographic and
statistics for specifically music magazines will be still high.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: My
product will appeal to the audience due myself going to include the conventional elements of magazine. These elements
will appeal to my audience due to the audience liking magazines. The conventional elements will hopefully pull the
magazine and make them want to buy it.
14. Secondary Audience research
• Observation:These stats show that Vibe magazine is read by mainly men. These men are aged 18-24 and
the majority is 21 plus. These stats also show that vibe magazine print 300,00 copies each week and sell each copy for
$4.99. This shows that they make millions of pounds each week. The stats also indicate that the audience for this magazine
is mainly 21 plus male adults who go to college and also are african american. This is because this magazine focuses on hip
hop and looks into american rappers who are often from african american heavily populated areas.
• What this says about my audience: This says that my audience will also
like my magazine. This is because i am trying to appeal to some of the people who read this magazine. The audience
specifically i am trying to appeal to is the 18-21 year olds, i am not trying to specifically apply to race however i am trying to
appeal to the male demographic. This is because mainly men read hip hop magazines. This specific graphic says that my
audience like magazines that are hip hop related as well as music magazines.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: My
15. • Observation:
• From this question you can see that I wanted to find out what media my audience liked the best. These were the three types of
media . I wanted to find out the answers because I felt that this would give me information into how many peoples favourite
media was print based. This then showed that 20% per cent and two people out of 10 said that print based media was their
favourite. This was not surprising as because times have changed I knew that less people read and buy magazines. This has not
in influenced my decision to create this because 2 out of 10 people is still quite a lot people.
• What this says about my audience:
• This says that my audience prefers internet and also TV than say magazine and books. This is to be expected like I said because
there are things such as the internet and TV. This question overall does not really say much about my audience but it gives me
an idea of what they like and what they are most into.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
• My product will appeal to a small majority of the audience for definite as I am making magazine cover and double page spread. This will
appeal to them as they are into magazines. My product will also possibly appeal to the other audience because these musicians are often
seen on the internet sand on tv. Music is also found on the tv and the internet so this question does not mean that they wouldn't appeal to
them.
16. Observatio
• n:
• The question shows the answers of elements that would appeal to my audience on a magazine cover. I asked this question because then I will get an insight
into what works often on a magazine cover and what doesn’t. the elements that seem to appeal to the audience will be included within my cover. This is
because the aim of my magazine cover is to attract and appeal to the audience.
• What this says about my audience:
• The answers to this question shows that there is quite a few things that appeal to the audience upon a magazine cover. These things included the main image,
text, masthead and also the colours. All of these elements are often thought about because these are the biggest part of a magazine cover. The audience all
had similar answers. This shows that these are the main elements of magazine covers. This is because they all firstly seen by the audience.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
• My product will appeal to the Udience as i will include the elements that they have asked for. One thing imparticular would be
to include a nice looking main image. This would appeal to the audience as these are all people who have said they like music
and they would hopefully be attracted to the main image , unless they did not like him.
17. • Observation:
• I asked this question because it will help me when coming to do my final product this is because from the answers you can see that it
shows elements of which the audience want to see. From these results of which I have collected you can see that many of the answers
are similar. This could be because these are very popular elements of double page spreads (conventions).
• What this says about my audience:
These results show that my audience all like the conventions of magazine double page spreads. This has been shown by the results. Many of the
answers which are similar, for example an article has been mentioned frequently and more specifically an article about the music artist. This is one of
the conventions of music magazines.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
My product will appeal to the audience because I will be able to include the elements that they want to see. I was already going include
18. Primary Audience research
• Observation:From this multiple choice question you can see that the majority of my audience would by a
magazine. I asked this question because the main part of my production is my magazine cover and double page spread. This
question then found out who would buy a magazine. So from this I could basically see who would buy my product.
