Through analyzing music magazines like Q and NME, the author gained an understanding of their conventions and forms. Key conventions identified on magazine covers included logos, coverlines, images, prices and barcodes. Contents pages commonly featured subscription advertisements, varied images relating to articles, and page numbers over images. Analyzing spreads provided ideas for layouts, images, language and quotes. While emulating conventions ensured authenticity, the author also challenged some to create an original product that stood out.

3. - Through detailed analysis of established music magazines such as Q and NME – which project the
contemporary, indie-rock persona I wanted to create – I was able to gain a good understanding of the forms
and conventions featured in media products of this genre and indeed then felt it was essential to utilise some
of these codes in order to ensure that my final piece looked like a polished, professional and realistic media
product.
- In analysing the front covers of two recent issues of Q and NME, I was able to identify main conventions
they both employed such as the inclusion of one main image surrounded by a masthead logo, coverlines, a
puff/special feature/competition, the price and barcode as well as the use of a variety of colours and minimal
white space.
- My analysis of contents pages from the same magazines proved equally helpful as I found numerous forms
and conventions within this area: there is often a subscription advertisement included, encouraging readers –
with the mention of exclusive covers or a lower price – to subscribe. There were a number of images
featured on the contents pages; each taken in different settings, from different angles and distances,
depicting different colour schemes, which ensured the pages looked dynamic and interesting whilst the high-
quality, contemporary nature of all the shots ensured the piece still appeared professional. I also noticed that
page numbers were placed over the images in clear, bold fonts to allow for easy navigation.
- Studying double page spreads from both Q and NME was also extremely useful; I really enjoyed reading the
articles themselves – which provided me with a good idea of what tone and register to implement when
writing my own in order to appeal to a similar audience as that of the magazines. Furthermore, I noticed that
drop caps were a key convention, along with columns, striking images, pull quotes and sub-titles, the analysis’
provided me with a wealth of ideas regarding the layout, shot-types, colour scheme, language and quotes I
would use!

4. Large, masthead;
placed in top left
third; behind main One large image fills
image the majority of
space on the page,
Slogan inserted as relating to the main
part of masthead coverline
Different colour Very little
highlights white space
special feature
Pull quote from
article with artist
Several coverlines;
name of artist in
large bold lettering
Main coverline, artists name
in large bold lettering;
Barcode, price and stands out most
website

5. Date; Price
Large, masthead; Pull quote
placed in top left
third; behind main
image Main coverline stretches
across entire page, places
Slogan slotted the band name in large
underneath bold letters
masthead; behind
main image
Single image fills Pull quote from main article;
majority of space, unique selling point
their setting acts as
the backdrop for
the front cover
Plus sign draws attention
Several coverlines, to the coverlines; magazine
title in a different has a lot of content
colour to blurb to
attract attention
Barcode; website

6. Large, masthead; placed in Special features in a
top left third; overlapping different colour to other
main image coverlines; show readers
what they can get from
Slogan slotted inside; gig guide and
underneath masthead; in competitions
front of main image
One main image takes
Snappy introduction to up majority of space
main coverline; word
‘exclusive’ creates
excitement Plus sign draws
attention to the other
Main coverline; artists coverlines; magazine
name in large, unique font; has lots of content
attracts reader attention
Several coverlines;
alternating colours;
Barcode; price; date; artists names in large
website; Facebook and bold letters
Twitter icons, advertising
the magazines other media Pull quote
platforms

7. Through analysis of my own music magazine in comparison to those which I had previously studied, I
feel it is easy to identify the codes and conventions I employed in order to make my media product
seem authentic.
As is seen in successful music magazines such as Q and NME, my masthead is positioned at the top of
the left third with the slogan slotted underneath, a price, barcode, issue number, date and website are
included and I employed a single main image, ensuring that it took up the majority of the page –
leaving very little white space. I utilised a plus sign above my coverlines and indeed incorporated
several coverlines, depicting the names of my artists in large, bold letters and alternating colours and
employed a pull quote.
This is the image I used for my coverpage – I
feel that my models garments, make-up and
facial expression/body language ensure that
the shot embodies the indie-rock genre of
magazine. My artist is instantly portrayed as
confident, edgy and unique which is then
further emphasised to the reader in my DPS.

8. Whilst I felt it was necessary to emulate many of the
conventions of music magazines to make my piece seem
professional, I also wanted to challenge certain aspects in order
to create an original media product that would immediately
attract attention.
Most magazines employ one or two similar fonts, however I
chose to utilise a number of different styles on my front cover
to make the page more exciting and draw attention to different
elements, for example, I used a discursive font for my main
coverline to make it stand out, emphasising the fact that my
magazine has obtained an interview with the star. Also, rather
than placing the masthead and slogan behind the main image –
as is seen in issues of Q and NME – mine overlaps the picture of
my artist as I feel it makes a greater impact and would make
the magazine instantly recognisable. In addition, I decided to
use the website address/ barcode/issue number/price at the
bottom left third, but vertically, to challenge the convention
that they are always placed above the barcode horizontally. I
felt this made the magazine look more edgy and original.

