Print Project – Music Magazine

By Faheem Patel

Beat Zone

Introduction

• I had to create a music magazine along with a contents page and a double page spread main article.

• I worked alone as the print project was an individual task.

• Everything that was used within these pages was my own work.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of

real media products?

- Here is a typical conventional music magazine that caters to the same genre that I am aiming at which is dance. Outlined are the conventions

Conventions:Big and bold masthead.

Indirect mod of address ( not conventional but acceptable)

Using big stars to entice the reader.

Having a leading caption making the reader aware of the main article.

Subheading of further content.

Set colour scheme that artist blends with.

Mixmag. Beat Zone

As indicated by the arrows my magazine cover follows the basic conventions that a magazine cover has such as a masthead, dominant main image of star etc. Also the main star is dressed and is also in the correct surrounding in following the colour scheme. A wider insight into the conventions can be found on my blog.

What I differently?

What I did differently was to take my picture in pure sunlight which added a different aspect to my magazine cover as from research most magazine covers have the images taken at one specific light setting the sunlight in this image has covered only half of my main stars body leaving the other half in the shade and this is what i intended as this connotes hidden potential. This can be clearly seen especially on the face.

As conventional of a magazine contents page I have listed all the contents of my magazine followed by the page number and a little extra as to what might be on that specific page. Also I felt as though I needed to set these pages into categories by adding subheadings such as “News and Music.” The entire page again carries through the colour scheme that was set on the front cover.

I added an image of another character that was going to be in my magazine on my contents page to amplify the importance of another article in my magazine and this was also so the reader would not get bored of seeing the same star all throughout my magazine.

Conventionally of a music magazine contents page a number is shown on any image to show what page it is going to come up on.

The title of the page is also at the top of the page in the largest font which is also a convention of a contents page as well as looking interesting I did this by changing the colour following my colour scheme of two letters.

In the end I also added the header in the black box as my contents page looked over simplistic.

I chose to make my contents page look simple because I felt as though it would be more appealing this way.

I decided to have a different assortment of images of my main artist around the article in order to give the reader a more of a understanding of the artist that I had made and this also met the mandatory number of original images that needed to be used.

In order to give the reader more on my magazine article I added a written signature of the main artist as an extra to attract the reader to read on.

I used the column format for my magazine article as this is conventional of a magazine and so I had to follow this.

The font I used was the same font used to show off my main article on my main cover and also the font used on my contents and this was called “Freshman.”

I decided to add the editors name and a thanks at the end of my article as from research I found that this was always present on an article.

I created the background for my article on photo shop through changing the colour of a series of stamps and placing them on an A$ sheet in different places i made sure this followed the colour scheme.

I tried to follow my main article from the name of my magazine and therefore, decided to name the interview part of my magazine “in the Zone with ...”

The colour scheme of the font again follows the green and pink colour scheme that was set on my main page.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

As I was going o focus my magazine on a male solo artist in the dance genre it would only make sense to research existing male solo artists. The artist on the left is called Basshunter.

A further artist that I researched was called Calvin Harris.

A further feature i found conventional of artist's that cater to the dance genre are certain props that amplify their over all image as well as clothing to match. In this image the red of the ring matches the black of the T – shirt as well as the white colour graffiti on it.

Again, I found that there are certain props present to portray their image the main one being individuality and therefore, I found this is what I planned on doing. In this image these props where the unique glasses which I found amplified the artists status and then the orange balls for individuality.

These where two models that i found suitable for my magazine cover and I chose this because I felt they both had individual qualities in posing for my magazine. On the image on the right my model has very unique hair and also a lot of confidence in his pose which made him ideal for my magazine cover.

The model on my right was also chosen for my magazine but for a lesser role as he was posing for my contents page and i chose this model as i found he could potentially carry the sex appeal and also again is fairly confident in his poses for my magazine which is ideal for my magazine cover.

I feel as though his facial expression is ideal in the sense of his model smile and also the fact that he is looking off camera also shows that he is still slightly shy which shows off his new coming to music. In terms of his pose it shows off his confidence and also status as well as excitement as he is entering a new world and he is aware of his talent as a musician.

Based on my research I found that most dance artists have some unique features about themselves that are almost like trademarks and amplify their individuality and I also had my artists have a couple of these on being his unique hair, the second being the single blue and black stripped glove and the last being the lime green headphones which I have made sure he wore throughout all the photo shoots even when his outfit was changed in the final photo shoot for the main article. I feel as though this shows off his dominance as an artist and shows him make his mark in music.

