This document is a log book and preliminary task progression for a student named Abbie Fowler completing an AS Level Media Studies course. It documents the process of designing magazine covers and contents pages for a music magazine project. The log book includes step-by-step progressions showing how the designs were developed, research on established magazines, target audiences, and survey results which informed the designs. The overall goal was to create magazine pages that met industry standards by applying lessons learned from analyzing professional publications.

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Preliminary Task and Log Book
Name: Abbie Fowler
Candidate Number: 6402
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
Set Brief - Print
Music Magazine – Production
Preliminary Task Progression, Log Book and
Evaluation

2. Preliminary Task Progression– Evidence
Front Cover -Step-by-step

3. 5) At this stage I
started to add the
little things ( small
conventions ) that
make a difference
to my page, for
example the puff
shape, adding
stroke effect and
many more.
6) This is adding
the finishing
touches to my
front cover to
make it look more
realistic, I done
this by adding
more conventions
to my page.
7) Finally, I added
the finishing
touches to my
magazine, to help
complete it, for
example the bar
code, social media
logos and many
more.

4. Completed front cover
My front cover has stayed
consistent throughout the
process of making my front
cover, this is because
everything planned out to
be correct and be
positioned correctly onto
the page, although there
was some minor
adjustment to a few things
to help make the front
cover more appealing. For
example; making the font of
the main headline stand out
more in order to see and
and enhance the readers.
Main image
Mast head
School logo
Price / date
Barcode
Social network
Cover stories
Main headline
Strap line
Subheading
Puff / competition

5. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step
1) This is the beginning of my contents
page, I had to begin by adding shapes
and pictures to help me structure my page
and to change it in the future, as well as
insert a final Jpeg version of the Front
Cover for a promotional offer.
2) I then added my stories in the
correct position, so I knew where
everything else could fit around the
stories and how to make the stories
stand out more.

6. 3) I then started to add other
conventions like giving my stories two
sub lines to divide it easily into the
sixth form area and whole school area,
as different ages of the school may be
interested in different areas that effect
their school life.
4) I then started to finish my contents
page by adding my editorial, which was
carefully positioned around the editor
photo using the pen tool (p) this was
done to make sure the text was neatly
placed around the photo. I then placed
in and cropped the signature, as well the
social media idents because it makes
the page look neater.. By making sure it
all fitted nicely into the page, my
contents page was then finished.

7. Completed contents page
This is my final contents page
for my school’s magazine, the
final piece looks a lot
different to how it was
originally created. This is
because I added more
aspects to make it more
appealing and make the page
look more ‘busy’ and full of
information and colour
throughout my contents
page. This was done by:
adding more stories, adding
smaller images of the school
logo into space space.
Editorial
Front cover
Social networking links
Puff / competition

8. Log Book

9. Established Magazine for my Research
Main image
Cover stories
Strap line
Masthead
Main headline
Date / price
Codes and conventions –
The codes and
conventions of Q
magazine defines its
genre of having the
newest releases and up
to date R & B music. This
is done by having good
codes and conventions of
the front cover of this
magazine. This is mainly
done by the main image,
this is because the image
is high definition and
shows the new Cheryl
Cole which will get more
people interested in the
magazine.

10. What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the unique selling point of this magazine
is the images they use. This is because they use high definition professional pictures which make the
magazine stand out from the others, which also possess ‘star appeal’ (Richard Dyer), for example using
the main image to support this. Also another unique selling point is the Masthead, this is as it stays the
same in every issue that is produced. For example; Same position on each magazine, having the same
colour scheme which they keep similar in each magazine which is produced.
Target Audience –
The target audience for Q magazine can be denoted as 15-24 year olds – mainly males (Hartley) which uses
‘personal identification’ (Katz) where the reader can relate to the artist/band within this magazine through
different areas of the magazine, for example the main image.
‘Social climbers’ (Maslow) are more interested in this magazine as they are likely to desire to improve their
status within society today (which young adults within this age group appear to want to achieve the most). This
is done by them reading the magazine to give them more inspiration, as well as using different techniques like
the images, which will make the audience want to look up to that particular person.
Finally, I believe that Q magazine fits into the groups ‘B-C1’ of the socio-economic needs. This is done by being
able to promote the magazine to a high standard to those whom are within the socio-economic group, for
example using relevant text and images to support this.