9. Q Masthead (also serves Page title “CONTENTS” in the Page numbers in ‘Features’/‘Regulars’ Thumbnail image of the
as the magazine logo) centre third of the first page correspond to those on pictures; neat issues front cover in the
and slogan included and clear layout corner of the right third
on the second page.
Largest image on the
contents is of band U2 as Variety of images
they were featured on included; different
the front cover of the artists; different
magazine and are sizes; different shot
therefore the main selling types, angles,
point of this issue. lighting, distance
Overlapped by the from camera
biggest page number to
allow for easy navigation.
Coverlines that appear
on the front cover are Regulars section in right
listed along the left third, including page
third in the ‘Features’ numbers, sub headings
section. Artists name and quirky blurbs
serve as article titles
and are depicted in a Review section at the
bold font. bottom of right third;
Large page numbers are clear Section promoting black background sets
Bar along the bottom of the page features Q and easy to read and in the subscription to the it apart from the other
masthead/logo and the page number as well as colour scheme and style of magazine at the coverlines – makes it
Facebook and Twitter sites and the subscription the Q masthead bottom of the left third stand out
website

10. Page title “INSIDE THIS WEEK” Date of issue slotted
challenges conventions of a below the page title
masthead simply reading
“Contents”
Image in black and
Largest image on the contents white adds variety and
page is of Liam Gallagher as he was interest to the page.
featured on the front cover and is
therefore the main selling point of
Neat, clear, concise layout;
the issue. By making his the main
contemporary; very easy to
image means readers can easily
read; numbers correspond to
find the interview with him.
pictures and coverlines – easy to
find articles
Pull quotes included below
each image, giving a taste of
the articles and encouraging Promotion of subscription to the
people to read on. Short, magazine, encouraging readers
quirky blurb beneath. by outlining how much they can
save; direct audience interaction
Three small images placed along
the left third with two in the right
third, each taken from different Plus section entails
angles and different distances. more features in the
issue and links to the
Bold page numbers coverlines listed under
overlap the images and the plus sign on the
allow for easy navigation front cover

11. Page title “INSIDE “ depicted in the same font as the LOUD Promotion of subscription along the skyline with offer of £30
masthead in front of the same black splash of paint; carries on worth of downloads – direct interaction with audience
house style.
Thumbnail
Slogan slotted image of the
underneath page issues front
title just as is cover
done with the
Corresponding page
masthead on the
numbers overlap
front cover.
images in the same
font as used for the
Features section along left masthead; clear;
third with regulars on the easy navigation
right, names of artists
depicted in a bold font
Variety of colourful
beside the article page
images; different
number with short,
sizes; different shot
snappy blurb below.
types taken from
different angles
Largest image on the page is of the artist Review section against a turquoise
that was featured on the front cover as Bar along the bottom featuring page number in the
background to set it apart from the same font as LOUD masthead in front of the same
she is the main selling point of the issue – other coverlines and instantly draw
readers will want to be able to get to the black splash of paint as well as the magazine’s
interest. Text in a white font here Facebook and Twitter sites and the subscription
article quickly rather than black. website.

12. All successful music magazines have their own unique House Style, this sets their piece apart and renders it
instantly recognisable – therefore I felt a clear House Style was a key convention I needed to employ when creating
my contents. In order to do so, I emulated many of the aspects on my front cover, for example I utilised a similar
colour scheme of hot pink, black and an icy turquoise and the same fonts.
As seen on the contents pages of magazines such as Q and NME, I created a neat layout with a ‘Features’ and
‘Regulars’ section as well as including a special ‘Review’ segment and depicting page numbers in a large, clear, bold
font placed over the images to allow for easy reader navigation. I included a number of different images and
devoted part of the page to promoting subscription to the magazine and ran a bar along the bottom of the page
featuring the page number, the magazines Facebook and Twitter sites and the subscription website.
I really enjoyed establishing my House Style and think that I have created a distinctive look that would appeal to
my target audience and indeed could be instantly recognised and associated with my magazine.
These are the images I included in my contents, I felt it
was important to have a variety of images taken from
alternate angles and distances, not only to comply
with conventions of music magazines but to make the
page more interesting and exciting! Each picture is
really different from the next but all portray the rock-
indie, edgy look I wanted my magazine to evoke
through the garments/make-up, body language/facial-
expressions and mise-en-scene.

13. As I have mentioned, I think it was essential to make use of
certain forms and conventions of contents pages to ensure
that my media product looked professional and realistic.
However I really wanted to challenge some aspects in order
to add interest to my contents, creating a unique and edgy
look that would appeal to my target audience.
Rather than simply naming my page “Contents” as is the
norm in most magazines, I decided on the title “Inside”
because it’s a contemporary alternative, immediately
grabbing reader attention. I also promoted subscription to
my magazine in a triangular shape along the skyline of my
page which challenges the convention of positioning it in a
box towards the bottom of the page. I felt this would be
more successful in catching the eye of readers and thereby
encouraging them to subscribe. Similar to my front cover, I
utilised a number of dynamic fonts across my contents
instead of one or two similar styles which is a typical form
featured in magazines such as Q and NME.