The surroundings that I had my artist pose in was in greenery and this was to connote natural talent to the audience as well as denote his child like qualities which teenagers still posses. The colours that where chosen where also based on the settings colours which where predominantly lime green in the light and this was because lime green is a lively and un colour which connotes my artists fun and entertaining side as well showing him off to be a likeable character

I chose these two images on the left as they gave a me the impression that my artist was a down to earth and innocent character as well as having that cheeky side to him which is there but not that obvious and these where the impressions that i was trying to give off to the audience. This seemed to work based on my audience feedback and additional comments given to me about my article and the images used.

This imaged was used in my article as I had the idea of having my model face a town scene whilst keeping the natural scene around the front and i chose this as my article picture as to me it connoted real ambition and determination in my model. The pose especially shows aspiration and a drive to succeed in my model. The clothing for this scene was altered as the message that was being portrayed in this image was changed and therefore i felt the clothing needed to be changed and also this top matches the theme of my magazine however, the trademark props are still present which shows he wants to take his talent to the top.

Overall, I was trying to represent a teenage, young and fresh talent and I feel as though I did this well in terms of social groups because I have made him look young and raw and not too professional or confident or pompous. This however, does not conform to stereotypes because teenagers are known to be rebellious and overly confident and i did not want that sort of image for my artist and this worked well based on my audience feedback.

My main article was based on an interview with kid kadu and this was also done so the readers can understand my main artist better and the responses given to the questions asked would also determine how i would portray my main artist. On the right hand side is some of what was said and kid kadu speaks like a responsible, focused and mature individual based on the response about education. This was done so the readers who may aspire to this artist are given his views and as the audience are other teenagers this was done in the hope that they also follow in his footsteps. In the next part of the interview kid kadu is lively humorous and very

These are all positive signals that have been sent by this artist and i feel that i have portrayed him in a very positive way and have made him an inspirational figure for the intended audience this however, does not conform to the typical stereotypes about teenagers .

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I feel as though IPC would be the ideal choice to distribute my magazine because they already produce over 85 iconic media brands .

These media products are reached by two thirds of the women in the uk and 44% of men.There online brands reach

20 million users every month.

Their target audience are men, mass market women, upmarket women which means it would be ideal for me as i am also aiming my magazine at both genders ranging from old teenagers to young adults.

They are already in production of some of the Uk’s leading music magazines such as NME and therefore, are experienced in dealing with music magazines and therefore, can offer advice etc.

• A few reasons why i think that IPC would publish my magazine because there is a huge gap in the market as in a specific dance magazine based on new and upcoming stars..• Also IPC would publish my magazine is that IPC would consider publishing my magazine because there aren’t many magazines aimed at people aged 16 – 25 specifically based on their music preference and artists amongst this age group and therefore it would make my magazine appealing.• Another advantage of heading for the gap in the market is that there is no competition and also a new audience is being targeted and this is going to grab interest and this would entice IPC to publish my magazine.

Who would be the audience of your media product?

My target audience are both male and female people aged from 16 being late teenagers too 25.

I am aiming to attend to a niche audience with their music preference being dance.

They must have relative interest in music and already like artists such as ‘Basshunter’, ‘Calvin Harris’, ‘DJ Tiesto’ etc.

Read current magazines such as ‘Mixmag.’

There interests being: Music, partying, reading and enjoy going out.

The ethnic background of my target audience is mainly British, being British Indian or British African is irrelevant.

The socio economic status of my target audience is E as the age range that I am tending too is people aged 16 – 25 these are most likely people in education.

Based on my audience feedback the target audience that I am catering too is good as very positive feedback was given.

Audience

How did you attract/ address your audience?

The way in which I attracted my target audience firstly through my choice of title in terms ofwording, colour etc. My title was called ‘Beat Zone’ and this was chosen because

firstly my magazine was about the dance genre and therefore, this gives the reader more of an insight into the magazine and makes them aware of what the magazine may be about simply of the header. I chose to make this title lime green for this extract of the magazine and this was because my main character (who also was on the main cover) had the same lime

green headphones and I wanted these to match and set the theme.

This image that was used on my front cover is a major role in attending to my target audience mainly as this is the first thing that the audience sees and therefore , it needs to cater to that audience perfectly.

Firstly the MOD of address that my artist is using is INDIRECT although this is unconventional I chose to have this as one of the main features of my artist is his hair and this would attract the attention to his head and face and therefore I chose indirect MOD so it is not like the artist is starring back. Also I found that this connotes shyness and modesty as I was trying to promote a brand new artist and that is why I chose to have this MOD.

The pose that my main artist is in appeals to the audience as he is leaning against something with his hands in his pockets which connotes to the reader how he is independent and an upcoming star.

The scene that my artist is in is mainly a natural background with a lot of greenery and this was deliberately done to connote to the reader a raw and natural talent and from the audience feedback this was liked by my target audience. The background also helped set the theme for the magazine.

