OCR – Level 3 Cambridge Introductory Diploma in

Media

Unit 13: Planning and Pitching a Print based Media

Product P1 Evidence

Name: Jessica MonkCandidate Number: 4102Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

Set Brief - Print

Project/Brief –

Music Magazine & Promotion

Purpose of the magazine

Price of the magazine ConnotationsThe price for NME magazine is £2.50. As NME are a weekly magazine the price must be kept lower than fellow indie magazine Q which is a monthly magazine. A lower price encourages more readers to purchase the magazine. However as print sales are falling digital sales are picking up.

Strapline ConnotationsThe strapline for NME magazine is ‘New Musical Express’. The words ‘New’ connotes that the magazine will only present the reader with new music. ‘Express’ connotes that the new music is delivered fast as NME is a weekly magazine. The text is white to match the Masthead, and the thin capital letters are spaced equally apart and east to read.

Position in the market place

Readership figuresAs of July 2013 the readership figure for NME magazine was 19,491. Falling behind its competitors such as Q magazine and Kerrang.

Circulation figures As print magazines aren't as popular anymore in 2014 the circulation figures for NME magazine was 15,830. NME magazine are falling behind in circulation figures compared to their competitor Kerrang magazine which have a 2014 circulation figure of 33,024.

MastheadWhen the first issue of NME magazine was released the masthead was originally ‘New Musical Express’ however since the 80s the masthead had been abbreviated to ‘NME’.

NME’s masthead

since 2010.

TimeInc (IPC Media)Who are the Publisher of NME magazine?

The publisher of NME magazine is IPC or now known as TimeInc

A quote from the TimeInc website ‘Time Inc. UK is Britain’s leading publisher of print and digital magazine content’.

TimeInc publisher of 60 brands ranging from country living, television and music. Some of their most popular titles include; Horse & Hound, TV Choice and Now magazine. Founded? TimeInc who were formally known as IPC Media were founded back in 1963 in Birmingham. Other magazines which they publish? TimeInc publish other music magazines such as; Uncut magazine which is the UK’s greatest rock magazine. Uncut are a monthly based rock music magazine who have featured stars such as; David Bowie and Paul McCartney.

StyleThe language of the magazine is very professional as they use a bold serif font, for the text inside. The main headlines are simple and are usually the name of the artist, this is a feature similar to Q magazine. Colour scheme The colour scheme of NME magazine is very repetitive, they usually use bold eye-catching colours like reds and yellows. This attracts the reader and keeps them engaged, mainly as the front cover is the first feature which the reader notices.

Format The print magazine is A4 which is the typical size of a piece of paper, the finish is usually glossy to give the magazine its professional feel. However the app which was released on iTunes in October 2014 states that the size of the magazine may be different depending on the device which the user is viewing the magazine from. As the app is only available on iTunes this suggests that the best way to view the magazine is using an iPad or an iPhone, as the screen is able to rotate is the device is turned.

Format, Style and Colour Scheme

Contents Page Analysis

Band IndexAn A-Z of bands

which have appeared in

NME magazine.

advertisementAn advert telling the reader to subscribe to ‘Magazines Direct’

for £5.57 a month.

Colour SchemeRed, white and black,

very consistent throughout the page. The different

sections are named and the sub-sections

are numbered in ascending order.

The small arrows remind the reader which stories appeared as cover lines

on the front cover.

‘THE UK’S No1 GIG GUIDE STARTS p58’. Tells the reader that NME provides them

with details about the best concerts in the UK.

Smaller article at the bottom

of the contents page.

Group shot of a band holding instruments.

Date of the magazine.

Front Cover Analysis Masthead

The denotations of the masthead which is ‘NME’ The verbal code connotes that the

magazine is intended for a male target audience as the words ‘NME’ are masculine

and powerful. However the use of the colour pink is feminine and suggests that the

magazine could also appeal to females.

StraplineThe denotations of the strapline which is ‘New Musical Express’. The verbal code

connotes that the masthead is an abbreviation of the strapline. The word ‘new’

suggest that the magazine presents new music, and the word ‘Express’ suggests that

the music is presented quick as NME is a weekly magazine.

Main headlineThe denotations of the main headline which is ‘Rihanna’. The verbal code

connotes that NME are introducing the artist formally by using their name. The use of the colour pink compliments the masthead which is also pink. The positioning of the main headline which is in the middle of the cover doesn’t

over power or overlap other important features such as the masthead.

Cover linesThe denotations of the covers lines which are a ‘Rihanna’, ‘Jack White’, ‘Florence and The Machine’ and more. The verbal code connotes that the magazine are basic with their cover lines as there isn't a short sentence which introduces the reader to the story. They are positioned at the bottom left hand corner of the front cover, and overlap a small section of the main image.

Colour SchemeThe colour scheme is consistent and appeals to

both male and females. Their use of pink which is feminine and girly to appeal to female readers, in contrasts to their use of black which is masculine

and bold which appeals to male readers.