14. Single image of Drop-cap convention challenged by enlarging the letter to fill the page. Artists name serves
hugely successful Fits in with the colour-scheme of Q’s House Style as the masthead;
artist, Lady Gaga, simple and effective
fills the entire right as this article is likely
page, where the to have followed an
eye-line will fall introductory DPS.
first. As an
instantly
recognisable star, Body text spread
readers are drawn across three columns;
in from the outset neat, clear layout
Drop caps highlight
Image is in black the start of a new
and white creating section in the article
a classy, and break up the
understated interview.
professional look
that fits in with
House Style and
appeals to Q’s
contemporary Bar runs along bottom,
readership. as with all pages in Q
magazine, featuring
the magazines
Dark jewellery and make-up coupled with the Q House Style is reflected in masthead, Facebook
risqué pose and nonchalant expression reflects every element of the and Twitter accounts
the rock-indie persona of the magazine. simplistic, stripped-back DPS. and the page number.

15. Drop caps open the Body text spread across six columns, separated by subtitles in green
article, depicted in the
colour green which is Section on
evident throughout the ‘Tour Highs
article – fits in with and Lows’
NME’s House Style and breaks up the
method of employing body text,
key colours for each adding
issue, often relating to interest. Set
the pictures included. against a green
background to
make it stand
A clever play on words out; fits in with
introduces the article; the House
band name written in Style
larger letters and a
different colour; draws
attention. The title
stretches across the Advertisement
centre of all three of the bands
thirds. debut album (on
which the article
Short and snappy by- is partly based)
line incorporates name Name of as well as the
of journalist and creates photographer mention of the
interest in the article; A single image is splashed Humorous caption NME website
encourages audience to along the bottom half of both regarding the image
read on pages, leaving very little white
space

16. Introductory DPS, clever play on words as the artists name is Ella Fans questions section along
– highlighted by the fact that this word is shown in a different Blurb about background left third and against turquoise
colour and the same font as it was depicted on the front cover. to article and journalist background; fits in with House
Single Dynamic colour scheme representative of the House Style conduction the interview Style, breaks up body text and
striking and piece adds interest
image fills
the right Large image of artist
page, Drop caps open Body text with guitar ‘backstage’
spreading article at the top spread – links with article
onto the of the left third across five subject matter
second; columns
immediately
captures
attention; Photo caption
very little Photo
white space. caption
Pull quotes
Three smaller images
along bottom of first Info on artists
As with all inner pages, bar along bottom page; impression of tour and album.
features page number in same font as the artist; add interest Magazines
LOUD masthead in front of same black website
splatter of paint – emphasising House Style.
The magazines Facebook and Twitter sites
are also featured along with subscription Artists full name in the Short, snappy introduction to article Bar - page number;
website. same font and colour as positioned at the bottom of the left Facebook and
shown on the third on the second page. Twitter; subscription
introductory pages site

17. With consistent House Style being a key convention evident in music magazines, I made sure to maintain my
contemporary, edgy, indie-rock look in the DPS through my colour scheme, use of fonts, informal register and the
type of pictures included. I felt it was important to use a number of other conventions of double page spreads in
order to ensure that my final media product looked authentic and realistic.
I created an introductory DPS followed by the article itself, as magazines such as Q and NME often devote more
than just two pages to major artists – the first two pages featured a single image of my artist which filled the
majority of the spread, leaving little white space. A convention utilised by NME magazine, I created a clever play on
words to overlap this image and introduce the article, the writing was large and attention grabbing. Both pages
featured a bar along the bottom including page numbers, the magazines media platforms and a subscription
website as is seen in Q magazine amongst others. For the second two pages, I created a ‘Fans Questions’ section,
something that is frequently included in music magazines to break up articles and add extra interest to the spread,
I also utilised drop caps and a short introductory blurb to make the piece seem more professional. In addition, I
followed the convention of many successful music magazine double page spreads in adding numerous photos to
the article in the direction of eye-flow with adjoining captions which I feel helps my DPS make a much more
dramatic impact whilst appearing polished and professional.
Images used
in my DPS
Each conveys my artist as a confident, edgy, unique performer through
facial-expression/body-language, attire, garments and mise-en-scene

18. As alluded to, whilst I recognise the importance of complying with
certain forms in and aspects of magazines in order to make the
media product look realistic, I felt it was important to challenge
some conventions to aid my magazine in looking original and unique,
fitting in with the edgy, modern indie-rock persona I was hoping to
create.
In my introductory spread, although many music magazines will
include a short blurb here, I decided not to as I felt my striking image
and the pun in my article title made a really exciting, dramatic impact
that may have been effected by a section of text. With the DPS
article itself, I challenged typical conventions in a similar way to the
NME article I analysed as I felt it was a really different, interesting
layout and I want my magazine to stand out; my text begin at the top
of the left third with pictures along the bottom. However, I then
included an image at the top of my second page with the text
beginning below this to follow the eye-line of readers, carrying them
seamlessly from one page to another. I did not come across any DPS
articles that positioned their photos in this manner. Additionally, I
inserted my photo captions vertically rather than horizontally so as
not to take away from the images but still provide some explanation
and humour. I used the symbol ‘#’ in my fans question section in
reference to twitter, a site my youthful audience will be familiar with
and thereby instantly recognise.