The colour palette that was chosen for this image all blends together including the clothing of my main artist and this was done to further expand on my artists natural talent as well as the connotations that lime green carries such as youth, excitement, lively etc.

Their where certain words and phrases that where used on my magazine cover that where enticing to the reader such as ‘The Best,’ ‘Exclusive’ etc. These words get the reader to read on as they add excitement and also make this magazine seem better then the rest.

I also used the name of really famous stars presently such as ‘Bashunter,’ ‘Calvin Harris’ and ‘DJ Tiesto.’ with further captions outlining what the article that they are in is about. This is for the fans that they may have as it entices them to buy the magazine to read about them if not by the main artist and this would intern have them read about my main artist. This may also further make them want to buy this magazine after the appeal of the colours, main image, use of language and heading.

I also tried to alter my style of writing by adding excitement to some of the articles that are on my magazine by adding an exclamation marks on some of them which makes them seem to my target audience that they are an exiting and interesting read which would make them want to buy the magazine.

I chose to keep the layout on my contents page simple and effective and I feel I did this well for my audience as I wanted to keep the focus on my front cover and main article. However I did not want to make it overly simplistic but enough to keep the audiences interest. For the layout I decided to split all the contents into categories with subheading which would make everything easy for the reader to find. This would also allow the reader as I placed all my contents in one row to find another topic they may be interested in which they where not originally looking for that is why I chose this simple yet effective layout. The reason why there is only one image on the contents page was for the reason that I wanted a simple contents page.

The language used on the contents page was energetic and simple and this was done to again attract the reader and keep their interest in the magazine and to also make them want to read on. However, the words used where very carefully chosen to keep the excitement without revealing much information if any about the contents of each article and therefore, this would make the reader eager to read on,

The colour scheme that was used followed the over all theme of the magazine and the captions where written in black to they are easily visible whereas the titles and numbers where written in colours to make them stand out and highlight each article for the reader.

The structure of the main article is done so it looks appealing and interesting to the reader. This was done by having a brief introduction and then an interview with the artist and finishing with a brief conclusion. This was effective as given in the audience feedback. Along with the writing I wanted

a few images which outlined the artists characteristics and I decided to have these in the structure of the article. As well as the images I added a font which play the role of the artists handwriting on the left hand side separating the two

images and this was placed as a signature and extra to the magazine for any fans. This is to appeal more to the audiences.

The heading of my main article was ‘In this Zone with .. Kid Kadu’ I chose to name it this is the main article is a lead off the magazine itself and as the magazine was called ‘Beat Zone’ I felt it be better being named this. I did not do much to the main title apart from change the colour to suit the theme and this was because the contents of the article was the focus for the reader.

I had to keep the content of my main article interesting and also in keeping with my target audience and therefore, the language that I used was very friendly and lively as well as being simple and effective yet again. I also tried adding some humour to lighten the mood for the audience whilst they are reading it. The questions that I needed to as had to be friendly whilst still allowing the artist to paint an image of himself for an audience and I think I did this well as from the audience feedback stated the interview was interesting and informing.

Instead of having a very formal and boring introduction I tried to make it very informal, friendly and welcoming so that my target audience would want to read on. At the same time I put in some facts about my main artist to give the reader a bit of insight into what type of character he is.

As well as the questions the responses where equally as important in keeping the audiences attention and the responses where also humorous and welcoming and this was to amplify his youth as well as showing maturity as my target audience does consist of young adults.

The reason why I took this picture is because the artist looks really cheeky and energetic putting on a pose for the camera and this would appeal to the audience as they could relate to him being of a similar age . This image is very well lit and again in the same background as the main image on the front cover and this connotes the same properties and the bright lighting again symbolizing his energy and youth.

This image was chosen for my main article because It pops out with the connotations of lime green as mentioned before except this time the artists facial expression and posture connotes the fact that under all the excitement and energy there is a sensible and dedicated artist and I want this to come across to the reader.

I took this image in this location because of the connotations that come across to the reader. In this image the artist is standing on high ground surrounded by greenery and with his arms out almost ready to fly. This connotes to the reader that he is wanted to go to the top and he is passionate about music as in the image he is still wearing his headphones as he feels free and happy with where he is now. I wanted this connotation to come off to the reader.

• In my article it was important that I portray the conventional characteristics currently shown by celebrities as they have been found successful and are being followed throughout all genre’s in music. However, I had to portray my celebrity with the basic foundations but add my own characteristics as they are not any teenage DJ’s and therefore, the ideologies where left to my imagination.

• In some aspects my artists conforms to the typical stereotypes of a celebrity as in he is talented, cool, funny, rich etc. This was necessary in order to attract my target audience. Also people would not want to read about a dull and boring celebrity and therefore, this was necessary. Also like other celebrities my artist has a trademark trait well two his headphones and also his hair and this is what he would be recognised about.