11. Publisher research
http://magazines.bauermediaadvertising.com/m
agazines/detail/Q
Source:
• The data denotes that 68.3% of males
read/buy Q magazine more than
females do. This could show that the
magazine are putting something more
masculine into the magazine. For
example; boy singers, more male
related competitions, make the front
cover look more like the target
audience is for boys.
• Also having more of the population
who are in between the ages of ‘15-24’
suggests that it would be more ‘up to
date’ within society and could use the
newest singers/bands. This also tells us
that the audience for this magazine is
for the younger generation.

12. Magazine of Inspiration -
After researching other music magazines, I have decided to produce a 4-page
spread for the dance music magazine genre. This is because I find Dance
Club/Land music the most interesting and effective magazine to be produced.
Therefore it will be effective to all the audience.
I have chosen to use this publication as inspiration for my 4-page spread – this is
because I would like to repeat some of the main conventions within this
magazine. One of the main conventions I would like to repeat is the image, this
is because these are high definition images that stand makes it stand out more
than other magazines.
Dance Music – Sub-genre

13. Mixmag – Genre research
Mixmag’s magazine genre is based all on electronic
dance and clubbing music. This means the magazine
focuses on different events from festivals in England,
to festivals in Europe, then even parties in Ibiza. It
also has different interpretations of many unique
celebrities from this genre of music. For example;
certain DJ’s to different bands within this industry.
This then attracts a certain age range of people,
which are 17 year olds to late 20’s this is because they
are more able to go to festivals and different places in
the world as they are in the correct age range that are
allowed to go to these places.
Electronic dance and clubbing music is more
appealing towards the older generation as it is seen
as more ‘age appropriate’ this then creates a vision
around the electronic and dance music and it being
an older age range based audience.

14. Target Audience –
The target audience for mixmag magazine can be denoted as 18 – 25 year olds – both males
and females (Hartley) where the readers can rely on being ‘informed’ (Katz) about the latest
music in the genre and popular music destinations such as ‘Ibiza’ within some of the content
of the magazine.
‘Social climbers’ (Maslow) would like to read this magazine as they feel it would improve their
social status and make them be involved with everyone else, for example keeping up to date
with the latest festivals. The audience of this magazine would be the class C1, C2 and D (Socio
economic needs). This is because of the audience it is aimed at, these people are usually still
in education
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the unique selling
point of this magazine is the images they use. This is because they use high
definition professional pictures which make the magazine stand out from the other
magazines which also have this genre. Also another unique selling point is the
Masthead, this is as it stays the same in every issue that is produced. For example;
Same position on each magazine. Using colours which relate to clubland music, For
example; festival colours (bright colours)

15. Publisher research of Mixmag
Nick Stevenson Is Mixmag’s longest serving staff member. He did work
experience back in 2000, wrote Mixmag Ibiza in 2001 then started full time in
2002 and has been staff writer, clubs editor, news editor, news and online
editor and associate editor along the way. As publisher he is the link between
Mixmag’s editorial and business projects.
Mixmag magazine has been getting produced for a very long time. The first
issue was published on the 1st of February 1983; 30 years ago. These
magazines have been printed international; from London to America even
brazil for the target audience for young adults who enjoy this type of music
(“clubbing and dance music”)
Mixmag magazine gets produced monthly, this means it includes all the
information that you need/want to know every month!
Mixmag is a magazine that is made to appeal to 16-24 year olds. This
audience would be dominated by the male sex, although there would be a
small percentage of the female sex interested in this type of magazine. Their
occupation would be college/sixth form etc. -a student. People who are
studying to further education. Also people who have finished college/or just
finished University, or have just started working full time to earn money.
Their interests would be in many different genres of music, instruments, and
things like attending concerts/festivals/gigs etc. The audience of this
magazine would be the class C1, C2 and D. This is because of the audience it
is aimed at, these people are usually still in education
Source: www.mixmag.co.uk

16. Survey Monkey Monkey Results
More older
people
enjoyed this
genre, this
could help me
in making my
magazines
more mature
and age
appropriate.
More of
the
people
were
female
People mostly listen
to R&B music, this
could help by relating
my magazine to also
R&B music rather
than just 1 genre.
People have
heard of this
genre, so try
and make it
more popular
using the
magazine
Make the picture
stand out more
than anything else,
make it look
important and
‘loud’
Make sure
the image is
very high
definition and
appealing

17. Conclusion
My primary and secondary research conducted was done by looking at different
magazines and establishing the key points from this, also reading information from
online sources. This helped me make certain that my production will be of the highest
standard possible as it helped me relate to these well known magazines, this then
gave me inspiration for what I can include in my magazines. For example; having high
definition main images as the readers think that is the most important and should be
outstanding on the page.