20. - Prior to the design and distribution of my questionnaires, I decided that my music
magazine would be directed at a youthful audience of both genders aged between
approximately 15 and 25. With successful music magazines such as Q and NME targeting
audiences primarily in their 20s and 30s, I wanted to emulate the polished sophistication
and serious journalism of such pieces whilst adding my own contemporary, edgy twist to
make my magazine relevant to younger music fans.
- Constructing questionnaires according to these ideas, the results I received showed that
the majority of my target audience were interested in indie-rock music so I wanted to
focus my magazine on this genre. As one of my favourite types of music, I was confident I
could create a piece that would encompass the indie-rock look and entice other fans of
this particular genre.
- With the decision to create such a magazine, I began to focus my attention on other
magazines of the indie-rock genre such as Q, NME, Billboard and Rolling Stone.

21. In both successful indie-rock music
magazines and my own target audience
feedback, artists and bands such as
Florence and the Machine, The Pretty
Reckless, Laura Marling, Ben Howard, The
Killers and Coldplay prevailed as extremely
popular.
Therefore, I felt it was really important to
use these figures and their overall ‘look’ as
inspiration when creating musicians for my
own magazine because they would then
appeal to the target audience and add to
the credibility of my piece.
As you can see, I’ve included pictures of
the popular stars teenagers and young
adults listen to that depict the genre I
wanted to portray in my music magazine.

22. The colour scheme employed throughout my
magazine also conveys the audience I am aiming to
attract and thereby the social groups I am
representing. For example, I depicted the majority
of my text in black on the inner pages of my
magazine as this colour is habitually associated
with the rock genre and by contrasting this dark
shade and white with a hot pink and icy turquoise
throughout my media product, I feel as though I
have created a modern, edgy colour combination
that reflects my indie-rock genre.
Similarly, through doing so, I was
able to quickly established my
contemporary House Style. I feel
like my magazine may
predominantly appeal to females
through the use of the colour pink
and focus on a female artist,
however the inclusion of black and
male artists on the contents page
ensures that the magazine is
appropriate for either genre.

23. NRS stands for National Readership Survey, NRS is a not-for-profit company which is funded
by the UK Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), Newspaper Publishers Association
(NPA), and Periodical Publishers Association (PPA). They use grade definitions to classify and
describe social groups/classes especially in consumer targeting and research.
As my target audience is aged between 15-25, my readers will tend to be pupils in school,
students in university or young professionals so with this in mind, by using the grade
definitions I can see that my music magazine will appeal to those in categories B, C1 and C2.

24. The images I have shot of my main artist represent a social
group; her leather jacket, dark make-up and electric guitar
convey the indie-rock genre and therefore teenagers and
young adults of the same interest will be able to interact with
and relate to the photos. Whilst I wanted some of them to
show fun, natural poses, I made sure others were serious and
as professional as I could manage to reflect the fact that my
magazine is a serious music piece.

26. The media institution that might distribute my magazine must obviously specialise in the distribution
of magazines already, some of the leading magazine distributers in the UK include IPC Media, Bauer
Media and Emap. Each of these companies are well established in the magazine industry,
successfully distributing magazines spread across a wide range of genres, for example music,
fashion, home, sport etc; I felt it was important to research each one in order to determine which
would be best to distribute my magazine.

27. - The Bauer Media Group is Europe’s largest privately owned
publishing group. It is a worldwide, multi-platform media
empire consisting of many companies collected around two
main divisions – magazine and radio – widely recognised and
rewarded as being industry innovators.
- Bauer Media owns a huge number of influential media
brands spanning a wide range of interests, including heat,
GRAZIA, Closer, MCN, FHM, Parkers, MATCH, Magic 105.4,
Kiss 100, Kerrang! and Q.
- Their selection of over 300 magazines are available in 15
BAUER MEDIA
countries, as well as online, TV and radio.
can connect and
engage 19 million - Worldwide circulation of Bauer Media Group's magazine
consumers every titles amounts to 38 million magazines a week.
week with
influential - Bauer Media have a unique insight into the media industry,
brands. allowing them to work closely with their customers.

28. IPC MEDIA - IPC Media is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United
Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling approximately 350 million copies of
produces over 60 magazines each year.
iconic brands; - IPC Media produces over 60 iconic media brands, with print alone reaching
2/3’s of their almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men – almost 26 million UK
print reaches adults – while their websites collectively reach over 20 million users every
month.
women in the UK. - IPC's diverse print and digital portfolio focuses on three core audiences: men,
Their website mass market women and upmarket women.
reaches over 20 - Their media products directed at men include: COUNTRY LIFE, HORSE AND
million users per HOUND, RUGBY WORLD and NME.
- Their media products directed at women include: LOOK, NOW, CHAT,
month. WOMAN,TV TIMES and TV & SATELLITE WEEK.