Main ImageThe denotations of the main image which is a high angle shot. The non-

verbal code connotes that the magazine want to portray the

power of the artists which appears on the front cover. The body

language of the main star shows power as her face is closer to the camera than her body, and her

hand is placed on her hip. Her facial expressions are serious as her eyes are focused on the camera which

portrays dedication.

BarcodeThe denotations of the bar code which is positioned in the bottom right corner of the front cover. The verbal code shows price of the

magazine, their web address, the release date and the barcode itself.

PromotionThe dentations of the promotion

which is ‘Introducing the new NME 4 of 10 Special Edition

Covers’ . The verbal code connotes that NME are

encouraging more people to purchase a copy of their

magazine by releasing limited edition covers with artists who don’t feature in the indie genre

for example ‘Rihanna.

Double-Page Spread Analysis

Stand firstThe denotations of the stand

first which is’ In a world of blank identikit popstars, Lilly Allen is a tabloid-balting breath of fresh

air’. The verbal code introduces the reader to the interview, giving them a brief insight of

what to expect from the article. The name of the star feature in

the article is written in the same font as the quote from the

interview, and is also the colour red.

Drop capitalThe denotations of the drop capital which is the letter ‘I’. The verbal code emphasises the importance of the article. The bold capital letter is eye-catching and easy for the reader to identify. The drop capital allows the text to wrap around it.

InterviewThe interview text is placed in four separate text columns, as this is only a small section of the interview the rest is positioned on a separate double page. The text colour is black as this is the typical interview colour, and is also easy for the reader to identify. The font is simple but effective, and sticks to the dark colour scheme.

ImageThe dentations of the main image which is a high angle image. The non-verbal code connotes the power of the main star. The body language of Lilly Allen shows that her hands are placed on her hips and her face is closer to the camera compared to the rest of her body. This conveys power and her facial expressions put across her ‘Don’t Care’ attitude to the reader. Her clothing is a different colour to the colours chosen for the two pages, as she is wearing red and the two pages are grey, white and black. This conveys that she is rebelling against the set colour scheme.

Page Number and Small Masthead. The connotations of the

page number make it easier for the reader

to identify which page they are reading. The connotations of the masthead help the reader to recognise

that they are reading NME magazine.

Colour SchemeThe colour scheme of the two pages is very consistent, the use of black, grey and white,

creates a masculine approach, however the

use of a female star created femininity to

appeal to both genders.

Quote from the InterviewThe dentations of the quote from the interview which is ‘People think I'm an attention seeker, but I'm just honest’. The verbal code

takes a specific sentence from the interview which the magazine thinks will interest the reader. The text is presented in different sized capital letters, this creates an edgy and sophisticated feel, and the colour white stands out against the black background.

Analysing an Article from NMEWide angle shot of the band The Vaccines playing an intimate gig in Tunbridge Wells.

Introduction to the Article is about.

Stand first across the middle of the page

overlapping the image. The text is white against

a black border.

The drop capital is a small black letter T. The text is bold and adds emphasis to the interview.

Quote from the interview positioned near the bottom of the page. The text is black with a yellow background.

Close up of The Vaccines playing an intimate gig at Southampton.

The text wraps around a small

image.

NME Britain's best small venues.

Link to NME’s website showing the full list of the best small venues

in the UK.

There are three text columns on the page. the text is a simple serif font, in the colour black. This is easier for the reader to identify.

Analysing an Review from NME

Details of the album showing the; release date, record label, album producer, track listing

and the best track on the album.

Location shot of the artists who's album is being reviewed… Ryan

Adams.

A small image of the album which is being

reviewed. This album is called

Name of the person who wrote the review

Introduction to the

review.

The colour scheme is blue

and white.

US flag suggests that the artist could be American.

Page number in a yellow triangle.

Name of the artist being reviewed.

Genre of NME Magazine What is the genre of NME magazine?NME is weekly music journalism magazine, their isn’t one specific genre however the magazine is highly associated with rock, alternative and indie music. How is this identifiable to the reader?The genre is identifiable to the reader through the use of cover stars who come from different music genres for example; Jay-Z who is a famous rap star compared to Arctic Monkeys who are a British indie band, both who are artists of two different genres.

Frequency of NME Magazine

What is the frequency of NME magazine?NME is a monthly released UK magazine. The first publication was released in 1952, however this wasn’t on the glossy paper which most magazine use today. The first issue was published on ordinary newspaper sheets.

The picture on the right shows the first published issue, you can see that the magazine was black and white. Its also noticalble that the masthead was ‘Musical Express’ which later went on to become their strapline. The appearance of the magazine is very dull and draining compared to todays publications which are bright and inviting.

Target Audience

Facts and Statistics 63% male

37% femaleABC1 47%

Median age 25Student 26%

Socio-economic needs,• According to facts and statistics in 2014 47% of NME readers fell into

the audience category's ABC1. • 26% of readers were students meaning that they fell into a lower

demographics in particular E and D. • As 25 is the media reader age they to would also fall into audience

category's ABC1.

• Hartley: Age and Gender • According to Hartley’s seven subjectives the intended age group for NME readers is 15-35, in 2014 the median age of readers was 25.• According to Hartley’s seven subjectives the intended gender of NME readers is both male and female, however smaller aspects suggest that NME

is intended for a male target audience. • In 2014 63% of readers were males compared to 37% of readers who were females.

