1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Preliminary Task and Log Book
Name: Noah Ashworth
Candidate Number: 6102
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
Set Brief - Print
Music Magazine – Production
Preliminary Task Progression and Log Book
3. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence Front Cover Step-by-step
Step 1:
This stage I began adding the ruler
lines to my background page, I have
chosen the colour scheme of maroon
and light blue because these are the
colours of my college uniform.
Step 2:
This stage I added in the main picture
for the magazine and using the magic
wand tool and the quick mask tool, I
removed the background of the
picture.
Step 3:
Here I added the masthead of the
magazine “marked in” using a unique
font, also I added the strapline, date
and issue number these are
conventional things will all magazines.
4. Step 4:
In this stage I added more conventional
items, barcode, online links (website,
twitter and Facebook logos).
Step 5:
Here I added the main headline, I
decided to do this in bold contrasting
colours to draw more attention to it and
to the picture behind it.
Final stage:
In the final stage of the construction of
this product I completed it by adding the
secondary stories around the main image
using the pen tool to make them fit
neatly around the main image.
5. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence Contents Page Step-by-step
step 1:
Here I started by adding the ruler
lines, I will be using them in the
construction of the page to make
sure all the items I place in will be
perfectly aligned.
Step 2:
Here I added in the boxes that will be the
hedders for the columns showing the
contents. Also I added the name of the
magazine while using the same colour
scheme I used in the front cover for
continuity.
Step 3:
In this step I added a jpeg of the
front cover this is conventional with
other magazines of this type.
6. Step 4:
Here I added the online social
networking logos (twitter and
Facebook) and the website link, this
has the purpose of making the
magazine more appealing to the
audience because of increased
availability.
Step5:
In this step I added the editorial, the
purpose of the editorial is to build a
personal relationship with the
readers. Using the pen tool I made
the text fit around the editor picture.
Step 6:
Here I added the final touches to this
piece of production work, numbers
(in the same colour scheme to
ensure continuity) and
Secondary stories.
9. Established Magazine for my Research
This magazine could be made better by adding more examples
of cross media convergence like a social network link and by
adding a website address so that the magazine will have a
higher availability to the public, both online and in store.
USP: People want to know what the
“100 most shocking moments are”. This
cover line entices the potential readers
and builds interest in the magazine.
Humor: draws in potential readers and
makes the cover more fun.
Star appeal: Lady gaga is a well know popular
influential artist liked by many people, this will
make people want to know what Q has to say
about her.
Masthead: this clearly shows
the name of the magazine.
Strapline: makes the magazine
more “edgy” and appealing
10. Target Audience
The target audience for Q magazine can be denoted as 16-30 year old males (Hartley) who can build a
‘personal relationship’ (katz) with the artists and bands displayed in the magazine as they are well known
popular performers, for example “Lady Gaga”. ‘survivors’ (Maslow) are the main readers of this magazine
as they don’t present any new and radical performers they stick to the well known artists, for example
“The Gorrilaz” . The socio-economic needs of the main reader are A, B, C1 because of the wide range of
music the institution cover, which draws a wide range of readers from different social standings.
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is that Q is one of the only
magazines on the market to present such a wide range of music in one magazine this means that the
magazine will appeal to every person in some way at one time or another. Q contains a unique and well
balanced sense of humor which makes the magazine more reader friendly and allows the reader to relate
to the magazine easier which makes the reader more likely to buy the magazine again. Another example
of a USP that is presented on most covers for Q is an element of ‘star appeal’ for example on this cover
Lady Gaga.
11. Publisher research
Source: http://magazines.bauermediaadvertising.com/magazines/detail/Q
According to the information provided by
Q magazines Publisher website, 68.3% of
the readers on this magazine are male
with 31.7% being female.
35.5% (the largest percentage) of the
readers of this magazine are between the
ages of 15 and 24. This connotes that the
Front covers and language of
theses magazines are targeted at
a younger audience.
70% of the readers are in classed
as either A, B or C1 in the
socioeconomic needs profile.
This connotes that the main
readers for Q have a middle to
upper class social standing. This
also connotes that the magazine
is targeted at people with high
power jobs for example doctors
or urban professionals.
12. Why I have chosen this sub genre
I have chosen this particular sub genre of
music to use as research inspiration
material because I personally listen to this
genre of music “Rock/alternative rock”.
Therefore I will be trying to construct my
magazine while trying to involve the
conventions I have identified from this
preliminary research.
“KERRANG!” magazine
will be one of the main
inspirations for the
construction of my
magazine because I am a
long term consumer of
this magazine, therefore I
feel that I have a great
understanding of its
conventions.
13. Conventions of a Music Magazine
Star appeal: Well known very popular
band links the magazine to the genre.
Verbal codes: By saying “The
return of” encourages past fans
to buy the magazine.
Puff: Special/promotional
offers entice people who are
fans of masters of noise to
buy the magazine for the
posters
Verbal codes: Adds interest,
people want to know what the
exclusive is.
Loud color scheme stands out, making the
cover conform to the stereotype of rock music
being very rebellious.
14. Target Audience
The target audience for Kerrang! magazine can be denoted as 15-24 year old members of both sexes
(Hartley) who are entertained by the magazines ability to ‘inform’ (Katz) it’s readership of the latest
bands and artists displayed in the magazine, for example “My Chemical Romance” and “Attack! Attack!”.
‘explorers’ (Maslow) are the most likely readers of the magazine as this is a very unorthodox and under
publicized genre of music, which would appeal to ‘explorers’ as the rebellious nature of the magazine is
something that would definitely draw in a pass along audience.
Research into this magazine suggests that readers are from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds
varying from A to E because it uses a variety of literary techniques and humor that appeals to all groups
across the socioeconomic spectrum.
What is the USP of this magazine?
In binary opposition (Levi Strauss) to the more mainstream music publication of Q, I think the main USP is
the fact that it is a unique media product that offers a unique look into the world of rock music with it
being one of the only music magazines to explore this genre in music. Each Kerrang! issue offers a wide
range of special offers with the opportunity to win different pieces of rock memorabilia that would be
unavailable anywhere else, which along with the cover lines denote enticing verbal codes such as
“Exclusive” to capture the attentions of the readers on the magazine shelf . Kerrang! adheres to the
stereotype of rock music being very rebellious, which in turn appeals to teenagers and young adults who
are in what is considered a very rebellious stage in their lives. Finally, other features of the magazine that
would appeal to the reader and offer something unique over it’s competitors are, the puffs offer
experiences that can not be found else where also the offers of free magazine which would be hard to
find in any place other that this magazine.
15. Publisher research
Source: http://magazines.bauermediaadvertising.com/magazines/detail/kerrang
Both sexes read Kerrang! in a relatively
equal amount with 54.7% of readers
being male and 45.3% of readers are
female.
This data denotes that the largest
percentage (56.1%) of the readers
were between the age of 15 and
24 because the magazine appeals
to this particular audience in a way
that it is considered very rebellious
and different, at this stage in
peoples lives this is what they
strive to be.
Only 51% of all readers are in the
A, B or C1 socio-economic needs
profile, which connotes that
Kerrang! is enjoyed buy a variety
of different social classes, from the
upper classes to working class
people.