29. sly distributed - Emap is a business-to-business multiplatform media group, whose brands
EMAP previou
zine MOJO,
the music maga inform, inspire and connect within the sectors they operate in. For millions
ccessful. This
which is very su
music magazin
e has a of people across the globe involved in the built environment, retail, media,
,
ulation of 100 fashion, health, education, government and automotive sectors, Emap
readership circ
to be a very
507; proving it provides essential news, analysis and access.
d, well
well establishe ,
gazine. In 2006
distributed ma g of the - It has 20 magazines, including: Architects Journal, Architectural Review,
at the beginnin
had an Broadcast, Construction News, Drapers, Health Service Journal, Local
recession they
me of
operating inco Government Chronicle, Nursing Times, Retail Week, Recycling & Waste
£223 million.
approximately Management and Screen International.

30. - Whilst institutions such as Emap are undoubtedly successful in their distribution of magazines, I feel that their focus
on built environment, retail, media, fashion, health, education, government and automotive sectors directed at adults
and older markets renders them unsuitable for distributing my media product, a music magazines.
- IPC Media could be a better choice for the distribution of my magazine with their pieces reaching almost 26 million
adults in the UK and their websites attracting over 20 million – my media product would be well circulated and its
other media outlets effectively promoted.
However, I feel that Bauer Media would be the definitely best
media institution to distribute my product; this company distributes
both Q and Kerrang! Magazine which are extremely successful
magazines of the music genre – as exemplified by the fact alone
that Kerrang! enjoys a readership circulation of 134,000 whilst Q
has a readership circulation of 130,179. As my media product is also
a music magazine, Bauer Media would obviously be familiar with
how to promote and distribute such pieces and thereby it would
have a better chance of being successful!
Furthermore, from my research, I can also see that Bauer Media has
been involved in media platforms other than just magazines, they
have a radio channel which could be used to promote my magazine
as they have previously done with Q and Kerrang! The genre of the
magazine will also be instantly recognisable if it is being promoted
through a radio institution, which would bring the magazine to the
attention of my target audience in a fun and direct way.

32. With the aid of my music magazine analysis and questionnaires, I determined that my magazine would
be aimed at a target audience of both genders, predominantly females, aged between approximately
15 and 25. Although this may initially seem like quite a wide-ranging age group, I wanted to create a
magazine that would appeal to all young music fans; whether they be students in school or university
or young professionals emerging into the working world, a good knowledge of the music industry, a
passion for the rock-Indie genre, gigs/festivals and a desire to find the latest news on current and
upcoming artists connects them, and this is what I wanted to provide.
I ensured that all of the pictures, fonts and colours utilised
across my media product would appeal to such an audience
as well as the magazines style and layout – as I will go on to
discuss in the next question.

33. - To help me understand who the audience for my media product is, I created a questionnaire
about my ‘Ideal Reader,’ allowing me to get an inside look at their lives; lifestyle, hobbies,
favourite foods and products etc. as it is crucial for all magazines to be in touch with their readers
and know exactly who is buying their product. 'Ideal Reader' profiles are established accordingly
as a general reflection of one of their typical buyers and the interests of such a figure can then be
utilised to approach and persuade various companies to take out advertisements on their pages.
- In order to ensure that my Ideal Reader Profile was realistic and authentic, I compiled of a
comprehensive list of questions for my questionnaire ranging from 'What is your favourite fizzy
drink?' and 'How do you purchase the latest music hits?' which are associated with products and
services – the companies offering these could be possible advertisers for my magazine – to 'What
is your occupation?' and 'What do you like to do in your spare time' in order to gain a better idea
of the lifestyle and personality of my ideal reader.
The feedback I received not only provided
information about certain brands and
products my target audience like – which
could be shown to companies to
encourage them to advertise in my music
magazine – but the questionnaire was
also very helpful in determining what
type of people will be reading the
magazine - with this knowledge, I was
then able to create my 'Ideal Reader'
profile which I have included in the
following slide!

34. Laurie lives and breathes Whether it be through the
music – a 20 year old medium of TV, radio or
student, studying media newspaper, Laurie recognises
journalism in London, she is the day she can go to work in a
pair of Christian Louboutin’s as
constantly updating the vast
true success but in the
library of songs on her iPod
meantime enjoys shopping in
and dreams of going on to high street stores such as
review the newest albums, TopShop, h&m and Primark –
biggest gigs and best and holds down a job in New
festivals in the world! Look to fund this passion for
As a teenager, Laurie’s taste in fashion, music and in particular
music began to develop when the purchase of an electric
she received her first guitar – guitar.
learning to play induced the
discovery of and appreciation Laurie is single and loves the
for a whole range of nightlife London has to offer
instrument-strumming artists: throughout the year, choosing
from Bob Dylan to Ben to alternate between going out
Howard, she now looks to to clubs to dance and pubs for
LOUD for the latest singer intimate gigs at the weekend
songwriters to hit the scene and if anything will be sipping
and indeed news from those on a Malibu and sprite. Her
that are most famous around summer months are spent
the world. back home in Ireland, where
she tunes into Cool FM radio
Her list of most played tunes is station and makes sure to
eclectic mix of edgy rock-indie attend Oxegen festival, an
performers such as Florence experience she loves – as well
and the Machine and Mumford as squeezing in a girls holiday
and Sons and loves the fact that to her best friend’s luxurious
LOUD covers such styles. apartment in Portugal!

