A presentation of my answer to evaluation question 5.

1. Evaluation – Question 5
How did you attract/ address your
audience?

2. Colour Scheme
Throughout the magazine, I stayed with the colour scheme of black, white and red. This was
relevant to the audience I was trying to appeal to because indie/alternative rock magazines
tend to use this colour scheme. This is because these colours have strong connotations with
the overall genre and also, the colour of the clothing worn by indie rock artists (such as Alex
Turner and Tom Meighan) tend to be black, white and sometimes red. These colours are
very dramatic and will visually stand to the reader and will perhaps make them more
intrigued to read on. These colours were suited well because the target audience includes
both males and females. If the magazine used a colour scheme of, for example; pink and
white, this would put off male readers. Therefore I used these colours because they are
gender natural and could potentially appeal to both female and male readers.
The three colours
were used variously
throughout the front
magazine.

3. Price
Despite many of the participants in my target audience survey saying they would only pay
approximately £0-£2.50 for a magazine, I felt as though the price should be increased as it is a
monthly magazine and the average price for monthly magazines is around £3.00-£4 and if the
magazine cost around £2.50 per month, it may struggle to survive financially. I did consider that
some members of the target audience may struggle to afford this price as they may be a student or
may not have a job, so I made sure that the magazine would have the lowest possible price for a
monthly magazine, £3.00. I also included a discount offer for the magazine within the subscription
box on the contents page. If readers were to subscribe to the magazine, they would pay less than
they would if they bought it from the shop every month. This ensures that I have addressed readers
as I have tried to make the magazine affordable for the majority of the target audience.
The price of the magazine: £3 is
clearly stated underneath the
masthead.

4. Layout
In my double page spread, I used rows for the article's text in order to put across a neat looking
layout to the page which the target audience want to see. This was also helpful as I was able to
add the lead-ins of the interview above the dialogue. I used a bold, red font for those and a regular
black font for the dialogue. This way, I could address the audience by showing them which parts
of the text are dialogue and which parts are lead-ins. I also filled the whole second page of the
double page spread with a picture of the models. This will mean that readers immediately
understand the significance of the models as they dominate a whole page. Within the three parts
of the magazine, I tried to use a minimal amount of images and a minimal amount of colour. This
makes the magazine look very neat and easy on the eye, which ultimately gives it a sophisticated
feel, as the genre of indie/alternative rock in itself is also quite sophisticated.
It also matches the preferences of my target audience, as they said in the reader profile that they
would be more obliged to read the magazine if it included minimal amounts of colour and images.
In my contents
page, only 3
main colours are
used and there
aren’t many
images included
within.
The
differentiation in
text styles within
the interview
can be seen
here:

5. Costume
The style of clothing was of mass importance in appealing to the target audience. As mentioned on
numerous occasions, my target audience would prefer to wear mature looking clothes, which do
not include brand labels. In order to appeal to the target audience, I ensured that the clothing worn
by my models on the photos were of a similar kind of style. The clothes worn by the models came
from shops such as; Topman, River Island ect. These are all shops that cater for both men and
women and also provide a mature style of clothing which does not include branding or labels. This
style is also easily accessible for all members of the target audience to wear and is also fairly
cheap. It takes away any sense of pretence from the models as they are wearing clothes
commonly worn by members of the public. This ultimately makes them seem more relatable. This
style of clothing is also worn by many different indie rock artists, therefore I wanted to ensure that
the artists from my magazine were of a similar ilk to these and fitted in with the genre, as in the
reader profile, participants said they prefer certain artists, such as Alex Turner, who would usually
wear this sort of clothing. The colour of the clothes are often achromatic colours such as black,
white or grey. These colours are associated with the overall genre as they give off a grainy,
cutting-edge look which would add to the overall mise-en-scene of the target audience.
A comparison between
items of clothing from
Topman and the items
that my models wore in
the photo shoot.

6. Font
The font I used mostly throughout the magazine was Myriad Bold Italic. I used this font because it
has a sharp, cutting edge look to it and also looks as if it could be the kind of font that would be
seen on items associated with the genre such as an indie rock album cover. I felt this would
address the target audience as they made it clear in the reader profile that they would like to see
certain conventions that were associated with the genre at hand. I felt this style of font was one of
these conventions. The font was also very convenient in that it was very clear and easy for the
readers to see, perhaps due to the fact that it was a bold font and stuck out. Nevertheless, I still
felt this would benefit the audience as it ensured they would be able to read the text with ease.
This segment of text in the front cover
clearly demonstrates the neat, cutting
edge look of the font and also shows
that it is easy for the readers to read it
as it is big and clear.

7. Masthead
The masthead of my magazine was ‘Mayfair’. This was down to various reasons; the name
hadn’t been used for any other music magazine making it new and unique. By choosing
this new, unique name, I have addressed the target audience as they would prefer to see
something that is brand-new, cutting edge and doesn’t simply replicate similar concepts of
past music magazines. The name is also very trendy, catchy and sounds as though it
would be the sort of name that is associated with the indie-rock genre. Again, this has
addressed the target audience as they said in the reader profile that they would like to get
a trendy feel from the magazine and I felt that including this masthead would contribute to
that trendy feel of the magazine.
The masthead of the
magazine ‘Mayfair’ is
shown here.