• What this says about my audience: This says that my audience is likely to
buy any magazine as this is showing. My magazine is a music one however this question does not specialize in specific
magazine's this possible should have been changed before given out the questionnaires. The main magazine genres are tho
fashion, music, sport and lifestyle. The demographic I handed my survey out to was the 17-19 age range. This is because there
who I'm trying to target. The target audience and magazine which have a correlation and a link would be music and this age
group , this being because sport is too young and the others are slightly too old.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
My product will appeal to my audience as I will include all the main conventional elements of a magazine cover and double page
spread. This will hopefully make the audience want to purchase it. This is because it will look like an actual magazine hopefully.
19. Primary Audience research
– Observation: I asked this question to find out what my audience would want to see. I thought this
would be good and would easily tell me how to appeal to my audience. The responses I got were fairly similar. This was in
the sense that they are all current conventions of magazine covers.
• What this says about my audience: The results show my audience clearly
like the conventions off magazine covers. From this I could also assume that the audience who answers this are fairly into
magazines. This is due to them using language such as masthead main image and the usage of colour. This is because the people
who answered my questions were media students. This gave me some depth in my answers.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:my
product will appeal to the audience due to myself knowing what the audience want. I was going to include a large masthead
20. Subject Research
Music magazines have been around and on the shelves for over 60 years. For them being around still
shows that they still must be entertaining the audience and providing then with articles and story's
to read. The purpose of a magazine is to inform entertain and educate the audience. This is what I
will try to do in my production. Magazines such as billboard and clash have had the same audience
or a very similar one throughout the years. This is because they include articles and images that
teenagers and young adults are interested in reading. This is the same for the majority of magazine.
Magazines have also varied in prices over the years. This is because manufacturing costs and
printing costs may be more expensive now. The majority of magazines at the moment are roughly
between £1.50-£4.00. My magazine is going to be in the middle so I was thinking about £2.60. The
designs and the looks of the magazines have changed massively over time. This is because artists
and bands have changed. By this is mean The Beatles don't look anything like you would see today.
This is because that look and their dress sense was popular within the 60s and 70s. The colours
have changed as well because they have linked them to the clothing and the artists who are
featured on the magazine. These are sometimes textured backgrounds or they may have patterns.
These are usual to see now.
21. Subject Research
Music articles have always been about the genre of the magazine , this is because that is what the
audience has come to read about. The magazine articles are most likely interviews or information
about a musician. These are normally also set out in squares or columns, this is because I makes
the magazine look more organized. When it looks more organised and everything is aligned it also
looks professional. Columns and squares are used in the majority if not all magazines. This has been
around for a long time possibly because of newspapers and how they are set out. When looking at
many articles and double page spread I found that the aim was to entertain the audience. From
looking at several articles and interviews now know some good questions which will give the
audience information and entertain them. These are questions like ‘what inspired you to become a
musician?’ and ‘how did you become so successful?’.
22. Subject Research
Merchandise has been around for ages. This is due to the popularity of items which brands
release.magazines such as mojo and thrasher have branched out into selling merchandise. This is because
there magazine is very popular and they know that the audience are likely to buy merchandise. Audiences
like to have items which are heavily branded or at least have a noticeable logo on them. This is shown by
brands like supreme being known and easily recognised by its box logo jumpers and t-shirts. These have
the brand name slapped in the middle of then so everyone can see it. Magazines such as thrasher and
mojo have merchandise however mono merchandise is a little different as theirs is actually of bands and
artists. These will still sell because they have a popular of popular figures on them. From looking at
merchandise and specifically t-shirts I have noticed that the majority if not all come in the typical and
conventional colours which are white, black and grey. These are always used because they are easy to
match with other items of clothing. My t-shirts will come in these colours as well as some unconventional
colours such as a purple and maybe light yellow.
24. Practical Research
For this i constructed an experiment of a double page spread. This is because i am making one of these when it comes to production.
The double page spread here i have constructed did not take too long and my aim was really just trying things out. One thing i wanted to
try out and is shown is setting it out in columns. I wanted to try this because this is a conventional element of double page spreads.
When it comes to production i would write the article myself but thought it would save time to just copy and paste Jay Z wikipedia page.