36. I wanted to find out as much as possible about my target audience so that I could then create a magazine that was
tailored specifically to their preferences, encouraging them to buy it, which would result in a successful media
product! Questionnaires are a really effective way of doing this as they provide first-hand information from the
target audience, therefore I created two which were each handed to twenty people within the target age-limit.
- I constructed a ‘Design Decisions’
questionnaire to help me discover exactly
what my audience expected and indeed
wanted from the music magazine. I asked 13
questions which were concise and to the
point to allow for easy, quick answering on a
range of aspects involved in magazine front
covers, contents pages and double page
spreads.
- I was really happy with the results I received
as they proved extremely useful in helping to
shape and inspire ideas for my own piece, I
now had a clear idea of what my target
audience desired which was important as
they are the people who will be buying the
magazine and thereby determine if it will be
successful or not – their opinion is absolutely
crucial!

37. As shown on my blog, I constructed tables on
Excel for each of the questions and answers
12
Masthead from my questionnaire in order to be able to
10
Main Image analyse the results effectively.
8
Freebies
The vast majority of people involved in the
6 Coverlines
questionnaire said that the main image was
4 Colours
what caught their eye on a magazine front
2 Music Artists
Listed
cover so I knew I needed to focus on
0
1
capturing a really striking shot. They also said
they wanted to see a solo artist featured
which influenced my decision to feature a
single musician on the cover.
16
By asking questions like
Solo Artist Interviews
14 ‘What would you like to
Band
12 Upcoming gigs and tours be featured in the
10
Gig reviews
magazine?’ I was able to
8
6
get a really good idea of
CD reviews
4 coverlines and articles to
2 Tips on how to succeed include that would
rding
I asked questions rega
in the music industry
0
attract my target
and
both the front cover
Celebrity gossip and
1
stories audience.
for
inner pages! See blog
all tables + analysis

38. Through my questionnaires, I also found that my target audience are really interested in the latest mobile phones,
laptops and other such gadgets and purchase the majority of their music through downloads – this conveys the
fact that my readers are up to date with technology and enjoy using the internet which is not surprising given that
we live in a world that is becoming ever more technologically advanced, and indeed dependent, by the day.
Therefore, I felt it was important to include aspects such as the magazines website address and Facebook and
twitter sites as well as a subscription website in order to create a media product that is current and relevant for
today, appealing to my target audience of students and young professionals.
As you will have seen, I included a bar along the bottom of all the inner pages of my magazine – as is done in pieces
like Q which also aim to attract young readers – that featured these websites so that my audience would be
encouraged to go check them out when they are catching up with friends on their favourite social network, which
is likely to be often, as BBC studies recently found that 83% of those in their teens and early twenties were likely to
log into sites such as Facebook up to 10 times a day. Indeed Q’s Facebook page has received over 22,000 likes with
their Twitter enjoying 51,437 (and rising!) followers, showing that young people enjoy interacting with their
favourite magazines across a range of media platforms.
The bar running
along the bottom Close-up of
of inner pages websites featured!

39. As mentioned, in the answers received from my ‘Design Decisions’ questionnaire, my target audience listed the image on a
magazine as what grabs their attention first which is why it was key to make my pictures professional, edgy and appealing
for readers, instantly portraying the indie-rock genre so that they would be attracted to my media product.
From my ‘Design Decision’ questionnaire, I also found that I wanted to create different looks for each girl so that the band
the majority of my target audience wanted to see a solo artist would seem unique, contemporary and edgy: I dressed one
on the front cover so, with the knowledge that my readers model in a skirt and jumper and another in a dress and a top
will be predominantly female, I created a female singer with the final girl in wet look leggins and a blouse. In
named Ella Dean. As she is in her early twenties and from constructing the outfits, I made sure that each included strands
humble beginnings – as highlighted in the DPS – I felt it was a of blacks and pinks, ensuring that they looked like a real group
persona the readers could easily connect to and interact whilst emphasising the rock-indie theme to appeal to my target
with. audience!
By featuring my artist in black leather garments with dark
In taking photos of my drummer, I wanted my models clothes
jewellery, voluminous hair and striking, smoky-eye make-up,
to be understated and simple to reflect the fact that he is
an edgy, indie-rock look is immediately depicted which will
solely concerned with music and indeed that he is new to the
appeal to the target audience and encourage them to delve
music scene. I chose a simple white t-shirt, dark jeans and navy
into the magazine!
jumper to create the relaxed look and feel it was effective in
portraying the fact that he is an upcoming artist which will
attract my target audience!