• This is also classed as the ‘norm’ for audiences and therefore to create the sense of a ‘proper’ celebrity these characteristics needed to be present in order to be even accepted as a proper celebrity.

• As my artist was appealing to a young adult audience I created the image of an artist who has a playful and cheeky side whilst yet being mature and firm on his feet. Overall, I tried to create an inspirational character for people.

What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

• I’ve learnt a lot about technology in the process of creating a media product. I have learned that technology can make the process although it is hard it can make it a lot easier and more precise and less time consuming.

• Firstly I had to create a blog before starting the research on my project and this was done on www.blogger.com . On blogger I had to regularly post on my progress and keep it as a diary with information on each stage of work throughout my project from research to final production. I’ve learned that this was a more efficient way to keep a diary as there was no paper work or usb drives needed this could be accessed by an computer or laptop with an internet connection.

• All my research was done on the internet apart from separate utilities that where used to create the questionnaire used in research. I used websites such as:– www.wikepedia.com– www.google.com– www.blogger.com– www.dafont.comThese websites gave me the correct information and aided

me tremendously in creating a proper magazine cover, contents page and article. I researched appropriate journalistic styles for the article other current magazine covers and also contents pages. The internet was a

key aspect in research.

• I learned a lot more about taking and also editing images as even though the camera

that I used wasn’t professional the pictures turned out very well. I learned that the lighting in taking pictures is a key aspect in determining the quality and over all look of

the image. I learned a bit more about different shots and angles and what effect they have on an image.

• I came across a bit of a problem with my contents image and this is when i learned how to use photo shop a lot better then I previously knew and in this image the lighting was too bright and from all the images my models facial expression and pose looked perfect the lighting just needed adjusting and this is when I learned how to use photo shop. After adjusting the contrast I felt I also needed to crop the image and photo shop was brilliant in doing this.

• Even without any previous experience in dealing with photo shop I was able to make my images look of a good quality for my magazine.

• I also learned how to use a very handy programme for creating a magazine called InDesign. I created all my pages on this program as it allowed me to put all the pieces together.

• I learned how to create pages by adding in images, changing the colours of fonts, adding different fonts and also adding new fonts into inDesign to add to each page.

• InDesign is a very efficient and easy programme to use in creating a magazine and I found it really easy to learn how to use and although I hit a few glitches which was mainly due to my in experience they where easy to resolve and strive forward with creating my final product.

Overall, I learned a lot about technology especially photoshop, and InDesign as they where key tools in enabling me to create a proper magazine. I also learned that with a little imagination you can do more then you would expect of an amateur. These programmes helped me create my pages to look as near enough to professional as the real ones.

• My audience feedback was also made incredibly easier using technology as it was quick and easy to type up the questions on Microsoft Word and to print off for my audience feedback. This was done within minutes of starting.

• Furthermore, after the results where obtained I learned how to put them into easily visible graphs and also I was able to make the colour of these graphs adhere to the theme of my magazine. This was done on Microsoft Excel.

• Following this it was easy to post these results onto blogger and fill in any comments that where needed.Technology aided me tremendously in this project and made the task a lot easier and less time consuming. It allowed me to put less effort in and allowed me to focus on the project a lot more whilst still allowing me to create a quality product.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Above is my prelim task compared to my final project. To begin with my prelim task was a complete failure as I was not aware of how to use the software that was provided the only aspect that I was familiar with was a stills camera.

• From my preliminary task to my final product I feel as though I have learned a tremendous amount when it comes to the layout, contents, fonts, colours, images etc.

• Firstly the front cover, I have learned about all the conventions needed to create a successful magazine cover. I have also learned about the impact of different lighting and angles in taking professional looking images. I have also learned the fonts should also be clear easily visible and also how different colours amplify certain connotations and denotations. In terms of colours I have learned how it is important to make the colours used blend well together and to follow the same trend throughout the magazine.

• In terms of images I have learned that different poses and facial expressions alone can give a lot away about a character and certain poses and facial expressions can make the character look bad or good. Also that the clothing is also very important on celebrities as this can also decide whether they appeal to an audience and therefore, there must be an eye catching factor may that be a physical or external feature. In deciding whether an image looks professional or not the setting along with the lighting is also very important.

•In the contents page I have learned that the use of language used in the captions should be appealing but not give too much information away. I have learned the layout of different sections and the way the page fits together is also very important in appealing to an audience. • On my main article I learned how the journalistic style can make an article sound interesting or not. I also learned how to create an interesting storyline to keep the readers attention.

From my preliminary task to my final project there has been a significant improvement. I feel as though my final project looks quite professional this is because I grasped the use of programmes such as inDesign and Photoshop I am very happy with my final product.