Magazine Genre Research

1. Genre Research
My chosen genre is Indie
Music.
On this slideshow I will
show the forms and
conventions of an Indie
Music Magazine.

2. Lighting
The type of lighting in an Indie Magazine is
usually a mixture of medium key and low key
lighting. Creating a aged/retro look, the colours
used are quite neutral and earthy. The person
in the main image is often highlighted slightly
making them stand out.
The examples show a highlighted picture
making the artist very white representing purity
and then quite a low key lighting representing
quite a serious look of the artist.

3. Colours
Colours play a big role in this genre. They
are mainly earthy colours and soft colours
but often bright retro colours are added to
give a modern twist on the vintage style.
The example has a very vintage look to it
with the way she is dressed and the prop
used which is vintage camera. The sell line
is in a neutral colour adding to the
earthy/retro theme.

4. Locations
The typical location of an Indie Magazine would be:
• Lorry Park
• Abandoned warehouse
• Industrial Area
• Wall with graffiti on it
• Old house with a vintage sofa
These all create a quirky feeling , which appeals to the Indie
Audience. It also enforces the vintage feel throughout the
magazine.
The first example (SELDOM) shows the artists in what looks
like a old garage or industrial building.
The second example shows a girl in vintage costume stood in
front of a wall that has graffiti on , this is a typical location
for a indie magazine

5. Stock Characters
The artists on the front cover usually always
portray the indie look well. Use of vintage
costume, props, etc. all make the artist look
part of the indie genre. This appeals to the
audience because if the artists were shown in
bright glossy colours they would probably
associate the artists with pop , which they
aren’t particularly attracted to.

6. Costumes and Props
Vintage/retro costumes are usually worn by the
artists. The clothing is very simplistic and slightly
worn, giving the characters their identity and
making them look different to the typical people in
society. Often in British Indie Artist use Patriotic
props such as British Flags, Old Suitcases , vintage
telephones/telephone boxes. Also acoustic guitars
are often featured in most indie magazines .The
typical costume would be either boot cut or skinny
jeans, baggy jumpers and shirts then often for
women a old fur coat and for men a parka jacket /
bomber. In the example the vaccines are shown in
the typical costume of baggy, worn shirts and
bomber jackets.

7. Fonts
The Mast Head is usually always in bold block
writing expressing the independent choice of
music. It also stands out appealing to the
audience as the audience stand out from the
everyday crowd in society. Retro font is often
used as well , the fonts outline is often broken
giving it an aged look, again enforcing the aged
themes the example shows this style of font.
The second example is made to look like old
posters and again some of them are ripped.

8. My Reflection
To ensure my magazine meets the codes and conventions typical of the Indie Genre relating to
my research. Firstly I need to use the correct colours for example I will use a very simple colour
pallet. Also many magazines use pastel colours to add some colour to the magazine showing it’s
quirky side. For my images I will use a mixture of low key and medium lighting showing the
artists expressions and also the mast heads and sell lines will stand out if they are put on to a
darker background/image. I need to use either a close up or medium close up for the main
image on the cover because after analyzing similar magazines the main image of the artist is
usually always a head shot showing their expression and a medium shot shows the
props/costumes and location of the artists, appealing to the audience. On my double page
spread I will use a large medium shot for the main image, showing the artists in their specific
location and their style of clothing etc. then I will use a variety of different shots for the
secondary images showing the use of camera techniques. For my font I will uses a large block
font , which will stand out on the magazine attracting the audience. If possible I will try and
give the font an aged look. I will use a specific location represented with a indie group/singer.
For example a industrial warehouse , old wall with graffiti on , old living room with a shabby
sofa etc.