40. As mentioned, my magazine is intended to appeal to all young music fans; whether they be students in
school or university or young professionals emerging into the working world, a good knowledge of the
music industry, a passion for the rock-Indie genre, gigs/festivals and a desire to find the latest news on
current and upcoming artists connects them, and this is what I wanted to provide.
Therefore, my magazine reflects the assumption that the
readers are well informed about the music industry and the
indie-rock genre, allowing me to use jargon and avoid slang or
a childish tone, helping to establish the piece as professional
and serious about music. Also, with this in mind, I was able to
make my magazine more relevant and appealing to the target
audience through the utilisation of a conversational, friendly
tone and informal register throughout my pages, adding to the
impression of the writer and reader as music equals. I wanted
my DPS article to include interesting information that would be
seen in successful music magazines such as Q or NME – I
discussed the artists roots, how she has progressed through
the music industry and indeed reached the stage of creating
her own tour – but ensured I kept it fun and contemporary
with direct audience address, short/snappy language and, as
mentioned, a consistently informal, friendly tone which would
make the article more engaging.

42. In constructing my media product, I learned a huge amount about technologies: I had to utilise certain
software that I had used before so I was thereby able to develop my skills in these areas but we also
used a vast range of technologies I had never come across. I found this learning process really
interesting, enjoyable and worthwhile as ultimately, it allowed me to create my final media product.
Firstly, our Media Studies class had to learn how to use PBworks.com, a blogging site where we were to
upload the various tasks and studies we completed as part of the process of creating our music
magazine. Initially, I found PBworks quite confusing, struggling to organise my sidebar and upload
relevant images and documents however, with more use, it quickly became very easy to navigate
around the site, upload work and edit pages. The blogs also allowed our class to review and comment
on each others work, delivering constructive criticism and feedback. I arranged the main task on my
blog under three headings in the sidebar: Research, Planning, Construction and Evaluation.

43. http://prezi.com/tndcuoudz7js/music-magazine-front-cover/ During the process of constructing
my media product, I utilised an online
brainstorming site I had never used
before called Prezi, it allows you to
create a mind-map presentation of
ideas using alternating fonts,
colourful shapes and arrows with the
option of inserting images too.
Simple and easy to operate, Prezi
proved extremely useful when I was
thinking of ideas regarding the
different aspects of my magazine
such as colour scheme, masthead,
coverlines and slogan etc The
software allowed you to review your
ideas once you had finished with the
ability to zoom in on certain areas
and follow different paths around the
mind-map which meant I could easily
compare my ideas in a way that was
Above is a screen shot of my Prezi, I created three much more fun and interesting than
distinct sections: one based on all my ideas for the if the brainstorm had simply been on
front cover, the other on ideas for contents pages paper.
and finally, my ideas for the double page spread.

44. Another new technology I learned to use was an online
programme called ANIMOTO, a video-making site where
you can add your own text, images and music – I utilised
this to create a short video that represented the genre of
my magazine.
I chose a vintage theme to reflect the edgy, cool persona I
want my magazine to evoke whilst the soundtrack was
classed under the 'indie-rock' section on the
websites music selection so obviously I felt it was
appropriate! I included images of a variety of artists that
represent the different types of musicians I would want my
magazine to cover - from the likes of Taylor Momsen of The
Pretty Reckless and Florence Welsh of Florence and the
Machine to The Wombats and Snow Patrol. I felt it
important to feature the key elements I want my magazine
to cover such as interviews, music
updates, reviews and guides to festivals and gigs and was
really pleased with the outcome as I feel it was a simple and
yet very effective representation of the genre of my music
magazine!
http://animoto.com/play/bO2Jlv1OZtVJjgVBqmlqRQ
ots from
Some screen sh
ideo
my ANIMOTO v

45. As well as using technologies I was not familiar with, I did avail of
numerous programmes which I had used before such as Windows
Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel and PowerPoint throughout the
process of constructing my media product.
For example, I used PowerPoint to bring together my research on media
institutions and distributers as well as the music magazine industry,
effectively portraying the information in an exciting manner.
I complied my questionnaires on Word and used Excel to create tables
based on the answers which meant I could present my findings in a
much more interesting, vibrant way as well as allowing for easier
analysis and used Publisher to create flatplans for my various magazine
pages – an essential step in creating the final media product.
I also used DaFont.com to download fonts that could then be included
in the various sections of my media product to add interest and make
the pages look more exciting whilst still retaining a professional look.

46. With the help of some previous experience and the Preliminary task, I had a very basic idea of
how to use Adobe Photoshop, however my knowledge of the software expanded enormously in
the construction of my media product as each of my pages was put together using it.
Indeed I think this was the programme I learned most about, discovering a whole range of new
tools and options which were invaluable in shaping the look of my music magazine and
personally found it to be the most helpful.
Photoshop allowed me to hugely enhance the images I included across my front cover, contents
and double page spread which was really important as, like the questionnaires showed, the
pictures included in magazines are what draws the attention of my target audience.
Amongst the wide range of tools employed, I used the polygonal lasso to outline my main artists
lips and then adjusted the colour balance, saturation and levels in order to make them stand out
in an eye-catching bright pink shade which I could then match to my masthead. The hot colour
provides an edgy contrast with the dark black and icy turquoise that also remain dominant
throughout my media product, creating a contemporary, indie-rock look which would appeal to
my target audience. I then edited the entire picture to make it more striking and professional
looking and completed the process with all pictures of her to create a sense of continuity.
I also made frequent use of the colour sampler tool, spot healing brush tool, magic-wand tool,
rectangular marquee tool, crop tool, rubber and brushes, text tool and free transform as well as
adjusting the image settings on all of my photos.