Psychographics• NME readers fall into two psychographic catagorys the first being ‘Explorers’ for the lower end of the

target age group, ‘Explorers’ are typically a younger demographic which relates to the readers who are aged 15 and upwards, in particular this group of people could be students. Explorers are information driven and NME provide readers with facts and statistics to satisfy this psychographic.

• NME readers could also be ‘Succeeders’ for the higher end of the target age group. ‘Succeeders’ are typically older people this could relate to readers who are above the median age of 25. They are also of higher professional this relates to the readers who fall into audience category ABC1.

Readership figuresIn 2014 the readership figures for NME magazine was 19,491. this was a significant drop from previous years, as print magazine are decreasing in popularity as digital publications are becoming increasingly popular.

Magazine Production Process • Date of publication: The first step of the production process is to decide the date of the publication; this requires

the magazine company to select the date when they want their magazine to be released. • Once the company has selected the publication date they must then plan a schedule around the chosen date.• Now that the schedule has been created the editorial must be planned, this helps the company to decide on the

topics they want to see featured in their magazine.

• Proofreading: Proofreading can only be done once sub-editing has finished, requiring the editor to print out a copy of the magazine, which he or she will read through correcting mistakes as they go.

• Pre-press printing: Printing the final copies can only be done once pre-press printing has taken place, the process which checks if the correct fonts an images needed for the magazine are correct on each page.

• Printing: Finally the 1000s of magazines we see on the shelves of our shops are allowed to be printed out. • Distribution: Once the magazines have been printed they are sent to a warehouse, from then on they are packed

and shipped to other distributers who then go on to sell the magazines

• Budget: Next is the budget plan, this will be created based on the amount of money they have available towards producing the magazine.

• Select the content: Once the budget plan is finalized the content must be selected, there are two ways in which content can be collected; in-house staff writers and external writers. External writers are the people who specialize in one subject are, and in-house writers are usually employees.

• Sub editing: Once the content has be added to the magazine the process of sub-editing must begin, most companies usually have a sub-editor employed through there company. If not this is usually completed by the editor. There are 5 main target areas which sub-editors cover including; checking the accuracy of the facts, spell checking, grammar and punctuation, the house style, and the page layout.

• Layout/structure: After sub-editing has finished the page layout structure must be created and edited, without this the magazine wouldn’t come together.

Distribution What shops is can you purchase NME?

NME can be purchased from bookstores such as WHSmiths, leading supermarkets such as; Asda and Sainsbury's for £2.50 and online at Amazon and Ebay, however the prices different depending on the seller.

Digital Subscriptions

WHSmith

• The first subscription they offer is 3 issues set over 3 months, the asking price for this subscription is £21.24. On average each issue is estimated to be £7.08p, if the reader was to purchase 3 separate issues in store the price would be £7.50. There is a difference of £13.74 between the digital subscription and purchasing the issues in store. For this subscription there is only one payment method for this subscription which is direct debit.

WHsmith offer the reader 3 digital subscriptions for NME magazine.

• The second subscription they offer is 12 issues over a duration of 12 months, the asking price for this subscription is £93.49. The estimated price for each issue is £7.79, however if the reader was to purchase 12 separate issues in store they would be paying a total of £30. There is a £63.49 different between this digital subscription and purchasing 12 separate issues. For this subscription there is again only one payment method for this subscription which is credit card.

• The third subscription they offer is 24 issues over a length of 24 months, the asking price for this subscription is £173.49. each issue is estimated to be £7.23, however if the reader was to purchase 24 separate issues in store they would being paying a total of £60. on average there different between the digital subscription and purchasing 24 separate issues in store is £113.49. Just like the first two subscriptions there is only one payment method which is credit card.

isubscribeiSubscribe offer readers the chance to purchase NME through a digital subscription. There are three different subscriptions which the website offer.

• The first subscription isubscribe offer is 3 issues over 3 months, the price they ask for this subscription is £21.24. On average each issue would have an estimated cost of £7.20. However the price is significantly cheaper if they happened to purchase 3 separate issues in store, instead they would be paying £7.50. There is a £13.74 different between the digital subscription and purchasing in store. For this subscription there is only one payment method for this subscription which is direct debit.

• The third subscription isubscribe offer is 12 issues over a duration of 12 months, the price for this subscription is £93.49. Each issue is estimated at £7.80, just like the first subscription there is a noticeable different between the digital subscription and purchasing 12 separate issues in store. Instead of paying £93.49. There are four payment methods for this subscription which are credit card, debit card, PayPal and an Amazon Gift Card.

• The second subscription isubscribe offer is 24 issues over 24 months. The price for this subscription is £173.49. If the reader chooses to purchase 24 separate issues in store the price would be significantly lower than the asking price for a digital subscription. Instead of paying £173.49 they would be paying £60 which give a £113.49 difference. There are four payment methods for this subscription which are credit card, debit card, PayPal and an Amazon Gift Card.