The empty spaces at the side of the articles will be used for pull quotes and also maybe more information about other things in the
magazines. When coming to production as well i will also include a better background and will include a better main image and what of
which i have taken. I will also place the article better. I did this mainly to get familiar with indesign magazine. I wanted to use rulers to
organise everything and use boxxes. This is because organisation is a big conventional element of magazines. This has been useful as it
has helped me discover how to use rulers and how to set up columns. This will help me and save me time when doing production.
25. Practical Research
For this experiment i constructed a front cover for a magazine. I did this because i am making
a magazine cover for my final piece, although this magazine cover does not look very
aesthetically pleasing i only did this to try things out and my real magazine cover will not look
like this. For my main magazine i will include similar features and the the same techniques.
These are things such as using rulers which i did here. I will use this in my final one because it
makes everything look so much more organised and professional. This is in the sense that all
magazines are lined correctly. I will also use a barcode as well as maybe similar type of text
and font. The font i used was edited and spaced out to make it look more stretched. I wanted
to try this out as i saw it on a billboard magazine cover and thought it looked good. In my final
product i will include elements such as a masthead headlines and also a main image however
these will be done to a much higher standard. One thing i was really curious to try was to
have matching colours and similar colours. By this i mean that i used a blue colour in the
masthead which is just a different shade of blue so makes it blend in. i did this because i
thought it would make it look organised and quite profesional in the sense that it would not
look messy and tacky. Iu then tried this with the headlines but this did not work to well. I will
use this technique in my magazine however will experiment more with it so that the colours
do stand out as well as look organised. Overall i found doing this very useful. This is because it
allowed me to try out features and techniques that i wanted. These like i said will be
transfered into my final product at a higher standard.
26. Practical Research
For this i created some merchandise. This again being because i am making it when it comes
to production. For this i was experimenting with names and looking at synonyms for names i
liked the sound off. This really helped me as i then came up with latest. This for me sounded
quite good so this could be what my magazine is going to be called. For this merchandise i
just imported a plain white t shirt and added the name of the magazine. This is a likely
contender to be the name of my magazine. On this piece of merchandise i spent quite a lot
of time on it even tho it is an experiment. This is because i was experimenting with arching
the text on it and creating my own little label on the sleeve. These are things that will help
me when coming to my final product because i know how to do it and know its a fast
process. In the future when i do my main product i will make my merchandise more
appealing this being by adding something else to it. I have an idea which is to add magazine
under the masthead however maybe stretch the text. This would make it look less plain. I
also wanna have an embossed look.
27. Practical Research
For this i constructed 2 magazine covers. These magazine covers do not look professional in the slightest way however it was just me
trying a few things out. In these magazine covers i experimented with making the backgrounds and making the text which states the
artists name. I wanted to try this so that i could implement this within my final magazine. To do this i made some bold text and then
copied the layer and moved it slightly. Although this is a very simple task i also experimented with colours when doing this. I wanted
when doing this to have this sort of look.
28. For this i was learning how to use columns and how to lay everything out
by using rulers. This was because profesional magazine double page
spreads look organized and this would make my magazine look organized
and then therefore profesional. I then experimented with importing
pictures. This was different to other programs like powerpoint or
photoshop. This was because you had to drag the photo on and then
resize the frame as well as the image itself. This is quite handy as you can
specifically zoom into one part of the image. This will be most likely done
for my magazine as i will want the photo to be focused on the artist. This
is so that the audience can recognize who this is. The rulers will help me
align all my text and all my images. This will make it look organized.
29. Original
For this experiment i decided to try and edit
photos. This was done by me messing
around with the adjustments on
photoshop. I decided to take the bottom
image and attempt to make it darker and
also make the colours pop out a bit more.
To do this i changed the exposure, gamma
and also the saturation. These were
changed either way in order to make it
either lighter or darker. I think these came
out quite well due to them still looking
decent. This will be done on my main image
because then i can make the main image
look brighter and bolder therefore it will
stick out to the audience more from a
distance. Editing my photos will also make
my magazine look more professional. This is
due to all magazine images being edited.
This is so that there models don't have
spotty skin and also to clear up any in
perfections. They are also edited so that
they stick out more.