47. Very basic outline of the
steps I took to achieve the
final look of my main image:
- Polygonal lasso tool around lips,
adjust image settings to make them
bright pink
- Polygonal lasso tool around eyes,
emphasise dark eye shadow
- Crop image
- Adjust image levels
- Adjust brightness/contrast levels
An example of how I edited - Add drop shadow
my text to make it easily
legible against the backdrop - Add inner shadow
of an image whilst creating - Add outer glow
more of a dramatic impact

49. Looking back on the front cover and contents page I created for my preliminary task, when
compared to my final media product, I feel I have made a massive improvement and this
significant progression is reflected in my music magazine looking like a much more authentic,
professional product.
I have learned the importance of background-research in the progression from Preliminary Task
to full product; I carried out much more in-depth studies when conducting my main task, finding
out about prominent media institutions and magazine distributers such as IPC Media, Bauer
Media and Emap as well as successful music magazines such as Q and NME, providing me with a
knowledge of the music magazine industry and indeed a solid base to create my own.
Whilst I did analyse some school magazines in the construction of my Preliminary Task, I only
decided to employ a very limited number of codes and conventions of such products which I
think becomes obvious in my final pages – they do not look realistic. Whereas with my music
magazine I completed number of detailed analysis of music magazines which helped me gain an
understanding of the codes and conventions of such pieces, many of which I then tried to
emulate in producing my media product in order to make it look like a professional magazine.
I learned to use new programmes such as ANIMOTO, whilst developing my skills in Microsoft
Word, Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint as well as in software like Photoshop and Prezi.

52. Through the experience of conducting a ‘photo shoot’ in my Preliminary Task, I learned about the
problems that can come up when trying to capture an effective image such as how difficult it is to
direct a friend, inefficient lighting and setting, overly basic/unrealistic photo shoot plan etc. and so
was able to prepare for and address such anomalies in taking the photos for my main task. I feel that
the vast improvement in shots is evident which was a crucial step as my target audience listed the
first thing they notice about a magazine as the pictures on it. I also felt I progressed hugely in my
understanding of what type of photos and shot-types are used in magazines as well as the fact that
shooting against a clear background can ensure a much more polished, professional final look.
The improvement in photos was helped enormously by my improvement in Photoshop; looking back
on my Preliminary Task, in terms of the front cover, I now feel it looks very childish and unrealistic
with the fact that my model has an outer glow making the separation between her and the picture
behind her too obvious. The coverlines I included do not stand out against the background and in
some cases are difficult to read, with an unnecessary amount of blurb. These were all difficulties I
progressed from in creating my main task where I utilised a striking, edgy close-up of my model to fill
the entire page, I then employed my background-research on music magazines in working hard to
construct short, snappy coverlines to surround the image, supplying each with a drop shadow/inner
shadow or other in order to make them stand out and clear to read.
I was able to edit my images to much better effect in the main task also, having not really altered
their settings when conducting the Preliminary Task – enhancing my photos was a key step as it made
the music magazine look much more edgy and authentic.

53. I also feel I have learned a huge deal about appealing to target audience in the progression from Preliminary
to Main Task; with my school magazine, I focused on no particular genre or topic, instead aiming it broadly
at all sixth-form students in the school, however, in my main task I conducted extensive audience research
using questionnaires and class feedback in order to establish a clear, concise idea of the genre of my
magazine, how to reflect this and indeed how to attract my youthful, indie-rock target audience.
On looking back at the two tasks, I followed no particular House Style in my school magazine and didn’t
even include the same fonts – I now realise this would never be seen in a real magazine, continuity from
page to page is something buyers of any magazine expect therefore my final media product is much more
realistic. I established and emphasised a House Style that I felt would appeal to my target audience
throughout all aspects of my pages, for example the striking contrast between my dominant colours of
black, hot pink and light turquoise created a really edgy, contemporary feel. I also utilised the same fonts
across the piece, choosing to depict my masthead, contents title and page numbers in a pink, retro text in
front of a black splatter of paint – further adhering to my colour scheme. I also feel I appealed to my
audience through the informal register and friendly, conversational tone employed throughout, reader
address was not something I hugely considered in my Preliminary Task but my research of magazines
highlighted its importance.
In conclusion my knowledge of print media, specifically music magazines, has increased greatly due to the
time and effort that I have put into creating my cover page, contents page and double page spread for my
music magazine, a process I thoroughly enjoyed. This experience has allowed me to gain confidence in my
analysing and editing and has thereby hugely increased my capabilities as a media studies student.