1) The document describes the process and techniques used to create an indie rock music magazine as part of a school assignment, including conducting research on existing magazines and reader surveys. 2) Key techniques included using simple color schemes, many images as preferred by readers, informal language to connect with the target audience of teenagers and young adults, and featuring new band releases and concert dates. 3) The intended distribution methods included both print and digital formats at music venues, festivals, and retailers to reach the target audience who have a passion for music.

1. Cordelia Langstaff

2. In my media product I used many forms and conventions that I saw in my initial
research however I also developed and challenged these conventions to create my own
unique product. For example I challenged the front cover of MOJO as they fill theirs
fully with a lot of information how ever I left mine fairly simple as I think that keeping
my front cover simple would attract my customers as in my questionnaire they
answered that they would prefer pictures instead
of a lot of writing.
My music magazine uses the typical position of the masthead up in the corner of the
front cover. In bold and large text this makes it easily recognisable, this is a positive
thing as on shelves this will make people notice my magazine first. I also used
buzzwords which was also very common in real media product, which is used as a
technique to draw the readers in. I used a lot of images within my magazine on all of
the pages, I did this as my readers answered in the questionnaires that this is what they
would like to see, this is also know among real media institutions so therefore was a
useful technique to know as it would help sell my product if it were to become a real
media product.
The magazines that I analysed in the beginning all use very vibrant colour schemes in
their photos and layout of the magazine. I however did not think that that colour
scheme suited the aesthetic style of my magazine so I decided to go for more simple,
laid back colour schemes. So I decided to have my pictures In a range of black and
white and colour. I also kept my magazine simple with a colour scheme of black and
white with hints of red throughout to give it a relaxed look but also keep it interesting
with vibrant bits of red throughout.

3. My media product represents the social group of teenagers and young adults who
like to listen to alternative rock music, sometimes described as “indie” music. I
achieved this look through my images, layout of the magazine and the informal
language that I used to connect with my customer. I feel that by using certain
techniques I connected and represented this particular social group well.
I feel that my magazine is appropriate for all genders as this is who I aimed at
through my photos and contents of my magazine. I aimed for both genders as I
feel this gave me a wider audience and more of an opportunities for my magazine
to sell.
Through my research I understood what people wanted from “indie rock”
magazines so based my articles and photos on what I found out from my research,
which involved things such as articles involving new band releases, new tours
dates for bands that perform the different genres of music that my magazine
focuses on, indie rock. It also involves including things such as different festivals
going on around the local areas. People in my surveys also said that they like the
direct contact with the bands through the magazine which is why I involved the
interview with the band in my cover story.
As the majority of the social group are younger people in the teen years, I focused
the magazine on what they would like to read and see as that was my target
audience, this is why I kept the cover fairly simple and also the double page
spread with the article involved, I uses a fair amount of photographs as in the
survey the majority vote told me that this is what my audience wanted to see.

4. I feel that many media institutions are likely to distribute my media product, such as;
 Online through digital publishers
 At gigs and festivals
 Retailers- supermarkets
 Magazine and music stores.
These media institutions would be likely to distribute my media product as through my
previous research I know that they already provide similar products, which sells well
so gives me hope that my product would also sell. I feel that social media and online
marketing has become increasingly popular, so I feel that publishing and advertising
my product online would help my product become more popular and help it sell more,
this was also backed up by the answers of my survey questions and my market
research as the majority of people now read magazines and newspapers on apps of
their phones or tablets through a subscription simply for the ease of it and how it gives
them the freedom to read on the go as with papers and sometimes magazines they can
be a pain to carry around to read.
The majority of my audience have a real passion for music so therefore at every gig and
festival the are likely to be there, for example Leeds festival is a popular local festival.
This means that there are likely to be a huge amount of people here that would enjoy
my magazine but have never heard of it so being distributed here I feel that It would be
popular as the other people who go to these festivals and gigs are likely to match or be
similar to my reader profile.

5. My target audience for my media product would be the same as the audiences for
magazines such as Q and NME. People who I would aim my product for can be any
gender and have to be interested in indie rock genre of music. Its can also be read by
any age however the theme of the magazine it typically aged at the younger generation,
teenagers.
I used many techniques to create my magazine to be aimed at the certain target
audience that I desired. Such as the band I used for my front cover, they are a young
boy band that would attract both males and females. I used a specific colour scheme of
black, white and red which matched the theme and appealed to the type of people I feel
would buy my magazine. Even though the colour scheme was kept simple it also drew
people in as the colours complemented each other.
My audience for my magazine would be the typical teenage “indie rock” fan so they
stereotypically wear simple colours such as black and white which is also I used this
colour scheme for my magazine and then my readers could create a rapour with not
only my magazine but also with the bands featured in my magazine as I made sure the
costumes match that of the people who answered my survey to make up my reader
profile.
As the majority of people who answered my survey were young adults I aimed the
contents of my magazine towards that and involved things that I feel that they would
enjoy, for example the questions asked to the band in my cover story, involving
information about new gigs and festivals which the older generations just wouldn’t be
bothered about.

6. As you can see from my final products I used the same colour scheme throughout
my magazine including the themes of the pictures that I took. I felt this was very
important in both attracting and addressing the audience as it helped the
magazine flow easily and made it more enjoyable for the reader. I choose the
colours red, white and black as individually the are very bold and together they all
stand out attracting the reader.
My models for the photos throughout my magazine are “young” and “hipster”
appealing to the majority of the youth today and attracting the type of audience
that I would like to read my magazine.
I used a range of buzzwords from “exclusive” and “new” to attract the reader into
buying my magazine as this makes them feel that they are getting more for their
money. I also made the cost of my magazine fairly cheap as my audience based on
my reader profile and magazine research would not be willing to pay a huge
amount for a magazine, so for young adults a cheap price is very appealing
compared to other competition in the music magazine industry so therefore would
have also taken competitions customers and attracted and audience.
I wrote my article quite informally as with my audience they do not want to be
ready very elaborated language, so I addressed them in the correct way to make
the magazine easier to read but also for my magazine to create a more direct
relationship with the customers.

7. Throughout this process I used many software's such as Adobe
Photoshop and Microsoft PowerPoint and word, I also used InDesign
with the production of my magazine, to publish my progress on my
coursework I used blogger.
It took my a while to develop my skills on these different software’s
as some, for example Photoshop I had little experience with. I did this
by making draft copies and seeing how each tool affected my work,
and in time I was able to create a copy I was happy with.
Blogger was easy to use and understand as it was a step to step
progress, to show my final piece of work I uploaded my blogs in the
chronological order in which I also followed in production so, front
cover first then my contents page and finally my double page spread.

8. Looking back at my preliminary I feel like I have been able to greatly
develop my skills in different software’s used to edit such as
Photoshop and InDesign. I also feel that I’ve been able to identify and
become acquainted with the internal workings of different magazines
through my research process.
I feel I have become more confident with the use of a camera and
studio, I also feel my skills in this area have developed greatly. I have
been able to shoot photos in natural environments and in studios
which has allowed me to understand more about certain lightings and
angles.
My creative skill have also improved greatly from my preliminary
task as I now know how to colour coordinate things such as my font
so that they match and are able to look acceptable when placed
together on a front cover or somewhere in a magazine.