8. I included the sell line ‘The crazy days of… POTR – Chris and Anth reminisce about the
band’s glory days’. In doing this, I have addressed the target audience by creating an
intriguing enigma as this line is mysterious and doesn’t give off too much information. This
will therefore make the target audience more interested in reading the article as they will
want to gain more information. Also the fact that the line is mysterious and subtle matches
the indie rock vibes of the magazine as there tends to be a lot of mysteriousness and
subtlety surrounding the genre. Ultimately, this matches the requirements of the target
audience as they stated that they want to see an indie rock feel to the magazine and
therefore by including this subtle selling line, I feel I have matched the mood of the genre
which will benefit the target audience a lot. Also within the selling line, I used the first
names of the artists “Chris” and “Anth”. This will ultimately address readers, as they will
see the artists as being relatable as they have been referred to by their first names. This
means that they will want to read on as they will want to hear what these relatable artists
have to say. The fact that I have used the word ‘reminisce’ also makes the line more
appealing. If I had just said ‘talk about the band’s glory days’ or ‘discuss the band’s glory
days’, then the line would seem plain and boring, however the word ‘reminisce’ puts
forward the sense that the artists will give a very, interesting, detailed account of the
band’s past.
Sell Line
The magazine’s sell line.

9. Pull Quotes
Throughout the magazine I used many pull quotes. These are a very common convention
of rock music magazines as they add a sense of mysteriousness to the magazine and
similarly to the sell line, create an enigma. Pull quotes lure the readers into reading the
piece that it is attached to as it does not give away much information but merely hints at
some of the content. This will ultimately make readers feel more eager to read on as this
pull quote is intriguing. Pull quotes are used commonly in magazines such as NME,
UNCUT, Mojo and Kerrang. These are all magazines that participants of my reader profile
said they prefer to read. By using pull quotes, I have made my magazine similar to these
magazines mentioned and therefore the target audience have been addressed as I have
tried to replicate features of magazines they like. Due to the fact that pull quotes are small
segments of text taken from an interview or statement, the target audience has been
addressed, as pull quotes give off the impression that the person being interviewed is
speaking directly to the reader.
Pull quotes were a common
convention used throughout
my magazine.

10. Images (Colours)
The images used throughout my magazines are all similar in certain ways. One of these similarities is
between the dominant image of my front cover and the one on my contents page. They are both in black
and white. In order to address the target audience, I made the images these colours because they have
strong connotations with the genre at hand and members of the target audience would want to see them
included within images. These colours also give a stale, grainy look to the magazine which fans of this
genre would also want to see in this sort of magazine. Using only this effect is also a benefit because it
restricts the images to only two colours and most members of this target audience would want to see a
minimal amount of colours used, therefore it matches their preference. I also addressed the target
audience by ensuring that in all of the images, the models are wearing black and grey items of clothing.
This gives off an effect of darkness which is strongly associated with the genre and adds to the overall
mise-en-scene. I also took the photos for the contents page and front cover in a studio up against a white
canvas. I felt that using this colour for the background would benefit as it would ultimately make it easier
for me to edit the images in order to give it the neat, easy on the eye style that members of the target
audience want to see.
Images in my
contents page
and front
cover both
used the
black and
white effect.
Dark clothing was
worn by the
models on the
double page
spread picture.

11. Images (Camera Work)
For the images, I used lots of particular camera angles, shot sizes, facial
expressions, lighting, etc so that I could address the target audience. First of all; in
the images for the contents page and front cover, both images are eye-level
angles. I did this in order to make the models seem as though they were on a
similar level to the readers. This would relate to them as it creates some
psychological equality between the two. Both are medium close up shots which
suggest that the reader and model are fairly close to each other but not to an
extent where they are too familiar with each other. Also, in both images, the models
are pulling Millum’s practical expression. This goes with the mise-en-scene of the
genre as this expression is quite stern and suggest the models have the sort of
attitude that is so strongly associated with the genre and is what target audience
members would want to see. Both images also use a high key lighting. Not only
does this put forward the sense that the models are bright friendly characters to
the readers but also highlights the darkness that connotes with the genre, due to
the fact that it stands out against the brightness of the high key lighting. The image
used for the double page spread contrasts somewhat with the way the target
audience have been addressed as it is fairly different to the other two images
mentioned. It is a long shot which puts forward the sense that the models are
distant from the reader. This ultimately could suggest a sense of arrogance which
lots of indie rock artists have, where-by they don’t want to be associated with fans
as it puts forward the sort of attitude which (as mentioned previously) connotes so
strongly with the genre. However, most members of my target audience would
admire this, as it is the sort of attitude they would usually see in modern day indie
rock artists. Moreover, a similarity is that the image does use high key lighting. I
used this lighting method because of the reasons I stated previously. Another
similarity is that the models are pulling Millum’s practical expression. This again
was for the reasons stated previously. A further difference, however is that the
image is a low angle. This suggests that the model has authority over the reader
which would again, create that sense of arrogance that was mentioned previously.
Mebers of the target audience would admire this as this is the mind-set they would
usually see indie rock artists as having.

12. Images (Mode of Address)
For the images in the contents page and front cover, I made sure that the models were in in-
direct mode of address. This makes the artists seem arrogant and obnoxious. Although these
may seem like negative personality traits, it matches the sort of attitude that artists of this genre
usually have, and as mentioned previously, certain members of the target audience would
admire this sort of attitude seen as it is so strongly associated with the genre. However, this
differed on the double page spread image as on this, the models were in direct mode of address.
This addressed the target audience because it made the models seem more relatable to the
readers which was relevant to this section of the magazine as it involved an interview which
meant that the artists were talking to the readers and therefore addressing and relating to them.
Models are seen to
be indirect mode of
address, where-as
they are in direct
mode of address on
the double page
spread image.